STATEMENT BY H.E. AMB. BANKOLE ADEOYE

COMMISSIONER FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS, PEACE AND SECURITY

AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION 

On the occasion of the commemoration of the 2025 Africa Human Rights Day, under the theme: "Advancing Human Rights: A Call to Conscience, Commitment and Collective Action" 

21 OCTOBER 2025

My Fellow Africans:

Today is Africa Human Rights Day (AHRD). As we mark this significant occasion, I would like, on behalf of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and in my own capacity, to express to all Africans and friends of our beloved continent our collective and renewed commitment to the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights as enshrined in the Charter, which is the foundational instrument of our continental human rights system.

Annually, Africa Human Rights Day is observed on 21 October to mark the entry into force of the African Charter, a significant milestone in Africa’s journey towards justice, dignity, and equality. This year’s commemoration occurs as we strengthen the implementation of the AU Strategic Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human and Peoples’ Rights (2024–2026) and the Joint AU-UN Human Rights Framework, reaffirming the collective will of Member States to fully realise the Charter’s vision.

The 2025 AU theme of the year on “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations”, powerfully complements this year’s Human Rights Day theme: “Advancing Human Rights: A Call to Conscience, Commitment and Collective Action.” These themes remind us that justice is not merely about redress for past injustices but also about constructing equitable systems that safeguard the dignity of every African, today. Reparations, in all their forms — moral, material, and institutional — are vital for healing both contemporary and historical wounds, restoring human dignity, and fostering inclusive development.

Dear Africans,

The African Union’s vision for peace and prosperity cannot be achieved without protecting human and peoples’ rights. There can be no sustainable peace without justice, and no credible justice without human rights at the heart of governance and development. This Africa Human Rights Day is, therefore, a call to conscience, commitment, and collective action.

Let me reiterate three key messages:

1)    To AU Member States: Implement the decisions of our continental human rights bodies, uphold the right to development, and end impunity for grave violations.

2)    To Institutions: Prioritise human rights in early warning, peacebuilding, and post-conflict recovery.

3)    To the Peoples of Africa: Defend each other’s dignity, reject discrimination, and ensure that no one – woman, youth, child, older person, any person living with disability, IDP, or minority is left behind.

Fellow Africans,

The African Charter’s promise must be lived in classrooms, communities, courtrooms, parliaments, marketplaces, and media spaces. Let this day renew our shared conviction that Africa advances when rights are upheld and our Union endures when justice prevails.

Together, let us make this Africa Human Rights Day 2025 a moment of renewed solidarity, purpose, and conscience for a peaceful, prosperous, and rights-respecting Africa that leaves no one behind.

On behalf of the African Union Commission, I wish all Africans and friends of Africa a happy and meaningful 2025 ‘’Africa Human Rights Day’’.

I thank you.

 

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