Policy Brief on 11th AU Summit

CCP-AU (policy brief)—The 11th Summit of the African Union will be held in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt under the theme of "Meeting the Millennium Development Goals on Water and Sanitation’’. This summit will be the first to be organized by the new leadership of the AU Commission with the new Chairperson H.E. Jean Ping who took over the Commission on the 28 April. The first important dossier of this new team is to manage the discussion on the outcome of the Audit of the African Union that strongly recommended the strengthening of the commission.

A/ AGENDA OF THE SUMMIT: KEY ISSUES

The theme of the Summit will be ‘’Meeting the Millennium Development Goals on Water and Sanitation’’. There will be presentations and discussions on the theme at the opening session of the Assembly of head of States according to the attached agenda. Normally, the Commission in Charge of the theme of the Summit within the AU Commission will come up with series of recommendations then the Assembly may adopt a declaration accordantly.

Despite the theme on ‘’Water and Sanitation’’, the following issues are likely to dominate the discussions during the summit:

1- The Audit of the African Union

One of the major focuses of the 11th AU Summit will be the Audit of the Union. The recent Audit of the AU requested by the Grand Debate on the Union Government in Accra Summit in July 2007 provided a comprehensive analysis of the performance of the institution to date. The report is entitled “Audit of the African Union: Towards a People-Centred Political and Socio-Economic Integration and Transformation of Africa”.

Most of the recommendations of the report – 40 per cent of which are on the AU Commission – are intended to rationalise, strengthen and improve the functioning of all organs and institutions directly involved in the integration process in the continent. These recommendations, if approved and fully implemented, will enable the AU to provide a higher level of service and thus pave the way for the achievement of the political and economic integration in the shortest time possible. Many of the recommendations have far reaching implications both in the short and medium run. There are, however, recommendations that require the urgent attention and decision of the Assembly.

The report has indicated some “accelerators” in order to speedy the economic and political integration of the continent. These include the following:

i. Free movement of people;
ii. Building inter regional and transcontinental infrastructures especially in the fields of transport, communications and energy;
iii. Promotion of African multinational private investment companies for financing integration projects including infrastructure, and;
iv. The early establishment of the financial institutions as provided for in the Constitutive Act.

The Commission has also presented a Working Paper on the report of High Level Panel including its own observations as well as comments of the other Organs of the Union.

The Executive Council recently met in Arusha 6, 7 May 2008 on a special session to discuss on the 159 recommendations of the audit report. Heads of State will decide on the outcome of that is session (not yet available).

Significant pressure for change must come from the African people and those CSOs, which represent them and fight for them. Such pressure for the implementation of the Audit Report recommendations can be exerted on national governments and through ECOSOC and PAP. More importantly the African people if mobilized on this issue, will become a significant force in exerting pressure for change


2- The Union Government of Africa

At the last Summit held in Addis Ababa, a Presidential Committee composed by 12 Heads of States was created to make recommendation on how to move the Union Government process forwards. The is composed by Tanzania (current Chair of the AU), Ghana (immediate passed Chair of the AU), Botswana, Cameroon, Gabon, Egypt Ethiopia, Libya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda. This committee will meet in Arusha, Tanzania on the 22, 23 May 2008 and will recommend a decision to the Assembly. The Committee will be working on the base of the previous TOR of the Committee of 10 Foreign Ministers nominated in Accra (July 2007) and will be building on previous work done.

The Committee will be examining the domains of competence that would be assigned to the AU and the implications of this for sovereignty of Member-States and Regional Economic Communities, as well as, the roadmap and financing options for the Union. The Previous Committee reiterated that the Union Government should be a union of Governments and Peoples as well as the diaspora, the primary responsibility of popularising and ensuring participation of peoples rested with member states and Union Government should be the mechanism for coordinating key sectors at continentally and internationally.

Seven domains of competence were re-affirmed by previous committee namely; peace and security, environment, epidemics/pandemics, trans-national crime, communications/infrastructure, global trade and research/university. Agreement was not reached on defense and foreign policy. Financing for development/debt cancellation was not considered. Legal experts are likely to be brought in to study the implications on national sovereignty. No agreement was reached on which structures would be required or on whether Member States should be denied membership if they acted in a manner that violates key instruments (OAU Charter, AU Constitutive Act, African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights etc).

3 - Peace and Security

The Heads of State will consider a report of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) on the state of peace and security in Africa. This report will be focusing mostly on the ongoing situations in Darfur, Somalia and Zimbabwe among others. The Assembly may decide to have to have a PSC meeting in the margin of the Summit on Darfur and or Somalia.

Darfur
Recent attack of Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) on Khartoum was the first in which Darfur insurgents attack Sudan’s capital. This operation will have serious repercussions on the political crisis in Sudan.

