Preface -- Foreword -- Table of communications lodged with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights cited in the text -- General introduction : regionalism versus universality? : the true spirit of the African charter 1 -- Ch. I The genesis of the African charter 19 -- Ch. II The main features of the African charter 49 -- Ch. III The rights of the individual : Trompe-L'Oeil undertakings by states parties? 75 -- Ch. IV The rights of the peoples : old concepts and new developments 203 -- Ch. V The duties of the individual : much ado about nothing? 377 -- Ch. VI Derogation from the provisions of the African charter : neither absolute prohibition nor carte blanche 423 -- Ch. VII The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights : a conciliation ogran with developing prerogatives 485 -- Ch. VIII The assembly of heads of state and government : a political organ with weakening prerogatives 665 -- Ch. IX The African court of human and peoples' rights : a judicial organ in the making 687 -- General conclusion : the African charter : a holistic approach to human rights 757 -- Postscript 801 -- Annex I African charter on human and peoples' rights 803 -- Annex II Rules of procedure of the African Commission on Human snd Peoples' Rights 827 -- Annex III Protocol to the African Charter on the establishment of the African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights 867 -- Annex IV Constitutive act of the African Union 879 -- Annex V Diagram of the procedure before the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights 897 -- Annex VI Table of communications lodged with the African Commission (cited in the text), listed by alphabetical order 899 -- Annex VII Table of communications lodged with the African Commission (cited in the text), listed by country 907