The African Union's Capacity in Promoting Good Governance

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sevidzem Stephen Kingah
Keyword(s):  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
African Union ◽  
Democratic Institutions ◽  
Popular Participation ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
The People ◽  
The World ◽  
Democratic Principles

AbstractIn the spirit of the Constitutive Act of the African Union we must work for a continent characterized by democratic principles and institutions which guarantee popular participation and provide for good governance. Through our actions, let us proclaim to the world that this is a continent of democracy, a continent of democratic institutions and culture. Indeed, a continent of good governance, where the people participate and the rule of law is upheld.

African Union (Au): Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption

2004 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-17
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
African Union ◽  
Political Rights ◽  
Popular Participation ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
The World ◽  
Council Of Ministers

Considering that the Constitutive Act of the African Union recognizes that freedom, equality, justice, peace and dignity are essential objectives for the achievement of the legitimate aspiration of the African peoples; Further Considering that Article 3 of the said Constitutive Act enjoins Member States to coordinate and intensify their cooperation, unity, cohesion and efforts to achieve a better life for the peoples of Africa; Cognizant of the fact that the Constitutive Act of the African Union, inter alia, calls for the need to promote and protect human and peoples' rights, consolidate democratic institutions and foster a culture of democracy and ensure good governance and the rule of law; Aware of the need to respect human dignity and to foster the promotion of economic, social, and political rights in conformity with the provisions of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights and other relevant human rights instruments; Bearing in mind the 1990 Declaration on the Fundamental Changes Taking Place in the World and their Implications for Africa; the 1994 Cairo Agenda for Action Relaunching Africa's Socio-economic Transformation; and the Plan of Action Against Impunity adopted by the Nineteenth Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights in 1996 as subsequently endorsed by the Sixty fourth Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers held in Yaounde, Cameroon in 1996 which, among others, underlined the need to observe principles of good governance, the primacy of law, human rights, democratization and popular participation by the African peoples in the processes of governance.

Citizen-led digital policing and democratic norms: The case of self-styled paedophile hunters

2019 ◽  
pp. 174889581988095 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katerina Hadjimatheou
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Citizen Involvement ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The World ◽  
Democratic Principles ◽  
Democratic Norms

Citizen involvement in the provision of security is often presented as a win–win way to relieve pressure on police resources while building stronger, more responsible and democratically engaged communities. Governments in countries such as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have adopted a ‘strategy of responsibilisation’ designed to encourage, enable and support citizens to take on tasks otherwise left for police. Yet, this strategy conspicuously ignores the growing number of citizen-led digital policing initiatives which operate independently without the encouragement or guidance of police. This article considers the implications of this trend for democratic norms in policing. It uses the phenomenon of self-styled paedophile hunters – which are now active in countries around the world – as a case study. The article makes comparisons between such initiatives and other, relatively well-theorised informal security providers, such as vigilante groups and civilian policing. It argues that, like vigilantes, citizen-led digital police often challenge democratic principles of transparency, accountability and the rule of law. Yet, like other civilian policing initiatives, they increase empowerment and participation, and rely for their success on the presence of strong and legitimate institutions of justice, to which they ultimately defer. These characteristics present a discreet set of opportunities and challenges for contemporary policing, which this article argues can only be addressed by strategic police engagement.

Promoting the Rule of Law through the Principle of Subsidiarity in the African Union: A Critical Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-51
Author(s):  
O’Brien Kaaba ◽  
Babatunde Fagbayibo
Keyword(s):  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
African Union ◽  
Critical Perspective ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Strict Adherence ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Consistent Approach

