Title: International human rights law enforcement challenges in 21st century Africa

Authors: Chimere Arinze Obodo

Addresses: Imo State University, Faculty of Law, P.M.B. 2000, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract: One of the challenges of human rights is that it demands new ways of thinking. Today, the enforcement of basic human rights remain one of the most pressing and yet most elusive goals of the international community and particularly of African region. The universal system of human rights established under the United Nations played a vital role in the enforcement of international human rights law immediately after its inception in 1945; however, its wide geographical jurisdiction undermined its efficacy. Africa's enforcement challenges also includes an array of institutional and conceptual weaknesses such as, lack of policies that would ensure a more realistic voluntary state compliance, and, absence of an effective structure or institutions to encourage observance of such international conventions.

Keywords: Africa; human rights enforcement; United Nations; pre-colonial Africa; African Union; Organisation of African Unity; OAU; European Union; African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights; international human rights law; state compliance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHRCS.2014.065298

International Journal of Human Rights and Constitutional Studies, 2014 Vol.2 No.3, pp.226 - 235

Received: 18 Nov 2013
Accepted: 22 Nov 2013
Published online: 31 Oct 2014 *

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