On the African continent, encouraging signs such as higher growth rates stand alongside the biggest challenges to development of our time. In Africa, the Millennium Development Goals, which were adopted by the international community will most likely be achieved to only a small extent, if at all. Furthermore, the life situation of people in many African countries is still being aggravated by crises, conflicts and a lack of reliable governmental structures.
In 2002, the African Union (AU) succeeded the Organisation of African Unity and since then has represented all African countries except for Morocco. According to its Constitutive Act, the AU’s objectives are to achieve greater unity and solidarity between African countries and peoples and to foster political and socio-economic integration, stability, democracy, peace and security, sustainable economic growth as well as the protection of Human Rights. In line with this, the AU has both the duty and the legitimacy to address Africa’s challenges.
In the past, the AU already demonstrated that it can stand up to these challenges, for example, by abandoning the principle of non-interference. Now it has the right to intervene in Member States in cases of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. In order for the AU and its executive body, the AU Commission in particular, to be able to fully carry out their mandates, sweeping institutional reforms and the advancement of personnel and organisational capacities are still needed. The international community intends to prevent Africa’s new political dynamic, which is embodied by the AU, from being decelerated as a result of insufficient capacity.
On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GTZ is supporting the AU Commission within the scope of two projects. These focus on institutional reforms, the support of good governance in Africa and on the realisation of the AU’s mandate in the area of peace and security, which was expanded in 2002. Both projects focus on capacity development. To this end, GTZ provides expert advice as well as advisory services on organisational development, establishes networks, and supplies equipment and funding for the implementation of activities.
The overall goal is an AU Commission that is acknowledged by the AU Member States and the international community as a professional and politically legitimate actor for Africa’s integration and development. The recently intensified cooperation between the AU Commission, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), both of which are partners of GTZ, demonstrates that the AU Commission is increasingly taking on this strategic leadership role.
GTZ projects with the African Union
