Congo Basin Forest Partnership

African Union: climate action offers organisation unique chance for revival

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Thursday, July 20, 2023
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Reporters, however, failed at the time to pick up on one notable point: that the initiative was not taken within the framework of the African Union (AU).

Key Points: 
  • Reporters, however, failed at the time to pick up on one notable point: that the initiative was not taken within the framework of the African Union (AU).
  • This is yet another illustration of the fact that this organisation is struggling to establish itself on the international stage.
  • The institution, which replaced the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 2002 and brings together the continent’s 55 states, is based on the model of the European Union (EU).

The African Union, a secondary player in international relations

    • The number of Turkish diplomatic representations has more than tripled in just 20 years, and China is now the leading investor in Africa.
    • Despite all this, Africa’s role on the international stage has not fundamentally changed since the 19th century.
    • In the eyes of the outside world, the African continent remains largely a passive subject, a mere supplier of raw materials.

Reforming the African Union and identifying its key objectives

    • In this respect, two documents dating from several years ago, whose recommendations have been insufficiently implemented, contain some interesting ideas.
    • Objective 7 seems the most likely to generate the massive global support that the pan-African institution really needs.

Great Green Wall and Congo Basin as continental priorities

    • We recently suggested stepping up climate communication and public diplomacy on the Congo Basin.
    • Bodies such as the Congo Basin Blue Fund, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP), the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC), and the PAFC Congo Basin Initiative (CBI) are, from this point of view, large-scale environmental initiatives that have already prompted the AU’s main partners to commit themselves wholeheartedly.

Climate action and the African Union

    • In light of the above, we believe that climate action and diplomacy, particularly through the GGW initiative and the Congo Basin, could help the AU to restore its international image.
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      Grande muraille verte au Sahel : les défis de la prochaine décennie

      Climate action backed by the Congo Basin could yet add more weight to the AU’s diplomacy.

    • It is essential that the African Union plays a central role in climate diplomacy.
    • The industrialised countries will be among the first beneficiaries of successful action on the GGW and the Congo Basin.