Africa-Press – Angola. Angola deposited, Friday, with the African Union (AU) the Letter of Ratification relating to the Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol relating to the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights, in a ceremony held at the headquarters of the continental organization.
The document signed by the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, on January 30, 2024, was delivered by the permanent representative to the AU, Miguel Bembe, to the President of the African Union Commission (AUC), the Chadian Moussa Faki Mahamat.
On the occasion, Ambassador Miguel Bembe highlighted that by depositing the aforementioned Letter of Accession, Angola becomes the first AU Member State to complete such a procedure.
He considered the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights as one of the main pillars for promoting peace, security, stability, good governance and respect for democratic principles in Africa.
“The present ceremony represents the firm commitment of President João Lourenço, as Angolan Head of State and Champion of the African Union for Peace and Reconciliation, in the promotion and protection of Human Rights, in improving the organization of courts for access to justice, as well as combating unconstitutional changes of government on the continent”, said the diplomat.
He clarified that the Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol relating to the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights aims to improve the organization of that judicial body assigned to the AU.
It also aims to define the expansion of the Section of International Criminal Law relating to crimes involving unconstitutional changes of government, piracy, terrorism, corruption and money laundering.
He expressed Angola’s concern about the fact that there is a low rate of ratification of the African Union’s legal instruments, especially those arising from the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which conditions their application in the State Parties.
In this context, the diplomat called for the engagement of other Member States in ratifying the legal instruments of the African Union and reiterated Angola’s commitment to continue to insert the Treaties to which it is a State Party into its legal system.
In turn, the President of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat congratulated the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, on the ratification of the Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol relating to the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights.
He highlighted that the gesture reinforces Angola’s important position on the African continent, at a time when President João Lourenço assumes the first vice-presidency of the AU Conference Table and is preparing to preside over the continental organization in the period 2025-2026.
He concluded that the ratification of the document constitutes an encouraging message for the other AU Member States, at a time when the political situation is marked by some unconstitutional changes of government, at continental level, and by the serious and prolonged conflict in the Palestinian region of Gaza , in the international context.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
