CHANGE AND RENEWAL IN AFRICA: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF AFRICAN UNION/NEPAD

By Prof. Ibrahim Gambari

Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa

(Committee on African Studies, Harvard University, 11 May 2004, Massachusetts, USA)

Mr. Chairman,

Ladies and Gentleman,

I am most grateful to the Chair and members of the Committee on African Studies of this great University, for this opportunity to dialogue with you all, on the state of the African continent, the progress that is being made and the challenges that lie ahead. I have used the word dialogue to underline the fact that there is mutual learning involved for us all – both myself who is leading this discussion and those who will, perhaps, participate in the inter-active session which would follow. My presentation will focus on the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), which is a programme of the African Union. The international interest in NEPAD has a lot to do with its novel features about which I will refer to later. In this context, I will be making a more wide ranging assessment of trends in Africa encompassing the political, economic and social developments in the region because, as I understand it, the invitation to speak at this forum has given me much latitude.

Coincidentally, only last month, April 2004, two important events were commemorated both in Africa and at the United Nations in New York, which, in my view, symbolized the triumph of hope of the African peoples over some dreadful experiences in the continent. These were the tenth anniversaries of the Rwandan genocide and the end of apartheid in South Africa respectively. In his message on the former, Secretary-General Kofi Annan paid tribute to the people and Government of Rwanda for the resilience and dignity shown in recovering from their national trauma and also for pursuing the path of reconstruction and reconciliation. "Rwanda", said the Secretary-General, "has much to show the world about confronting the legacy of the past and demonstrating that it is possible to reach beyond tragedy and re-kindle hope". As for South Africa, Mr. Kofi Annan observed that the celebration of the end of Apartheid and ten years of non-racial democratic dispensation "gives concrete meaning to abstract concepts: the concept of humanity and the concept of hope".

Important signs of hope and progress

Africa is in the cusp of change and renewal. So much so that some observers point to many parallels between now and the immediate post independence era of the 1960s. Then as now, there was considerable hope about the course of regional events. Democracy was also in the ascendancy. There was a crop of (new) leaders in most African countries, who were inspired by and committed to Pan-Africanism. Where the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was formed in 1963 as a practical expression of political commitment to a regional political solidarity, the African Union which was inaugurated in 2002 has reinforced the growing importance of regionalism in an era of globalization. Taken together, the African Union and NEPAD -- which was adopted in 2001 -- are key instruments for the region’s political, economic and social renewal. The African Union and NEPAD have come to symbolize the hope and progress in Africa today; indeed, what some African leaders have referred to as the African Renaissance.

A different political order

Yet, there are a number of significant differences between now and then in the political situation. Conflicts that haunt the region today were virtually absent then. At the time the OAU was established, the fear that unraveling the colonial-imposed borders might result in irredentist wars led to proclaiming the borders acquired at independence inviolate. This became an article of faith in intra-African states’ relations and a legal device that minimized inter-state conflicts. But little did anyone realize that Africa would suffer severe and disruptive intra-state conflicts such as we have witnessed in the last 15-20 years. The persistence of intra-state conflicts, albeit in a dwindling number of countries, is the first of the seven key features of Africa’s political scene today, which I would like to highlight in this presentation.

As the recognition has grown that durable peace is a necessary condition for development, regional and international efforts to develop mechanisms to mediate and manage conflicts in Africa have multiplied. The United Nations has played and continues to be actively engaged in mediation and peacekeeping efforts in Africa. The newly established African Union is building its capabilities in these areas.

In July 2002, the AU also adopted the Peace and Security Protocol, an instrument that should enable the AU to play an effective role in peace and security matters and conflict resolution. One of the most attractive aspects of this protocol is the establishment of the African Peace and Security Council as a standing decision-making body for the prevention and management of conflicts and promotion of peace in the continent. The responsibilities of the African Peace and Security Council include the promotion of peace, security and stability in Africa, from early warning to peace-building activities. The Protocol has entered into force since 19 December and the Peace and Security Council has been constituted. Some of the regional economic communities in Africa have also established peace and security mechanisms, including non-aggression pacts.

