HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR PURSUIT OF DIGNITY, EQUALITY AND SECURITY IN AFRICA

21 October 2002



The following is the message of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello on the occasion of African Human Rights Day, 21 October:

"I join all the peoples and nations of Africa in commemorating African Human Rights Day today, and extend to them a message of solidarity and support. Today marks sixteen years since the entry into force of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. This commemoration should serve as an occasion for recognizing the long and enduring struggles of African people to achieve dignity, equality and security, the cornerstones of human rights and effective and harmonious relationships between people.

The role of my Office, as the United Nations system-wide focal point for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, is to be a catalyst and encourage and coordinate efforts to secure worldwide respect for human rights and justice. My Office has worked with governments, intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations in Africa in a wide range of areas related to the promotion and protection of human rights and the administration of justice. We intend to continue to engage with the relevant authorities both at the national and regional levels, to explore ways in which we can collectively address the human rights challenges ahead. The institutional linkages and cooperation that we aim to develop between the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) are pertinent in this regard.

Much has been achieved in the struggle for human rights in Africa since the adoption of the African Charter two decades ago, but a lot more remains to be done. The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the proposed Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa are among the outstanding issues which need to be addressed. In this regard, I assure you that my Office will continue to support the strengthening of the African human rights system, especially the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Our regional strategy for Africa is inspired by the Grand Bay Declaration of 1999 adopted at the end of the First OAU Ministerial Conference on Human Rights, and envisages close working relationships with regional and sub-regional institutions and programmes of the African Union, such as NEPAD. Through consultative processes and actions of our sub-regional offices we will strive for the integration and mainstreaming of human rights in the activities of these bodies.

I urge all those involved in the promotion and protection of human rights, the rule of law, and the administration of justice in Africa to redouble their efforts to ensure the promise of the African Charter becomes a reality for all the people of the continent".




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