Pay Your Dues

　　At a time when the African Union (AU) hasyet again shown its inability to lead and effectivelyresolve the conflicts taking place in various parts ofthe continent， a call has been made to African headsof state to live up to their obligations of fully fundingthe programs of the continental union. Failure to doso will mean declarations of an African Renaissanceconcerning regional integration， peace and security，trade and infrastructure all remain elusive.

　　The largest African Civil Society Grouping dealingwith the AU and its organs jointly said this situationwas attributed to the inadequate funding of theAU， particularly from its members. The grouping ismade up of State of the Nation， Pan African LawyersUnion， Oxfam International， CCP-AU and Open SocietyFoundation. This has left major budgetary gapsbeing filled by European Union and other Westernstates. Yet， heads of AU member states continue tostress that African problems need African solutions，albeit that in all the conflicts ranging from Mali toCentral African Republic， the intervention was notAfrican-led.

　　Ibrahima Kane， AU Advocacy Director for OpenSociety Foundation， one of the civil society groupingmembers， said， “The African agenda cannot bedriven by Africans if it is being paid for by non-Africans.”

　　Non-African funds

　　The trend does not stop at conflict resolution either.

　　More than half of the AU’s projected funding of$308 million， which stands at $170 million， will beresourced by non-African states， and only $138 millionby member states in 2014. However， this situationis reminiscent of patterns in previous years. Thecivil society group agreed that the ratio must bereversed， which may prove to be a dauntingtask as some AU member states have notlived up to their financial obligations.

　　The AU headquarters are being builtwith Chinese funding and other pledgesof more donations are coming fromcountries like Japan. There are strong signsthat African heads of state have little or nointention of fully funding the AU， and takingownership of the vision and values theyproclaim to share.

　　Desire Assogbavi， head of InternationalLiaison Office with the AU， Oxfam， part of the civilsociety grouping， stated， “We have to ensure thatour leaders commit to the ideals of the Union byinvesting in it fully. We have the means， but AU leadersmust have the will to finance the idea of a strongand vibrant African Union.”

　　The debate around funding mechanisms continues；proposals to explore a percentage of airfaretravel into Africa being expropriated to contribute tofunding the AU， and proceeds from mobile telephonecalls have also been discussed， but nothinghas been agreed upon. Meanwhile， major institutionscontinue to be burdened by lack of capacity andinability to fully function， due largely to the lack ofresources.

　　Pending powers

　　In addition to lack of funding， the AU’s Pan AfricanParliament is also still waiting for promised legislativepowers， which would entail that a new protocolneeds to be adopted. This protocol would pavethe way for a supranational entity tasked with themandate of legislating model laws and spearheadingthe drive for operationalizing the multipletreaties and conventions， committed toby the 54 states. Also pending are an AdvisoryBoard on Corruption tasked with amandate of overseeing the implementationof the Anti-Corruption Convention and are-envisioned African Court.

　　The Civil Society Grouping hasexpressed concern that a failure to reachconsensus will undermine the credibilityand ability of the organization to attainmany of its regional integration objectives.

　　This would ultimately lead to areversal of the major strides and resultsregistered in the last two decades.

　　Plan for 2017

　　The AU， in striving to achieve its vision and objectivesof an integrated， prosperous and peaceful Africa，operates through various organs and institutionsthat have their own mandate and focus. Theseorgans and institutions are either established bythe Constitutive Act of the AU or by other treatiesand protocols.

　　These organs and institutions operate toward thesame vision， pursue similar goals and all are mandatedand operate in the ambit of the AU. However，each has their own institutional arrangements toaccomplish specific objectives.

　　One of the challenges has therefore been aroundfostering greater coherence and synergies betweenthe different institutions. A further challenge hasbeen around enhancing the capacity of the organsand institutions， which are at different points ofdevelopment.

　　The AU Commission (AUC) Strategic Plan for2014-17 outlines five pillars， with specific outcomesand targets to be achieved by 2017. Key amongthese is enhancing the operations of the AU and itsorgans and institutions， and enhancing the involvementof civil society and citizens in the policy makingprocesses of the AU.

　　The plan notes that “the commission will workto build a people-centered union through activecommunication of the programs of the AfricanUnion， the branding of the Union and participationof all stakeholders in defining and implementing theAfrican agenda.”

　　But this needs to be financed by the memberstates. Failing to establish an effective fundingmechanism will undermine the ability and credibilityof the African Union， thus making the project of aunited Africa (one Africa one Voice) that is economicallyintegrated and prosperous untenable.