by Joseph Ngwawi – SANF 16 no 25
The challenges of harnessing Africa’s resources to finance its regional integration agenda as well as implementation of measures to ensure the empowerment of women will come under the spotlight when the continent’s leaders converge in Rwanda for the 27th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) on 17-18 July.
Motivated by a desire to transform its vast economic potential into reality, Africa has over the past decade aimed to unleash its economic potential through a coordinated development approach modelled around Regional Economic Communities (RECs).
The AU is made up of eight RECs. These are the Arab Maghreb Union, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Community of Sahel-Saharan States, East African Community (EAC), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The RECs are the essential building blocks of the proposed African Economic Community (AEC) envisaged to be in place by 2028.
The overall objective of the AEC is to promote economic development and integration, social and cultural development as well as to increase self-sufficiency.
The AEC further aims to promote cooperation and development in all aspects of human activity, with a view to raising the standard of life of Africa’s people, maintaining economic stability and establishing a close and peaceful relationship among member states.
The AEC Treaty, also known as the Abuja Treaty, came into force after the requisite number of ratifications in May 1994.
It provided for a continental economic community to be set up through a gradual six-stage process involving the coordination, harmonisation and progressive integration of the activities of existing and future RECs.
At the AU Summit in Rwanda, African leaders will seek to chart the continent’s development agenda, including deliberation on the implementation modalities on how to ensure financial independence and self-sufficiency of the AU.
According to the AU Commission, one of the key side events will be a retreat of heads of state and government to discuss the financing of the continental body.
The leaders will be seeking to find sustainable ways of financing the development agenda of the AU and not rely too much on foreign support.
It is estimated that more than 70 percent of the AU’s budget comes from international partners, most notably the United States and European Union.
There has been concern among the African leaders that such a scenario is not sustainable, particularly due to the fact that some development partners have been using their financial muscle to dictate policies to the AU, which at times are not beneficial towards deepening continental integration in Africa.
As such, the African leaders agreed at their summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2015 to put in place measures at ensuing that the AU is self-sufficient.
These measures include levying taxes on plane tickets, hotels and text messages as alternative sources of financing for the AU.
It is hoped that these measures will raise about US$600 million a year, and over five years, it is expected that the AU will be able to pay the bulk percent of its costs using its own funds.
Since last year, countries have been working on the implementation modalities of these measures, and the forthcoming summit is thus expected to consider the proposals.
Another major issue for deliberation will be the first 10-year implementation plan of Agenda 2063 – a continental framework adopted by the AU in 2013 to enable the continent to fully exploit its resources for the benefit of its people.
This is in realization of the fact that African countries continue to be among the poorest in the world despite having abundant natural resources.
Agenda 2063 will be implemented in rolling plans of 25 years, 10 years, and five years, as well as short-term action plans.
One of the offshoots of the Agenda 2063 is the expected launch of the AU electronic passport (e-passport) as the first step towards a unified travel document for the continent.
The first group of beneficiaries will be AU heads of state and government, foreign affairs ministers and permanent representatives of member states based at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa.
The e-passport is expected to pave the way for member states to adopt and ratify the necessary protocols and legislation with the view to begin issuing the much expected African passport.
The initiative falls squarely within the framework of Africa’s Agenda 2063 and aims to facilitate free movement of persons, goods and services around the continent.
The 27th AU Summit will also consider a mid-term report of the African Women’s Decade.
African heads of state and government declared 2010-2020 as the African Women’s Decade during their 12th AU Summit held in Addis Ababa in January 2009.
The decade is commemorated under the theme “Grassroots Approach to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.”
The Decade was officially launched on 15 October 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya with the aim to advance renewed efforts to accelerate the implementation of gender equality and women empowerment commitments made over the last decade to African women, including those made through the 2000 Millennium Development Goals.
The AU has declared 2016 as the African Year of Human Rights with Particular Focus on the Rights of Women. The specific focus on the rights of women aims to build on the 2015 theme of “Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Agenda 2063”, and thus signifies the consistency and urgency with which the AU strives to realize the aspirations of its various continental programmes, projects and activities such as its 50-year development blueprint – Agenda 2063.
Another major issue during the forthcoming summit will be the poll to choose the AU Commission chairperson. The incumbent, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of South Africa, is not seeking re-election for a second four-year term.
Three candidates are vying for the position of Africa’s top civil servant. These are Botswana Foreign Affairs Minister – and SADC candidate – Dr. Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi; Dr. Specioza Naigaga Wandira Kazibwe of Uganda and Agapito Mba Mokuy of Equatorial Guinea. Dr Kazibwe is the preferred candidate for the EAC while Mokuy is being backed by ECCAS.
The AU summit will also discuss the political situation on the continent.
Some of the countries experiencing instability on the continent include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Libya and South Sudan. sardc.net
