The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission)

The African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (African Charter) established the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission). The African Commission was inaugurated on November 1987 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and it consists of 11 members elected by the African Union Assembly from experts nominated by the State Parties to the Charter. The Honourable Commissioners consists of: The Commission Chairperson, Commission Vice-chairperson and nine other Commissioners who are Special Rapporteurs, Heads of Committees and Chairperson of Working Groups and their mandates are for six years (renewable).

In addition to performing any other task which may be entrusted to it by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, the African Commission is officially charged with three major functions:

The African Commission appointed the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa in 1999 to serve as a focal point for the protection and promotion of women and girls rights in Africa. Part of her mandate is to define guidelines for state reporting on the Maputo protocol to ensure that member states adequately address women's rights issues in their reports to the African Commission.

For more information on the African Commission visit: www.achpr.org