Regional Conventions and Action Plans

Regional Conventions are binding agreements between States in a given region. They help to localise and contextualise international norms and standards. They are often negotiated under the auspices of regional intergovernmental organisations such as the African Union or the European Union. There are regional human rights systems that include regional human rights conventions and mechanisms to govern their implementation, such as commissions and courts. An example of a regional convention is the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ARCWC).

Regional Action Plans are strategic plans developed to outline regional approaches to combating specific issues with regional importance. They often relate to a treaty that has been concluded at the regional level, and create road maps for cooperation around the implementation of treaty obligations. The ASEAN Plan of Action Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children is one such exam