. UNIUNEA AFRICAN Uniunea African (UA) este succesoarea Organizaiei Unitii Africane (OUA).

OUA a fost o organizaie regional cu competen general pe continentul african i a fost creat la 25 mai 1963, prin Carta Organizaiei Unitii Africane, avnd drept scopuri ntrirea unitii i cooperrii statelor africane, aprarea colectiv a statelor membre, eradicarea colonialismului n Africa i dezvoltarea cooperrii internaionale conform Cartei ONU. n anul 2002, OUA a fost nlocuit cu Uniunea African, organizaie care reunete toate statele de pe continentul african. Actul constitutiv al UA a fost adoptat la 11 iulie 2000, la summit-ul OUA de la Lom (Togo) i a fost supus semnrii i ratificrii statelor membre ale OUA, intrnd n vigoare n mai 2001. nlocuirea OUA cu UA a avut loc oficial la 9 iulie 2002, cu ocazia primei Conferine a Uniunii, la Durban (Africa de Sud). Inspirat de Uniunea European, Uniunea African a fost creat pentru realizarea unei mai bune integrri, guvernri i stabiliti pe continentul african, avnd n vedere dificultile mari prin care au trecut statele africane n ultimele decenii. UA urmrete s devin o instituie fundamental i principala organizaie n domeniul promovrii integrrii sociale i e conomice accelerate a continentului, n vederea ntririi unitii i solidaritii ntre rile i popoarele, bazat pe o Afric unit i puternic. Organizaie cu continental panafrican UA acioneaz pentru punerea n aplicare a programului su n domeniul dezvoltrii i integrrii i pentru promovarea pcii, securitii i stabilitii pe continent. UA s-a constituit avnd la baz principiile egalitii, suveranitii i interdependenei statelor, respectrii frontierelor, neamestecului n treburi le interne, interzicerii forei i a ameninrii cu fora, aprrii drepturilor omului i ale popoarelor, democraiei i supremaiei dreptului dar, ca un aspect de noutate n planul relaiilor internaionale, i dreptul la ingerin al UA pentru a interveni n treburile interne ale statelor, pentru a mpiedica crimele de rzboi, genocidul i crimele contra umanitii. De asemenea, ntre principiile pe baza crora funcioneaz UA, se numr i promovarea egalitii ntre brbai i femei, respectarea princip iilor democraiei, drepturilor omului, statului de drept i a bunei guvernri, promovarea justiiei sociale pentru a asigura o dezvoltare economic echilibrat, respectarea caracterului sacrosant al vieii umane i pedepsirea asasinatelor politice, actelor teroriste i activitilor subversive, condamnarea i eliminarea schimbrilor anticonstituionale de guverne. Potrivit Actului constitutiv al UA, printre obiectivele acesteia sunt nscrise: - aprarea suveranitii, integritii teritoriale i independenei statelor membre; - accelerarea integrrii politice i social-economice a continentului;

- promovarea i aprarea poziiilor africane comune pentru continent si pentru popoarele sale; - favorizarea cooperrii internaionale; - promovarea pcii, securitii i stabilitii pe continent; - promovarea principiilor i instituiilor democratice, a participrii populare i bunei guvernri; - promovarea i aprarea drepturilor omului i ale popoarelor; - dezvoltarea durabil economic, social i cultural i integrarea economiilor; - ridicarea nivelului de via a popoarelor africane; - promovarea cercetrii n toate domeniile, n special n tiin i tehnologie; - eradicarea bolilor i promovarea sntii pe continent. Instituiile i organele UA sunt inspirate, de asemenea, din structurile instituionale ale UE. Printre acestea, amintim: - Conferina efilor de Stat i de Guvern, care este organul suprem al Uniunii i adopt decizii prin consens pentru politicile comune ale Uniunii, crearea organelor acesteia, controlul aplicrii politicilor decise. De asemenea, Conferina d directive Consiliului executiv cu privire la gestionarea conflictelor, situaiilor de rzboi i altor situaii de urgen, precum i pentru restabilirea pcii. - Consiliul executiv, compus din minitri afacerilor externe sau alte autoriti desemnate de guverne, asigur coordonarea i decide politicile n domenii de interes comun: comer exterior, industrie, agricultur, educaie etc. - Parlamentul panafrican, care urmeaz a fi creat, are ca scop asigurarea participrii popoarelor africane la dezvoltarea i integrarea economic a continentului. - Curtea de Justiie, care, de asemenea, urmeaz a fi creat printr-un protocol. - Comisia, ca secretariat al Uniunii, compus din Preedinte, vicepreedini i comisari, cu puteri executive importante pentru aplicarea programelor i deciziilor. La aceste organe ale Uniunii se adaug: 6 comitete tehnice speciale, instituiile financiare (Banca Central African, Fondul Monetar African, Banca African de Investiii), Comitetul reprezentanilor permaneni, Consiliul economic, social i cultural. De asemenea, se are n vedere chiar crearea unui Consiliu al pcii i Securitii, inspirat de Consiliul de Securitate al ONU, pentru gestionarea crizelor pe continentul african.

