Decision on Governance, Constitutionalism and Elections in Africa - Doc. Assembly/AU/9(XXVI)

DECISION ON GOVERNANCE, CONSTITUTIONALISM
AND ELECTIONS IN AFRICA

Doc. Assembly/AU/9(XXVI)

The Assembly,

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report of the Commission on Governance, Constitutionalism and Elections in Africa and the recommendations contained therein;

2. RECALLS the previous decisions of the Assembly adopting the Common African Position on Post-2015 Development Agenda and Agenda 2063 both of which commit Member States to creating democratic developmental states anchored on participatory democratic governance, sustainable peace, and political stability on the continent;

3. CALLS UPON Member States to :

1. Accelerate the signing, ratification and domestication as well as implementation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) in order to entrench a culture of democracy, constitutionalism and peace in the respective countries;

2. Also accelerate the signing, ratification, domestication and implementation of the African Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralization, Local Governance and Local Development adopted in 2014;

3. Prioritize the continued operationalization of the AU High Council of Local Authorities (AU-HCLA);

4. In collaboration with the Commission, the development and adoption of the Common African Position on Habitat III. The AU-STC No. 8, its subcommittees, and other related bodies, such as the High Council of Local Authorities and the Habitat III Bureau, will be important institutions for future action in areas of effective local and urban governance and should be fully operationalized and empowered to work within their respective domains;

5. Make deliberate efforts to ensure professionalization and depoliticisation of the security establishment by building constructive civil-military relations. This should entail ensuring accountability of the security establishment through the relevant portfolio committee of parliament;

6. Address the growing trend of the formation and use of youth/militia arms of political parties by taking measures to discourage this trend as it undermines democratisation and peace-building as well as immediate steps to discourage political parties from establishing such groups and disband them where they already exist;

7. In line with the ACDEG, to maintain zero-tolerance on military coups and other methods of unconstitutional changes of government (UCG) by strengthening tough measures against perpetrators of UCG, including asset freeze and travel ban;

8. Ensure that constitutional amendments are done in accordance with the provisions of the ACDEG, as a baseline, and the active participation of their citizens;

9. Establish permanent, impartial and independent national Constitutional Review Commissions;

10. Continue to provide technical support to Election Management Boards (EMBs) and other stakeholders, especially political parties, the media, judicial institutions and law enforcement bodies as well as the civil society to boost their institutional and human resource capacities to enhance effective and efficient management of electoral and democratic processes;

11. Ensure that they fulfil their financial and other obligations to the AU, especially by contributing to the Democracy and Electoral Assistance Fund;

12. Integrate women and youth in national and regional politics, in recognition of the need to be gender sensitive and the important role that women and youth play in political processes;

13. Pay particular attention to the timing of elections for those emerging from protracted violent conflicts and in the process of transition to democracy and peace.

4. REQUESTS the Commission to report regularly on the implementation of this decision to the Assembly, through the Executive Council.