1
AFRICAN CHARTER ON DEMOCRACY, ELECTIONS
AND GOVERNANCE
PREAMBLE
We, the Member States of the African Union (AU);
Inspired by the objectives and principles enshrined in the Constitutive Act of the
African Union, particularly Articles 3 and 4, which emphasise the significance of
good governance, popular participation, the rule of law and human rights;
Recognising the contributions of the African Union and Regional Economic
Communities to the promotion, nurturing, strengthening and consolidation of
democracy and governance;
Reaffirming our collective will to work relentlessly to deepen and consolidate the
rule of law, peace, security and development in our countries;
Guided by our common mission to strengthen and consolidate institutions for
good governance, continental unity and solidarity;
Committed to promote the universal values and principles of democracy, good
governance, human rights and the right to development;
Cognizant of the historical and cultural conditions in Africa;
Seeking to entrench in the Continent a political culture of change of power based
on the holding of regular, free, fair and transparent elections conducted by
competent, independent and impartial national electoral bodies;
Concerned about the unconstitutional changes of governments that are one of
the essential causes of insecurity, instability and violent conflict in Africa;
Determined to promote and strengthen good governance through the
institutionalization of transparency, accountability and participatory democracy;
Convinced of the need to enhance the election observation missions in the role
they play, particularly as they are an important contributory factor to ensuring the
regularity, transparency and credibility of elections;
Desirous to enhance the relevant Declarations and Decisions of the OAU/AU
(including the 1990 Declaration on the political and socio-economic situation in
Africa and the fundamental changes taking place in the world, the 1995 Cairo
Agenda for the Re-launch of Africa’s Economic and Social Development, the
1999 Algiers Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government, the 2000