AU ‘s Role in Promoting
Humanitarian Coordination
BACKGROUND
Added Value – Continental Integration through
Consolidation of diff Legal instruments and
response mechanisms and develop continent
wide framework
Hard Laws – Constitutive Act of the African Union
- 1969 OAU Convention on Specific Aspects of
Refugees in Africa
- 2009 AU Convention on Protection and
Assistance to IDP in Africa
Soft Laws - AU Humanitarian Policy
- AU Disaster Risk Reduction Policy
- Many Decisions, Declarations and Resolutions
• Partnership with Member States, RECs,
National Organizations and International
Organizations
• African Based Organizations
Constitutive Act
• Article 4(j) – Right to request intervention in order to
restore peace and security
• The African Union shall respect the right of States
Parties to request ……. (Article 8 of IDP Convention)
• intervention from the Union in order to restore peace
and security in accordance with Article 4(j) of the
Constitutive Act and thus contribute to the creation of
favorable conditions for finding durable solutions to the
problem of internal displacement (Article 8 of IDP
Convention )
• Article 4 (h) – Right to intervention pursuant to a
decision of the Assembly in respect of grave
circumstances, namely war crimes, genocide and crimes
against humanity
1969 OAU Convention on
Refugees
• International Gap - `Environmental
Refugees’?
• Amend the 1969 OAU Convention through
Soft Laws
IHL AND TERRORISM
• Questions on the applicability of IHL on
modern time conflicts including Terrorism
given that it is not a conventional war as per
IHL
Kampala IDP Convention
• Man made and Natural Disasters Article 1
K, L
• Development induced displacements
Article 10 – Not IDPs
• Responsibilities – AU Article 8
• 29 Signatures, 13 Ratifications and 12
deposits
• Model Law - AUCLI
Humanitarian Policy Framework
Challenges
- Erosion of respect for core humanitarian principles
- Increasing threats to the safety of Humanitarian
Workers
- Restriction of Humanitarian Space
- Lack of Coordination at Continental level and
between Continental and Regional/National levels
and with International Level
- Resource Gaps 351m (29 kind , 22 cash, 8 OCHA, 14)
Aim – Provide an appropriate Africa wide
intervention mechanisms in a consistent and
coherent manner
- Compliment other humanitarian norms and
frameworks applicable on the continent
- Reinforce the role and mandate of the African
Union in humanitarian response and
coordination on the continent
1. Provide continental leadership
2. Promote humanitarian dialogue and create
enabling space for humanitarian action
3. Coordination at strategic level thro dvpt. of
common strategies , priorities and shared goals..
Scope – applicable to all humanitarian actors and
actions on the African Continent
• It establishes guidelines and the broad intents,
rather than procedures and processes of
humanitarian action on the continent
• It is situated as a normative framework to be
utilized in conjunction with the various norms
and frameworks
• Focus on Preparedness, response, mitigation
and capacity building
Disaster Response
1. AU Disaster Risk Reduction Policy and
Programme of Action &Hyogo Framework of
Action Priority 5 – strengthen disaster
preparedness and response
– Response and management of disaster
- Building community resilience to prepare for
and recover from disasters
2. Humanitarian Policy – Humanitarian response
to emergencies including ERTs, HRDs and
IDRLs, linkage btw relief and development
Continental Structures
• PRC Sub-Committee on Refugees, Returnees and
IDPs
• AUC Chairperson/HARDP Division
• CCAR/CCHA
• ACHPR
• African Stand by Force
• PAP
• APRM?
• RECs
Year of Shared Values
• Solidarity
• Burden sharing
• Hospitality …………
Thank You!