Atrocity crimes are defined as violation of international criminal law that falls under the historically defined international crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Examples of atrocity crimes include rape, sexual slavery, forced pregnancy, any form of sexual violence and the crime of apartheid. Regional Mechanisms are part of the overall security architecture of the Union, which has the primary responsibility for promoting peace, security and stability in Africa.
Regional human rights systems were developed to reflect regional values and offer a more specific framework than the UN system.Such a framework can resonate more strongly with local realities and allow for different approaches to enforcing standards.
There are three main regional systems of protection of human rights namely the Organization of American States, the Council of Europe and the Organization of African Unity or the African Union.
Before delving into the discussion, it is important to note that human rights are not the lex specialis for international crimes. Human rights are civil in nature and do not necessarily deal with criminal issues. The moment one mentions international crimes, there is need hence to address them under two bodies of law viz International Humanitarian Law and International Criminal Law.