The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (The Charter) was adopted on 30th January 2007 as the African Union's main normative instrument to set standards for better governance across the continent. It came into force in February 2012 after ratification by fifteen (15) States in accordance with Article 48 of the Charter. The Charter aims to reinforce the commitment of the States Parties of the African Union towards the protection of democracy and the rule of law, as well as human rights. Among its paramount objectives are: Adherence to principles of democracy and human rights; Rule of law premised on supremacy of constitutions; Regular free and fair elections; Strengthening governance institutions; Promoting the fight against corruption; Promoting citizen participation and civil society; Promoting gender balance and Promoting best practices in the management of elections.
This manual was developed by Global Platform-GP based on her entrenched knowledge of governance, advocacy and campaign building research and development with funding from the European Commission and published by ActionAid NIgeria. Download full document to learn more.