NEWS BANJUL THE GAMBIA(MB)-A Three Days Meeting from the 15-17 march 2010 is currently undergoing at the Senegambia Beach Hotel, with attendance representatives from African Union Institutions, regional Economique Communities (REC's) and Member States active in the Africa-EU Dialogue, and Stakeholders.
The above meeting helped to shape and emerging consensus on the concept of n African Governance Architecture as and "Evolving process" consisting of three pillars.
The pillars are 91) a vision supported by a governance agenda and norms (ii) a set of governance institutions and actors and (iii) concrete process to promote synergies, common agendas and greater impact, including the need to be establish an African platform on Governance as the motto of the African Governance Architecture (AGA).
The meeting is a follow-up to the recommendations of the Yaounde, meeting the African Union Commission (AUC) convened another meeting in Nairobi in December 2009, disclosed by Dr. Mamadou Dia, Department of Political Affairs at the official opening ceremony.
According to him the meeting comes at a time when our Heads of State and government have decided to give practical expression tot he values that binds our common destiny by having a debate on the theme "Shared Values". He buttressed that the objective of both the Yaounde and the Nairobi meeting was to begin the process elaborating on the various components of the governance architecture.
The meeting, he told participants concluded that proposition emanating from discussions should be used by AUC as a basic for developing various component of the Architecture for circulation and comments.
Shared values, he explained constitute an embodiment of our collective responsibility towards set of minimum government standards. "The shared values does not only provide the basis for collective and coordinated actions in the terrain of governance at the continental level, but it offers to normative frame work for policy political convergence which is critical to our integration process.
"A perusal of some of the governance indicators that is popular participation, rule of law, constitutionalism, corruption, separation of powers elections etc adding that this is making steadying improvement in over coming some of its governance in over coming some of its governance challenges".
However, while acknowledging that, it is important to reflect on the challenges and wok that need to be done.
He commented that, in overcoming the critical challenges, "is the need for coordination and harmonization " amongst the various governance initiatives on the continent as a measure to optimize the impact of these initiatives. "It is for this reason that enhancing the African Governance Architecture has become a policy imperative of the AU," he noted.
In addition, the basis for a more coherent, integrated and elaborated governance Architecture is highlighted by the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
He continued, as one of its objectives, the Charter aims to enhance cooperation between the Union and REC's on Democracy, Elections and Governance. The approved 2009-2012 Strategies plan of the AUC, he stated also calls for coordination amongst the various AU institutions on the shared Value pillar. As part of its strategic objectives, he explained more by saying that to promote good governance democracy and human rights, the AU has been tasked to facilitate the establishment of the appropriate architecture for the promotion of good governance, democracy and human rights in Africa.
Presenting a paper on the introduction of the governance architecture as the overall political ad institutional framework for the promotion of governance in Africa, Mr. Charysantus Ayangafac, Political Affairs, AUC, said that the AGA is the overall political and Institutional framework for the promotion of governance in Africa. The AGA, he said constitutes a reflection on the par t of the Continent on how it can build on and pretext the gains in democracy and governance processes that it has achieved.
According to him, the AG is about division of labour and sharing of responsibilities promised on a range of partnerships, which he added seek to establish coordination both at the regional and continental levels.
The AGA is to complement the primary responsibility of States in the realm of governance; facilitate regional integration and encourage international engagement with the continent in the terrain of governance. Thus, a strong and effective AGA requires solid, functioning and accountable national structures.
He revealed that the AUC Strategic Plan 2009-2012 approved y Head of States, gives the AUC a mandate to "achieve good governance, democracy, human rights, rights based approaches to develop, including social, economic, cultural and environmental rights.
In this regard, based on existing institutions and organs, the commissions has been mandated to promote and facilitate the establishment of appropriate architecture for the promotion of good governance", he revealed. In making participants to understand about the AGA, Mr. Ayangafac, said the establishing of AGA is not about creating new institutions, but is about enhancing coordinated actions amongst AU organs and institutions as a measure to strengthen their capacity and optimising their impact.
On the objectives, he noted that AGA is to achieve good governance, democracy, human rights and rights based approach to development including social, economic, cultural and environmental rights.
According to him, AGA is composed of three pillars that is vision 1 agenda, organs and institutions.
Also presenting a paper o governance vision pillar one of AGA Mr. Salima Litib, Political Affairs AUC, noted that pillar one is norms/shared values (governance Agenda) stating that the AGA is a set of norms and an agenda constitutes shared values which member states of the AU have committed themselves to adding that these shared values penetrate the various policy pronouncements of the Au.
These norms, reflects the Continent's commitment to appreciate and confront its governance challenges. These commitments, he went on constitute the judicial ad policy anchor of the AGA. At the heart of these commitment are the following principles that; neither can or should one AU Member State be indifferent to the governance situation in another member State (from absolute sovereignty to indifference); confronting Africa's governance challenges necessitate a concerted and comprehensive approach both at the regional and continental level.
Importantly, the Au has embraced the imperative of impunity, and constitutionalism in rejecting the unconstitutional transfer of power
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