AU Rejects Democracy Charter, Approves People’s Rights Court
July 6, 2006

A charter on democracy and good governance that would have limited last-minute constitutional changes by member state governments was rejected by ministers on June 30 at the 7th African Union summit, according to Agence France Presse.

The foreign ministers failed to endorse the charter because of dissenting views on whether or not last-minute constitutional changes designed to keep governments in power should be illegal.

The draft charter, which has been under consideration since 2004, “defines as illegal: taking or maintaining power in military coups; armed rebellions; and revision of constitutions ‘to prolong the tenure of office for the incumbent government’," according to Agence France Presse. “The charter also seeks to promote proper representative government and to crack down on corruption and acts of impunity.”

"The charter has been sent back, so that it can't be adopted unless the heads of state disagree with the ministers, which is unlikely," South Africa's foreign minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said, according to BBC News.

In other news, the AU launched the African Court on Human and People’s Rights on July 3, “the continent’s first court that gives states and people equal rights to challenge governments suspected of human rights violations or other infractions,” according to IRIN News.

“It can apply and rule on any international treaty or law ratified by the state in question, including treaties that do not themselves refer violators to a court. States, AU organs, individuals and non-governmental organisations can all ask for rulings,” reported IRIN News.

In order for the African Court on Human and People’s Rights to begin hearing cases, it must first be merged with the Court of Justice of the African Union, as decided by the AU Assembly in July 2004.