Africa: Democracy, Human Rights and State Reform

In the transition from the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to the AU, the role of the African human rights system has been neglected. The African human rights structure, comprising the African Charter, the African Commission and the proposed African Court, at present does not form an integrated part of the AU system. The incorporation and strengthening of this system is fundamental to the implementation of a substantive model of democracy, one that goes beyond procedural concerns such as elections and prioritises issues of state legitimacy, popularity, responsiveness and socio-economic rights, says a 2003 Policy Brief, Democracy, Human Rights and State Reform in Africa, from the Centre for Policy Studies.