Legal Tools  

• The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights is a human rights instrument specifically designed to respond to African concerns, African traditions and African conditions. It not only sets forth internationally recognized individual rights, but also proclaims collective rights and individual duties. The important task of enforcing the rights enshrined in the Charter is entrusted to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.
• Protocol to the African Charter on Human And Peoples' Rights on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, which was adopted in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in 1998 by the Conference of the Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity, currently African Union. The Protocol entered into force on January 25 2004.
• Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.
• African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
• Statute of International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, contains a list of economic, social, cultural, political and civil rights of women. It is the most up-to-date document enumerating the rights of women. See also the Optional Protocol which sets up an international complaints system.
• Convention on the Rights of the Child, has more signatories to it than any other convention. It draws from the principles of the UN Declaration on Childrens' Rights, but also acknowledges the more recent notions of "best interest" and "evolving capacity" of the child.                                                                 
• The Cairo-Arusha Principles LINK

• The Rome Statute LINK 1, LINK 2, LINK 3, LINK 4, LINK 5, LINK 6 LINK 7, LINK 8

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted on December 10 1948 by the United Nations and has served as the foundation for the framing of the International Bill of Rights.
• The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted in 1966 has been instrumental in fleshing out the civil and political rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is part of the International Bill of Rights. The UN Human Rights Committee is entrusted with enforcing the Covenant.
• The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rightsthe third document forming the International Bill of Rights, was also adopted in 1966. It contains a list of various economic, social and cultural rights. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is in charge of controlling the application of the Covenant.