African Court, African Commission are inseparable institutions – Justice Tchikaya

The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights are “inseparable institutions” sharing a common mandate of protecting and promoting human and peoples’ rights in Africa, Justice Blaise Tchikaya, African Court President, stated.

Addressing delegates at the 87th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, The Gambia, Justice Tchikaya noted that "the Commission and the African Court are inseparable, and they share a common mandate, namely, to protect and promote human and peoples’ rights."

The African Court President, in a speech obtained by the Modern Ghana News in Accra, noted that the principle of complementarity between the two organs is firmly grounded in the Protocol establishing the African Court.

He emphasised that cooperation between the institutions remains central to strengthening the African human rights system and reaffirmed the African Continental Court’s commitment to strengthening cooperation and complementarity with the Commission.

Reaffirming the African Court’s readiness to continue working closely with the Commission and other stakeholders, it stressed the importance of sustained cooperation in advancing the shared continental mandate of protecting human rights in Africa.

Justice Tchikaya stressed that the African Court and the African Commission continue to work closely under the framework of complementarity to strengthen the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights across the continent.

He also used the occasion to highlight the African Court’s ongoing commemoration of 20 years since becoming operational in 2006, noting that over the years, the two institutions have continued to strengthen their collaboration through regular annual meetings, joint engagements and institutional exchanges.

He also referenced the Second Joint Retreat between the African Court and the African Commission held in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, on 2–3 June 2025, during which the two institutions reviewed progress made under the Complementarity Roadmap and agreed to extend its implementation until 2028.

It will be recalled that it was during this retreat that the two organs adopted the communiqué and guidelines on complementarity to facilitate the transfer of cases.

According to Justice Tchikaya, the roadmap remains an important framework for improving coordination, information sharing and implementation of decisions between the two organs.

He further noted that initiatives under the Roadmap include staff exchanges, development of databases and reporting mechanisms, as well as strengthened national coordination efforts aimed at improving the effectiveness of the African human rights system.

The African Court President also highlighted the publication of Volumes Six and Seven of the African Human Rights Yearbook as one of the collaborative initiatives aimed at promoting awareness and fostering a culture of respect for human rights across the continent.

The African Court is a continental court established by African countries to ensure the protection of human and peoples’ rights in Africa and is an organ of the African Union, and it complements and reinforces the functions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The African Court is composed of eleven judges, nationals of Member States of the African Union elected in their individual capacity, and meets four times a year in Ordinary Sessions and may hold Extra-Ordinary Sessions.

Its mandate includes hearing cases and disputes concerning the interpretation and application of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, as well as any other human rights instrument ratified by the concerned states.

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