African Union & NEPAD
THE AFRICAN UNION African Union in a nutshell Quest for Unity Advent of the AU Vision of the AU Objectives of the AU Organs of the AU Financial Institutions AU Commission Constitutive Act of the African Union Regional Economic Communities (REC’s) NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT (NEPAD) NEPAD in Brief An Overview of NEPAD Historical Overview Official NEPAD Documentation African Peer Review Mechanism
Regional Economic Communities (RECs)
Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD)The Community of Sahel-Saharan States CEN-SAD is a framework for Integration and Complementarity. It intends to work, together with the other regional economic communities and the Organization of African Unity, to strengthen peace, security and stability and achieve global economic and social development.CEN-SAD was established on 4th February 1998 following the Conference of Leaders and Heads of States held in Tripoli (Great Jahamiriya). The Treaty on the establishment of the Community was signed by the Leader of Great El-Fateh Revolution and the Heads of State of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad and Sudan. The Central African Republic and Eritrea joined the Community during the first Summit of the organization held in Syrte in April 1999. Senegal, Djibouti and Gambia joined during the N’djamena Summit in February 2000. Others countries joined later, and still more are in the process of joining the Organization.Go to website Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)At a summit meeting in December 1981, the leaders of the Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC) agreed in principle to form a wider economic community of Central African states. CEEAC/ECCAS was established on 18 October 1983 by the UDEAC members and the members of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes States (CEPGL) (Burundi, Rwanda and the then Zaire) as well as Sao Tome and Principe.Angola remained an observer until 1999, when it became a full member. ECCAS began functioning in 1985, but has been inactive since 1992 because of financial difficulties (non-payment of membership fees) and the conflict in the Great Lakes area.The war in the DRC has been particularly divisive, as Rwanda and Angola fought on opposing sides.Go to website Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa was founded in 1993 as a successor to the Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern Africa (PTA),which was established in 1981. COMESA formally succeeded the PTA on 8 December 1994. The establishment of COMESA was a fulfilment of the requirements of the PTA Treaty, which provided for the transformation of the PTA into a common market ten years after the entry into force of the PTA Treaty.Go to website Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)The idea for a West African community goes back to President William Tubman of Liberia, who made the call in 1964. An agreement was signed between Côte d’Ivoire,Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in February 1965, but this came to nothing. In April 1972, General Gowon of Nigeria and General Eyadema of Togo re-launched the idea, drew up proposals and toured 12 countries, soliciting their plan from July to August 1973. A meeting was then called at Lomé from 10-15 December 1973, which studied a draft treaty. This was further examined at a meeting of experts and jurists in Accra in January 1974 and by a ministerial meeting in Monrovia in January 1975. Finally, 15 West African countries signed the treaty for an Economic Community of West African States (Treaty of Lagos) on 28 May 1975. The protocols launching ECOWAS were signed in Lomé, Togo on 5 November 1976. In July 1993, a revised ECOWAS Treaty designed to accelerate economic integration and to increase political co-operation, was signed.Go to website Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD)The Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD) was formed in1986 with a very narrow mandate around the issues of drought and desertification. Since then, and especially in the 1990s, IGADD became the accepted vehicle for regional security and political dialogue The founding members of IGADD decided in the mid-1990s to revitalise the organisation into a fully-fledged regional political, economic, development, trade and security entity similar to SADC and ECOWAS. It was envisaged that the new IGADD would form the northern sector of COMESA with SADC representing the southern sector.One of the principal motivations for the revitalisation of IGADD was the existence of many organisational and structural problems that made the implementation of its goals and principles ineffective. The IGADD Heads of State and Government met on 18 April 1995 at an Extraordinary Summit in Addis Ababa and resolved to revitalise the Authority and expand its areas of regional co-operation. On 21 March 1996, the Heads of State and Government at the Second Extraordinary Summit in Nairobi approved and adopted an Agreement Establishing the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD. Go to website Southern African Development Community (SADC)The concept of a regional economic co-operation in Southern Africa was first discussed at a meeting of the Frontline States foreign ministers in May 1979 in Gaberone. The meeting led to an international conference in Arusha, Tanzania two months later which brought together all independent countries, with the exception of the then Rhodesia, South West Africa and South Africa, and international donor agencies. The Arusha conference in turn led to the Lusaka Summit held in the Zambian capital in April 1980. After adopting the declaration, which was to become known as ‘Southern Africa: Towards Economic Liberation’, Sir Seretse Khama was elected the first chairman of the SADCC.Go to website Union du Maghreb Arabe (UMA)The first Conference of Maghreb Economic Ministers in Tunis in 1964 established the Conseil Permanent Cunsultatif du Maghreb (CPCM) between Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia, to coordinate and harmonize the development plans of the four countries as well as interaregional trade and relations with the EU. However, for a number of reasons, the plans never came to fruition. It was not until the late 1980s that new impetus began to bring the parties together again. The first Maghreb Summit of the five Heads of State, held at Zeralda (Algeria) in June 1988, resulted in a decision to set up the Maghreb High Commission and various specialized commissions. Finally, on February 17, 1989 in Marrakech, the Treaty establishing the AMU was signed by the Heads of State of the five countries.Go to website
