African Union summit

Subject: International Relations

Section: International Organizations

Concept:

Israel condemned the “severe” expulsion of a diplomat from the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, accusing Iran of orchestrating the move with help from Algeria and South Africa.

About African Union

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent.
Formation:
- In 1963, the Organization of African Unity was founded by the independent states of Africa. The organization aimed to promote cooperation between African states.
- The 1980 Lagos Plan of Action was adopted by the Organization of African Unity. The plan suggested that Africa should minimize reliance upon the West by promoting intra-African trade.
- In 2002, the Organization of African Unity was succeeded by the African Union, which had as one of its goals to accelerate the “economic integration of the continent”.
The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states.
The AU’s secretariat, the African Union Commission, is based in Addis Ababa, The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states.
The AU structure promotes participation of African citizens and civil society through the Pan-African Parliament and the Economic, Social & Cultural Council (ECOSOCC).
The AU’s secretariat, the African Union Commission, is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

African Continental Free Trade Area:

It was established in 2018 by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTA).
AfCFTA seeks to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments, and thus pave the way for accelerating the establishment of the Continental Customs Union and the African customs union.
The AfCFTA preliminary work is on steps such as incremental tariff reduction, elimination of non-tariff barriers, supply chains and dispute settlement.
It is expected to boost intra-African trade by about USD35 billion by the end of 2022.
The larger market area will likely attract investment for continental infrastructure development.
The increased trade will create jobs, enhance Africa’s global competitiveness, improve social welfare and position Africa for greater industrialisation.