African Union

 

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African Union (AU) Introduction  The advent of the African Union (AU) can be described as an event of great magnitude in the the in inst stit itut utio iona nall evol evolut utio ion n of the the cont contin inen ent. t. On 9. 9.9. 9.19 1999 99,, the the Head Heads s of St Stat ate e and over overnme nment nt of the Organ Organi!a i!atio tion n of Afr frica ican n Unit" Unit" issued issued a #eclar #eclarati ation on (the (the Sirte Sirte #eclaration) calling for the establishment of an African Union, $ith a vie$, inter alia, to accelerating the %rocess of integration in the continent to enable it %la" its rightful role in the global econom" $hile addressing addressing multifaceted social, economic and %olitical %roblems com%ounded as the" are b" certain negative as%ects of globali!ation.  The main ob&ectives ob&ectives of the O OAU AU $ere, inter alia, to rid rid the continent of of the remaining remaining vestiges of coloni!ation coloni!ation and a%artheid' to %romote unit" and solidarit" solidarit" among African African States' to coordinate coordinate and intensif" intensif" coo%eration for develo%ment' develo%ment' to safeguard safeguard the sovereignt" sovereig nt" and territorial integrit" of ember States and to %romote inter international national coo%eration $ithin the frame$or of the United *ations. *ations. +ndeed, as a continental organi!ation organi!ation the OAU %rovided an eective forum that enabled all ember States to ado%t coordinated coordinated %ositions %ositions on matters of common common concern to the continent in international fora and defend the interests of Africa eectivel" eective l"..  Through the OAU -oordinati -oordinating ng -ommittee for the the iberation of Africa, Africa, the -ontinent -ontinent $ored and s%oe as one $ith undivided determination in forging an international consensus in su%%ort su%%ort of the liberation liberation struggle and the the /ght against a%artheid.

Quest for Unity African countries, in their 0uest for unit", economic and social develo%ment under the banner of the OAU, have taen various initiatives and made substantial %rogress in man" areas $hich %aved the $a" for the establishment of the AU. *ote$orth" among these are agos 2lan of Action (2A) and the 3inal Act of agos (1945)' incor%orating %rogrammes and strategies for self6reliant develo%ment and coo%eration among African countries. •

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 The African African -harter on Human and 2eo%le7s 2eo%le7s 8ights 8ights (*airobi (*airobi 1941) and the the rand a" #eclaration and 2lan of Action on Human rights t$o instruments ado%ted ado%ted b" the OAU to %romote Human and 2eo%le7s 8ights in the -ontinent. The Human 8ights -harter led to the establishment of the African African Human 8ights -ommission located in an&ul, The ambia. Africa7s 2riorit" 2rogramme for :conomic recover" (A22:8) ; 194