Popularise and Implement the AU Audit

Dolphine Ndeda—During the African Union Summit in Accra in June 2007, African Heads of States agreed to subject the African Union to a comprehensive audit review. This decision was received by many as a gesture of their commitment to explore the potential of our revered organization. Three months after the report was produced in December 2007, nothing much has been said or done about it, other than referring it to a Ministerial committee, which will sit in April. There is still with no assurance on its implementation or a time frame on what is to happen thereafter.

Given the poor trend of implementation and follow up of AU decisions, declarations and reports, the report on the Audit of the African Union is likely to gather dust in shelves somewhere between the AU Commission and the Member States. The question is, can Africa afford to let this very comprehensive review that might be the thin line between African unity and development or disintegration and poverty go down the drain?

Strategically titled “The Audit of the African Union: Towards a People Centred Political and Socio Economic Integration and Transformation of Africa”, the report has been poorly circulated and discussed at most levels of the AU and within Member States. Yet, without political will among our leaders, the necessary drastic changes required to improve the performance of the AU and to speed up the process of African unity, will not occur.

The report provides a comprehensive review of the organs and institutions of the African Union. Not less than 159 recommendations have been made. They touch not only on the organs of the AU and the Regional Economic Communities, but also on accelerating the integration process and setting up of Union Government. It also spells out, eight broad benchmarks to ensure progress of the transformation process.

Given the fact that it was the same Assembly that commissioned the Audit in July 2007 and gave it the deadline of the next Assembly, their decision to not discuss its contents in the January 2008 Summit is worrying. The High-Level Panel and the resource persons appointed by the Chairperson of the African Union to conduct the Audit worked under severe constrains to meet the January 2008 deadline. This is more urgent given the far ranging recommendations in the Audit. One general finding of the Panel was that the AU commission is characterised by internal institutional incoherence and disarray. Consequently, the report called for an overhaul of the Commission. The incoming AU Chairperson and the new Commissioners have to prioritize this in their first 90 days. There is no way the AU can perform to the expectation of Africans, if its nerve centre, the AU Commission is a mess! The recommendations on the management of finance and human resources, internal management gaps and the outreach of the commission are areas that can be addressed immediately. They should not wait for Ministerial approval.

For a start, the AU Commission should ensure that the audit report is widely circulated by placing it on the AU website. This would make it possible for different actors to be part of the journey to transform the AU. It would be in line with its vision of being people centred and people driven. Civil Society Organizations and the African people should read the report and put pressure on governments through ECOSOCC and the Pan African Parliament to support the changes recommended with a view to hold the AU accountable to the people of Africa.

The recommendations provided in the audit report have far reaching implications in the work of Civil Societies and to the people of Africa. We must therefore embrace them in our lobbying and campaigning. We also need to accelerate the mobilization and engagement African people to become a significant force in exerting pressure for change at the AU as a step towards African unity.

The establishment of a National Commission for African Affairs in every member state is long overdue. There is an urgent need to ensure Treaty domestication and popularization of the activities of the AU within the member states of the AU. Member states should be at the forefront in making this a reality. Only then, will the AU be a true union of the people.

Lastly, the recommendations and analyses in the Audit report if looked into, approved and implemented by the relevant authorities will enable the AU to provide a higher level of service. It will pave way for the achievement of economic and political integration at the shortest time possible. Policy advocates need to watch as Prof. Abdalla Bujra, one of the members of the Audit Panel has said, “that it is not used as an instrument to be manipulated (opposed, delayed, supported….) by different people for their different agendas”.

Let us capture this moment. The Executive Council and officers of all AU organs need to immediately act on the recommendations made in the report. In so doing, they make the AU more relevant body to the people of Africa. Fast tracking implementation will ensure that the integration and transformation of Africa flourishes in the long run. In so doing, the legacy of H.E. Alpha Oumar Konare, the outgoing AUC Chairperson and his team, will be improved upon and strengthened.

Dolphine Ndeda is a Pan Africa Associate at Oxfam GB, Pan Africa Programme. This article reflects her personal opinions as a policy analyst. She can be reached on dolphinendeda at gmail.com

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