The contributions in this issue underscore the concrete and practical approach of this Journal to the African human rights system. Examples are the articles by Onoria and Gumedze, who show how the African Commission can be accessed effectively.
Despite the African Charter being lauded for including socio-economic rights alongside civil and political rights, the jurisprudence of the African Commission remained all but silent on this aspect. With the adoption of the SERAC decision, which has been published in the Commission's Fifteenth Annual Activity Report, the Commission found violations of the right to health and to a satisfactory environment, and read into the Charter a number of socio-economic rights. Two contributions review aspects of this decision.
One of the significant developments under the African Union has been the adoption of a Protocol Establishing an African Peace and Security Council. The contribution by Kindiki focuses on the potential role of this institution on a conflict-ridden continent.
The editors thank the following people who acted as referees over the period since the previous issue of the Journal appeared: John Barker; Gina Bekker; Jakkie Cilliers; Julia Harrington; Edward Kwakwa; Tiyanjana Maluwa; Gino Naldi; Chidi Odinkalu and EK Quansah.
Many of the sources referred to in this Journal (such as the African Charter and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child) are reprinted in C Heyns (ed) Human rights law in Africa 1996 up to Human rights law in Africa 1999, cited as eg Human rights law in Africa 1996 in this Journal. These sources are also often available on the website of the Centre for Human Rights, www.up.ac.za/chr.
This issue of the Journal should be cited as (2003) 3 African Human Rights Law Journal.
