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The African Union

The constitutive bill of the African Union (A.U) was adopted on July 11, 2000 during the O.A.U Summit held in Lomé (Togo) and submitted to be signed and ratified by the 53 O.A.U member States.
After two-third of O.A.U members have signed, the African Union was officially proclaimed in March 2001, and substituted O.A.U starting from July 9t" 2002 in Durban (South Africa).
The creation of the African Union was led by the noble ideals of the founding fathers of our continent's Organization, and by the pan-African generations advocating unity, solidarity, cohesion and co-operation among African peoples and states. The principles and objectives stated in the O.A.U Charter and the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community have been considered and the heroic battles of our peoples and countries aiming at a political independence, human dignity and economic development recalled.
The O.A.U was replaced by the A.U. to take up the multi-faceted challenges of our continent and peoples, who are facing social, economic and political changes taking place worldwide. Better unity and solidarity among African states and peoples, defending sovereignty, territorial integration and independence of member states, promoting democratic principles and institutions, good governance as well as promoting and defending human and people's rights are some of the basic objectives of the African Union.

The Extraordinary Heads of State and Governments' Summit, Ouagadougou, September 3-9, 2004, pp. 8-11.