Press release
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), on 21st October elected its new bureau chairperson and vice-chairperson to lead and co-ordinate the activities of members of the commission.
Senegalese Idrissa Sow [West Africa]) is the newly elected chairperson, while Tunisian Hatem Essaiem [North Africa]) assumes the post of the vice-chairperson. The two will serve for a period of two years. The new chairpersons takes over from Remy Ngoy Lumbu and Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie.
The election was conducted during the 85th Ordinary Session of the ACHPR, which took place on Tuesday in The Gambia. The ACHPR is an autonomous treaty body of the African Union, and is composed of eleven commissioners, who are elected by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. The Commissioners serve in their personal capacity and in an independent and impartial manner. The mandate of the commission is defined in Article 45 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter), which includes the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights on the continent and the interpretation of any provision of the African Charter at the request of a state party; among other tasks as may be directed by the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
ACHPR was established under Article 30 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which entered into force on 21st October, 1986. The African Charter is ratified by 54 of 55 member states of the African Union, making it one of the most widely ratified instruments adopted by the African Union.
