AU Reforms Report: Building a more relevant African Union

This report is the result of a review of the African Union (AU) led by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, as mandated by the Assembly of Heads of State in July 2016.
The review was based on analysis of input from the staff of the African Union Commission and external experts from across Africa, documents made available by the African Union, and previous reviews of the institution.

Given the scope of the mandate, President Kagame appointed a pan-African advisory team to assist with the review: Ms Cristina Duarte (Former Minister of Finance, Cabo Verde); Dr Donald Kaberuka (Former President, African Development Bank); Dr Acha Leke (Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company); Dr Carlos Lopes (Former Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa); Mr Strive Masiywa (Founder, ECONET Wireless); Mr Tito Mboweni (Former Governor, South African Reserve Bank); Ms Amina Mohammed (Minister of Environment, Nigeria); Ms Mariam Mahamat Nour (Minister of Economy and International Cooperation, Chad); and Dr Vera Songwe (Regional Director for West and Central Africa, International Finance Corporation).

The team held consultative meetings to discuss the African Union’s strengths and challenges, review benchmarks from similar organisations from around the world, and generate ideas to reform the African Union. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, and other African leaders also provided input.

This review is not an in-depth analysis of all the African Union’s processes and structures of its Organs. Rather, it assesses the African Union’s priorities and its effectiveness in implementing its current and future priorities. Its recommendations build on past reports – most notably the Adedeji Report, the Me’kelle Report, Agenda 2063 and the Comparative Study on the Working Methods of the African Union and other Similar International and Multilateral Organisations.

The report provides a perspective on the role the African Union should play given the evolving economic, political, and social needs of the continent and the institution’s capacity to meet them. It lays out the challenges the African Union will face, including defining focus areas and managing its relationship with the regional economic communities (RECs). It suggests recommendations on how the institution could increase its effectiveness to help fulfil the continent’s aspirations. It also outlines the strategic, operational and governance reforms the African Union will need to make to effect these recommendations.