II. Introduction
From TrustAfrica wiki - African Regional Organizations
Background
The institutional landscape in Africa has evolved significantly over the past four decades. The founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1965 gave rise to the subsequent establishment of several other treaty-based inter-governmental organizations (TBOs/IGOs), notably the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) working at the sub-regional level. Initially the emphasis was on cooperation between states, and institutional mechanisms in place were overwhelmingly intergovernmental. Nevertheless, this state-led project recognized the need for African countries to overcome the constraints of their individual sizes and relative resource endowments, to aggregate their strengths and capacities, and to forge pan-African solidarity as a common strategy for development.
Over the last three decades, and for a number of reasons, civil society has begun to emerge as force for change in Africa. As the continent’s economies went into decline in the late 1970s and countries were forced to disinvest from social development in order to pay their debts, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs), mainly of the international variety, sought to fill the gap left by the state. During this period, a remarkable phenomenon started to unfold: African civic organizations, which had long rallied uncritically around the national project, started to assert the importance of citizen participation in development.
This aspiration was taken up at continental level, resulting in the Arusha Declaration, formally known as the African Charter on Popular Participation in Development and Transformation, in 1990. It marked the first time African states officially recognized the important role civil society could play in advancing African development. Another landmark was the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (1981), which emphasized the importance of economic and social rights alongside political rights. If the advent of these norms marked a growing awareness among states of popular participation, it also provided civil society with opportunities to engage continentally to push for compliance with these standards.
These opportunities coalesced around a new Pan-Africanism triggered by the demise of the OAU and the birth of the African Union (AU). The Constitutive Act of the African Union (2001) articulated the new commitment by African states to “build an integrated Africa, a prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the international arena”. This commitment to a people-led union, marked by the establishment of institutions such as the Economic Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) of the AU, came in recognition of the remarkable upsurge in the numbers as well as the diversity of CSOs engaging regionally, alongside the intergovernmental system.
With the advent of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) alongside the AU (and AU organs like the Peace and Security Council and the African Court on Human and People’s Rights), regional approaches to development are gaining currency as a complementary strategy to state-led development. The RECs are forging ahead with various economic, political and peace-building arrangements. The growing numbers of CSOs advocating for policy, political and social change at the regional level speaks to this recognition, which has attracted new interest and increasing support from Africa’s development partners.
This surge of activity is spurred by a conviction that regional approaches are critical in addressing a host of concerns that know no borders—such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic, demographic imbalances, environmental degradation and armed conflicts. At their level best, regional organizations can serve as vehicles for setting and securing compliance with standards and norms for sustainable development. They can help disseminate best practices across nations and promote efforts to harmonize national policies for sustainable development. In an increasingly globalized development context, effective regional organizations are also critical to Africa’s collective ability to leverage trade, aid and ideas for sustainable development.
And yet the emerging regional institutional landscape remains fragile, with sustainability posing an overarching challenge. The legitimacy of civil society remains contingent on its ability to put its house in order, while some governments remain suspicious of CSO agency and agendas. Even as it asserts African ownership, the African intergovernmental system is unable to sustain its own operations, leaving it open to external influence. This and other shortfalls were well articulated by a recent audit of the AU, which included a series of proposals aimed at addressing the concerns raised. While many donor agencies have provided institutional and program support to regional TBOs and CSOs in the last two decades, this funding has tended to be piecemeal and sporadic.
All this speaks to the need for a more coherent and coordinated approach to supporting African regional organizations (AROs) and continentally-focused CSOs. AROs refer to TBOs or continental/ regional IGOs, whereas CSOs is taken to refer to non-governmental policy research and advocacy organizations. By drawing on lessons learned as to what has worked and what has not, it may be possible to build the capacity and sustainability of regional institutions in Africa so they can bridge the gap between declarations of intent and implementation on the ground.
Goal
With these developments in mind, TrustAfrica initiated a survey of AROs and CSOs to help identify opportunities and strategies for donor agencies, and in particular private foundations, to consider in helping to strengthen the effectiveness and sustainability of African regional organizations. The survey focuses on organizations with a continental or sub-continental mandate in five broad thematic areas: peace and security; human rights; environment; governance; and population. TrustAfrica’s rationale for selecting these themes, and not others, is that these five fields together constitute sustainable foundations for African development, in the sense that there can be no durable development without a freer, safer and sustainable environment.
Typology
Two main types of organizations are surveyed: TBOs or IGOs, which in the past constituted the main continental and regional actors; and CSOs and networks, which now occupy center stage in advocating continentally on the themes of the survey. A distinction is made between continental AROs such as the AU, and sub-continental or sub-regional AROs, known as RECs, such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) or the East African Community (EAC). A similar distinction is made between sub-regional and continental CSOs, which work in a variety of areas—including research and higher learning, policy development and advocacy, awareness raising, service delivery, training and community building. An additional category identified in the survey covers cross-cutting organizations that work across themes.
In view of the proliferation of organizations working in and across the thematic areas, the approach adopted has been selective as opposed to exhaustive. This report therefore focuses on a subset of two types of organizations: those that are well established and have registered significant impact to date, and those with significant potential to make a difference.
Methodology
The survey was conducted in two phases. The first phase, spanning 1 February to 30 April 2007, involved gathering data on AROs and CSOs, including information on their track records and details of donor support for their work. Given the vast nature of the terrain, this data was gathered via desk research—involving review of documentation and scanning of websites—as well as telephone interviews and opportunistic face-to-face discussions with key actors.
The second phase entailed putting together the report—a draft of which was submitted to TrustAfrica at the end of May, reviewed by a group of experts and finalized in September 2007. In addition to publishing the survey in printed form, TrustAfrica plans to create, update, and maintain a dynamic online database of AROs and CSOs. Another important outcome of the AROs survey will be an initiative, led by TrustAfrica as part of its mandate, to promote the sharing of knowledge among organizations as a means of strengthening collaboration. In light of this assessment, and using the findings as an entry point, a conference was convened in April 2008 in Dakar to discuss wider issues of sustainability around existing and future support for AROs and CSOs. Participants at the conference included senior CSO, think tank and research institute leaders, representatives of donor agencies (private foundations as well as bilateral and multilateral funders), and a cross-section of experts.
Road Map
The rest of this report proceeds as follows: Section II adds critical context to the survey by providing an overview of pertinent issues and milestones as related to the five themes identified above. Section III looks at the donor landscape as it relates to AROs and CSOs, while Section IV features an analysis of gaps and opportunities identified in the course of the survey. Section V highlights key findings and lists a number of strategic recommendations aimed primarily at private foundations.
Profiles of 108 organizations are featured in Section VI. Arranged by theme, these profiles are presented in a common format that includes information on their vision, mission and objectives, track record and challenges, as well as opportunities for donor engagement. Finally, alphabetical and thematic indices, as well as a comprehensive list of abbreviations featured in the report, and the donor matrix are included as appendices.
