[AU-Monitor] (June 25 - part 1) African Union Summit Update

[Hakima Abbas]

Special Issue on Union Government

This week, to coincide with civil society meetings being launched in  
Accra, Ghana, in the run up to the African Union (AU) Summit on  
Continental Government, we have published a special issue of  
Pambazuka News.  In this special issue, Dr. Tim Murithi provides a  
historic framework for the institutionalisation of Pan-Africanism and  
assesses the role civil society will play in contributing to the  
Union Government debate.  Dr. Kwame Akonor questions whether the  
African Union and its processes regional integration are not merely  
the same re-hashed endeavors tried and failed at the Organisation of  
African Unity and proposes means of constructively overcoming these  
challenges.

Read more:
www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/ 
special_issue_on_union_government/


SOAWR: Policy Brief on the Grand Debate

The 9th Assembly of the African Union Heads of States and Governments  
will convene from 1-3 July 2007 in Accra, Ghana under the theme, ‘The  
Grand Debate on the Union Government.’ It is significant that the  
debate takes place nearly two years since the ratification of the  
African Union Protocol to the Charter of African Women’s Rights, and  
three years since the adoption of the Solemn Declaration on Gender  
Equality in Africa, which reaffirms the commitment of African States  
to advance the agenda of gender equality. Both instruments provide a  
critical framework to address the rights of women and girls in  
Africa. To date 21countries have ratified the protocol on Women’s  
Rights, leaving 32 yet to ratify. The delay in ratification of the  
protocol by member states of the union undermines the universal  
achievement of continental standards on women’s rights.

Read more:
www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/ 
soawr_policy_brief_on_the_grand_debate/


SOAWR: Dossier de Politique pour le Grand Debat

La 9e Assemblée de l’Union Africaine des Chefs d’Etats et des  
gouvernements, se tiendra du 1 au 3 juin 2007 à Accra au Ghana, sous  
le thème ‘Le Grand débat sur le gouvernement de l’Union”. Il est  
significatif que le débat aura lieu presque deux ans après l’entrée  
en vigueur du Protocole à la Charte Africaine sur les droits de  
l’homme et des peuples relatif aux droits des femmes en Afrique, et  
trois ans après l’adoption de la Déclaration solennelle sur l’égalité  
entre les hommes et les femmes en Afrique, ce qui réaffirme  
l’engagement des Etats africains pour faire avancer l’égalité de  
genre. Les deux instruments fournissent un cadre critique pour  
adresser les droits des femmes et des filles en Afrique. Jusqu’ici,  
21 pays ont ratifié le Protocole relatif aux droits des femmes,  
laissant 32 qui n’ont pas encore ratifié. Ce retard dans la  
ratification du Protocole par des Etats membres de l’Union mine  
l’accomplissement universel des principes des droits des femmes dans  
le continent.

Read more:
www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/ 
soawr_dossier_de_politique_pour_le_grand_debat/


Civil Society Wants EPA Agreement Suspended

The African Union -Civil Society Organisations Pre-Summit in Accra  
has ended with a call on member countries to resist pressure from  
European Union towards the signing of the Economic Partnership  
Agreement in December.

Participants called on African leaders to extend the deadline for  
conclusion of the negotiation on the EPA by at least 3 years. That  
they said would enable African governments to conduct independent  
impact assessment on the EPA policies.

Read more:
www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/ 
civil_society_wants_epa_agreement_suspended/


Research Fellows Brainstorm on African Union

The Legon Centre for International Affairs, LECIA, in conjunction  
with the Frederick Ebert Foundation is organizing a one day  
brainstorming session on the forthcoming African Union Summit.  It is  
being attended by the academia and civil society groups with  
interests in governance.

Read more:
www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/ 
research_fellows_brainstorm_on_african_union/


Beyond the Presidential Project to a Public Mandate
Interview with Andiwo Obondoh, Christian Children’s Fund.

Andiwo Obondoh is the Regional Adviser for Christian Children’s Fund  
(CCF) Africa, based in South Africa. In March, Emily Mghanga  
interviewed him on the upcoming Grand Debate on the Continental  
Government during the next African Union Summit, June – July 2007.  
This interview is one of several interviews with African citizens and  
CSO leaders on the AU proposal for Continental Government. Emily  
Mghanga of Pan Africa Programme Oxfam edited this interview.

Read more:
www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/ 
beyond_the_presidential_project_to_a_public_mandate/


Culture Important in Africa

Professor Anne Adams, Director of the Du Bois Centre for Pan-African  
Culture, has noted that any political and economic goals that the  
upcoming African Union Summit would set must take into account  
cultural factors.

Read more:
www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/ 
culture_important_in_africa/


Yar’Adua, African Leaders Tasked on AU
By Gboyega Akinsanmi, This Day, Lagos

President Umaru Yar’Adua and other African leaders have been called  
upon to devise strategic ways of establishing effective, meaningful  
and people-oriented African Union (AU) Government.

Read more:
www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/ 
yaradua_african_leaders_tasked_on_au/


Pan African Movement Joins Union Government Debate

In response to the African Union’s invitation to the public to  
contribute to the ‘Grand Debate” on the formation of a Union  
Government for the continent, the Pan African People’s Assembly  
intends to hold a conference on June 22 at the National Theatre,  
Accra, where participants will deliberate on the subject matter.

Read more:
www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/ 
pan_african_movement_joins_union_government_debate/


-----------------------------------
To post articles, provide feedback or commentary to the AU-Monitor,  
please contact hakima at fahamu.org
To subscribe/unsubscribe from this list please visit: http:// 
lists.fahamu.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/au-monitor
-----------------------------------------------------

Hakima Abbas
Policy Analyst, AU-Monitor
Fahamu - Networks for Social Justice
Email: hakima at fahamu.org
Skype: hakima_abbas
www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor
www.fahamu.org




-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.fahamu.org/pipermail/au-monitor/attachments/20070624/6d17e8ce/attachment.htm