Promoting Africa’s growth and economic development by championing citizen inclusion and increased cooperation and integration of African states.
Promoting Africa’s growth and economic development by championing citizen inclusion and increased cooperation and integration of African states.
Agenda 2063 is the blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. It is the strategic framework for delivering on Africa’s goal for inclusive and sustainable development and is a concrete manifestation of the pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance.
H.E President William Samoei Ruto (PhD), President of the Republic of Kenya and the African Union Champion on Institutional Reform. H.E. Ruto was appointed during the 37th Assembly of Heads of State and Government in February 2024 to champion the AU Institutional Reform process taking over from the H.E Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda who led the implementation of the reform process since 2016.
The AU offers exciting opportunities to get involved in determining continental policies and implementing development programmes that impact the lives of African citizens everywhere. Find out more by visiting the links on right.
Report on the Outcomes of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Consultation in Maseru on the Implementation of the Livingstone Formula
ADDRESS BY H.E. DR. AISHA L. ABDULLAHI (AMB.)
COMMISSIONER FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS
DELIVERED ON HER BEHALF BY:
KHABELE MATLOSA
DIRECTOR FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS
AT
AT THE ABANT FORUM
ON THE THEME “FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND RESPECT FOR THE SACRED”
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
8 MARCH 2014
Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
All Protocols Observed
Happy International Women’s Day
I am pleased to be with you this morning to deliver this welcome address on behalf of H.E. Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, the Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union Commission. The Commissioner would have loved to be with us not only to deliver this message but also to interact with you during this important dialogue forum on such a pertinent theme namely ‘Freedom of Expression & Respect to the Sacred’ co-convened by the African Union and the Journalists and Writers Foundation. But other prior commitments could not allow this to happen.
You will recall that during the 2013 Forum held in Istanbul, the honourable Commissioner for Political Affairs noted that the Abant Forum provides a unique platform to bounce off ideas on contemporary thematic issues with implications for democratisation, human rights, peace and stability around the globe. Such platforms as this play a critical role in helping us to dialogue on how best to anchor peace, stability and democracy on a firmer footing and in the process sharing lessons and best practices on dealing with threats of instability early enough through preventive diplomacy. As the English cliché goes, prevention is better than cure. This saying applies forcefully to the freedom of expression and the respect for the sacred. If we do not prevent reckless and hate speech and its dissemination early enough, the consequences are dire as have seen with the Rwanda Genocide of 1994 and the devastating effects of Apartheid in South Africa, just to cite only a few examples.
The theme of this year’s Forum is both timely and pertinent. It is timely given that in today’s globalised world marked by social media, information spreads as fast as wild fire and it can have adverse effects if not well managed. It is pertinent in that it allows us to interrogate the challenge of maintaining balance between the freedom of expression and the responsibilities that such freedom confers on everyone. While the forum interrogates what other scholars have termed the clash of civilisations, it also allows us to promote mutual respect and tolerance for peoples and societies including their sacred beliefs, religions and monuments. Part of the on-going war in the Central African Republic today has to do with intolerance that has witnessed massive killings of Moslems by Christians and vice versa.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Freedom of Expression is regarded as the right of every individual to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Freedom of expression as a core principle of democracy guarantees the ability of the governed to play active roles in development of their societies. Alongside access to information, freedom of expression allows the governed to make informed decisions and choices on the trajectory of development in their societies and build constituencies and alliances around such a development path.
The African Union has been (and continues to be) the key guardian of fundamental human rights at the continental level in Africa. As the premier inter-governmental body on the continent, the AU has developed an expansive and robust normative framework for the promotion and protection of human rights. The right to freedom of expression within the AU normative framework is codified in the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights; and specifically in the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa which was adopted by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) at its 32nd Ordinary Session held in October 2002.
The implementation of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression is the responsibility of the AU Member States. It is monitored by the African Commission based in Banjul, The Gambia. In order to ensure a more systematic and coordinated monitoring over AU Member States, the Commission appoints the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression a position currently occupied by Advocate Pansy Tlakula who is also the Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission of the Republic of South Africa. The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression as a mechanism was established by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights with the adoption of Resolution 71 at the 36th Ordinary Session held in Dakar, Senegal in 2004. The Rapporteur, among other things, is charged with the mandate to analyse national media legislation, policies and practice within Member States with a view to monitor their compliance with freedom of expression standards. In addition, the Special Rapporteur undertakes missions to Member States to investigate violations of the right to freedom of expression and make appropriate recommendations to the African Union policy organs for appropriate action within the confines of the Union’s Constitutive Act adopted in 2000.
In 2007, at its 42nd session held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights decided to renew and expand the mandate of the Special Rapporteur with additional responsibility for driving the AU Agenda on Access to Information in Africa.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The essence of these efforts is to create a more conducive environment for African people to freely express their thoughts and opinions about issues that have bearing on their socio-economic and political development. In expressing their thoughts and opinions, African citizens are implored to do with utmost responsibility avoiding incitement which in turn threatens peace and stability. They are reminded that freedom of expression and access to information must go hand-in-glove with accountability on the use of information and consequences that come with that.
