by Joseph Ngwawi – SANF 06 No 7
Creation of a continental watchdog on education and culture, progress towards the African Economic Community and changes to the African Union corporate identity are expected to dominate this month’s AU summit in the Sudan.
Heads of state and government of the AU meet in Khartoum, Sudan, from 23-24 January for the sixth ordinary session of the continental body.
The conference, to be held under the theme “Education and Culture”, is expected to discuss the state of the continent’s education sector and consider a proposal by Sudan for the establishment of the African Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (AFESCO).
AFESCO will operate along the lines of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, spearheading the continent’s programmes in the areas of education, science and culture.
The AU leaders resolved at their last meeting in Libya in July 2005 to give prominence to education and human resource development as the conduit for creating an integrated, peaceful and prosperous Africa.
Member states have made strides in improving the quality, relevance of and access to education during the First Decade of Education for Africa (1997-2006) and have committed to the goal of attaining quality education for all by 2015.
The Khartoum summit is expected to peruse a report from a committee of ministers that was tasked to come up with a plan of action for the Second Decade of Education for Africa.
Despite the successes achieved over the past decade, Africa’s education sector has faced serious challenges, mainly triggered by an exodus of qualified personnel to Western countries and inadequate budgetary allocations by governments.
Also topical at the summit will be progress towards the creation of the United States of Africa. A report is expected to be tabled by the Committee of Heads of State and Government on the Realisation of Political and Economic Integration which has been tasked with the responsibility to spearhead the establishment of the United States of Africa
The idea of a United States of Africa is the brainchild of Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi who has since 2000 pushed for the unification of Africa as a national and sovereign federation of states similar to the United States of America.
The creation of the federation of African states presupposes the establishment of the African Economic Community built around free trade areas (FTAs) in the continent’s four main regions.
One of these building blocks is the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which is targeting becoming an FTA by 2008. Significant progress has been made since 2000 in phasing out tariffs on intra-regional trade.
The SADC Protocol on Trade was signed in 1996 but a meticulous negotiation process delayed its implementation until 2000.
The target is to have 85 percent of all products traded in the SADC region at zero tariff by 2008.
The AU is also pursuing the free movement of persons across the continent and introduction of an African diplomatic passport, a development that would quicken the transition towards a United States of Africa.
The AU leaders will also consider during the Khartoum summit a proposal by Libya to shake off the legacy of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and introduce a new logo and flag for the AU.
The AU was launched in Durban, South Africa, in July 2002 to replace the OAU but the symbols of the organisation have not changed. Libya will push at the summit that these are changed to reflect the organisation’s new identity.
Other issues expected to be discussed at the summit include the impact of HIV and AIDS on the continent, creation of a pan-African stock exchange with a seat in Egypt or South Africa, establishment of a fund to alleviate the effects of increases in oil price on poor countries.
