3 “African Commission” means the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights established under the African Charter; “African Committee of Experts” means the Committee of Experts established under the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; “African Court” means the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights or any successor institution to the Court; “Appropriate connection” means a connection by personal or family life to a State, including by one or more of the following attributes: birth in the relevant State; descent from or adoption or kafala by a national of the State; habitual residence in the State; marriage to a national of the State; birth of a person’s parent, child or spouse in the State’s territory; the State’s being the location of the person’s family life; or, in the context of succession of States, a legal bond to a territorial unit of a predecessor State which has become territory of the successor State, occurring in conformity with and fulfilment of international law; “Arbitrary” means the character of an action undertaken or decision taken in violation of national law or the relevant provisions of the African Charter; “Attribution of nationality” means the automatic transmission of a country’s nationality to a person; “Child” means any person below the age of eighteen years; “Constitutive Act” means the Constitutive Act of the African Union; “Cross-border communities” means communities found on either side of the recognised borders of two or more States, where applicable; “Deprivation of nationality” means withdrawal of nationality initiated by the authorities of the State; “Discrimination” means any distinction, exclusion or restriction which has the purpose or effect of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal basis with others, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field; “Kafala” means a voluntary commitment made by a person (kafeel), according to the national law of the State Party, where applicable, to undertake responsibility for the protection, upbringing and care of a child, in the same way as a parent would do for his or her own child; “Loss of nationality” means withdrawal of nationality which is automatic, by operation of law; “National” means a person who has the nationality of the State concerned;