Invitation
Reference : ACHPR/WGDP /Member States/AU/RE
Subject: Call for Nomination – Members of the African Commission’s Working Group on the Death Penalty
The Secretariat of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights presents its compliments to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs/External Relations of Members States of the African Union and has the honour to inform the latter that at its 37 th Ordinary Session held in Banjul, The Gambia from 27 April to 11 May 2005 , the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights by resolution and in accordance with Rule 28 of its Rules of Procedure, established a Working Group on the Death Penalty in Africa, with a mandate to inter alia, examine the Commission’s draft position paper on the “Question of the Death Penalty in Africa” and advice the Commission accordingly.
On 20 November 2005, a day prior to the 38 th ordinary session of the African Commission, the Working Group held its first meeting. During that meeting the group among other things, discussed the draft paper on the Question of the Death Penalty in Africa, prepared by the Secretariat of the African Commission and adopted a resolution calling on the African Commission to broaden the composition of the Working Group to include two of its Members and five independent experts drawn from within Africa, taking into consideration, among others things, gender, geographic, legal and religious make up of the continent.
At its 38 th Ordinary Session, the African Commission adopted the resolution expanding the composition of the Working Group to include two of its members and five independent experts, and mandated the Secretariat to compile a list of interested candidates for consideration as independent expert members of the Working Group.
The Secretariat of the African Commission is therefore inviting nominations from States Parties to the African Charter for the five independent experts and would be most obliged if you could suggest names, including the curriculum Vitae of interested candidates for consideration by the Commission. The Secretariat would appreciate if in proposing candidates, due consideration is given to expertise on the question of the death penalty in Africa, and on gender, geographic, legal and religious representation.
The African Commission intends to nominate the members of the Working Group during its 40 th Ordinary Session scheduled for November 2006 and the Secretariat would appreciate if proposed names could be sent not later than 30 September 2006.
The Secretariat of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs/External Relations of Members States of the African Union, the assurances of its highest consideration.
To all the Ministries of Foreign Affairs/
External Relations of Members
States of the African Union
Banjul , 20 July 2006