By Jean N. Lokenga

Executive Summary

Africa is changing. The Organization of African Unity (OAU), a mere club of dictators, belongs to the past; the adoption in 2001 of the African Union is a cornerstone of change not only in international relations amongst African countries, but also in the way Africa interacts with the World. Sub-regional bodies such as Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) and the East Africa Community (EAC) play a crucial role in the free movement of people and goods between countries. With Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), ECOWAS and EAC form the foundation of a promising regional integration that Africa badly needs today. As a whole, African economy is growing at the average annual rate of 5%. African economy growth has been outpacing world growth since 2001, according to the latest data from the International Monetary Funds (IMF). While overall world growth has averaged 4.2% since then, African economic growth has averaged 5%.¹ Politically, African people enjoy more fundamental freedoms today than during the post-colonial era of cold war.

One of the main features of the globalized world is the increasingly important role that global institutions play in providing answers to world issues including sustainable development, trade, environmental degradation, armed conflicts, economic crisis and reconstruction efforts, peace among civilizations and religions, human rights and culture, etc. Institutions such