IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 490

Concerning the formation of the African Union.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 17, 2002

Mr. FATTAH (for himself, Mr. PAYNE, and Mr. MEEKS of New York) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

International Relations

RESOLUTION

Concerning the formation of the African Union.

Whereas upon the conclusion of World War II, the United

Nations Charter committed all colonial powers to develop

full self-governance and free political institutions in the

territories under their control;

Whereas in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, colonial powers

generally recognized that African colonies would soon

gain independence;

Whereas in 1963, newly independent African states signed

the Charter of the Organization of African Unity (OAU)

to promote African solidarity and intensify efforts to improve living standards;
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Whereas such efforts to promote solidarity and stability on

the continent were undermined by regional conflicts, military coups, and civil war;

Whereas the OAU’s efforts to promote stability and prosperity were further stymied by a general policy of noninterference and respect for territorial integrity in their

relations with other member states;

Whereas sub-Saharan African countries face monumental

debt and increasing trade imbalances, accounting for only

2 percent of all world trade;

Whereas the per capita income of Africans has decreased

while the global economy expands;

Whereas the United States enacted several initiatives to improve United States economic relations with sub-Saharan

Africa, including the African Growth and Opportunity

Act, which offers trade and other economic benefits to

sub-Saharan countries that are committed to economic

reform;

Whereas the African Union (AU) was created as a successor

organization to the OAU to further encourage economic

growth and accelerated integration into the global economy;

Whereas South African President Thabo Mbeki was selected

as chairman of the newly formed AU to lead reform efforts;

Whereas the AU will abandon the OAU’s policy of non-intervention of internal affairs of member states in favor of

a new policy of intervention in cases of genocide, war

crimes, or gross violations of human rights;

Whereas the AU will create peacekeeping forces, a security

council, and a legislature to enforce this new policy;
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Whereas one of the centerpieces of AU will be the implementation of the New Partnership for African Development

(NEPAD), which proposes to obtain increased investment

and trade opportunities from the West with a promise

from African nations to commit to good governance, democracy, and peace; and

Whereas NEPAD supporters estimate that the successful implementation of the proposal could create up to

$64,000,000 annually to be used towards debt relief, and

investment and trade opportunities: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that—

3 (1) member states of the newly formed African

4 Union (AU) should be commended for their efforts

5 in creating an organization dedicated to establishing

6 democratic and economic reform;

7 (2) the President should encourage domestic

8 and international support of the AU and the imple9 mentation of the New Partnership for African Devel10 opment (NEPAD) plan;

11 (3) the President should further promote and

12 encourage private investment and growth in Africa,

13 including public-private partnerships; and

14 (4) the United States should continue to estab15 lish and carry out economic initiatives that will fur16 ther economic and social reform in Africa.

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