25 May 1963 to 25 May 2003: Forty (40) years have already passed by since our dear Continent of Africa has been collectively deploying resilient and sustained efforts to mobilize all its human and natural resources, put them in the service of the overall well being of its peoples and offer to all Africans the best possible conditions of life. Built on the legitimate aspirations of the peoples of Africa for unity and progress, and inspired by authentically African cultural, ethnological and political values, these efforts have been geared essentially to transforming into concrete reality, the dream of unity so long nurtured by generations of men and women of Africa. Our collective quest for unity climaxed with the Sirte Declaration establishing the African Union, adopted on 9/9/99 in the Great Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. With the adoption and entry into force of the Constitutive Act, the new Union was officially launched last year in Durban, South Africa.

The Organization of African Unity, OAU, has therefore faded away. However, in the true spirit of African tradition, we continue to celebrate its establishment of which, today, 25 May 2003 marks 40th Anniversary.

It was indeed forty years ago that the Heads of State and Government of independent African countries, propelled by their desire to safeguard and consolidate their hard-won independence and sovereignty and strengthen unity and solidarity throughout the Continent, gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to establish the Organization of African Unity. The common identity forged on that occasion set in motion a momentum, driving African peoples in their unrelenting struggle for the total emancipation of the Continent in all fields: political, economic, social and cultural.

That momentum proved decisive in the de-colonization struggle. Through the OAU Coordinating Committee for the Liberation of Africa, the Continent spoke with one voice and worked with unalloyed determination to forge an international consensus for the liberation struggle. Today, Africa has been totally de-colonized and the atrocious apartheid regime has become nothing but bad memory.

At the political level, the OAU Declaration on the Political and Socio-Economic Situation in Africa and the Fundamental Changes Taking Place in the World adopted in 1990, underscored Africa’s determination to mobilize, carry its destiny in its own hands and take up the challenges of peace, security and democracy. Furthermore, the establishment in 1993 of the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution bore eloquent testimony of the determination of the Continental Organization to move ahead and deploy more sustained efforts to foster peace and stability in Africa. The OAU, through the Mechanism, made constructive contribution to the efforts invested to resolve the numerous conflicts which raged and have continued to rage in the Continent. In this connection, the Mechanism paved the way for the OAU to make considerable difference not only because it brought the requisite political support to bear on our determination to promote peace, but also and above all, because it offered the Continent an appropriate framework for addressing the conflicts and conflict situations in Africa.

The OAU has been at the forefront of the fight to promote observance of human and people’s rights. It has similarly fulfilled the aspirations of the peoples of Africa for greater political freedom within the framework of the democratization process. The OAU has, in this regard, played a decisive role in getting our respective Governments to associate their populations more deeply with decision-making. In its Algiers Decision on Unconstitutional Changes of Government and the Lomé Declaration on the Framework for OAU Response to Unconstitutional Changes of Government, the OAU demonstrated renewed determination to enhance democracy and expression of popular will in the Continent through transparent, free and fair elections. Moreover, the OAU Solemn Declaration on the Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa put in place key principles to govern cooperation in the areas of security, development and good governance in the Continent.

In the economic domain and pursuant to one of the major objectives of its Charter, the OAU deployed considerable effort to combat poverty and underdevelopment. It adopted a number of strategies to this end, particularly the Lagos Plan of Action, the Final Act of Lagos and the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community whose building blocks are the Regional Economic Communities. These Regional Communities have continued to grow in strength and to serve as the veritable engines of integration. The adoption of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) by the Summit of the Organization held in Lusaka, Zambia, contributed not only in repositioning the Continent in the context of a globalizing world, but also underlined partnership in the efforts initiated by Africa itself to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of all the peoples of the Continent.

In the social and cultural fields, Africa under the auspices of the OAU has stood up to the numerous challenges facing it, be it in the area of environmental protection, disease particularly malaria and HIV/AIDS control, drug abuse control, employment promotion or protection of the most vulnerable groups in the society such as the youth, women and old people. The OAU offered Africa an effective and pertinent framework for collective action and helped enhance the role of young people and women in all respects.

Although generally positive, the record of OAU’s achievements nonetheless contains some gray areas especially in terms of integration and development endeavours, and efforts at achieving efficacy and adapting to the economic, political and social changes taking place in the world at this threshold of the 21st century; reason for which a new Continental Organization was created. Every experience, good or bad, always offers an opportunity to draw useful lessons for the future. From the experience of the OAU, we have drawn valuable lessons on eve of the expiry of the Interim Period, which should usher us into operational phase of the African Union.

The activities carried out in the Commission of the African Union during the Interim Period, pursuant to the mandate of the July 2002 Durban Summit, have made possible the following actions:

- submission of proposals on the Structure and Conditions of Service to Member States with a view to their adoption in Maputo;

- adoption in February 2003 of the proposed amendments to the Constitutive Act, by the First Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union;

- finalization of the process of electing Members of the Commission by the Assembly of the Union in Maputo;

- pursuit of the activities relating to:

- the launch of the African Court of Justice, the Economic, Social and Cultural Council and the Peace and Security Council;

- review of the Scale of Contributions, the criteria for granting observer status, and the Financial Rules and Regulations;

- transfer of the Assets and Liabilities of the OAU to the AU;

- relations between the AU and the Regional Economic Communities;

- design of the new Symbols of the African Union.

Concurrently with the above activities carried out with the support of Member States, the Commission also undertook activities in the economic, social and cultural fields as well as in the areas of human rights and democracy.

Building the African Union by way of integration is a long term endeavour which should be pursued methodically, patiently and with faith, determination and resolute, clear cut and clear sighted commitment by Africa’s leaders and peoples.

The past forty years have been years of experience and maturity for Africa. This period has been a source of lessons for the Continent in terms of the, at times merciless, nature of an international system founded on safeguarding and guaranteeing national interests rather than on international solidarity.

However, fraternal and unconstrained Africa driven by its virtues of solidarity and sharing will continue to make its share of contribution to the advancement of humanity.