AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS (ACHPR)
RESOLUTION
Adopted at the 5th Youth Model African Union Summit
AU Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Topic:
Reparations and Restorative Justice as a Human Right to Victims of Historical and Contemporary Injustices

Sponsors:
Sudan, Cameroon, South Sudan, South Africa, Botswana, Chad

Signatories:
Djibouti, Burundi, Comoros, Somalia, Gabon, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Madagascar, Congo-Brazzaville, Togo, Seychelles, Egypt, Niger, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Eritrea, Algeria, Ghana, Libya, Eswatini, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Rwanda, Mauritius, Tanzania, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Seychelles, Kenya, Somalia, Niger

PREAMBULAR CLAUSES

Recalling the Constitutive Act of the African Union, particularly Articles 3 and 4, which commit Member States to the promotion of human rights, equality, justice, and continental solidarity;

Recognizing the lasting impact of colonialism on African countries, including forced displacement, exploitation, and historical injustices that have resulted in enduring economic, social, and political disparities across African states;

Alarmed by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Republic of Sudan, where over 25 million civilians require humanitarian assistance due to conflict and displacement;

Reaffirming the commitment of African states under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to protect human dignity, promote equality, and provide justice to victims of historical and contemporary injustices, while ensuring that reparations and restorative justice mechanisms are community-centered, transparent, and sustainable;

Acknowledging that historical injustices, including colonial exploitation, forced displacement, and systemic suppression, continue to have lasting social, economic, and political impacts on African states and their citizens, and that addressing these harms is essential for sustainable development, peace, and continental unity;

Deeply concerned that victims of cross-border injustices, including slavery and border-induced conflicts, remain inadequately cared for;

OPERATIVE CLAUSES

1. Calls upon the establishment of a Continental Reparations and Economic Justice Commission with the mandate to negotiate a unified African position with former colonial powers and to coordinate reparations claims at international forums, including the United Nations.

2. Urges all African states to unite diplomatically in demanding accountability, acknowledgment, and reparative commitments from global actors responsible for historical and contemporary injustices.

3. Encourages the ratification and strengthening of National Reparations Committees, supported by adequate capacity building to ensure consistent documentation of injustices, victim participation, policy implementation, and regular reporting to the African Union.

4. Supports the creation of a National Reparations and Restoration Commission (NRRC) in Africa mandated to:
   a. Document harms through community hearings and local truth-seeking forums;
   b. Identify monetary and non-monetary reparations;
   c. Advise on property restoration, land return, and compensation;
   d. Recommend institutional reforms for justice systems, policing, and judicial independence.

5. Requests that the African Union, in coordination with the ACHPR and Member States, establish a transparent, accountable, and adequately funded Continental Reparations Fund, ensuring equitable contributions from Member States, active participation of affected communities, and measurable outcomes in reparations, rehabilitation, and empowerment programs for victims of historical and contemporary injustices.

6. Calls for an African Union-administered fund to financially support states implementing reparations, prioritizing:
   a. Conflict-affected states such as Sudan;
   b. States recovering from colonial-era resource exploitation;
   c. Communities lacking access to national compensation systems.

7. Mandates the ACHPR to issue annual progress reports tracking:
   a. Reparations delivered;
   b. Institutional reforms adopted;
   c. Victim satisfaction and community impact;
   d. Support provided to states under conflict or sanctions.

8. Encourages the institutionalization of National Reparations Committees, supported by adequate capacity building to ensure consistent documentation of injustices, victim participation, policy implementation, and regular reporting to the African Union.

9. Reaffirms the primacy of national sovereignty by ensuring that:
   a. Each country designs its own reparations model;
   b. Community participation guides all decisions;
   c. No external actor imposes a prescriptive one-size-fits-all model.

10. Encourages Member States to harmonize transitional justice laws while maintaining national control, ensuring:
    a. Shared standards on victim protection;
    b. Cross-border recognition of documentation;
    c. Enforcement of reparations orders.

11. Invites the African Development Bank to create a Reparations Initiative channeling funds toward restorative actions, righting historical injustice, and rebuilding infrastructure lost due to conflict.

12. Urges Member States to establish national reparations frameworks that include, but are not limited to:
    a. Economic compensation programs targeted at historically disadvantaged communities;
    b. Cultural restitution programs to reclaim and celebrate African heritage and intellectual property;
    c. Legal and policy reforms addressing structural inequalities and discriminatory practices.

13. Affirms that reparations are not solely financial and must also include symbolic and restorative justice measures, including:
    a. Official apologies by states and institutions involved in historical injustices.