AGA

The African Governance Architecture (AGA) is inspired by the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU) that expresses the AU’s determination to ‘promote and protect human and people’s rights, consolidate democratic institutions and culture and ensure good governance and the rule of law’. The principle objective is implementation of AU Shared Values and in particular the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG).

The AGA is a platform for dialogue between the various stakeholders who are mandated to promote good governance and strengthen democracy in Africa, in addition to translating the objectives of the legal and policy pronouncements in the AU Shared Values. Four interrelated and dynamic components make up the structure of AGA:

1. Norms and Standards
2. Institutions and other stakeholders
3. Mechanisms and processes of interaction
4. African Governance FacilitY.

The AGA Secretariat is housed in the Department of Political Affairs of the African Union Commission (AUC) and serves as the coordinating hub of the Platform. The Secretariat has over the last three years undertaken several critical and innovative initiatives aimed at facilitating the achievements of the objectives of the AGP. Specifically in 2014, the Secretariat opened up new frontiers for citizen engagement, including development of engagement standards and mobilisation of women, youth and civil society to meaningfully participate in democratic governance processes and agenda on the continent. The Secretariat has further deepened synergy, coordination and cooperation among AGP members; contributed to the generation of knowledge on good governance and democracy in Africa; set standards for the evaluation and reporting on implementation and compliance with AU norms on governance and democracy as envisaged in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG); as well as enhanced joint engagement in strategic interventions, including coordination of interdepartmental efforts towards preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction and development in Africa.