African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007)

• Jurisdiction: South Africa
• Pages: 140-153
• Author: None
• Citation: 2016 JOLGA 140
• Date: 05 December 2017
• Published date: 05 December 2017

140

AFRICAN CHARTER ON

DEMOCRACY, ELECTIONS AND

GOVERNANCE

1

We, the Member States of the African Union (AU);

INSPIRED by the objectives and principles enshrined in the

Constitutive Act of the African Union,2 particularly articles 3

and 4, which emphasise the significance of good governance,

popular participation, the rule of law and human rights;

RECOGNISING the contributions of the African Union and

Regional Economic Communities to the promotion, nurturing,

strengthening and consolidation of democracy and governance;

REAFFIRMING our collective will to work relentlessly to deepen

and consolidate the rule of law, peace, security and development

in our countries;

GUIDED by our common mission to strengthen and consolidate in-

stitutions for good governance, continental unity and solidarity;

COMMITTED to promote the universal values and principles of

democracy, good governance, human rights and the right to

development;

COGNIZANT of the historical and cultural conditions in Africa;

SEEKING to entrench in the continent a political culture of

change of power based on the holding of regular, free, fair and

transparent elections conducted by competent, independent

and impartial national electoral bodies;

CONCERNED about the unconstitutional changes of governments

that are one of the essential causes of insecurity, instability and

violent conflict in Africa;

DETERMINED to promote and strengthen good governance

through the institutionalization of transparency, accountability

and participatory democracy;

CONVINCED of the need to enhance the election observation mis-

sions in the role they play, particularly as they are an important

contributory factor to ensuring the regularity, transparency and

credibility of elections;

1The Charter came into effect in 2012 and is also available at http://

www.au.int/en/treaties/african-charter-democracy-elections-and-

governance (accessed on 10 January 2016). The following footnotes

have been added by the editors.

2See pages 105-115 above.

2016 JOLGA 140

© Juta and Company (Pty) Ltd