The relationship between African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (recs) frameworks, especially as it relates to the application of the principle of subsidiarity to intervention that aims to ensure strict adherence to democratic standards, is at the heart of this article. Although there exists a 2007 ‘Draft Protocol on the Relations Between the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities’, it is yet to be adopted, and more importantly, its provisions are ambiguous. The same problem of ambiguity applies to the 2008 ‘Memorandum of Understanding (mou) on Cooperation in the Area of Peace and Security Between the African Union, The Regional Economic Communities and the Coordinating Mechanism of The Regional Standby Brigades of Eastern Africa and Northern Africa’. The lack of a consistent approach to situations in Burundi, The Gambia and Zambia, has since raised the question of subsidiarity, or to put it more specifically, the vague articulation of the concept in the AU. In redressing this problem, the article provides some normative suggestions on how to ensure the effective application of the principle of subsidiarity in advancing democracy and good governance in Africa.

scholarly journals Anti-Corruption Policy Strategies for Nigeria towards National Development: Evidence from Least Corrupt Countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Adeniran Adetayo Olaniyi
Keyword(s):  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
National Development ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Guiding Principle ◽  
The World ◽  
Policy Strategies ◽  
Set Up

Anti-corruption policy strategies in Finland and Singapore were examined, and lessons were drawn for Nigeria. Finland and Singapore were chosen because they are among the least fifth corrupt countries in the world from 2010 to 2017, and they have different norms. Another reason is that the norm in Finland is fairly similar to the norms of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia which are also among the least corrupt countries in the world, while the norm of Singapore is fairly similar to Hong Kong and Japan which are also among the least corrupt countries in the world. It was revealed that the case of Nigerian society is similar to that of Singaporean society. In Finland, it was observed that anti-corruption measures and institutions are weak as it does not have a separate unit dedicated to investigate or prosecute corruption-related offences, but there is a guiding principle such that anti-corruption measures are integrated into general good governance policy grounded on the rule of law. Also in Singapore, anti-corruption was achieved through anti-corruption policy that has been in existence since the year 1959, although there was a situation of deplorable condition and widespread corrupt practices, but the new government in the late 1950s set up a strategy which resulted that top political leaders set themselves as role models for civil servants and showing zero tolerance for corrupt behaviour. Finally, recommendations were suggested.

African Peer Review Mechanism: An Assessment

2005 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-168
Author(s):  
Zein Kebonang
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
International Standards ◽  
African Union ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Review Mechanism ◽  
Heads Of State ◽  
Political Economic

In 2002 at the inaugural Summit of the African Union (AU) held in Durban, South Africa, the African Heads of State and Government committed themselves to adhere to international standards on democracy, good governance (political, economic and corporate), peace, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. They also agreed to hold each other accountable through African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The present paper examines whether the APRM constitutes a viable peer review mechanism; and, if not, how it can be strengthened?

scholarly journals Good Governance According to Nahjolbalaghe Context

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Fereshteh Tavakoli Saadat ◽  
AbdoReza Beigi Nia ◽  
Mohsen Abedi ◽  
Akbar Rahnema
Keyword(s):  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Dynamic Economy ◽  
Human Thought ◽  
The People ◽  
Final Study ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Government

Good Governance has a long history of human thought and has proposed in the works of various thinkers. By examining the different theories, we are going the government agency, Required for sure non-infringement any community of human beings. The thought of Imam Ali also how the rule and governance in an appropriate manner, has been attending. This article has been extracted from Research on noble Nahjolbalaghe and to assess components of governance had paid from the sight of Imam Ali. Using content analysis, Statements related to governance derived from Nahjolbalaghe and then encrypt the data and using the software SPSS, the data have been analyzing. The final study Extraction and compilation of eleven components: The rule of law, Justice, and Anti-oppression, equality, participation, Self-regulatory Instead of monitoring people, preparing the groundwork to move people toward God, Clarifying public opinion, preparation for a healthy and dynamic economy, manage life’s value of a poor class of Society, Social security and accountability to God and the people. These are Indicators that Imam Ali believed are required for "Good governance" in the society.

