Preamble The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission): Affirming its mandate to promote human and peoples’ rights in accordance with Article 45 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter); Recalling Resolution 222 (ACHPR/Res.222 (LI) 2012) calling on the African Commission to modify the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa of 2002 (the Declaration) to include access to information, Resolution 350 (ACHPR/Res.350 (EXT.OS/XX) 2016) mandating the African Commission to revise the Declaration and Resolution 362 (ACHPR/Res.362 (LIX) 2016) requesting the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa to take note of developments in the internet age during the revision of the Declaration; Recognizing the need to revise the Declaration to consolidate developments on freedom of expression and access to information, including by taking account of African Union treaties and soft law standards, the emerging jurisprudence of judicial and quasi-judicial organs of the African Union, as well as the need for the elaboration of the digital dimensions of both rights; Reaffirming the fundamental importance of freedom of expression and access to information as individual human rights, as cornerstones of democracy and as means of ensuring respect for other human rights; Recalling that freedom of expression and access to information are fundamental human rights guaranteed by Article 9 of the African Charter, and that those rights are also affirmed in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa, the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, the African Charter on Statistics, the African Youth Charter, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, the African Charter on Values and Principles of Public Service and Administration, and 7