With the assistance of the G-8 countries, the European Union and the United Nations, the AU is currently involved in efforts to enhance its capacity to undertake peace operations in the continent. For instance, in what is currently known as the Berlin process, the G-8 decided to extend financial and technical assistance towards the establishment of a continental Early Warning System; an African Standby Force; a Military Staff Committee; and a Panel of the Wise. Strengthening the continental capacity for conflict resolution and management is the second most prominent feature of Africa today.

Beginning in the late 1980s the democratic movement began to be renewed in Africa. A number of reasons or hypotheses have been advanced to explain the surge of democracy in Africa including the contributions from a couple of scholars on Africa, here at Harvard, especially in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Initially, some analysts attributed the democracy movement in Africa to the spill over effects from the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Others reasoned that the French–speaking African countries drew renewed inspiration from the bicentenary of the French revolution that same year. Yet others thought that it was a product of donors’ pressure and newfound emphasis on good governance. Still others attributed the revival of democracy in Africa to more home grown causes, citing the fact that one party or military regimes had pushed African citizens to the point of desperation, who had to fight for their basic civil and political rights. In retrospect, some of these explanations were more fanciful and fashionable rather than factual. What is obvious is that democracy has made steady progress in Africa than we have dared to hope a few years ago. The march of democracy is the third main feature of the change and renewal in Africa.

As democracy has began to take roots, there is a growing sense that Africa must not relapse into unconstitutional processes that brought some regimes to power in the past. Two measures have been adopted to foster and strengthen the process of democratic, constitutional civil rule in Africa: (a) the OAU Algiers Declaration of 1999 that prohibits unconstitutional change of government and denies recognition to any government that comes to power through such means; and (b) the African Peer Review Mechanism established under NEPAD which seeks to promote adherence to codes and standards in political, economic and corporate governance. Though participation in the APRM is voluntary, the number of countries subscribing to it has grown to nineteen. Compliance with the codes will be monitored by an Eminent Persons Panel who will conduct reviews on agreed indicators of performance with the authority and full support of the APR Forum of the Heads of State and Government of the participating countries. Setting codes of desirable political conduct and seeking to monitor them for compliance is the fourth main feature of contemporary Africa.

Even so, the wind of democracy has yet to blow to every corner of the vast continent. But in politics as much else in human affairs, perfection is an ideal and not reality. This is not an excuse or a plea for mitigation for lack of democracy in any place. Rather, it is a reminder that democracy seldom comes in tidal waves but in incremental steps. One recent, important incremental step in regional democracy was the inauguration of the Pan-African Parliament which will serve as an important forum to debate regional issues. The fact that democracy sits and is accorded unprecedented legitimacy by the African Union alongside the reality of non-democratic regimes is the fifth feature of change and renewal in Africa.

Though the transition to democracy might be incomplete, the changes and reforms in the political sphere are having a discernible impact in one important respect: there is a greater emphasis on transparency and accountability in public affairs. A striking illustration of this trend is highlighted in the establishment of anti-corruption commissions or equivalent bodies in a growing number of African countries. Some may caution and have, indeed, argued that the creation of these institutions should not be confused with progress in the fight against corruption. This may be true. But the existence of these bodies reflects the recognition that there is a challenge to be addressed, and the anti-corruption bodies are a key tool in meeting that challenge. The sixth feature of renewal and change is greater public and political support for enhancing transparency and accountability in public affairs.

Role of Civil Society

When public trust is abused and national resources are wasted through corruption and maladministration, members of civil societies, and in particular, the poor and unemployed suffer the consequences. Consequently, it is in the interest of civil society to ensure that public officials manage these resources in an efficient, transparent and accountable fashion. Furthermore, civil society plays a critical role in strengthening democracy in that, it has capacity to bring about the movement from a bureaucratic to a more representative administration by providing a credible bridge between the rulers and the citizens. Civil societies help to build social capital by enhancing security, building trust and creating organizational capacity.

