Africa Legal Aid- Making Human Rights a Reality

Algemene informatie

Africa Legal Aid (AFLA) is a Pan African NGO devoted to promoting and protecting individual and collective rights throughout Africa and to challenging the impunity of gross human rights violators. AFLA provides leadership and support to key institutions and organizations working for respect and recognition of human rights and International Justice.

AFLA has offices in The Hague/The Netherlands, Accra/Ghana and Pretoria/South Africa.

Since its establishment in 1995, Africa Legal Aid (AFLA) has fulfilled its mission of Making Human Rights a Reality for Africa and its people by strengthening justice sectors including African Civic Publics, Women’s Groups, the Judiciary, The African Human Rights Machinery, the Legal Fraternity, among others. To ensure maximum impact, AFLA has shared its expertise with international bodies mandated to promote accountability and end impunity in Africa and elsewhere by sensitizing them to much needed African Perspectives on Human Rights and International Justice.

AFLA has close working relations with the International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the African Commission and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), and the War Crimes Division of the High Court of Uganda (WCD).

Over the years AFLA has developed an extensive and loyal network of justice advocates, leading academics and opinion leaders, human rights practitioners and gender experts. In addition to its own in-house expertise, AFLA is able to tap into the expertise and know-how of its broad network in implementing its multiple tasks.

AFLA has executed more than 25 Capacity Building Workshops and Experts Meetings in ten countries. AFLA has provided selected and targeted legal assistance to many victims of human rights violations and assisted NGOs in doing the same. In addition, AFLA has published more than 40 editions of its “flagship journal”, the Africa Legal Aid Quarterly, Three Books, and over 20 Reports and Proceedings of Workshops.

It is of historical importance to note that under the auspices of AFLA the Cairo-Arusha Principles on Universal Jurisdiction in Respect of Gross Human Rights Offences: an African Perspective was adopted. The Principles, coined “the voice of Africa on international crimes” enjoy international recognition and are used for advocacy and lobbying initiatives.

Africa Legal Aid is a recognized and leading voice in human rights and justice developments in Africa, and will continue to provide its invaluable service to translate paper written rights into practical reality for Africa and its people.