Regional human rights courts sign cooperation pact

The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights signed an agreement Tuesday with the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights aimed at enhancing collaboration.

The agreement was signed by Justice Sylvain Ore, president of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Angelika Nussberger, vice president of the European Court of Human Rights, and Eduardo Mac-Gregor Poisot, president of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

The signing took place at the conclusion of the first meeting of the International Human Rights Forum in Uganda’s capital Kampala.

The meeting was hosted by the African Court and attended by judicial officials from the European Court of Human Rights and Inter-American Court of Human Rights under the theme “Operationalizing the International Human Rights Forum and Enhancing Jurisprudential Dialogue.”

Under the agreement, the courts will collaborate on issues relating to the organization and operation of the International Human Rights Forum with the aim of strengthening dialogue.

They will also collaborate on staff exchanges, capacity building and the establishment of focal points for system information and knowledge sharing among judges and staff of the respective courts on issues relating to jurisprudence, procedures and operational matters.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Nussberger said the memorandum of understanding means that the three courts are committed to building human rights everywhere for everybody.

Ore said it is important for the courts to share their experiences in order to address the different kinds of issues they are dealing with such as the implementation of court decisions, jurisprudence and ratification since human rights are universal regardless of where one lives.

“We should have a certain harmonization on judgements we deliver. We had it in mind when we reached this memorandum of understanding,” he said.