Constitutive Act of the African Union
We, Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the Organization of African Unity (OAU): 1. The President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria2. The President of the Republic of Angola3. The President of the Republic of Benin4. The President of the Republic of Botswana5. The President of Burkina Faso6. The President of the Republic of Burundi7. The President of the Republic of Cameroon8. The President of the Republic of Cape Verde9. The President of the Central African Republic10. The President of the Republic of Chad11. The President of the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros12. The President of the Republic of the Congo13. The President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire14. The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo15. The President of the Republic of Djibouti16. The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt17. The President of the State of Eritrea18. The Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia19. The President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea20. The President of the Gabonese Republic 21. The President of the Republic of The Gambia22. The President of the Republic of Ghana23. The President of the Republic of Guinea24. The President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau25. The President of the Republic of Kenya26. The Prime Minister of Lesotho27. The President of the Republic of Liberia28. The Leader of the 1st of September Revolution of the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya29. The President of the Republic of Madagascar30. The President of the Republic of Malawi31. The President of the Republic of Mali32. The President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania33. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius34. The President of the Republic of Mozambique35. The President of the Republic of Namibia36. The President of the Republic of Niger37. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria38. The President of the Republic of Rwanda39. The President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic40. The President of the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe41. The President of the Republic of Senegal 42. The President of the Republic of Seychelles43. The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone44. The President of the Republic of Somalia45. The President of the Republic of South Africa46. The President of the Republic of Sudan47. The King of Swaziland48. The President of the United Republic of Tanzania49. The President of the Togolese Republic50. The President of the Republic of Tunisia51. The President of the Republic of Uganda52. The President of the Republic of Zambia53. The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe INSPIRED by the noble ideals which guided the founding fathers of our Continental Organization and generations of Pan-Africanists in their determination to promote unity, solidarity, cohesion and cooperation among the peoples of Africa and African States; CONSIDERING the principles and objectives stated in the Charter of the Organization of African Unity and the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community; RECALLING the heroic struggles waged by our peoples and our countries for political independence, human dignity and economic emancipation; CONSIDERING that since its inception, the Organization of African Unity has played a determining and invaluable role in the liberation of the continent, the affirmation of a common identity and the process of attainment of the unity of our continent and has provided a unique framework for our collective action in Africa and in our relations with the rest of the world. DETERMINED to take up the multifaceted challenges that confront our continent and peoples in the light of the social, economic and political changes taking place in the world; CONVINCED of the need to accelerate the process of implementing the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community in order to promote the socio-economic development of Africa and to face more effectively the challenges posed by globalization; GUIDED by our common vision of a united and strong Africa and by the need to build a partnership between governments and all segments of civil society, in particular women, youth and the private sector, in order to strengthen solidarity and cohesion among our peoples; CONSCIOUS of the fact that the scourge of conflicts in Africa constitutes a major impediment to the socio-economic development of the continent and of the need to promote peace, security and stability as a prerequisite for the implementation of our development and integration agenda; DETERMINED to promote and protect human and peoples’ rights, consolidate democratic institutions and culture, and to ensure good governance and the rule of law; FURTHER DETERMINED to take all necessary measures to strengthen our common institutions and provide them with the necessary powers and resources to enable them discharge their respective mandates effectively; RECALLING the Declaration which we adopted at the Fourth Extraordinary Session of our Assembly in Sirte, the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, on 9.9. 99, in which we decided to establish an African Union, in conformity with the ultimate objectives of the Charter of our Continental Organization and the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community; HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS: Article 1Definitions In this Constitutive Act: “Act” means the present Constitutive Act;“AEC” means the African Economic Community;“Assembly” means the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Union;“Charter” means the Charter of the OAU;“Commission” means the Secretariat of the Union;“Committee” means a Specialized Technical Committee of the Union;“Council” means the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the Union;“Court “ means the Court of Justice of the Union;“Executive Council” means the Executive Council of Ministers of the Union;“Member State” means a Member State of the Union;“OAU” means the Organization of African Unity;“Parliament” means the Pan-African Parliament of the Union;“Union” means the African Union established by the present Constitutive Act. Article 2Establishment The African Union is hereby established in accordance with the provisions of this Act. Article 3Objectives The objectives of the Union shall be to: (a) achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa;(b) defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States;(c) accelerate
