Organization of African Unity, the

The Organization of African Unity (OAU) was established by thirty-two independent African states on May 25, 1963, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The formation of the OAU was in response to Pan-Africanist political ideology that came to dominate a decolonizing Africa. The OAU was established to promote African sovereignty and unity through increased cooperation among independent states. This purpose was based upon principles of freedom, equality, justice, understanding, peace, and international cooperation with the United Nations and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Membership of the OAU was extended to any independent African state.

The aims and institutions of the OAU were enshrined in the organization's initial charter. Article II states the main objectives of the OAU as: promotion of unity and solidarity; defense of sovereignty and independence; territorial integration; eradication of all forms of colonialism; and political, economic, cultural, transport, diplomatic, health, scientific, educational, and security cooperation. The aims of the organization were to be carried out by four main institutional bodies: the Assembly of Heads of State and Government; the Council of Ministers; the General Secretariat; and the Commission of Mediation, Conciliation, and Arbitration. Each member state had one vote within the Assembly of Heads of State and Government and the Council of Ministers and decisions were based upon a two-thirds majority vote.

Since its creation, the OAU has faced many institutional difficulties and has failed to respond to changes within Africa and an enlarged membership of fifty-three states. Tensions existed over member-state sovereignty, increased cooperation, and the interpretation of contentious issues such as human rights. Issues of peace and security became undermined by internal conflict and warfare. Despite forming a Committee on the Review of the Charter in 1979 to respond to such changes, the OAU lacked any substantive institutional change concerning efficiency, action, and integration.

The final problem faced by the OAU was the 1994 formation of the African Economic Community (AEC) under the Abuja Treaty that sought to strengthen African economic cooperation, harmonization, and integration. The AEC presented the OAU with the problem of reconciling the political objectives of the postcolonial era with modern economic and development issues. The OAU responded with the 1999 Sirte Summit, “Strengthening OAU Capacity to Enable It to Meet the Challenges of the New Millennium.” The declaration of this summit signaled the end of the OAU and the establishment of the principles of an African Union. The implementation of the African Union was discussed at the OAU/AEC summit in Lusaka in 2001 and was finally inaugurated in July 2002. The African Union encompassed the purposes of the OAU and AEC by enshrining the Abuja Treaty as expressed in the Sirte Declaration. In so doing, the central aim of the African Union was increased economic integration and social development that would subsequently result in political unity. The union moved away from the state-centric notions of the OAU to stress the role of governments, business organizations, civil society, and labor unions within the organization.