The African Union
Shruti Patil Rahul, Head Chair
Bhatia Priyansh, Deputy Chair
Spencer Ong Hao Min, Deputy Chair
The African Union
The African Union is a regional organisation consisting of 55 member states, launched on 9 July 2002 with the purpose of accelerating the progress of integration in Africa, build the empowerment of African states in the global economy and tackle the social, economic and political issues that the continent faces. With the OAU as its predecessor, the AU retains many of the goals of the OAU, adopting the following vision when it was formed: “An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.”
To ensure the realization of its objectives, the African Union developed the Agenda 2063 as a strategic framework for Africa’s long term socio-economic and integrative transformation.
The Great Lakes Conflict
The African Great Lakes region, composed of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda, has experienced recurrent conflicts since the 1960s. The violence has negatively impacted the stability, development and economic prospects of the region, creating system vulnerabilities, whilst claiming millions of lives. The inability of the governments involved to manage the various ethnicities and ensure equitable access to the natural resources has perpetuated the conflict for many decades. In addition, the lack of equal opportunities to access political power and the proliferation of small arms in the region pose as problems too. These factors relate to weak governance and economic mismanagement, issues delegates will have to maneuvre through when discussing the topic and attempting to find solutions to restore the peace in the region
