international human rights instruments and standards, including the
jurisprudence of African judicial bodies.
Preparation of this Declaration was led by the Special Rapporteur
on Freedom of expression and Access to Information in Africa, who
worked closely with stakeholders from State and non-State actors to
generate the concept for and to prepare the Declaration. Drafting was
spearheaded by a Technical Drafting Team constituted by a team of
15 individuals drawn to cover relevant Article 9 themes as well as
various legal traditions on the continent. Technical meetings were
held in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on 22 April 2018; Mombasa,
Kenya, from 11 to 12 October 2018, and again from 28 to 29 March
2019; and Pretoria, South Africa, from 30 September to 01 October
2019.
Consultations to validate the Declaration were launched at a
panel discussion on the Declaration held on 29 April 2019 at the 64th
Ordinary Session of the African Commission, in Sharm-el-Sheikh,
Egypt. During May and June 2019, State and non-State actors were
invited through a public call to provide feedback; and a similar
specific call was sent to each State Party to the African Charter.
Validation workshops were also held covering State and non-State
representatives in Maputo, Mozambique, from 11 to 12 July 2019;
Windhoek, Namibia, from 19 to 20 September 2019; and Banjul, The
Gambia, from 18 to 19 October 2019.
Part I of this Declaration establishes the general principles which
apply to the whole Declaration. Part II sets out principles on freedom
of expression, while Part III sets out principles on access to
information. Part IV addresses freedom of expression and access to
information on the internet. Part V establishes principles on the
Declaration’s implementation.
The Special Rapporteur wishes to thank all State and non-State
stakeholders who participated in the preparation of this Declaration
by making contributions to the approach and content of the
Declaration. He also thanks all those who provided technical or
financial support to the process, including the Technical Drafting
Team.
The Special Rapporteur trusts that this Declaration will anchor