ECOWAS in Brief

The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen countries, founded in 1975. Its mission is to promote economic integration in "all fields of economic activity, particularly industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial questions, social and cultural matters ....."

The Republic of GUINEE The Republic of GUINEE BISSAU

TOGOLESE Republic

A CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO ECOWAS INSTITUTIONS

The Institutions of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) are as follows: The Commission The Community Parliament The Community Court OF Justice ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID)

Institutions The ECOWAS Commission The Community Parliament The Community Court of Justice Financial Institutions ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) Associated Private Sector Organisations ECOBANK ECOMARINE

Specialized Agencies of ECOWAS West African Health Organisation (WAHO) West African Monetary Agency (WAMA) West African Monetary Institute (WAMI) ECOWAS Youth & Sports Development Centre (EYSDC) ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC) Water Ressources Coordination Unit (WRCU) ECOWAS BROWN CARD The West African Power Pool (WAPP) The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing in West Africa (GIABA) West African Regional Health Programme (PRSAO) ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency(ECREEE) ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA)

The ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, more often called The Fund are its two main institutions designed to implement policies, pursue a number of programmes and carry out development projects in Member States. Such projects include intra-community road construction and telecommunications; and agricultural, energy and water resources development.

ECOWAS MEMBER STATES The fifteen (15) West African States that constitute ECOWAS

The Republic of BENIN BURKINA FASO The Republic of CABO VERDE

The Republic of LIBERIA The Republic of MALI

The Republic of NIGER The Republic of COTE D'IVOIRE The Republic of GAMBIA The Republic of SENEGAL The Republic of GHANA The Republic of SIERRA LEONE The Federal Republic of NIGERIA

Agriculture Child Civil Society Culture Customs Drug Economic and Monetary Affairs Education and Training Youth Health and Social Affairs Energy Environment Political Affairs Private Sector

Industry External Trade Food Security Defence and Security GIABA Gender Issues Humanitarian ICT / Information Society Infrastructure Rural Development Telecommunications Trade Transport Water

Reduction in West Africa: Strategies and Plan of Action (15Mb)

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West African Monetary Agency (WAMA) West African Monetary Institute (WAMI) ECOWAS Youth & Sports Development Centre (EYSDC) ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC) Water Ressources Coordination Unit (WRCU) West African Common Industrial Policy (WACIP) - <Also in Portuguese> Documents common to all the Institutions Press Releases Report of The President Final Communique Official Journal Speeches of the President of ECOWASCOMMI SSION

Public procurement Tenders Expressions of Interest Terms of reference

Statistical Data ECOWAS Pool Fund Contract Award Trade and Investment Opportunities Job Opportunities in ECOWAS

ECOWAS Legal Texts Treaty Protocols Recommendations, Decisions andResolutions of Council of Ministers Decisions, Resolutions and Declarations of the Authority of Heads of State and Government Regulations Directives Summaries of Legislation Status of Ratification of Legal Texts ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework(ECPF) Telecoms Supplementary Acts Trade Supplementary Acts Regional Integration for Growth and Poverty

Documents of individual Institutions and Agencies Authority of Heads of State and Government ECOWAS Parliament ECOWAS Council of Ministers Court of Justice ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) West African Health Organisation(WAHO)

Southern African Development Community SADC has 15 member states, one of whose membership is currently suspended: Angola Botswana Democratic Republic of the Congo since 8 September 1997 Lesotho Malawi Mauritius since 28 August 1995

Mozambique Namibia since 31 March 1990 (since independence) Swaziland Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe South Africa since 30 August 1994 Seychelles also previously been a member of SADC from 8 September 1997 until 1 July 2004 then joined again in 2008. Suspended Madagascar Membership currently suspended after the coup d'tat led by the former mayor of Antananarivo Andry Rajoelina.[1] History

SADC has 26 legally binding protocols dealing with issues such as Defence, Development, Illicit Drug Trade, Free Trade and Movement of People. [2] [edit]SADC FTA The SADC Free Trade Area was initiated in 2000; its original members were the SACU countries (South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and Swaziland). Next to join were Mauritius, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar. In 2008 Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia joined, bringing the total number of SADC FTA members to 12. Angola, DR Congo and Seychelles are not yet participating. In 2008, the SADC agreed to establish a Grand Free Trade Area with the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) including all members of each of the organizations. [edit]Challenges facing member countries SADC countries face many social, development, economic, trade, education, health, diplomatic, defence, security and political challenges. Some of these challenges cannot be tackled effectively by individual members. Cattle diseases and organised-crime gangs know no boundaries. War in one country can suck in its neighbours and damage their economies. The sustainable development that trade could bring is threatened by the existence of different product standards and tariff regimes, weak customs infrastructure and bad roads. The socio-economic and political and security cooperation aims of SADC are equally wide-ranging, and intended to address the various common challenges. [3] [edit]Aims SADC's aims are set out in different sources. The sources include the treaty establishing the organisation (SADC treaty); various protocols (other SADC treaties, such as the corruption protocol, the firearms protocol, the OPDS protocol, the health protocol and the education protocol); development and cooperation plans such as the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and the Strategic Indicative Plan of the Organ (SIPO); and declarations such as those on HIV and AIDS and food security. Not all of the pre-2001 treaties and plans have been harmonised with the more detailed and recent plans such as the RISDP and SIPO. In some areas, mere coordination of national activities and policies is the aim of cooperation. In others, the member states aim at more far-reaching forms of cooperation. For example, on foreign policy the main aim is coordination and cooperation, but in terms of trade and economic policy, a tighter coordination is in progress with a view to one day establishing a common market with common regulatory institutions. [edit]Structure and decision-making procedures The organisation has eight principal bodies:

