Campaign to identify experts for election to the African Court launched in Arusha

The African Human Rights Mechanisms: Nomination and Selection Initiative, also known as ‘the Arusha Initiative,’ announced a campaign to help identify qualified candidates ahead of the upcoming elections to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The campaign aims to assist the State Party-led nomination process by identifying experts who meet the criteria for serving at the African Court. Given the current geographical composition of the African Court, nominations are open from the East Africa, West Africa, and Central Africa regions.

In a statement jointly signed in Arusha, Tanzania, by Ms. Sophia Ebby and Mr. Ikechukwu Uzoma, co-chairs of the Arusha Initiative, and copied to the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema, Ghana.

The Conveners of the Arusha Initiative include the Coalition for an Effective African Court, the Center for Human Rights at Pretoria University, the Pan African Lawyers Union, the Network of National Human Rights Institutions, the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa, the Center for Rights Education and Awareness, and the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization.

The African Human Rights System consists of three mechanisms: the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

Each mechanism comprises eleven members nominated by African States and elected by the Executive Council of the African Union. The Arusha Initiative explained and called on members to share profiles of qualified experts.

The statement explained that by July 2024, there would be three vacancies at the African Court that needed to be filled: Judge Ben Kioko (Kenya) would complete his second term and should be replaced by a male judge from East Africa.

Judge Blaise Tchikaya (Republic of Congo) and Judge Stella Isibhakhomen Anukam (Nigeria) are ending their first terms and are eligible for re-election to another six-year term.

According to modalities, State Parties to the Court Protocol may, however, nominate other candidates for these two positions: a male from the AU’s Central African region and a female from the West African region.

Qualified candidates for this position must be individuals of high moral character with recognized expertise in human and people's rights.

Such candidates must have practical, judicial, or academic competence in human rights and be independent of political, diplomatic, or administrative functions in their countries.

The AU Office of Legal Counsel will soon call for nominations from State Parties in the three regions.

In anticipation of the nomination process, this campaign intends to identify qualified experts and share a database of those experts with States for their consideration during the nomination process.

The Arusha Initiative: The African Human Rights Mechanisms Nomination and Selection Initiative (the Arusha Initiative) is aimed at promoting human rights by supporting State Parties in the nomination and selection of members of human rights mechanisms in Africa.