(HERALD) AU and continental integration

AU and continental integration
By Catherine Sasman: Windhoek

AT the core of the African Union is the desire of a continent to integrate at levels of governance, economy and human development. But how far are we from attaining the "United States of Africa"?

The African Union with its pan-African institutions like the African Union Commission (AUC) — now in the process of being transformed into the African Union Authority (AUA) — the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Economic Commission for Africa (UNEC), and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have embarked on a process of integration.

Regional co-operation and integration in Africa pre-dates independence of African countries.

The establishment of the Organisation of African Union in 1963 was inspired by the determination to promote unity of African countries and co-ordinate co-operation efforts for the achievement of improved living standards.

Regional integration was also seen as vital for safeguarding independence and overcoming the legacy of external exploitation and domination.

In 1980, in pursuance of the objectives of regional integration and rapid socio-economic development, the OAU Summit of Heads of State and Government adopted the Lagos Plan of Action (LPA).

The LPA strategy called for the acceleration of Africa's development for collective self-reliance, regional integration and co-operation.

But in 2000 there was an explicit decision to disband the OAU and form the AU.

The OAU, said Dr Jinmi Adisa, director of the AU’s Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (CIDO), mainly dealt with decolonisation, and by the end of the 1980s, when most African states had become independent, the OAU did not adapt its role.

Similarly, the Cold War had come to an end, which led to the reshaping of the international scene.

African Heads of State recognised that the OAU framework was no longer adequate to meet the needs for greater continental policy co-ordination and stronger economic growth, and that there was a greater commitment to democratic governance at national level, to strengthen Africa's voice internationally.

"The weaknesses and limitations of the OAU became apparent. The OAU was too political and ill-suited to deal with other issues such as development. It was clear the OAU could not carry [the agenda of] development," said Adisa.

As the world was changing, he added, Africa needed to position itself to address the changing structures and demands from a new leadership to make sure the continental organisation meets the needs of the continent.

The structures of the European Union were taken as a model for the new configuration of the AU.

The founding document of the AU, the Constitutive Act, was adopted by Heads of State in Togo in 2000, and came into force the following year. The inaugural summit of the AU was held in Durban, South Africa, in 2002, with an initial objective to "achieve greater unity and solidarity among African countries and among the peoples of Africa".

Whereas OAU Charter focused on the defence of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of African states and the eradication of colonialism, the AU has set itself broader objectives such as the promotion of peace and security, stability, democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance, and human rights.

Hence, a major departure from the OAU, added Adisa, was the roadmap the AU started out on which held the promise that the AU should be inclusive beyond governments, and that this should be reflected in its institutions.

This meant that a platform should be created where civil society members and organisations can enter into dialogue with the created pan-African institutions, and ultimately with the AU and governments on issues of continental importance.

The AU has 53 members. The only African country not part of it is Morocco, which withdrew from the OAU already in 1984 in protest against the admission of the Sahrahwi Arab Democratic Republic in Western Sahara, as a member.

The establishment of the AU and launch of the New Partnership for Africa's Development in 2001 is the latest phase in the development of regional co-operation and integration on the continent.

The Nepad plan of action considers RECs to become leaders in regional economic co-operation through the establishment of arrangements like Free Trade Areas (FTAs), customs unions and common markets.

Furthermore, regional co-operation is seen as an answer to the continent’s political and economic governance problems.

The perceived benefits of integration include sustainability, increased foreign and domestic investment, increased global competitiveness, prevention of conflict, consolidation of economic and political reform and economies of scale.

It is believed that revitalised regional integration offers the most credible strategy for tackling Africa's developmental challenges, because of the many weaknesses that overwhelm the limited capacities and resources of African countries.

It is maintained that collective efforts with dynamic political commitment to integration can help overcome daunting challenges.

"The African Union and its predecessor, the OAU, have provided a platform upon which African countries have consistently declared and reaffirmed their commitment to regional co-operation and integration on the continent," said academic and former commissioner with the AU, Dr Njunga-Michael Mulikati.

Embedded in the AU structures is the African Economic Community (AEC) that was adopted by the Abudja Treaty of 1991.

The Constitutive Act of the AU and the Abudja Treaty of the AEC complimentarily and jointly provide the legal basis for continental integration.

By resolution, the council of ministers — an executive council composed of foreign affairs ministers and said to be very powerful in terms of its influence on treaties, protocols and other binding instruments — divided Africa into five regions: North, West, Southern, East and Central Africa.

This division was in preparation for the establishment of the AEC in six phases over 34 years.

The primary objective of the AEC is to promote economic, social and cultural development and integration of African economies to increase self-reliance and promote endogenous and self-sustained development.

The ultimate result thereof is the development of an economic union with a common currency, full mobility of factors of production and free trade among all 53 member African countries.

The AEC provides for 19 protocols to guide member states into compliance, but for now, there are no mechanisms to enforce compliance because each state is seen as sovereign.

Adisa said the AU is "not in a rush to do expulsions" due to non-compliance to protocols, treaties and agreements, but acknowledged that there is a measure of peer pressure for compliance to shared values.

What may pressure compliance is the fact that the Pan African Parliament (PAP) is envisaged to become a legislative body by next year.

Heads of State asked for the review of the PAP in January 2009 for the organ to be transformed from a consultative to a legislative body.

This was presumably brought about due to the slow process of ratification of AU protocols.

Another critical organ of the AU is the Peace and Security Council, which was established in July 2002.

The protocol on the Peace and Security Council defines it as a collective security and early warning arrangement to facilitate timely and effective responses to conflict and crisis situations in Africa.

It has the power to authorise peace support missions — as is now seen in Somalia where Ugandan and Burundian peace forces have been deployed, and more nations likely to send troops to.

The Peace and Security Council protocol requires that the council encourages civil society organisations to actively participate in the efforts to promote peace, security and stability in Africa.

The council has adopted a document called the "Livingstone Formula" that provides that it should consult the Economic, Social and Cultural Council, an advisory organ designed to give civil society organisations a voice within the AU institutions.

The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights works towards the protection and promotions of human and people’s rights. On this organ, African and international human rights organisations can obtain observer status that allows them to submit documentation and speak at the commission's sessions.

As far as trade and economic integration go, this integration is seen along arrangements like the FTAs, customs unions and common markets.

In accordance with the Abudja Treaty, a African economic community is envisaged in which separate economic, monetary, fiscal and social policies are applied separately by individual African countries that are harmonised and integrated into uniform policies common to all.

There are obvious challenges to Africa’s integration dreams.

For one, the configuration of the RECs does not tally with the regions as defined by the AEC Treaty, for example, Eastern and Southern Africa share six regional groupings: Comesa, EAC, SACU, IGAD, IOC, and SADC.

And, with at least 14 currently existing RECs and most countries belonging to at least two of them, regional integration remains complex and a confusing affair.

The AU has recognised only eight RECs, downgrading all other inter-governmental agencies and arrangements.

Moreover, experts felt that the transformation of the AU Commission into the AU Authority should give the new body supranational authority.

"AU member states must re-think their positions on national sovereignty if the AU Commission is to effectively co-ordinate the eight designated RECs which are considered the building blocks of the African Economic Community,— said Mulikita.

l This article first appeared in the Namibian newspaper New Era