| African Union
By creating the African Union in 2000, African leaders gave a clear signal to the international community that the continent was assuming a strong responsibility for it's own development. In only 5 years, the African Union has produced some concrete results in the area of peace and security, international relations (EU, China, Latin America...) and the promotion of democratic governance structures in Africa at pan-african, regional and national levels. The African Union Commission (AUC), based in Addis Ababa and led by Alpha Oumar Konare, former President of Mali, is playing a key role in facilitating these complex African change processes. However, The AUC is not master of the game. Other players, including African national states, influence the nature and outcomes of its work.
The lecture by Ambassador Shinkaiye, Chief of Staff of President Konare, will focus on the achievements so far and constraints to the current functioning of the AU and the African governance challenges for the future so as to ensure a smooth functioning of the African Union. |