Abstract
The African system on human and peoples' rights has encountered a proliferation of new institutions, programmes and initiatives since the end of the second millennium. This may partly be attributed to the emergence of the African Union (AU), which is more receptive and attuned to human rights than its predecessor the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The proliferation of human rights institutions in the region, however, has some disadvantages. In the main, the mandates and functions of some of the institutions overlap, resulting in unnecessary duplication. The main thesis of this contribution is that, for the regional human rights system to be effective, institutional mainstreaming and rationalisation are a prerequisite. The failure to mainstream and rationalise the subsisting and emerging institutions will most likely entrench the weaknesses of the regional human rights system. Through an in-depth analysis of the mandates and functions of some of its institutions, this contribution systematically proposes some possible strategies for rationalising the regional human rights system.