The AU at 20: Challenges and Opportunities

Antonia Witt joins roundtable discussion by Center for International Policy Studies in Ottawa in honor of AU's 20th Anniversary

Photo: Screenshot of Event Flyer

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the African Union. Since its founding in 2002, much has been achieved. Whereas its predecessor the Organization of African Unity was often disparaged as a talking-shop for dictators, the AU has endorsed democracy, human rights, and spearheaded the principle of ‘non-indifference’ towards war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity in member states. Inspired by Pan-Africanism, the organization has also launched the African Continental Free Trade Area and strengthened Africa’s voice on the global stage.

Yet challenges abound. The AU’s 20th anniversary is celebrated at a time of geopolitical turmoil and shifting multilateral alliances. On the continent, democracy is on the decline, the military coup has returned, and conflicts continue to rage. The roundtable featuring (among others) Antonia Witt will discuss the following questions:

Has the AU lived up to its promise? And how can the organization navigate the challenges and opportunities of the next 20 years?

  • When: April 22, 2022 - 2:30pm to 4:30pm EDT
  • Where: FSS4007, 120 University Private, FSS building, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 9A7, Canada

Please register here for this in-person-event. More information can be found on the event website.

Presented by the Center for International Policy Studies (CIPS), as part of the project Changing Orders: Shaping the Future and Securing Rights in a World in Transformation (University of Ottawa). The roundtable is funded by the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).