Perspectives On Africa S Integration And Cooperation From The Organisation Of African Unity Oau To The African Union Au

This study considers the extent to which the organisation has changed in more ways than name. It shows how the objectives of the AU are distinctive, and reflect the material conditions of Africa in the 21st century. It argues that the aspirations of the AU are for it to become a large market of free democratic States, with the rule of law, and a strong private sector. It advocates greater participation of women in decision-making, popularisation of the Union, and greater financial transparency, financial and otherwise, of the Commission.

Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: Africa, grade: 2, University of Kassel, language: English, abstract: This section examines the historical context of the idea of African integration, the challenges it faces and the significance in global affairs. The majority of post independence African leaders supported the idea of African Union, some of them disagreed on the form and composition of such a union while a minority were suspicious of the idea because of greed or fear to lose their countries sovereignty. The proponents for the formation of a closer cooperation in Africa argued that Africa should not only serve as a source of cheap raw materials to western countries but a vibrant power in global affairs. They argued that, this idea can only be achieved if all countries bring their human and material resources together to form a united front for the interest of Africans in particular and the world at large. This idea led to the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963 which was later transformed to the African Union (AU) in 2002.

Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: Africa, grade: 2, University of Kassel, language: English, abstract: This section examines the historical context of the idea of African integration, the challenges it faces and the significance in global affairs. The majority of post independence African leaders supported the idea of African Union, some of them disagreed on the form and composition of such a union while a minority were suspicious of the idea because of greed or fear to lose their countries sovereignty. The proponents for the formation of a closer cooperation in Africa argued that Africa should not only serve as a source of cheap raw materials to western countries but a vibrant power in global affairs. They argued that, this idea can only be achieved if all countries bring their human and material resources together to form a united front for the interest of Africans in particular and the world at large. This idea led to the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963 which was later transformed to the African Union (AU) in 2002.

The early twenty-first century witnessed remarkable attempts by Africa's political leadership to promote regional integration as a means of fast-tracking economic progress, facilitating peace and security, consolidating democratic gains, and promoting the general welfare of the African people. The transition of the Organization of Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU), as well as the foisting of a new economic blueprint for the continent-the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), combined with the growing role of the regional economic communities (RECs) in harmonizing and creating subregional norms and standards in the political and economic arena suggests a new trend towards regionalism in Africa. Indeed, in the new regional integration architecture, the RECs are considered to be the building blocks of the integration process led by the African Union. This new impetus of a regional development strategy was largely prompted by the slow pace of economic progress on the continent, the increasing marginalization of Africa in the global economy, and the need to create regional resources and standards that would benefit the continent in all spheres of social life. A painful realization became obvious that small micro-states in Africa sticking to their political independence and sovereignty would hardly make much progress in an increasingly globalised world. A macro-states' approach of regional integration has assumed Africa's new strategy to intervene in and integrate with a globalizing world. The current regional trend in Africa has received very little scholarly attention especially in a systematic and comprehensive way. This is due partly to the fact that the processes are currently unfolding and there is still uncertainty in the outcomes. Poor documentation and the dearth of primary materials (especially from the regional institutions) also contribute to the lack of scholarly work in this area. This study assembles the voices of some of the most seasoned African and Africanist scholars who have constantly, in one way or another, interacted with the integration process in Africa and kept abreast of the developments therein, and seeks to capture those developments in a nuanced manner in the economic, political and social spheres. The essence of this book is to analyze those processes--teasing out the issues, problems, challenges and major policy recommendations, with tentative conclusions on Africa's regional development trajectory. The book therefore fills major knowledge and policy gaps in Africa's regional development agenda. This book is a landmark contribution in a systematic attempt to comprehend Africa's regional development strategy led by the African Union. It examines the background, nuances, and dimensions of the process, which include the basis and historiography of pan-Africanism, the transition of the OAU to the AU, the issue of popular participation in development, the NEPAD and APRM initiatives, the evolving regional peace and security architecture, and the efforts of regional institutions to facilitate democracy, human rights, rule of law and good governance on the continent. The book underscores the fact that formidable obstacles and challenges abound in the trajectory, politics, and processes of this regional development paradigm, especially as Africa navigates an uncertain future in a deeply divided and unequal yet globalised World. The book constitutes a major reference material and compendium for a wide range of readers--students and scholars of African affairs and African development, policy makers both in Africa and the western countries, regional and international institutions and organizations, and all those interested in the past, present and future of Africa's development process.

This collection of essays analyzes different iterations of African unity, exploring the political and cultural visions that informed projects aimed at African unification. It explores the cultural, economic and non-state aspects of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) as the principal institution dedicated to the cooperation of African states, from its establishment in 1963 to its transformation into the African Union (AU) in 2000, as well as how ideas of African unity shaped the Cold War and African liberation struggles. Bringing together contributors from a diverse range of disciplinary backgrounds across Africa, Europe and the US, this book investigates the ideological origins and historiography of Pan-African and unification projects, and considers how African intellectuals, leaders and populations engaged with these ideas.

This study seeks to comprehend why Africa's integration process has not moved towards a supranational organization, using a novel approach. It shifts the usual perspective away from the organization level and provides the first comprehensive and systematic analysis of the AU from the perspective of the states themselves.

The African Union (AU) has committed to a vision of Africa that is integrated, prosperous and peaceful driven by its own citizens, a dynamic force in the global arena (Vision and Mission of the African Union, May 2004). This guide is an effort to take up the challenge of achieving this vision. It is a tool to assist activists to engage with AU policies and programmes. It describes the AU decision-making process and outlines the roles and responsibilities of the AU institutions. It also contains a sampling of the experiences of those non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that have interacted with the AU.