The Ministry

The General Directorate of Judicial Affairs is responsible for developing and ensuring the implementation of the State’s policy in the field of justice administration.

It is specifically tasked with:

• Planning the development of the judicial system under the authority of the State;
• Ensuring the qualitative and quantitative development of personnel within the judiciary;
• Collecting, maintaining, and disseminating documentation on legal and judicial information;
• Participating in the drafting of laws and regulations;
• Managing international relations in matters of judicial cooperation and the protection of human rights and public freedoms;
• Processing cases related to pardons, parole, and naturalization;
• Providing legal assistance on behalf of the State;
• Overseeing the proper organization of the State’s judicial system and monitoring its performance.

The Comorian Civil Service is one of the pillars of national governance; it is the umbilical cord that unites the three islands forming the Administration of the Union of the Comoros.

The General Directorate of the Civil Service is the administrative body responsible for human-resources management and career paths within the public administration. It is headed by a Director-General appointed by presidential decree and supported on each island by a Regional Directorate.

The Directorate manages the staff file for both central administration and the autonomous islands.

The computerized file-management system (GISE) does not facilitate career management for State officials governed by the General Statute; it merely synchronizes certain administrative data with salary elements to produce the payroll chain. For harmonized and efficient workforce management, career-management data must be integrated into the regular IT system.

Structure of the General Directorate

• General Inspectorate Service – provided for in the organigram but lacking a legal framework; it should be restructured to fulfill its prerogatives.
• Directorate of Administrative and Institutional Reforms – not legally established; acts as a legal advisory, monitoring and evaluation unit.
• Directorate of Career and Staff Management – replaces the former “Routine Management” directorate.
• Directorate of the IT Center – the nerve center; any erroneous data can have budgetary repercussions.
• Archives Service – collects, classifies and preserves staff records.

Regional Directorate

Each autonomous island hosts a Regional Directorate of the Civil Service as an extension of the General Directorate. It is headed by a Regional Director appointed by the Minister in charge. These bodies are the former island-level directorates now acting as deconcentrated units; their staff are paid by the Ministry.

Restructuring the General Directorate

Law No. 04-006/AU (10 Nov 2004), promulgated by Decree No. 05-005/PR (24 Jan 2005), stipulated that every entity must “manage State employees’ careers.” The 2018 Constitution, however, centralizes this responsibility in the Ministry of the Civil Service. Lacking clear implementing texts, the Director-General now focuses mainly on day-to-day payroll head-counts, while Regional Directorates struggle with their mandate—slowing HR processes and sidelining career management, thus fueling staff complaints.

Reform proposals

• Count staff in each entity (central administration and islands).
• Restructure the General Directorate and its island branches.
• Perform vertical staff audits by structure to ensure employees serve in their user ministry.
• Amend Law 04-006/AU and Decree 11-078/PR to align with the new Constitution.
• Update ministerial organigrams.
• Harmonize service names nationwide.

Placed under the authority of the Ministry of Justice and headed by a General Delegate, the General Delegation for Human Rights is responsible for:

• Promoting Human Rights;
• Monitoring the implementation of Human-Rights conventions and treaties ratified by the Comoros;
• Carrying out studies that contribute to drafting a national charter and a governmental policy for the promotion of Human Rights;
• Initiating and participating in any legislative or regulatory project aimed at the promotion and protection of Human Rights.

In addition, it undertakes initiatives toward associations, non-governmental organizations, and international bodies working in the defense and promotion of human rights.

Founding Decree: Decree No. 01-076/CE of 19 June 2001 establishing the General Delegation for Human Rights.