Participants at the Second Tripartite Judicial Dialogue in Arusha, Tanzania.
By Mark Longyen
The ECOWAS Court of Justice (CCJ) says dialogue among different regional court jurisdictions is critical to enhancing collaboration and cooperation among them, as well as protecting human rights across Africa.
Dr Yaouza Ouro-Sama, Chief Registrar of the Court, said this while addressing participants during the Second Tripartite Judicial Dialogue in Arusha, Tanzania.
The court’s Ag. Head of Public Information and External Relations, Felicien Hounkanrin, said in a statement on Thursday that the event also aimed to enhance cooperation with international human rights mechanisms and UN treaty bodies.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dialogue was organised in collaboration with the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACtHPR) and the East African Court of Justice (EACJ).
“Dialogues foster collaboration among the courts and help to disseminate jurisprudence, interpretation methods, and best practices.
“It ultimately leads to a more cohesive interpretation and application of international human rights standards.
“The ECOWAS Court strongly believes that these dialogues are vital to ensuring that individuals within our jurisdictions benefit more effectively from human rights standards,” he said.
Ouro-Sama expressed confidence in the dialogue’s ability to reduce fragmentation in the interpretation of standards.
The registrar recalled the first Tripartite Judicial Dialogue held in Zanzibar, Tanzania, in 2022, and said that its key resolution was to convene the dialogue biennially to reinforce judicial cooperation.
“This second session in Arusha aims to build on the progress made, with a specific focus on strengthening collaboration among the courts and addressing common challenges,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the three-day event would cover a broad range of thematic areas of mutual interest to the courts.
“We are pleased with the scope of this programme, and we believe that the presentations and discussions will help achieve the key objectives outlined in the concept note,” the registrar said.
NAN reports that the concept note for the dialogue includes knowledge sharing among African continental and regional courts with a human rights mandate.
It also includes exchange of judicial experiences on common challenges in human rights protection and best practices, as well as the exploration of potential institutional developments to enhance cooperation.
The event also includes discussions on enforcement of decisions and amicable settlements, and evaluation of the implementation of the action plan from the first dialogue.(NAN)
