A Stakeholders' Seminar focused on translating commitments into actions to advance democratic governance, peace and security in Africa has concluded. The African Union Commission led by the African Union Commission (AUC), Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department facilitated the meeting of the African Union Permanent Representatives Committee Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance that sought to deepen the understanding of the Members on matters of ratifications, domestication, implementation and reporting of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) and the AU Shared Values Instruments.
AU Shared Values Instruments include, among others, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the Protocol on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, the Protocol to the Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, the African Peer Review Mechanism, and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
This Seminar held in Bujumbura, Burundi on 13-14 June 2024 underscored the importance of these AU Shared Values in advancing Africa's quest for democratic practices, good governance, the rule of law, protection and promotion of human rights and freedoms, conflict prevention as prerequisite for the realization of the Pan-African Vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa.
The Seminar is part of a series of engagements aimed at providing continued support to Member States to enrich understanding on the broad thematic areas of democracy, governance and security. More specifically, the seminar explored the historical background of the ACDEG; received update on the status of signature and ratification, detailed State Parties' obligation such as State reporting guidelines. The Sub-Committee was also briefed on the internal review processes of a State Parties report conducted by the African Governance Architecture (AGA) and African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) Platform. The Seminar also highlighted the role of Civil Society Organizations in supporting Member States in the promotion, ratification, and State Reporting efforts under the ACDEG and AU Shared Values Instruments.
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The Sub-Committee committed to rally for more ratifications of the ACDEG, AU shared Values Instruments and pledged to report on the progress made on implementation at the National level. Further, the Member States also expressed their full support for the harmonization initiative of the AGA-APSA Platform and believed in its potential to not only to resolve reporting fatigue but to encourage ratification and implementation of the ACDEG and AU Shared values instruments.
The Seminar was followed by an Extraordinary Session of the PRC Sub-Committee on HRDG that was organized on 15 June 2024. The Sub-Committee received briefings that increased their understanding about current initiatives, receive guidance, support on initiatives aimed at strengthening synergies between the AGA and APSA. The Extraordinary Session ended with the adoption of the Bujumbura Outcome Document.
