When the Organisation of African Unity was established almost four decades ago there were many fewer international and regional organisations, and their mandates and tasks were much more limited. In the intervening years, matters have changed substantially. Within Africa, a range of subregional organisations has developed in response to specific challenges. These include SADC, ECOWAS, EAC, IGAD, AMU etc. In addition, international organisations, especially the UN, have taken on larger and more complex mandates. One of the major challenges facing the AU will be how to relate to these other organisations.
- Immediate issues regarding linkages between the AU and RECs. For historical reasons, there is no structural relationship between the OAU and RECs. This has been problematic given the peace and security mandate of the OAU, alongside the fact that the principal responsibilities for enforcing peace and security has been assumed by the RECs. An immediate question is, what kind of interface is required between the AU and the RECs? Should this be several structures specific to the functions of RECs (e.g. one for peace and security, one for economic integration, etc) or is one single interface required?
- Long-term issues of integration or cooperation between the AU and RECs. A longer term, strategic question is, does the AU propose to integrate RECs into its structure, or to cooperate with them? Will the RECs continue to exist as autonomous entities as the AU is established or is it envisaged that, over time, they will gradually be absorbed into the AU? If the ‘integration’ or absorption scenario is followed, how will this occur? If the ‘cooperation’ scenario is followed, which is the most realistic given the relative capacities of the organisations as they exist today, mechanisms will be required to promote and monitor consistency between RECs’ policies and their compatibility with the long-term aim of regional convergence.
- Security organ. As outlined in the Constitutive Act, the institutions of the African Union do not provide for a ‘security council’ or similar. This reflects the set-up of the EU, within which armed conflict is unthinkable, and which delegates external security affairs to the OSCE and NATO. Given the importance of peace and security issues in Africa, it seems unlikely that the existing Conflict Management Centre at the OAU will be disbanded and the security functions of the Central Organ will be discontinued. But this raises the question of how the AU will relate to the Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa (CSSDCA) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), both of which have peace and security mandates at a regional level. To avoid competing or contradictory regional security authorities, it is important that there should be a single ‘African security council’, whether located at the AU, CSSDCA or NEPAD, with ancillary specific peace and security functions delegated to RECs and other regional security bodies.
- Governance, democracy and human rights. One of the tasks of the AU is to promote governance, democracy and human rights. Democratic decision-making is a complex task and some clarifications of the principles will be required before structures are established and mandates give. The European Union theoretically operates on the principle of ‘subsidiarity’, whereby decision-making power is delegated to the most devolved competent authority. But the tendency of disgruntled parties to appeal against lower-level decisions leads to an upward drift in authority. Where roles are not clear, mandate disputes between different bodies can lead to paralysis of the decision-making machinery. In the African context, the challenges are likely to arise in the area of liaison between the African Parliament and national and subregional parliaments, such as the recently established East African Parliament. Another set of challenges arises in the field of the rule of law, and the extent to which regional instruments such as the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights are justiciable through regional mechanisms. In these respects it is important that the AU promotes existing regional organisations, such as the African Inter-Parliamentary Union and the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights.
- Relationship with the UN and other international organisations. Many key activities in the peace and security field, as well as the sectors of development, planning, health, education and the environment, are increasingly dealt with by international organisations. The UN Security Council currently spends about half of its time dealing with Africa. The UN specialised organisations such as UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, WHO and FAO are also deeply engaged in African affairs, along with multilateral financial institutions such as the World Bank. In fields such as poverty reduction strategies, these institutions have taken the lead not only in national partnership but at a regional level as well. The AU will need to explore modalities for engaging with these international organisations.
- Wider linkages within Africa. The OAU was set up at a time when civil society organisations were weak, and were rarely regarded as legitimate international actors. This has changed dramatically. Theory and practice of international relations today focuses on the multiplicity of actors and their roles in building ‘security communities’, promoting economic integration and social and cultural exchange. The AU needs both a theory and practice of how it can engage with these actors. How will it seek to leverage a collaborative and meaningful association with relevant CSOs, private sector corporations, research institutes, foundations, universities, and other independent institutions?
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