Three continental Human Rights Courts join forces

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, and the European Court of Human Rights have all reaffirmed their commitment to the principles and objectives outlined in their respective regional human rights agreements.

Among the instruments are the American Convention on Human Rights, the European Convention on Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, and several relevant international human rights treaties. Also included is the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.

At the conclusion of a conference conducted in San José, Costa Rica, from May 25 to 26, 2023, to commemorate the event of the Dialogue among Regional Human Rights tribunals, the "Declaration of San Jose," a reaffirmation made by the three continental human rights tribunals, was stated.

In a statement issued following the meeting and forwarded to the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema, the continental human rights court pledged to take into account the historical context of the institutional and jurisprudential discussion.

The three Courts agreed that States in the three regions that fall under their respective jurisdictions must ensure the effective protection of democracy, human rights, and sustainable development in order to preserve peace and uphold human dignity.

Sound governance, effective access to justice, and judicial independence are essential for the defence and achievement of human rights as well as a running democracy supported by the rule of law.

They also stressed the need to maintain and defend the independence and impartiality of their own legal systems as well as the integrity of judges in each of their own regions.

Specifically, this entails enhancing the procedures for the nomination and selection of judges, ensuring their safety and protection from threats and improper direct or indirect action, and promoting an impartial and transparent administration of justice.

In order to acknowledge the significance of enhancing coordination and collaboration among regional courts, they reaffirm their commitment to taking part in ongoing dialogue and consultation mechanisms to exchange experiences, knowledge, and best practices in the interpretation and application of their respective regional human rights instruments.

The three human rights courts emphasized the importance of coordinating initiatives to advance and disseminate regional human rights standards in the pertinent regions, including the organization of cooperative workshops, seminars, and conferences as well as the development of educational and promotional materials to support human rights and their protection.

In order to share its case law developments with the public, each Court will make every effort to conduct an annual lecture (virtual or in-person) on topical topics. The annual combined case law reports from the three Courts will still be released.

-CDA Consult || Contributor