South Africa represented at African Union session on justice
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Deputy Justice Minister Andries Nel, is representing South Africa at the 2025 African Union Specialised Technical Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs (STC-JLA) in Nairobi, Kenya.
The African Union STC-JLA convened its 11th Session to advance the harmonisation and development of legal and normative frameworks that underpin Africa’s integration, governance, and socio-economic development agenda.
The STC-JLA serves as the African Union’s principal technical body responsible for the consideration, legal scrutiny, and refinement of draft legal instruments, policies, and treaties prior to their submission to the Ministers of Justice and Attorneys-General, and ultimately to the policy organs of the African Union.
Its work ensures that AU instruments are legally sound, consistent with international law, aligned with AU Constitutive principles and implementable by Member States.
During the session, the Committee reviewed a range of draft model laws, statutes, and protocols aimed at strengthening legal certainty, promoting regulatory cooperation, supporting trade and economic integration, safeguarding intellectual property, and enhancing institutional governance across the continent.
These efforts contribute directly to the implementation of key continental initiatives, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Agenda 2063, and the rule of law architecture of the African Union.
South Africa reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Africa’s legal frameworks as a foundation for strengthening the rule of law, sustainable development, peace and security, economic integration, and effective multilateral cooperation.
The minster said the outcomes of the STC-JLA will inform subsequent deliberations at ministerial and Assembly levels, in accordance with established AU decision-making processes.
-0- PANA CU/MA 18Dec2025
