African police services to improve human rights

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has made a decision that will hopefully have a large impact for millions of people across the continent. The Commission has decided to expand the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for Prisons and Conditions of Detention in Africa to also include policing and human rights.

”Since 2012, the Danish Institute for Human Rights has collaborated with the African Commission to place policing and human right clearly on the agenda of the Commission. It is this collaboration that is today coming to fruition,” says Ulrik Spliid, Programme Manager Africa at the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

This collaboration entails, among other things, the publication of a newsletter on policing and human rights, published in the main languages in Africa (English, French and Arabic) and distributed broadly. In the sixth and latest edition all the members of the Commission explain how policing is relevant of for most areas of human rights.

This can lead to major improvements for the Africans across the continent.

”By expanding the mandate the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights confirms the key impact the police has for rule of law, peace and security, and the protection of human rights. At the same time the Commission confirms its focus on policing and human rights in its work. A clear signal is sent to the 53 member states that the national police services must be included in the work done to protect human rights,” Ulrik Spliid continues.

From a Danish perspective it might not sound very ground-breaking that the police must be held accountable for its adherence to human rights norms. But in Africa and globally there are many examples of this not being the case.

”The police are meant to protect the population but in many countries the police is among the greatest violators of people’s rights,” Ulrik Spliid explains.

He emphasises that this new development should also be appreciated outside of Africa.

”Naturally, it is first and foremost good news for Africa. But in the larger perspective it is good news for all of us: When people trust the police, a country becomes more stable with fewer conflicts, less terror and fewer refugees. Our experiences from working directly with the police in several countries show that it does make a difference,” he says.

Just the first step

Naturally, this will not mean that the police services all over Africa will become spotless from one day to the other. And one can also question what difference it makes that a human rights commission far from everyday life decides to focus even more on policing.

”This is an early step, of course. But one should not underestimate the importance of a member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights now routinely highlighting issues relating to policing in his contacts with member states and putting policing on the international human rights agenda in Africa. And of having a person that Africans can approach directly if they are violated by the police. Experience shows that when civil society can refer to an international agenda, it becomes easier to effect changes at the national level,”, Ulrik Spliid explains.

The Danish Institute for Human Rights have cooperated with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights for more than 20 years, currently focusing on improving human rights with respect to policing. The Institute provided assistance to the development of the Guidelines on Arrest, Police Custody and Pre-Trial Detention that were adopted by the African Commission in 2014.