but it is not an end in itself. The Guidelines need to be promoted and implemented. They have also to be understood as a collective endeavour of the African community to deal with the phenomena of torture and to look forward to every person enjoying the right to be free from torture and other forms of ill-treatment. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights would like to draw the attention of all African national and regional actors, as well as international ones, to the crucial step of implementing the Guidelines. The implementation of the Guidelines has to be encouraged at national level. This needs co-operation, dialogue and the endeavour of several actors such as appropriate States Authorities, Parliamentarians, National Human Rights Institutions and the whole Civil Society. Dupe ATOKI Commissioner of the ACHPR Jean-Baptiste NIYIZURUGERO APT Africa Programme Officer