Democracy and Good Governance

2018 ◽  
pp. 733-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Andy Knight
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
National Level ◽  
Democratic Deficit ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
The World ◽  
Quality Of Governance

This chapter examines the UN’s role in promoting and encouraging democracy and good governance. The world organizations is in a pivotal position to help promote and strengthen the global norm that posits that democracy validates the quality of governance today. In order to be considered ‘democratic,’ governments should not only hold periodic free and fair elections and demonstrate the ability to govern inclusively and humanely. In addition, they should also respect human rights and the rule of law. Concurrently, the chapter argues that the UN should practice what it preaches and address its own democratic deficit, even as it helps to strengthen democracy at the national level.

States of emergency and the rule of law under contemporary African constitutions: A comparative analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-101
Author(s):  
Lukman Adebisi Abdulrauf
Keyword(s):  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Legal Order ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
African Countries ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
States Of Emergency ◽  
The People ◽  
The World ◽  
And Control

Emergencies, whether natural or man-made, are inevitable in contemporary societies. Although the nature and magnitude of such emergencies are usually unpredictable, governments across the world must adopt measures to mitigate and control the emergency while securing the lives and properties of the people. Since emergencies envisage exceptional circumstances, there may be the need for the suspension of the normal legal order and its temporary replacement with an extraordinary regime to help restore the normal legal order. During the subsistence of the extraordinary regime, the question that has always concerned modern-day constitutionalists is how the rule of law can be maintained in such a regime which is characterised by the suspension of the normal legal order. This concern is even more apparent in Africa considering the general attitude of political leaders who will want to take advantage of every opportunity to abuse human rights, consolidate powers and remain in government. All these concerns therefore centre on the nature and scope of state of emergency provisions in constitutions and their implementation. Therefore, in this article, I will comparatively analyse the nature and scope of state of emergency provisions under modern African constitutions to determine the extent to which they are inclusive and embrace the basic tenets of the rule of law. I will further interrogate the applicability of the rule of law in states of emergency using recent practices in selected African countries.

scholarly journals The Challenge of the Enforcement of the Rule of Law and Governance in Palestine: The Tribal Justice System and the Rule of Power

2019 ◽  
pp. 1455-1462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud M. Dodeen
Keyword(s):  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Palestinian Territories ◽  
Executive Authority ◽  
The People ◽  
Regulatory Interventions ◽  
Constitutional Legitimacy ◽  
Legal Grounds

The article addresses the system of tribal justice and the rule of power in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as two key obstacles to the enforcement of the rule of law and governance. The article presents the legal grounds for the involvement of tribesmen in resolving disputes among citizens outside the rule of law. It goes on to analyze the role and interest of the executive authority in encouraging the involvement of tribes while the authority continues to interfere in the affairs of the official judiciary in both functional and structural terms. It also explores a number of illegal legislative and regulatory interventions made by the president of the executive authority with the effect of undermining official institutions supporting good governance and transparency. The article finds that it is impossible to enforce the rule of law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as a result of existing practices that are difficult to change without renewing constitutional legitimacy by referring to the people as the source of authority for criminalizing any act contrary to or impeding the rule of law, or impeding or encroaching on the jurisdiction of the official judiciary.

Increasing Accountability and Reducing Corruption: the World Bank’s Anti-Corruption System

2019 ◽  
pp. 605-616
Author(s):  
Andrew Boutros
Keyword(s):  
World Bank ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Fiduciary Duty ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Fair Process ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
The Poor ◽  
System P ◽  
The World

As part of its development efforts, the World Bank has a fiduciary duty to ensure that its funds are used for their intended purposes and with due attention to economy and efficiency. In furtherance of this fiduciary duty, the Bank’s anti-corruption measures seek to incorporate processes that ensure standards of good governance and conformity with principles of the rule of law. Indeed, fraud and corruption weaken institutions and divert essential resources from those who are supposed to benefit the most: the poor. Since the mid-1990s, the World Bank has worked to develop a robust sanctions system that is efficient, effective, and fair, offering accused parties a fair process through which they can present their defense. The World Bank has also sought to work with its partners to deter and prevent misconduct from occurring in the first place. This chapter describes the history and evolution of the World Bank’s sanctions system and its efforts to combat fraud and corruption in its development activities.

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