2
Lomé Declaration for an OAU Response to Unconstitutional Changes of
Government, the 2002 OAU/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic
Elections in Africa, the 2003 Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace
and Security Council of the African Union);
Committed to implementing Decision EX.CL/Dec.31(III) adopted in Maputo,
Mozambique, in July 2003 and Decision EX.CL/124(V) adopted in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, in May 2004 respectively, by the adoption of an African Charter on
Democracy, Elections and Governance;
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
Chapter 1
Definitions
Article 1
In this Charter, unless otherwise stated, the following expressions shall have the
following meaning:
“AU” means the African Union;
“African Human Rights Commission” means the African Commission on Human
and Peoples’ Rights;
“African Peer Review Mechanism” APRM means the African Peer Review
Mechanism;
“Assembly” means the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the
African Union;
“Commission” means the Commission of the Union;
“Constitutive Act” means the Constitutive Act of the Union;
“Charter” means the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance;
“Member States” means the Member States of the African Union;
“National Electoral Body” means a competent authority, established by the
relevant legal instruments of a State Party, responsible for organizing and
supervising elections;
“NEPAD” means the New Partnership for Africa’s Development;
“Peace and Security Council” means the Peace and Security Council of the
African Union;
“Regional Economic Communities” means the regional integration blocs of the
African Union;
“State Party” means any Member State of the African Union which has ratified or
acceded to this Charter and deposited the instruments for ratification or
accession with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission;
“Union” means the African Union.