IV 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 155

Concerning the formation of the African Union. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 20, 2003

Mr. MEEKS of New York (for himself, Mr. FATTAH, and Mr. PAYNE) 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 on May 25, 1963, 32 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; 

Whereas some of Africa’s first democratically elected Presidents such as Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, envisioned Africa’s future as a ‘‘United States of Africa’’; 

Whereas such efforts to promote solidarity and stability on 

the continent were undermined by regional conflicts, mili-
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tary coups, and civil wars, many of which were exacerbated by the Cold War and a general policy of noninterference and respect for territorial integrity in their relations with other member states; 

Whereas the OAU’s efforts to promote peace, stability, and 

prosperity were further stymied by internal and external 

structural constraints on addressing the human, political, 

social, and economic legacies of colonialism; 

Whereas economic growth and sustainable socioeconomic development in sub-Saharan African countries remain constrained by monumental foreign debts, increasing trade 

imbalances, and Africa’s inability to benefit from greater 

amounts of international capital and trade flows; 

Whereas in May of 1994, the ratification of the OAU’s Abuja 

Treaty provided for the African Economic Community to 

be set up through a gradual process, which would be 

achieved by coordination, harmonization, and progressive 

integration of the activities of existing and future regional economic communities; 

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 African countries which meet certain criteria; 

Whereas on September 9, 1999, the OAU drafted the Constitutive Act of the African Union, establishing the legal 

basis of the African Union; 

Whereas the 2000 OAU Assembly of Heads of State and 

Government Summit in Lome ́, Togo adopted the Constitutive Act of the African Union; 
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Whereas a decision declaring the establishment of the African 

Union, based on the unanimous will of member states, 

was adopted by the 5th Extraordinary OAU Summit held 

in Sirte, Libya on March 1–2, 2001; 

Whereas the African Union was created as a successor organization to the OAU to further encourage economic 

growth and accelerated integration into the global economy; 

Whereas the objectives of the African Union as stipulated in 

the Constitutive Act are the following: to achieve greater 

unity and solidarity between the African countries and 

the peoples of Africa; to defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of its member states; 

to accelerate the political and socioeconomic integration 

of the continent; to promote and defend African common 

positions on issues of interest to the continent and its 

peoples; to encourage international cooperation, taking 

due account of the Charter of the United Nations and 

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; to promote 

peace, security, and stability on the African continent; to 

promote democratic principles and institutions, popular 

participation, and good governance; to promote and protect human rights in accordance with the African Charter 

on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant human 

rights instruments; to establish the necessary conditions 

which enable the continent to play its rightful role in the 

global economy and in international negotiations; to promote sustainable development at the economic, social, 

and cultural levels as well as the integration of African 

economies; to promote cooperation in all fields of human 

activity to raise the living standards of African peoples; 

to coordinate and harmonize the policies between the ex-
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isting and future regional economic communities for the 

gradual attainment of the objectives of the Union; to advance the development of the continent by promoting research in all fields, in particular in science and technology; and to work with relevant international partners 

in the eradication of preventable diseases and the promotion of good health on the continent; 

Whereas South African President Thabo Mbeki was selected 

as chairman of the newly formed African Union; 

Whereas the African Union has declared that it will abandon 

the OAU’s policy of nonintervention into the 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 African Union will create various organs, including an African Central Bank, an African Investment 

Bank, a Commission at least half of the members of 

which will be African women, a peacekeeping force, a security council, and a Pan African Parliament to develop 

and implement the new policies of the African Union; and 

Whereas the African Union has declared that the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) will be the 

continent’s plan for economic development: 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 should be commended for their efforts in cre5 ating an organization dedicated to establishing 

6 democratic societies and promoting socioeconomic 
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1 development through regional integration and eco2 nomic policy reforms; 

3 (2) the President should encourage domestic 

4 and international support of the African Union and 

5 the implementation of the New Partnership for Afri6 can Development (NEPAD) plan that fully involves 

7 Africa’s civil societies; 

8 (3) the President should encourage both foreign 

9 and domestic private investment, broad based eco10 nomic growth, and socioeconomic development in Af11 rica; and 

12 (4) the United States should continue to estab13 lish and carry out economic governance and initia14 tives that strengthen transparent public-private part15 nerships to support the building of the necessary re16 gional and national institutions for developing effi17 cient and competitive markets in Africa.

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