Report on the Implementation of the Decision on the Institutional Reform of the African Union H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda

Transcription

1 Reprt n the Implementatin f the Decisin n the Institutinal Refrm f the African Unin H.E. Paul Kagame, President f the Republic f Rwanda July 2017

2 1. Overview f Jan Refrm Decisin (Assembly/AU/Dec/635(XXVIII)) Refrm Areas A. Fcus n key pririties with cntinental scpe B. Realign AU institutins C. Cnnect the AU t citizens D. Manage the business f the AU efficiently and effectively E. Finance the AU sustainably F. Implement the refrm Decisin Items 1. Fcus AU n fewer pririty areas, namely plitical affairs, peace and security, ecnmic integratin, and Africa s glbal representatin and vice 2. Clarify divisin f labur amng AU, RECs, RMs, and ther institutins 3. Prfessinally audit bureaucratic bttlenecks and inefficiencies in AU 4. Re-evaluate size and capabilities f AUC structures 5. Review mandates and strengthen functining f PRC, NEPAD, APRM, judiciary, PAP & PSC 6. Establish wmen and yuth qutas and ensure private sectr participatin 7. Establish African Yuth Crps and facilitate cultural and sprts exchange 8. Identify and prvide new cntinent-wide public gds and services 9. Member States t make African passprt available, and engage Parliaments, citizens, and civil sciety n AU refrm prcess 10. Limit Summit agenda t three items, and invite external parties n exceptinal basis nly 11. Hld ne Summit per year, with AU-REC Crdinatin Meeting in June/July 12. Ensure cntinuity with a Trika f utging, current, and incming Chairpersns by electing incming Chairpersn ne year in advance 13. Review framewrk fr Partnership Summits, with key leaders representing Africa 14. Strengthen and enfrce current sanctins mechanism 15. Enhance prcess fr electing AUC Chairpersn, cmpetitively recruit Dep. Chairpersn and Cmmissiners, and make Dep. Chairpersn respnsible fr efficient AUC administratin 16. Cnduct fundamental review f AUC staffing needs and cnditins f service 17. Implement Kigali Financing Decisin fully and quickly 18. Adpt cmplementary measures t reinfrce Kigali Financing Decisin 19. Establish supervisin f refrm implementatin at Head f State level 20. Establish Refrm Implementatin Unit in Office f AUC Chairpersn 21. Establish mechanism t ensure legally binding AU decisins are respected 2

3 2. Update since 28 th Summit (January 2017) Prgress t date in implementing the Refrm Decisin adpted in January 2017 is encuraging. Chairpersn Mussa is t be cmmended fr his careful attentin t the refrm, and Presidents Cnde and Deby have prvided exceptinal leadership and supprt. At every ccasin, Chairman Mussa has affirmed his strng cmmitment t the rapid implementatin f the Refrm Decisin, and the Heads f State have pledged all necessary supprt he and his team might require t that end. The supervisry mechanism at Head f State level is active and effective, and mst imprtantly the Refrm Implementatin Unit in Chairpersn Mussa s ffice has just been established, which will nw becme the fcal pint f this effrt. Several fruitful cnsultatins have been held since January as the pace f implementatin has accelerated, ntably in Cnakry, Addis Ababa, and Kigali. In additin, gvernments and ther stakehlders have cntinued t cntribute ideas in writing and rally that enrich the effrt, and will be taken int accunt. The Cnakry cnsultatin hsted by President Cnde n 24 April 2017 emphasised the irreversibility and inseparability f bth the Financing and Refrm Decisins. Preparing the upcming Africa-EU Summit in line with the refrm was given high pririty. S was managing the business f this AU Summit efficiently, and it is gratifying t nte that strategic agenda items are indeed limited in number, as intended. 3

4 The Executive Cuncil and PRC gathered in Kigali n 7 May 2017, fllwed by an extensive briefing in Addis Ababa with members f the Refrm Advisry Team. In that cntext, a number f cnsideratins and suggestins have been brught t the table elquently which clearly merit further discussin and reflectin. Revisiting the level f participatin in Summits, with the prpsal that Ministers f Freign Affairs be permitted t represent their Heads f State in sme circumstances The imprtance f ppularising the refrms at the cuntry level Wrking ut details f the budget prcess withut an annual July summit, and clarifying the relatinship between the F10 and the Executive Cuncil Need t address cncerns by a few member states that the 0.2% levy n eligible imprts cntravenes WTO bligatins fr sme cuntries Need t actively assist cuntries in wrking twards adptin f the 0.2% levy The venue f the annual January Ordinary AU Summit and the June/July AU-REC Crdinatin Meeting. The need fr mre detailed cnsultatins n new shape and rle f NEPAD, APRM, and ther key rgans and institutins 4

5 Our refrm has the ability t accmmdate relevant innvatins alng the way that are cnsistent with the substance and spirit f ur decisin. The Financing Decisin remains at the heart f the refrm. The rad t financial independence is lng and difficult, and ur plitical cmmitment t fully implementing the Financing Decisin must be cntinually re-affirmed. At least three cuntries have already implemented the 0.2% levy n eligible imprts, and thers are n the way. The Cmmittee f Ten Finance Ministers has been established, and it has met fur times. The gvernance arrangements f the Peace Fund were adpted by the Peace and Security Cuncil n 30 May. 14 Member States have made cntributins t the Peace Fund, representing 12% f the $65 millin target fr the first year. The decisin f the AUC Chairpersn t expand the mandate f the High Representative fr the Peace Fund is cmmendable. It is imprtant that each AU Member State present its binding plan fr the end f In the fllwing pages f this reprt, an implementatin matrix is ffered as an input t keep ur wrk n track and fcused. Few, if any, f the Refrm Decisin items entail amendment f the Cnstitutive Act; they can be given effect by decisin f the Assembly. We have an enrmus amunt f wrk ahead f us. Indeed, the mst cnsequential and arduus segment f the refrm jurney lies immediately befre us, in the six mnths frm nw t the 30 th Summit in January

