This is the fourth edition of the Compendium of key human rights documents of the African Union updated to August 2010. This Compendium contains documents on human rights adopted under the auspices of the African Union (AU) and its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), including documents adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and those relating to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The earlier editions of the Compendium have been used widely by judges, lawyers, civil servants, NGOs and academics alike, in Africa and abroad, who have an interest in the African human rights system.