Rule-making in the African Union: current challenges and the way forward

This chapter critically discusses decision- and rule-making within the AU identifying the relevant AU and non-AU stakeholders, explaining how they interact, and, given Africa's scourges, how they may assist in its socio-economic development, its peace/security agenda, and sustainability/climate change agendas, all within the context of Agenda 2063, the blueprint for an advanced and prosperous Africa. The chapter also considers the AU-OECD sectoral cooperation and potential partnership, exemplifying the AU's collaborative efforts with external stakeholders. The chapter's originality lies in delineating the role of AU and external stakeholders, which has not been attempted before. The chapter is structured around three sections examining, respectively, rulemaking prior to the AU's establishment, AU rule-making, and the external relations dimension.