Although Africa still has a long way to go before we can talk about full protection and promotion of human rights including the freedom of expression, some modest progress is underway. For instance, the recent Afrobarometer report entitled ‘The Partnership of Free Speech & Good Governance in Africa’ notes that more than half of Africans surveyed in 34 countries across the continent say they are "completely free" to say what they think, while another quarter say they are "somewhat free".
This modest achievement on the Continent is in sharp contrast to the situation that prevailed over the past three decades when most African countries were emerging from dictatorial regimes of one-party, military and other forms. Such regimes had little tolerance for fundamental freedoms and dissent. Today, the proliferation of media outlets; both traditional and new social media are revolutionising the freedom of expression landscape on the Continent. But this seemingly positive development may also become a bad omen given that the social media some times are used for incitement, hate speech and reckless speech that set societies ablaze.
This is exactly where the dilemma lies. On one hand, we need to expand the space for citizen’s engagement and participation engendered by freedom of expression and access to information. One other, freedom of expression and access to freedom without restraints and limits is a recipe for political disorder, instability and violent conflicts. We therefore need to insist on the need for Freedom with Responsibility; Freedom with Accountability; Freedom with Tolerance and above all Freedom with Respect. This is why I am convinced about not only the timeliness, but also the pertinence of this forum today.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Before I conclude, let me make a modest contribution as to how Africa can entrench a culture of freedom of expression and access to information while at the same time promoting democracy, peace and stability.
Firstly, all AU Member States must recognise both through their constitutions and political culture that freedom of expression and access to information comes with the responsibility of each citizen to respect and tolerate others. As citizens express their own freedoms, they should respect and tolerate others to enjoy their own freedoms too.
Secondly, freedom of belief, opinions and one’s cultural heritage should not threaten others from enjoying their own cultural beliefs. This calls for constructive management of diversity especially as it relates to religion. The mayhem caused by senseless killing of innocent people by Boko Haram in Nigeria is a major cause of concern for religious freedom and tolerance on our continent today.
Thirdly, freedom of expression should not be interpreted as freedom to destroy societies, but rather freedom to build societies in a harmonious manner. It is easy to destroy a society and in a short space of time. It is difficult to build socio-cultural resilience of societies and it takes longer. It is therefore important to invest more in building rather than destroying.
Fourthly, the sterling efforts of the ACHPR and the African Court on Human and People’s Rights in respect of their mandate to promote and protect human rights must be supported fully by all AU Member States and the international community so that the architecture for the freedom of expression is anchored on a more solid institutional foundation.
Fifth and finally, as you are probably aware by now, the African Union is developing the AU Agenda 2063 which is a long-term development vision of the continent over the next fifty years. This long-term development vision cannot succeed without it being anchored on solid foundations of democracy, peace and stability. This foundation for the AU Agenda 2063 will require the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms including the freedom of expression and access to information while at the same time combatting incitement, inflammatory and reckless speech. Wars and political instability that has been generated by intolerance has cost African countries immensely. The social groups that have been hardest hit by protracted violent conflicts in Africa including the current ones in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and South Sudan include women, youth and children.
In conclusion, I hope and trust that this forum facilitates the launch of a global campaign on discouraging abuse of freedom of expression using the various instruments developed by the United Nations Human Rights Council particularly its 16/18 Resolution on ‘Combating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatisation of and discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against persons based on religion or beliefs’. I believe this can be a complimentary effort to our drive for universal guarantee of the freedom of expression and access to information.
On this International Women’s Day, we must recommit ourselves to ensure that freedom of expression and respect for religious freedoms embrace the fundamental rights of women and girls globally and specifically in Africa.
Let me thank the Journalists and Writers Foundation for collaborating with the African Union Commission in hosting this Forum here in Addis Ababa, the African Capital and the seat of the African Union.
I thank you all for your attention
We hold up half the sky
Statement of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma on the occasion of the Commemoration of International Women’s Day. Addis Ababa, 8th March 2014
On the occasion to commemorate the 103rd International Women’s Day, I wish to convey my warm greetings and congratulations to women and girls in Africa and all over the world. For over a century, women in successive generations have celebrated this day by benchmarking, mobilising and celebrating our long struggle for gender equality.
African women are a proud and integral component of this global movement, since the days of the anti-slavery, anti-colonial and liberation movements, to today’s struggle for Africa’s development, peace, integration and prosperity. This ongoing mobilization and organisation of women have been and remain critical, since we continue to hold up half the sky. Emmeline Pankhurst, explained this in 1913, when she declared:
“…we are women fighting for a great idea; that we wish the betterment of the human race, and that we believe this betterment is coming through the emancipation and uplifting of women.”
Women today constitute 21.3% of the world’s parliamentarians. Rwanda and Andorra are the only two countries in the world where over half of parliaments are women, at 63.8% and 50% respectively. In forty-six (46) countries across the world, women account for more than a quarter (25%) of all MPs. I am also proud to say that fourteen (14) of these countries are in Africa . However, the fact that only two countries globally have 50% women in parliament, means that this struggle for equal representation is far from over.