By strengthening democracy, civil society is a key ingredient of the NEPAD initiative, subsequently having a net effect on sustainable peace, security, stability and development. Civil Society should, however, develop its own monitoring mechanism to evaluate the performance of the leaders of the African Union and of NEPAD member countries, independent of the APRM, and should develop their own codes of conduct and monitoring mechanisms for their own performance. The sustained engagement of civil societies with AU and NEPAD is the seventh most prominent feature of change and renewal in Africa.

NEPAD as an instrument for renewal and hope

NEPAD is a program of the African Union and embodies the collective vision of African leaders for a peaceful and prosperous continent. The transformation of the Organization of African Unity into the African Union complements the implementation of NEPAD by deepening the regional economic integration process. However, there are two most frequently encountered questions about NEPAD. How significantly different is it from the other previous development plans and initiatives on Africa? And would NEPAD make a difference to Africa’s economic development?

Concerning the first question, NEPAD has already proven to be very different from the other previous plans and initiatives. It has been driven at the highest political level and it reflects the commitment of African leaders to launch the region on a path of sustained growth and development. It is designed and is being implemented on the premise of African leadership and ownership of their development. It is the framework around which the international community is increasingly rallying around to support Africa. NEPAD has also provided the platform for high-level policy dialogue between leaders from Africa and its main development partners’ countries. Moreover, it explicitly acknowledges that peace and security, democracy, good governance, human rights and sound economic management are conditions for sustainable development.

The latter question turns critically on whether NEPAD can be an instrument of renewal in Africa’s economic development. In other words, what are the prospects and challenges that NEPAD would face in playing the role of an agent of change and renewal? Admittedly, Africa faces myriad development challenges, which are too well known to warrant being listed here. However, it is fair to say that NEPAD aims to address those challenges in a comprehensive manner but with a focus on selected priority areas. It has selected and is currently implementing programs in the following areas: peace and security (with African Union in the lead); agriculture; infrastructure (energy, water and sanitation, transport and information and communication technologies); environment; market access; human resource development (health and education), science and technology and addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic. These areas that are key to reducing poverty and improving the living standards in Africa.

Nonetheless, there are internal and external pre-conditions to the successful implementation of NEPAD. The internal pre-conditions include the availability of technical capacity for program articulation and development; creating the institutional framework for implementation; promoting partnership between the public and private sector, including civil society organizations for implementation; and adequate financial outlay for the programs.

Securing adequate financing for NEPAD will be as much dependent on external finance as on the effectiveness of domestic resource mobilization. Those who articulated NEPAD realized very early that African countries could not rely on domestic resources alone to implement NEPAD’s programs. This explains the importance that NEPAD has placed on international partnership for NEPAD. That partnership has yielded results in terms of increased attention to Africa’s development and increased pledges of official development assistance. But much international support is still required in areas such as trade and debt relief. Today, official development assistance to African countries is more than off set by the combination of debt service and loss export earnings as a result of subsidies. If Africa is to be able to devote adequate financial resources to NEPAD’s programs, increases in ODA will have to be matched by complementary policies and actions in the areas of trade and debt relief.

Conclusions

There is no question that the establishment of the African Union and the adoption of the NEPAD are good auguries for Africa’s quest for political stability, regional integration and economic development. There is also no question that African leaders have recognized the need to take the responsibility to address Africa’s challenges. But there is no doubt that much commitment and perseverance will be needed, on the part of African countries and their international development partners as well as the UN system, especially the Bretton Woods Institutions.

Much international spotlight has been cast on the severity and magnitude of Africa’s problems. Tackling those problems in a new cooperative spirit should nurture and sustain change and renewal in Africa. In this way, the enduring lessons of the recent commemorations of the anniversaries of the genocide in Rwanda and the end of Apartheid in South Africa would be that, while confronting the legacy of the past, African peoples and Governments can reach beyond tragedy, confidently address their national and continental challenges and re-kindle hope.

Thank you.