The Peoples’ Audit: Urgent Invitation for Comments, Discussion and Debate

[Hakima Abbas]

LAUNCH OF THE PEOPLES’ AUDIT OF THE AU

This week, the AU Monitor is calling for your contributions toward a  
Peoples’ Audit of the African Union (AU).  The Audit Review panel was  
set up by the African Union in July in order to identify the areas  
where significant improvement has to be made to accelerate the  
African integration process.  Having launched an official invitation  
for contributions to the review, the AU Monitor is asking our readers  
to contribute to this important review.  We have uploaded the  
official terms of reference of the review as well as a background  
summary for your attention.

We ask that you forward this invitation for submissions,  
contributions, debate and discussion far and wide so that CSO,  
including and particularly social movements, grassroots  
organizations, trade unions and women’s rights groups etc., as well  
as citizens’ perspectives on the African Union and the Union  
Government influence the policy recommendations of the Review Panel.

Please submit all contributions directly to  
aumonitor.editor at gmail.com with the subject heading “Peoples’ Audit”  
before October 26th, 2007.

Please also find the letter of invitation for contributions toward a  
Peoples’ Audit of the African Union below.





The Peoples’ Audit
Urgent Invitation for Comments, Discussion and Debate

The AU Monitor is seeking your contributions toward a Peoples’ Audit  
of the African Union (AU).

At the AU Summit in July, it was argued that while “all member states  
accept the United States of Africa as a common and a desirable goal”,  
the Executive Council recommended an audit review of the state of the  
Union to identify the areas where significant improvement has to be  
made to accelerate the African integration process.  The audit review  
is being conducted by a panel of ‘eminent persons’ and will be  
presented as a policy document for discussion and adoption at the  
next Heads of States Summit in January 2008.

While the panel has not planned to conduct any formal consultations  
with civil society organizations (CSOs) or the African public, this  
input is essential to building a people-driven union.  The audit  
process will not only inform the decision on the Union Government,  
but, if successful, will also set the framework for the next African  
Union Strategic Plan.  It is therefore critical that this debate does  
not only happen among Ambassadors, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and  
Heads of States but that civil society and citizen voices also inform  
the deliberations.  As of yesterday, the chairperson of the panel  
officially invited e-submissions to the panel (www.aumonitor.org/ 
comments/411/).  The AU Monitor is therefore seeking your  
contributions, discussions and debates to inform this process.  The  
AU Monitor calls on the input of all CSOs, including and particularly  
social movements, grassroots organizations, trade unions, women’s  
rights groups, etc., and African citizens to make your voices heard  
in this process. We will coordinate, coherently collate and actively  
distribute your policy recommendations to the AU, so that these  
recommendations influence and set the policy framework of the audit  
committee and council of ministers.

African peoples’ must ensure that the review address both  
institutional reform as well as issues of strategic direction, such  
as whether the AU is setting the standard for new policy norms for  
democratic governance, responsive public services, human rights,  
peace and poverty eradication in Africa, negotiating globally for  
better trade, aid and debt terms for Africa.

Please provide your comments and suggestions for an effective people- 
driven African Union.  We have provided some questions below to guide  
your process but we do not want to limit your contribution by these  
questions.  All contributions should be sent directly to  
aumonitor.editor at gmail.com with the subject heading “Peoples’ Audit”  
before October 26th, 2007.

Thank you!

Questions:
1. What has been your experience in working with and participating in  
the African Union?
2. In your experience, what value have citizen and CSO engagement  
brought to AU decisions and their implementation?
3. What have been the key achievements of the AU and its organs since  
2004?
4. What are the weaknesses of the AU?
5. What opportunities has the AU missed since 2004?
6. What significant strategic changes should the next Commission  
prioritise?
7. How should public participation and accountability of the AU be  
strengthened?
8. Which other organisations or movements do you think the AU should  
be consulting in developing policies?
9. How would union government benefit you?  What are your hopes and  
expectations for the Union Government?
10. What do you foresee as the obstacles and challenges of the Union  
Government and what can be done to overcome these?
11. What is your vision of an effective people-driven African Union?
12. What steps should be taken to accelerate the Union Government  
process?


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