The origins of SADC lie in the 1960s and 1970s, when the leaders of majority-ruled countries and national liberation movements coordinated their political, diplomatic and military struggles to bring an end to colonial and white-minority rule in southern Africa. The immediate forerunner of the political and security cooperation leg of today's SADC was the informal Frontline States (FLS) grouping. It was formed in 1980. The Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) was the forerunner of the socio-economic cooperation leg of today's SADC. The adoption by nine majority-ruled southern African countries of the Lusaka declaration on 1 April 1980 paved the way for the formal establishment of SADCC in April 1980. Membership of the FLS and SADCC sometimes differed. SADCC was transformed into SADC on 17 August 1992, with the adoption by the founding members of SADCC and newly independent Namibia of the Windhoek declaration and treaty establishing SADC. The 1992 SADC provided for both socioeconomic cooperation and political and security cooperation. In reality, the FLS was dissolved only in 1994, after South Africa's first democratic elections. Subsequent efforts to place political and security cooperation on a firm institutional footing under SADC's umbrella failed. On 14 August 2001, the 1992 SADC treaty was amended. The amendment heralded the overhaul of the structures, policies and procedures of SADC, a process which is ongoing. One of the changes is that political and security cooperation is institutionalised in the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security (OPDS). One of the principal SADC bodies, it is subject to the oversight of the organisation's supreme body, the Summit, which comprises the heads of state or government. [edit]SADC Protocols

The Summit, comprising heads of state or heads of government Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Council of Ministers Tribunal SADC National Committees (SNCs) Secretariat

ended in 1994 and in 1995 a new flag was chosen. The new flag has a Navy Blue field with a Green circle in the centre and SADC logo is in the middle of that green circle. In the official description of the flag, Blue symbolises the sky and ocean that bring water and life, and green is for the rich Varied Flora and Fauna, while the regions rich gold wealth is represented in the Logo itself. The previous Flag was a blank white field with the SADCC Logo on centered on it. The Flag was first used in the 1995 SADC Summit in the World Trade Centre in Kempton Park near Johannesburg. [edit]Leaders [edit]Chairperson Levy Mwanawasa (died 19 August 2008) Kgalema Motlanthe (20082009) Jacob Zuma (20092010) Joseph Kabila (20102011) Hifikepunye Pohamba (2011present) [edit]Secretaries-General Kaire Mbuende (19942001) Prega Ramsamy (20012005) Thomas Salomao (2005present)

Except for the Tribunal (based in Windhoek, Namibia), SNCs and Secretariat, decision-making is by consensus. [edit]SADC in practice One significant challenge is that member states also participate in other regional economic cooperation schemes and regional political and security cooperation schemes that may compete with or undermine SADC's aims. For example, South Africa and Botswana both belong to the Southern Africa Customs Union, Zambia is a part of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and Tanzania is a member of the East African Community. On Wednesday 22 October 2008, SADC joined with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and the East African Community to form the African Free Trade Zone. The leaders of the three trading blocs agreed to create a single free trade zone, the African Free Trade Zone, consisting of 26 countries with a GDP of an estimated $624bn (382.9bn). It is hoped the African Free Trade Zone agreement would ease access to markets within the zone and end problems arising from the fact that several of the member countries belong to multiple groups. The African Free Trade Zone effective has been more than a hundred years in the making--a trade zone spanning the whole African continent from Cape to Cairoand envisioned by Cecil Rhodes and other British imperialists in the 1890s. The only difference is that the African Free Trade Zone is the creation of African Countries for the mutual benefit and development of its member countries. The idea is a free trade zone spanning the whole continent from the Cape to Cairo (Cape Town in the Republic of South Africa to Cairo in Egypt). In addition to eliminating duplicative membership and the problem member states also participating in other regional economic cooperation schemes and regional political and security cooperation schemes that may compete with or undermine each other, the African Free Trade Zone further aims to strengthen the bloc's bargaining power when negotiating international deals. Analysts believe that the African Free Trade Zone agreement will help intra-regional trade and boost growth. The organization's current flag was created by a consensus of the people of the member countries. A competition within the member states was held to amend the flag to reflect the new acronym in the same style as used previously. Contest proposals