6 In that time, majr wrk needs t be undertaken by the AUC Chairman s Refrm Implementatin Unit, in cnsultatin with the supervising Heads f State, t cnsult with stakehlders and present detailed radmaps t the Assembly fr debate and adptin. As laid ut in the implementatin matrix, the bulk f these shuld be ready fr the 30 th Summit in January 2018, with the remainder due at the 31 st Summit in January The target fr cmpletin f the refrms is the January 2019 Summit. This is ambitius, but als dable, if we wrk tgether with the same determinatin and penness that has already brught us this far. 6

7 3. Implementatin Matrix Decisin Items Jan Cmmence & Cntinue Interim Output Final Output Jul Jan Jul Jan (1) Supervise refrm implementatin at Head f State level (#19) (2) Fully implement Kigali Financing Decisin (#17) (3) Establish Refrm Implementatin Unit (#20) (4) Limit Summit agenda and participatin f external parties (#10) (5) Review Partnership Summit framewrk (#13) (6) Fcus AU n fewer pririty areas (#1) (7) Adpt cmplementary measures t reinfrce Financing Decisin (#18) (8) Hld ne Summit per year, with AU-REC Crdinatin Meeting in July (#11) (9) Establish Trika by electing incming Chairpersn ne year in advance (#12) (10) Adpt mechanism t ensure respect f legally binding decisins (#21) (11) Cmplete prfessinal audit f bureaucratic inefficiencies (#3) (12) Clarify divisin f labur amng AU, RECs, and ther institutins (#2) (13) Strengthen and enfrce current sanctins mechanism (#14) (14) Establish wmen and yuth qutas; ensure private sectr participatin (#6) (15) Review mandates and strengthen functining f key rgans (#5) (16) Identify and prvide new cntinent-wide public gds and services (#8) (17) Cmplete review f AUC staffing needs and cnditins f service (#16) (18) Re-evaluate size and capabilities f AUC structures (#4) (19) Establish African Yuth Crps; facilitate cultural and sprts exchange (#7) (20) Enhance prcess fr selecting AUC executive leadership (#15) 29 th AU Summit 30 th AU Summit 1 st AU-REC Crdinatin Meeting 31 st AU Summit 7

8 4. Schedule f Implementatin Deliverables 29 th AU Summit (July 2017) ü Head f State Supervisin in place and Refrm Implementatin Unit established and funded ü New Summit wrking methds hencefrth perative, including fcus n fewer key pririties ü Apprval f Peace Fund Instrument and Appintment f the Bard f Trustees 30 th AU Summit (January 2018) ü Hencefrth the Ordinary Summit will be in January, with an AU-REC Crdinatin Meeting ü Trika f AU Chairpersns established thrugh electin f bth new Chairpersn and 2019 incming Chairpersn ü Framewrk fr Partnership Summits reviewed ü Prpsal fr legally binding mechanism fr implementatin ready fr debate and adptin ü Prpsal fr strengthened sanctins mechanism ready fr debate and adptin ü Prpsals fr wmen and yuth qutas and private sectr participatin ready fr debate and adptin 31 st AU Summit (January 2019) ü Financing Decisin fully implemented, and cmplementary measures adpted ü Prpsals fr reviewed mandates and functining f key AU rgans ready fr debate and adptin ü Prpsals fr new cntinent-wide public gd and services ready fr debate and adptin ü Africa Yuth Crps established ü Prpsal fr selectin f AUC senir executive leadership ready fr debate and adptin as amendment t Assembly Rules f Prcedure, t take effect in 2021 ü Review f AUC staffing needs and cnditins f services cmplete ü Audit f bureaucratic bttlenecks and inefficiencies cmplete ü Initial prpsals fr review f key rgans, fr AUC/REC/RM divisin f labur, and fr cntinent-wide public gds and services, ready fr discussin ü Prpsal fr re-evaluating size and capabilities f AUC structures ready fr debate and adptin 8

9 5. Refrm Supervisin and Implementatin Arrangements Supervising Heads f State H.E. President Paul Kagame leads supervisin f refrm implementatin and reprts t AU Assembly n prgress, in cllabratin with current and utging Chairpersns, H.E. President Alpha Cndé and H.E. President Idriss Déby Itn AUC Chairpersn Respnsible fr implementing the Refrm Decisin Subject matter experts/ technical assistance Refrm Implementatin Unit (RIU) Resurces frm AUC and ther rgans Crdinates day-t-day prcess t deliver n refrm 9

10 6. Structure f the Refrm Implementatin Unit (RIU) in the Office f the Chairpersn f the Cmmissin Principles Structure f RIU Established within the Office f the Chairpersn f the Cmmissin RIU Head (within Office f AUC Chairpersn) Cmprised f utstanding talent recruited frm within and utside the AU Accuntable t AUC Chairpersn wh is accuntable t Supervising Heads f State Mandate initiatives Organisatin initiatives Operatinal initiatives Financing initiatives Operates with efficient wrking methds Administrative and technical supprt Disslved nce refrm cmplete 10