Independent Panel to Evaluate Candidates for African Human Rights Bodies, Backed by Arusha Initiative

The Arusha Initiative has joined leading African and international human rights organisations in announcing the launch of the Independent Panel to Evaluate Candidates to the African Human Rights Mechanisms.

The new Panel will independently assess state-nominated candidates ahead of the February 2026 elections into the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC).

Comprised of five distinguished expert; Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, Adv. Pansy Tlakula, Dr. Zahara Nampewo, Angela Melo, and Ibrahima Kane, the Panel is designed to provide objective evaluations that can guide states, civil society and regional bodies in selecting the most qualified and suitable candidates for these critical positions.

The panel serves as a groundbreaking move aimed at strengthening transparency, competence, and accountability in the election of officials to the continent’s top human rights institutions.

For the Arusha Initiative, which has long advocated for stronger regional justice systems and enhanced public participation in governance, the establishment of the Panel marks a major step forward. 

The organisation emphasised that credible, merit-based leadership is essential for restoring public confidence in Africa’s human rights institutions and ensuring that they remain independent guardians of justice on the continent.

The Initiative joined over a dozen prominent partners in endorsing the new mechanism, including the Pan African Lawyers Union, DefendDefenders, AfricanDefenders, International Service for Human Rights, the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network), the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa, the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), Equality Now Africa, and the Center for Reproductive Rights.

According to the joint statement, the Panel’s evaluations will be publicly available before the elections, offering states and regional bodies a credible benchmark for assessing the suitability, integrity, and competence of nominees. 

The Arusha Initiative noted that this system aligns with global best practices, bringing Africa closer to the standards used by UN treaty bodies and other international institutions, where independent vetting has become key to ensuring excellence and accountability.