The Africa Governance Report
Organization of African Unity (OAU) (1963)
African Union (AU) (2001)
PURPOSES
OBJECTIVES
Article II
1. The Organization shall have the following purposes:
(a)
To promote the unity and solidarity of the African
States;
(b)To coordinate and intensify their cooperation and
efforts to achieve a better life for the peoples of
Africa;
(c)
To defend their sovereignty, their territorial
integrity
and independence;
(d)
To eradicate all forms of colonialism from Africa; and
(e)To promote international cooperation, having due
regard to the Charter of the United Nations and
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
2. To these ends, the Member States shall coordinate and
harmonize their general policies, especially in the following
fields:
(a)
Political and diplomatic cooperation;
(b)
Economic cooperation, including transport and
communications;
(c)
Educational and cultural cooperation;
(d)
Health, sanitation and nutritional cooperation;
(e)
Scientific and technical cooperation; and
(f)
Cooperation for defence and security.
Article 3
The objectives of the Union shall be to:
(a)
achieve greater unity and solidarity between African
countries and the peoples of Africa;
(b)defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and
independence of its Member States;
(c)
accelerate the political and socio-economic integration
of the continent;
(d)
promote and defend African common positions on
issues of interest to the continent and its peoples;
(e)encourage international cooperation, taking due
account of the Charter of the United Nations and
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
(f)
promote peace, security, and stability on the
continent;
(g)
promote democratic principles and institutions,
popular participation and good governance;
(h)
promote and protect human and peoples’ rights in
accordance with the African Charter on Human
and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant human
rights instruments;
(i)
establish the necessary conditions which enable the
continent to play its rightful role in the Global
economy and in international negotiations;
(j)
promote sustainable development at the economic,
social and cultural levels as well as the integration of
African economies;
(k)promote cooperation in all fields of human activity
to raise the living standards of African peoples;
(l)
coordinate and harmonize the policies between the
existing and future Regional Economic Communities
for the gradual attainment of the objectives of the
Union;
(m)
advance the development of the continent by
promoting research in all fields, in science and
technology;
(n)
work with relevant international partners in the
eradication of preventable diseases and the
promotion of good health on the continent.
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