African Union in a Nutshell
Quest for Unity | Advent of the AU | Vision of the AU | Objectives of the AU | Organs of the AU | Financial Institutions | AU Commission The advent of the African Union (AU) can be described as an event of great magnitude in the institutional evolution of the continent. On 9.9.1999, the Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African Unity issued a Declaration (the Sirte Declaration) calling for the establishment of an African Union, with a view, inter alia, to accelerating the process of integration in the continent to enable it play its rightful role in the global economy while addressing multifaceted social, economic and political problems compounded as they are by certain negative aspects of globalisation. The main objectives of the OAU were, inter alia, to rid the continent of the remaining vestiges of colonization and apartheid; to promote unity and solidarity among African States; to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development; to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States and to promote international cooperation within the frame work of the United Nations. Indeed, as a continental organization the OAU provided an effective forum that enabled all Member States to adopt coordinated positions on matters of common concern to the continent in international fora and defend the interests of Africa effectively. Through the OAU Coordinating Committee for the Liberation of Africa, the Continent worked and spoke as one with undivided determination in forging an international consensus in support of the liberation struggle and the fight against apartheid. QUEST FOR UNITY African countries, in their quest for unity, economic and social development under the banner of the OAU, have taken various initiatives and made substantial progress in many areas which paved the way for the establishment of the AU. Noteworthy among these are: Lagos Plan of Action (LPA) and the Final Act of Lagos (1980); incorporating programmes and strategies for self-reliant development and cooperation among African countries.The African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Nairobi 1981) and the Grand Bay Declaration and Plan of Action on Human rights: two instruments adopted by the OAU to promote Human and People’s Rights in the Continent. The Human Rights Charter led to the establishment of the African Human Rights Commission located in Banjul, The Gambia.Africa’s Priority Programme for Economic recovery (APPER) – 1985: an emergency programme designed to address the development crisis of the 1980s, in the wake of protracted drought and famine that had engulfed the continent and the crippling effect of Africa’s external indebtedness.OAU Declaration on the Political and Socio-Economic Situation in Africa and the Fundamental Changes taking place in the World (1990): which underscored Africa’s resolve to seize the imitative, to determine its destiny and to address the challenges to peace, democracy and security.The Charter on Popular Participation adopted in 1990: a testimony to the renewed determination of the OAU to endeavour to place the African citizen at the center of development and decision-making.The Treaty establishing the African Economic Community (AEC) – 1991: commonly known as the Abuja Treaty, it seeks to create the AEC through six stages culminating in an African Common Market using the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as building blocks. The Treaty has been in operation since 1994.The Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (1993): a practical expression of the determination of the African leadership to find solutions to conflicts, promote peace, security and stability in Africa.Cairo Agenda for Action (1995): a programme for relaunching Africa’s political, economic and social development.African Common Position on Africa’s External Debt Crisis (1997): a strategy for addressing the Continent’s External Debt Crisis.The Algiers decision on Unconstitutional Changes of Government (1999) and the Lome Declaration on the framework for an OAU Response to Unconstitutional Changes (2000).The 2000 Solemn Declaration on the Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation: establishes the fundamental principles for the promotion of Democracy and Good Governance in the Continent.Responses to other challenges: Africa has initiated collective action through the OAU in the protection of environment, in fighting international terrorism, in combating the scourge of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, malaria and tuberculosis or dealing with humanitarian issues such as refugees and displaced persons, landmines, small and light weapons among others.The Constitutive Act of the African Union: adopted in 2000 at the Lome Summit (Togo), entered into force in 2001.The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) : adopted as a Programme of the AU at the Lusaka Summit (2001). ADVENT OF THE AU The OAU initiatives paved the way for the birth of AU. In July 1999, the Assembly decided to convene an extraordinary session to expedite the process of economic and political integration in the continent. Since then, four Summits have been held leading to the official launching of the African Union: The Sirte Extraordinary Session (1999) decided to establish an African Union The Lome Summit (2000) adopted the Constitutive Act of the Union. The Lusaka Summit (2001) drew the road map for the implementation of the AU The Durban Summit (2002) launched the AU and convened the 1st Assembly of the Heads of States of the African Union. THE VISION OF THE AU The AU is Africa’s premier institution and principal organization for the promotion of accelerated socio-economic integration of the continent, which will lead to greater unity and solidarity between African countries and peoples. The AU is based on the common vision of a united and strong Africa and on the need to build a partnership between governments and all segments of civil society, in particular women, youth and the private sector, in order to strengthen solidarity and cohesion amongst the peoples of Africa. As a continental organization it focuses on the promotion of peace, security and stability on the continent as a prerequisite for the implementation of the development and integration agenda of the Union. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE AU To achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa; To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of