The transformation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) into the African Union (AU) has been the subject of some, albeit limited, debate. The role that the promotion and protection of human rights will play in the AU appears, on the face of the various documents, to be an important consideration, yet which organs will have responsibility in ensuring their implementation is still not clear. This article aims to discuss the framework of and relationship between the institutions established under the auspices of the OAU and how these have changed since the transformation to the AU. It argues that insufficient attention has been paid to ensuring a coherent and integrated approach to human rights across the Union. Organs such as the African Commission and the new African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights, however, have huge potential to influence the way forward.

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Open Data is a new concept that the Canadian Government is using to encourage civic engagement, to promote economic growth, and as a means of supporting transparency and accountability within the government.  Our research addresses the extent to which the Canadian Open Government initiative, specifically the publishing of open data, has impacted the general public. While emerging research on open data suggests that there is a problem with data literacy levels among citizens, it does not acknowledge the public’s opinion about the relevance of data literacy and open government to their own lives. In order to address this gap, we gathered 42 responses from an anonymous electronic survey that employed both qualitative and quantitative methods to assess the opinions of a portion of the Canadian public. We discovered that there are several factors that enable or impede the initiative’s ability to achieve its stated goals of transparency, accountability, and collaboration for the general public—the public’s data literacy levels, clarity of the data, and awareness of the initiative are a few of the most prominent. The results of the study provide further insight into the public’s opinion on open data, their perceived data literacy skills, and the impact the open data initiative has on their lives. First Place DJIM Best Article Award.

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