Resolution 1769, adopted in July 2007, authorized a force of 26,000 troops and civilian police (UNAMID) to protect Darfur’s civilians and the humanitarian groups serving some 4.2 million desperate people. So far, no more than 10.000 troops and police are currently present in Darfur most of then being former AMIS troops.

Attacks continue on humanitarian workers. Four bomb attacks have taken place in Darfur along with further fighting in North and West Darfur leading to increased IDPs. Lack of access is the main reason along with security fears. There are reports of large numbers of rebels on borders. Government troops have started to mobilise although there has been no action so far. New IDPs continue to join camps. Information shows that aid beneficiaries have doubled in the last year

The African Union seems to be very quiet during the last 6 months. The upcoming summing might be an opportunity for CSOs to pressurize leaders not to forget the continuing suffering of millions of Darfur peoples. Key advocacy objectives may include:

- Cessation of Hostilities in Darfur and respect for International Humanitarian Law
- Quick deployment and effectiveness of UNAMID
- Acceleration of the political process in Darfur
- Acceleration of the peace process in Chad


Somalia

Violence in Somalia has being increased with serious attacks and assassinations even on AU troops. This has worsened the already dire situation of the hundreds of thousands of people in Somalia who are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. This violence and bureaucracy has choked the delivery of humanitarian supplies to a million people across the country, setting the stage for a terrible humanitarian crisis.
In a recent Communiqué, the Peace and security Council of the AU has Expresses it’s deep concern that AMISOM has not yet reached its authorized strength even after more than 18months of its initial decision authorizing deployment and appeals to member states to provide the required troops and other supports.

According to Food Security Analysis Unit (FSAU/FEWSNET) the number of people needing immediate emergency assistance has increased to 2.6 million Somalis.
Meanwhile, the drought is deepening in parts of south and central Somalia (Bakool, Hiraan and Central Regions), pushing more pastoralists into Acute Food and Livelihood Crisis and Humanitarian Emergency.

If present trends continue, then 3.5 million people will need emergency assistance by the end of the year

On the political situation, there are signs that the TFG is committed to promote an inclusive dialogue and reconciliation.

CSOs may use the opportunity of the Summit to advocate on the following:
- A political solution rather than a military one is what is needed.
- Inclusive political Dialogue and national reconciliation process: Neutral interlocutors must be found which can facilitate this process
- Accountability and fight again impunity of gross human Rights violation
- African leaders to publicly condemn the serious abuses of international humanitarian law and human rights laws committed by all parties to the conflict.
- African leaders to call on all parties in the conflict to take all necessary steps, including public action, to ensure that their forces cease abuses against civilians and prosecute members of the forces alleged to have committed abuses.
- Protect the ability of civil society including the humanitarian agencies to operate

African Standby Force (ASF)
This Summit will be also examining the Operationalisation of the African Standby Force as part of the AU peace and security Architecture. According to current planning, the ASF should be operationalized by 2010 in each of the 5 geographical region of the continent but indicators show that this deadline may not be meet.

4- Effective Social policy Framework in Africa

It’s expected that the Summit will approve a Comprehensive Social Policy Framework for the continent.

Social Policy Framework developed in the Conference of Ministers of Social Development meeting to be held over May in Windhoek, Namiba. Prior to the Ministerial, national consultative workshops regional consultative workshops and experts meetings will have taken place co-hosted with international NGO Helpage Age International.

It is expected by the African Union that Member States will be better informed on social protection choices, opportunities and constraints, be able to articulate a clear demand for social protection and produce recommendations for policy making and resourcing. An important consideration is that social protection policy and programmes be linked with humanitarian programmes and fragile states.

Considerable challenges confront the adoption and implementation of a more responsive and rights based social policy framework for Africa. Among them are the non-implementation of existing social continental policy standards contained in various AU Decisions and Declarations and the MDGs, poor national inter-ministerial linkages and inadequate resourcing.

5- Other issues on the Agenda or likely to be discussed

- Merging of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and t the Court of Justice
- Election of Member of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
- Election of members of the African Court on Human and People Rights


B/ ACCREDITATION

CSO community willing to attend the summit as observers will have to apply for accreditation. Normally, CIDO is the main organ to send the request to. Each organization should send its application ASAP to the following CIDO addresses:

In addition, if you work with any other organ or Directorate, it’s advisable to request an accreditation from them as well.

Please note that normally, the AU Commission does not give accreditation to more than 2 persons from the same organisation.

Last year in Accra, a couple of countries have accepted to include CSO’s representatives in their national delegation. Please try this possibility as well.

There is also a possibility to use media accreditation if you have a media Officer within your organization. Please see media form on the AU website: http://www.africa-union.org.

Please send comments to:

Please refer to the AU Monitor calendar for details of events: http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=niyves%40gmail.com

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