Regional Human Rights Systems

⁃ Instruments (treaties, conventions, declarations)

⁃ Promotion and protection of human rights
⁃ Help to localise international human rights norms and standards, reflecting
the particular human rights concerns of the region
⁃ Mechanisms ( commissions, special rapporteurs, courts) to implement
- assists implementation
⁃ Provides accessible mechanisms for protection of human rights
⁃ Helps raise awareness to people
⁃ Provides regional input to development of international human rights
standards

Regional Human Rights Bodies

⁃ African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

⁃ African Court on Human a
⁃ Arab
⁃ ASEAN
⁃ European Court
⁃ European Committee on Social Rights
⁃ Inter- American Court
⁃ Inter-American Committee
⁃ Regional economic integration initiatives (European Union and Economic
Community West African States) have established courts to deal with disputes
between member states.. Note, core mandate is not human rights protection

Common Features

⁃ Intergovernmental organisation
⁃ Only states may be held accountable, not individuals
⁃ States can be held accountable for violation of basic rights or freedom
⁃ Individual complaints mechanism is allowed
⁃ Damages may be awarded to individual
⁃ Interim measures or provisional measures
⁃ RHRS do not take the place of the national courts

African Human Rights System

⁃ African Union
⁃ African commission on human and peoples rights, against all 54 member
states
⁃ Reporting mechanism
⁃ JD to give advisory opinions, decide complaints

Main Treaties
Refugee convention
African Charter on Human and People’s Rights
ACHPR on Rights of Women in Africa
ACRights and Welfare of the Child

ACHPR
⁃ June 26, 1981, Oct 21, 1986

Child
Reporting
Individual complaint
Inquiry

African Courts
-11 judges

INteramerican System
1948
35 members

IACmHR
IACtHR

European
⁃ Strasbourg, France

ECHR
-interstate
-Individual

Courts
46 judges

Working Group

Asian Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights

⁃ Does not establish court
⁃ Does not have supervisory mechanism
⁃ Focus on promotion rather than protection