Sadly, the situation in terms of women’s representation in the economy, particularly in the labour market, on boards and in the professions is changing at a much slower pace. Globally, women represent less than 15% of membership of boards in the Fortune 200 companies. At the same time, we know, that most women entrepreneurs are found in the small and micro enterprise sectors and in the informal economy. Although greater numbers of women are entering the labour market, this also tends to be in sectors with poor working conditions and low wages. As we therefore embark on the finalization of our Africa Agenda 2063 framework for the transformation of the continent, we must and will pay attention to women’s access to capital and other factors of production such as land, as well as ensuring that our infrastructure development, industrial development, job creation and promotion of intra-Africa trade are gender sensitive and seek to empower African women.
The 2013 Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum indicates that globally, on health and education, progress is being made in closing the gap in health outcomes and educational attainment between men and women. However, according to the report, the gap between women and men on economic participation and political empowerment remains wide .
On educational attainment, African countries are making progress in closing the gender gap, especially with regards to the participation of girls and young women in education (primary, secondary and higher education levels). There are, however, countries that are not doing that well and we must look at ways to work with them to ensure that African girls and women are an integral part of the human capital strategy for continental transformation.
Similarly, on health, the life expectancy of African women is rising, but we must address with greater vigor the burden of disease; maternal, infant and child mortality and general access to health services, good nutrition, water and sanitation.
2014 is the African Year of Agriculture and Food Security and, therefore a critical year for African women in the struggle for emancipation. Agriculture is a key driver for economic transformation, since Africa still has up to 60% of the world’s unused arable land. Women constitute over three quarters of the agricultural workforce and play a major role in food production, and increasingly in domestic and cross-border trade. Yet they own less than 1% of the land, and their access to assets, capital and infrastructure are limited.
In this year of Agriculture and Food Security, for Africa to move towards a situation where we can feed ourselves and eliminate hunger, for our agricultural sector to contribute towards economic transformation by eliminating the need for food imports, for our agribusinesses to become a major exporter of value-added goods, we must and will invest in practical ways in which women (and young people) can drive Africa’s agrarian revolution. An example of some of these practical ways is the suggestion by Nigeria that we advocate and engage banks and financial institutions to earmark 30% of their agricultural lending for women, so as to double the current level of women’s access to capital, which is only 15% of all loans.
As we celebrate the 103rd International Women’s Day this year, the world and Africa are moving towards finalising the post-2015 development agenda. We have made progress through the millennium development goals, but for Africa the greatest lesson learnt was that these goals could not be met fully, without transformation. That is why we have made transformation as the foundation of the Common African Position on the post-2015 development agenda. Part of this transformation agenda is the mainstreaming of gender and women’s empowerment throughout all pillars and goals of the development agenda, with specific goals on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Whether this becomes the global consensus or not, African transformation will not be possible without the empowerment of women, and our Agenda 2063 will therefore ensure that sufficient attention is given to this.
Finally, we have stressed time and time again that there can be no development without peace, and no peace without development. Last year we pledged that by 2020 we shall silence all the guns. And yet, in Southern Sudan and the Central African Republic, we have situations where women and children once more are the main victims of conflict.
Last, but not least, I must reiterate our concern about the continued high levels of violence against women and urge governments to ensure protection for women, as well as creating adequate and responsive mechanisms and legal frameworks in which women can freely and respectably report violence and seek redress.
As we therefore strategise how to silence the guns and ensure the human security of all, we know that the inclusion of women in political structures, in security sector reform, in peacemaking, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction is critical. It is for this reason that we announced to the January 2014 Summit, the appointment of a Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, to ensure that we have a more proactive approach towards mobilizing women into a powerful movement for peace and development on the continent.
On this day, I would like to congratulate African women and women of the world for the progress made and encourage men and women to continue empowering our girls and boys and our young women and men. They are our future.
Finally, I would like to welcome the exemplary initiative Matteo Renzi, Prime Minister of Italy has taken by appointing Eight Women and Eight men to his cabinet.
I wish you all a happy Women’s Day, and aluta continua.
OUTCOME OF THE GLOBAL
AFRICAN DIASPORA SUMMIT, SANDTON,
SOUTH AFRICA, 25 MAY 2012
STATUTES OF THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL COUNCIL OF THE AFRICAN UNION
Diaspora/Assembly/AU/ /Decl (I)
DECLARATION OF THE GLOBAL AFRICAN DIASPORA SUMMIT
SANDTON, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
25 MAY 2012
REPORT OF THE TECHNICAL EXPERTS MEETING ON THE AFRICAN DIASPORA (TCEM), PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA, 21-22 FEBRUARY 2011
Report of the Global African Diaspora Summit 25 May 2012
Report of Diaspora Ministerial Conference New York Sept 2011
Introductory Statement delivered by Dr. Jinmi Adisa, Director, Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (CIDO), African Union Commission To The First African Union Interfaith Dialogue Forum,
15-17 June 2010, Abuja, Nigeria
