Cote d'Ivoire
The following Justice Initiative projects are underway in, or relevant to, Cote d'Ivoire:
International Justice
International crimes before national and regional courts.
The Justice Initiative submitted an amicus brief in support of ongoing litigation against former Liberian president Charles Taylor in Nigeria’s Federal High Court in Abuja in November, and has engaged U.S.-based consultants to undertake a “Follow-The-Money” investigation into Taylor’s finances. The Justice Initiative has also commenced preparatory work leading to legal challenges against Côte d'Ivoire before the Courts of Justice of West Africa’s two regional economic bodies, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Union Economique et Monitaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA). Undertaken in collaboration with the governments of five/six West African states (to include Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ghana, Guinea, Mali and/or Senegal) whose nationals have been victims of gross violations of human rights in Côte d'Ivoire, the project involves consultations with NGOs and advocates in the region. The Justice Initiative will seek to offer legal expertise to the Secretariat of ECOWAS. The cases are expected to be launched in the second quarter of 2005. Amicus Brief to the Federal High Court, Letter to the Nigerian Attorney General, Charles Taylor case, NGO Coalition Letter and Press release
Equality and Citizenship
The Africa Citizenship and Discrimination Audit.
The Audit is surveying the law and practice concerning citizenship and discrimination in fifteen countries: Angola, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Compilation of relevant legislation, regulations and judicial decisions began in 2004. Through 2005, affidavits will be collected from individual victims of discrimination. The Audit will result in a comparative report on trends in citizenship, ethnic discrimination, and citizenship-based discrimination across the continent. Where results are sufficiently detailed information and local partners are willing, the project may lead to national-level litigation or law reform advocacy. Report of the Audit's Preparatory Meeting, July 19-20, 2004
Freedom of Expression
African Union (AU) Research and Advocacy Project.
In 2005, a series of linked activities will promote the rights to freedom of expression and information in Africa. These include an analysis of African commitments and declarations on media freedom, freedom of expression and information, and the development of recommendations for reform. An audit of media freedom will be undertaken in selected African countries to analyze compliance with existing African and international standards. A coalition of civil society organizations will engage the AU leadership to promote a binding continental instrument on free expression guarantees. The project aims to create an informed and articulate constituency of civil society actors, equipped to work in advocacy directed at national governments and the AU.
Capacity building and networking: the Oxford Media Law Advocates Program.
Ten media lawyers from Africa participated in the Justice Initiative’s 2004 summer school, now in its third year, with an expanded program including African participants for the first time. Summer School Program and Press Announcement
West Africa Media Lawyers Meeting.
The Justice Initiative assisted the Media Foundation for West Africa in designing the first meeting of its sub-regional network of media defenders. Justice Initiative attendance enabled a concrete contribution to the network’s strategic planning.
Legal Capacity Development
The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and African regional courts.
Since July 2004, the Justice Initiative and the Coalition for an Effective African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, an alliance of NGOs, have engaged in dialogue with the Commission of the African Union on the best ways to integrate Africa’s various regional courts without delaying the establishment of the human rights court. In the course of 2004, the Justice Initiative, together with the Coalition and the AU, developed a set of guidelines for nominating candidates to the human rights court bench. In 2005, the process will aim to expedite the integration of the human rights court and the AU’s Court of Justice, following an AU decision of July 2004. The Justice Initiative provided legal advice to Kenya and Botswana enabling cabinet-level consideration of ratification of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights Protocol to take place.