November 2007 marks twenty years of the establishment of the African Commission on Human and peoples’ Right . On October 21, 2007 the African Commissioner will also be commemorating the entry into force of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right (the African Charter), adopted in June 1981.

The adoption of the African Charter in 1981 and the establishment of the African Commission in 1987, according to reports signalled a new era in the promotion and protection of human rights in the African continent.

The commemoration of African Human Rights Day, recommended by the African Commission at its Fifth Ordinary Session in April 1989, in Benghazi, Libya, is an occasion for recommitment to the cause of human rights and fundamental freedoms; and to tackle the human right problems that affect the lives of millions of men, women and children, including the challenges of poverty, conflicts, HIV/AIDS, gender-based discrimination, and violence against women.

In observance of these monumental occasions, according to reports, Commission is planning to stage a soccer tournament for students in The Gambia’s Lower Basic Schools on October 16-21, 2007, a lecture on human rights on October 19, 2007, a workshop for West African journalists on October 19-20, 2007, a   road race for students in Lower Basic Schools and the public on October 21, 2007 and a march-past, for the public on October 21, 2007.

These events will provide an opportunity to engage the people of The Gambia and the world at large, in the activities of the African Commission. The general public, states parties to the Charter, national /human rights institutions, Non-Government organisations and all organisatrions working in various domains on human right, are invited to join the African Commission to celebrate these events and are also encouraged to celebrate the events in various ways in their various communities, in order to promote a culture of human rights in the African continent.