AFRICAN UNION
UNION AFRICAINE
UNIÃO AFRICANA
African Commission on Human & Peoples’
Rights
Commission Africaine des Droits de l’Homme & des
Peuples
31 Bijilo Annex Layout, Kombo North District, Western Region, P. O. Box 673, Banjul, The Gambia
Tel: (220) 4410505 / 4410506; Fax: (220) 4410504
E-mail: achpr@achpr.org; Web www.achpr.org
GUIDELINES FOR NATIONAL PERIODIC REPORTS
Introduction
1.
2.
3.
4.
It is directed by article 62 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981) that
States Parties shall undertake to submit every two years reports on the legislative and other
measures they have taken with a view to giving effect to the rights and freedoms recognised
and guaranteed by the Charter. This direction was found necessary because, as we know,
elaboration and acceptance of human rights legal instruments like the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, important as they are,
are by themselves a mere beginning in the essential exercise of promotion, protection and
restoration of human and peoples’ rights; implementation of those instruments, by word and
deed, is of parallel significance and is equally needed. One recalls the words of His Excellency
Sir Dauda Jawara, referring to the African Charter, that the instrument should not be allowed
merely to collect dust on our shelves while we sat back and did nothing about it. This message
of His Excellency the President of the Gambia should establish the spirit in which these reports
are to be compiled. In that the reports should show not only the achievements made on the
statute book but should also lucidly reveal the extent of implementation in terms of how far
the rights and fundamental freedoms of the Charter are being fulfilled and how far the duties
are being successfully carried out.
The urgent desire of the Commission is that this system of periodic reports would create a
channel for constructive dialogue between the states and itself on human and peoples’ rights.
The states being invited to report on the measures they have adopted and the progress made
in achieving the objectives of the Charter, as well as indicating any factors and difficulties
affecting the degree of fulfilment. The Commission, on the other hand, furnishing suggestions,
advice and other assistance on satisfying the requirements of the Charter.
As a basic approach to the subject of reporting, it is suggested that the states begin with an
initial general report, which would subsequently be followed by detailed periodic reports on
the previous initial general report. Of course, a country with adequate resources and extensive
satisfaction of all the requirements of the Charter might decide to make a voluminous, initial
report showing comprehensive treatment of all the matters. The benefit from this approach is
that subsequent reports may be thereby reduced in volume.
However, it is recommended that the initial report is, as it were, the foundation report on
which the subsequent ones will be based, or it will constitute the background. In the first
report the governments would describe the basic conditions prevailing in their countries as
well as the basic programmes and institutions relevant to the rights and duties covered in the
Charter. For example in nearly all the main topics of the Charter such as the Civil and Political
Rights; Economic and Social Rights; Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women;
Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination; etc, the initial report would begin by
describing the constitutional and other statutory provisions respecting those matters, the
programmes and other measures intended to meet the concerns of the Charter. In the
following periodic reports, the governments would indicate the measures taken (if these were
1