Block Data: AU Reforms Summary

AU Reforms…..
Strengthening the Union to better serve Africa

Summary

In 2016 African leaders decided that Institutional Reforms of the African Union (AU) was urgent and necessary given the role the AU is expected to play in driving and achieving Africa’s Agenda 2063 vision of inclusive economic growth and development.

TTo realize the ambitions of Agenda 2063 and to ensure an impactful and effective manner in delivering on its mandate, the AU needs to reposition itself and ensure it has the requisite institutional capacity and capabilities given the evolving economic, political, and social needs of the continent.

The reforms therefore aim to transform Africa’s continental organisation and accelerate, reinforce and ensure service delivery to the African citizenry, with a special emphasis on Pan-African values of unity, solidarity, freedom and equality.

AU Reform Areas

Continental Priorities

Political Affairs
Peace & Security
Economic Integration
Africa’s Global Voice

Institutional Realignment

Lean & Performance-Oriented senior leadership team
Structural Review
Improve Service Delivery

Connect with Africans

Provision of continent wide Public Goods & Services
Enhance role of Youth & Women
Private Sector Participation
African Passport
African Youth Corps

Operational Effectiveness & Efficiency

Rationalising Summits
Review and focus on external partnerships that prioritise Africa's’ developments

Sustainable Financing

Implement 0.2% Import Levy
Establish AU Reserve Fund
Financial Management & Accountability

AU Reforms Structure

To ensure the successful implementation of the reforms, a governance mechanism as well as implementation was formed to work in synergistically with the existing AU Organs and AUC as well as other subject matter experts.

Implementation Unit

The Institutional Reforms Unit is was established within the Office of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and is tasked with implementing the day today activities to be delivered on the reform process.

In September 2017, Prof. Pierre Moukoko Mbonjou and Ms. Ciru Mwaura were appointed as Head and Deputy Head respectively of the newly formed Institutional Reforms Unit.

Advisory Committee

H.E. Mr. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, was appointed to lead the AU institutional reforms process. He appointed a pan-African committee of experts to review and submit proposals for a system of governance for the AU that would ensure the organisation was better placed to address the challenges facing the continent with the aim of implementing programmes that have the highest impact on Africa’s’ growth and development so as to deliver on the vision of Agenda 2063.