Chapter I - Human and Peoples'
Rights continued Article 16
1. Every individual shall have the right to enjoy the best attainable state of physical
and mental health.
2. States parties to the present Charter shall take the necessary measures to protect
the health of their people and to ensure that they receive medical attention when they are
sick.
Article 17
1. Every individual shall have the right to education.
2. Every individual may freely, take part in the cultural life of his community.
3. The promotion and protection of morals and traditional values recognized by the
community shall be the duty of the State.
Article 18
1. The family shall be the natural unit and basis of society. It shall be protected by
the State which shall take care of its physical health and moral.
2. The State shall have the duty to assist the family which is the custodian or morals
and traditional values recognized by the community.
3. The State shall ensure the elimination of every discrimination against women and
also ensure the protection of the rights of the woman and the child as stipulated in
international declarations and conventions.
4. The aged and the disabled shall also have the right to special measures of
protection in keeping with their physical or moral needs.
Article 19
All peoples shall be equal; they shall enjoy the same respect and shall have the same
rights. Nothing shall justify the domination of a people by another.
Article 20
1. All peoples shall have the right to existence. They shall have the unquestionable
and inalienable right to self- determination. They shall freely determine their political
status and shall pursue their economic and social development according to the policy they
have freely chosen.
2. Colonized or oppressed peoples shall have the right to free themselves from the
bonds of domination by resorting to any means recognized by the international community.
3. All peoples shall have the right to the assistance of the States parties to the
present Charter in their liberation struggle against foreign domination, be it political,
economic or cultural.
Article 21
1. All peoples shall freely dispose of their wealth and natural resources. This right
shall be exercised in the exclusive interest of the people. In no case shall a people be
deprived of it.
2. In case of spoliation the dispossessed people shall have the right to the lawful
recovery of its property as well as to an adequate compensation.
3. The free disposal of wealth and natural resources shall be exercised without
prejudice to the obligation of promoting international economic cooperation based on
mutual respect, equitable exchange and the principles of international law.
4. States parties to the present Charter shall individually and collectively exercise
the right to free disposal of their wealth and natural resources with a view to
strengthening African unity and solidarity.
5. States parties to the present Charter shall undertake to eliminate all forms of
foreign economic exploitation particularly that practiced by international monopolies so
as to enable their peoples to fully benefit from the advantages derived from their
national resources.
Article 22
1. All peoples shall have the right to their economic, social and cult ural development
with due regard to their freedom and identity and in the equal enjoyment of the common
heritage of mankind.
2. States shall have the duty, individually or collectively, to ensure the exercise of
the right to development.
Article 23
1. All peoples shall have the right to national and international peace and security.
The principles of solidarity and friendly relations implicitly affirmed by the Charter of
the United Nations and reaffirmed by that of the Organization of African Unity shall
govern relations between States.
2. For the purpose of strengthening peace, solidarity and friendly relations, States
parties to the present Charter shall ensure that:
(a) any individual enjoying the right of asylum under 12 of the present Charter shall
not engage in subversive activities against his country of origin or any other State party
to the present Charter;
(b) their territories shall not be used as bases for subversive or terrorist activities
against the people of any other State party to the present Charter.
Article 24
All peoples shall have the right to a general satisfactory environment favorable to
their development.
Article 25
States parties to the present Charter shall have the duty to promote and ensure through
teaching, education and publication, the respect of the rights and freedoms contained in
the present Charter and to see to it that these freedoms and rights as well as
corresponding obligations and duties are understood.
Article 26
States parties to the present Charter shall have the duty to guarantee the independence
of the Courts and shall allow the establishment and improvement of appropriate national
institutions entrusted with the promotion and protection of the rights and freedoms
guaranteed by the present Charter.