Linking Africa and India - new media

DEVELOPMENTAfrican UnionA Quest for NewIdentity & ProsperityThe advent of the African African countries and the peoples of Africa;Union (AU) can bedescribed as an event of • To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity andgreat magnitude in theindependence of its Member States;institutional evolution of • To accelerate the political and socio-economicthe continent. On integration of the continent;September 9, 1999, the Heads of State and Governmentof the Organisation of African Unity issued a Declaration• To promote and defend African common positions oncalling for the establishment of an African Union, with aissues of interest to the continent and its peoples;view, inter alia, to accelerating the process of integration • To encourage international cooperation, taking duein the continent to enable it play its rightful role in the account of the Charter of the United Nations and theglobal economy while addressing multifaceted social, Universal Declaration of Human Rights;economic and political problems compounded as theyare by certain negative aspects of globalisation.• To promote peace, security, and stability on thecontinent;The main objectives of the OAU were, inter alia, to rid thecontinent of the remaining vestiges of colonization and • To promote democratic principles and institutions,apartheid; to promote unity and solidarity among popular participation and good governance;African States; to coordinate and intensify cooperation • To promote and protect human and peoples' rights infor development; to safeguard the sovereignty and accordance with the African Charter on Human andterritorial integrity of Member States and to promote Peoples' Rights and other relevant human rightsinternational cooperation within the framework of the instruments;United Nations.To establish the necessary conditions which enable theIndeed, as a continental organization the OAU provided continent to play its rightful role in the global economyan effective forum that enabled all Member States to and in international negotiations;adopt coordinated positions on matters of commonconcern to the continent in international fora and defend The Vision of the AUthe interests of Africa effectively.• The AU is Africa's premier institution and principalThrough the OAU Coordinating Committee for the organization for the promotion of accelerated socio-Liberation of Africa, the Continent worked and spoke as economic integration of the continent, which will lead toone with undivided determination in forging an greater unity and solidarity between African countriesinternational consensus in support of the liberation and peoples.struggle and the fight against apartheid.Quest for Unity• The AU is based on the common vision of a united andstrong Africa and on the need to build a partnershipbetween governments and all segments of civil society, inAfrican countries, in their quest for unity, economic and particular women & youth;social development under the banner of the OAU, havetaken various initiatives since 1980 and made • To promote sustainable development at the economic,substantial progress in many areas which paved the wayfor the establishment of the AU.The OAU initiatives paved the way for the birth of AU. InJuly 1999, the Assembly decided to convene anextraordinary session to expedite the process ofeconomic and political integration in the continent.Since then, four Summits have been held leading to theofficial launching of the African Union:The Objectives of the AU• To achieve greater unity and solidarity between theINDO-AFRICAN BUSINESS 24August-October 2004