The African Union: What role in tackling Africa’s challenges?
Authors
- Philomena Apiko
- Martin Ronceray
- Alfonso Medinilla
- Bruce Byiers
- Lidet Tadesse Shiferaw
- Valeria Pintus
For some, the AU is a symbol of pan-Africanism and continental collective action. Others, who seek to support African development and international partnerships, see it as a natural counterpart to the European Union (EU). We have created a virtual guide to understanding more of its history, how it works and what it has achieved since its creation.
The African Union (AU) represents different things to different people. For some, it is a core part of the development landscape in Africa – a symbol of pan-Africanism, continental collective action and aspirations for ‘The Africa We Want’. Others know of its existence but are less sure of its relevance, or how its programmes and policies could or should affect what they experience day to day in their own countries.
For others who seek to support African development and international partnerships, the AU is a natural counterpart to the European Union – two continental unions, seeking similar goals. Though all of these partially reflect reality, both in Africa and Europe we see a need to better explain and understand what the African Union does and how it works. This virtual guide aims to do just that.
Explore the guide
This guide is part of the second phase of our project on the political economy dynamics of regional organisations inAfrica (PEDRO II). It builds on earlier work undertaken in the first phase, in line with ECDPM’s mission to inform and facilitate relations between Europe and Africa, and financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ.
