ABSTRACT
The aim of this book is to explore the capacity of the African Union
(AU) to meet the challenges of building and sustaining good govern-
ance structures and security mechanisms in a rapidly globalizing world. Thus, the impact of the complex relationships between globalization,
security, and governance on the Union and its member states is at the
center of this work. Our questions and investigations are limited to the
emergence and performance of the AU. What factors led to the rejec-
tion of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the emergence of
the AU? What has the AU achieved in the domains of security and
governance since its inception in 2002? In what ways, if any, has glo-
balization affected the performance of the AU? In what ways could governance structures be designed to manage globalization more effec-
tively and enhance African security? This book’s argument draws
heavily, but not exclusively, on two articles in the AU’s Constitutive
Act, Article 3 on objectives and Article 4 on principles, which appear to
have the potential for emancipation and empowerment.
