Inanincreasinglycomplicatedinternationalcommunity,theAUshouldbeheldaccountabletothewholecontinentandplayagreaterroleinadvancingregionalintegrationsothatAfricacanhavealoudervoiceintheinternationalarena.
QiKai,aresearchfellowwithBeijingAcademyofSocialSciences
AfricannationsestablishedtheOrganizationofAfricanUnity,thepredecessoroftheAU,in1963,usheringinaneweraofexploringcontinentaleconomicintegrationaftergainingindependence.TheeffortsweredrivenbyPan-AfricanismthatadvocatesunityandsolidarityamongallAfricans.AccordingtoPan-Africanists,integrationistheultimatevisionaswellastheguaranteetofulfillprosperity.
Inthe1960s,Africancountrieshavebeenactivelypromotingtheestablishmentofregionalorganizationsoneconomiccooperation.Suchendeavorsincludeagreementonacustomsunion,singlemonetaryzoneandunifiedpolicytopromoteagriculturalproductslikecoffeeandpeanuts.Buttheprocessofintegrationwasveryslow.
Inthe1990s,effortstoadvanceintegrationbegantostepup.In1991,thetreatyestablishingtheAfricanEconomicCommunity,commonlyknownastheAbujaTreaty,wassigned,rollingoutaroadmapforcontinentaleconomicintegration.Italsomeantleapfroggingprogressinachievingfreetradeandcoordinatedpolicyacrossborders.In2015,theAUadoptedthe2063Agendaasalong-termactionplantorealizethevisionoftransformingAfricaintoanintegrated,prosperousandpeacefulcontinentwithin50years.
Challengesahead
Currently,intensifyingturmoilinsomeregionsisdamagingeconomiesinAfricancountries,jeopardizingtheprocessofintegration.TheAUmusteffectivelydealwiththefollowingchallenges.
First,terrorismfromtheMiddleEastispenetratingthecontinent.Typically,theso-calledIslamicStateisaresultofreligiousextremism.Againstsuchabackdrop,terrorismisinfiltratingAfrica,especiallyNorthAfricaandEastAfricathataregeographicallyadjacenttotheMiddleEast.TheNigerianextremistgroupBokoHaramandSomalia鈥檚militantfactional-ShabaabhaveposedacutethreatstopoliticalstabilityandsecurityanddisruptedAfricaneconomies.
Second,someAfricancountriesareoverlydependentonenergyexportsandtroubledbystagnanteconomiesandgravefinancialpressureinadepressedinternationalenergymarket.OilexportsusedtobringtremendousrevenuestoAngola,NigeriaandLibya.However,theinternationalcrudeoilpriceplummetedfromthesecondhalfof2014,shockingtheentireworldwithAfricabeingnoexception.Thefallinpricewasproventobenoaccident,butacontinualprocesswithnosignsofrecoverytodate.
Third,astheworldeconomyslowsdownandprotectionismrises,somedevelopedcountrieswillcutaidtoAfrica.Theglobaleconomynowfacesmultiplechallenges.Thedevelopednationsremainchallengedwithsluggishrecovery,whilethegrowthratesofemergingeconomiesareslowingdown,resultinginchronicallyweakenergyconsumption.Thetradeprotectionismisunderminingeffortsofsomeinternationalandregionalfreetradeagreements.ThefreetrademechanismsoftheWorldTradeOrganization,theEUandtheNAFTAhavebeenunderthreatsandnegotiationsoftheTrans-PacificPartnershipAgreementaredeadlocked.SinceDonaldTrumpbecamethePresidentoftheUnitedStates,someextremeconservativesareinfluencingglobaltrade.BrexitescalatedthedisputeonwhethertoabolishthefreetradeagreementbetweenBritainandtheEUandthereremainsachancethattariffwars,tradewarsandmonetarywarscouldbreakoutamongworldmajoreconomies.Giventhesefactors,developednationswouldbepreoccupiedwiththeirowninterestsandslashaidbudgets,shirktheirresponsibilitytoAfricaandturnablindeyeonproblemsfacingAfrica.
Futureroles
Comparedwithotherexistingregionalorganizationsforeconomicintegration,theAUhasmanymerits.Foronething,itcoverstheentirecontinent,representingastrongdesiretoconsolidatesolidarityamongAfricannations.Foranother,itisacomprehensiveregionalorganizationwhosepoliticalagendawillaccelerateeconomiccooperation.Inanincreasinglycomplicatedinternationalcommunity,theAUshouldbeheldaccountabletothewholecontinentandplayagreaterroleinadvancingregionalintegrationsothatAfricacanhavealoudervoiceintheinternationalarena.
Asanorganizationpromotingregionalintegration,itisimportantfortheAUtofirmlycarryontheprinciplesoffreetradeandfightbackprotectionism.Itisabigfamilywith55membersincludingregionalpowerslikeEgypt,emergingeconomieslikeSouthAfricaaswellasresource-richnationslikeNigeria.Iftheycanjoinhandsandspeakwithonevoiceintheinternationalcommunity,theywillexertsignificantinfluenceonworldaffairs.Globalizationandfreetradearestillbeneficialtoeverycountry.AfricancountriesandtheAUshouldcontaintheattacksagainstpreviousachievementsofglobalizationandinternationaltrademechanisms.Otherwise,theregionalintegrationwillbeseverelyimpaired.
Meanwhile,itisgoodfortheAUtostrengthensupportineducationtotapthegreatpotentialofyoungpeople.Africaenjoysademographicdividendasithasalargepopulationofyoungpeopleagedfrom15to24.Thefigurestandsat200million.Butthedisadvantageisthatsuchavastpopulationisnotwell-educatedandlacksskills.Inthissense,theAUcanactivelycreateafavorableenvironmentandimprovesupportforbetterelementaryeducationandvocationaltraining.
Inresponsetoescalatingterrorismthreats,theAUcanpromotetheestablishmentofaunifiedanti-terrorismmechanismamongmemberssoastoshareintelligenceandcoordinateactions.Inthisway,theycouldcontainexpansionofreligiousextremisminAfricawithjointefforts.
Moreimportantly,theBeltandRoadInitiativeisimportantfortheAUtoachieveeconomicintegration.Asthepromoteroftheinitiative,ChinawillworkwithAfricancountriesforasharedgoalofrealizingprosperity.ItsincerelysupportsAfricatoachievethevisionofbuildinganintegrated,prosperousandpeacefulAfrica.What鈥檚more,theeconomiesofChinaandAfricaarehighlycomplementary.AfricancountriescanutilizeChina鈥檚capital,technologiesandexperiencetobetterdeveloptheirowneconomies.Inthisregard,theAUcanspearheadthecooperationwithChinaandencourageitsmemberstoactivelyparticipateintheinitiative.
The28thAUSummitconcludesinAddisAbabaonJanuary31.MoroccoreturnedtotheAULIBAISHUN