Regional Decentralisation in Central and Eastern Europe conference Pécs, May 15-16 2006

Regional Decentralisation and the African Union

István Tarrósy, Interdisciplinary Doctoral School, University of Pécs

The Least Developed Countries

Decentralisation in Africa

• Back on the agenda since the 1990s both for international donors and for respective African countries

Why?

1.) because of the failure of the centralised state

2.) because of the resurgence of more democratic forms of government

Forms of decentralisation

Centralised in governance, decentralised in economic activities.

• Forms range from deconcentration to devolution to federation

• Federation utilises the principle of constitutional non-centralism rather than decentralisation.

• The federal idea is present both at the supranational and the regional level.

Grouping states (1)

• Devolution: the central government confers or recognises self-governing capacities on local communities. Involves the transfer of authority to plan, make decisions and manage public functions from central government to local authorities. Growing involvement of NGOs in the management of local services.

Examples: Senegal, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania

Grouping states (2)

• Deconcentration: some differences from devolution

- inter-organisational delegation of responsibilities and authority

- the primary objective is efficiency and effectiveness of the central administrative system

Examples: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi

Grouping states (3)

• Federation: - it relates to the delimination of responsibilities between two separate political entities (one operating on the national level, the other at the meso or regional level)- utilises the principle of non-centralisation a system of governance, which at the same time provides opportunities for collaboration over a number of strategic areas while the federating units keep their relative independence in some domestic mattersExamples: South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania

Other aspects

• Participatory component• Proliferation of services• Involvement of the people in the policy-

making process in line with I. Sagan’s ideas related to the democratisation of public life and the development of civil society. J-F Bayart (1986): Africa’s potential in small collectives established and controlled by local associations

Regions of Africa

The Africa(n) Union

www.africa-union.org

Principles of AU

• to achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa

• to accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent

• to promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance

• to co-ordinate and harmonise the policies between the existing and future regional economic communities (from the Constitutive Act of the Charter of the AU; a number of points only)

Future of AU

true catalyst in the transition of African nations

• advocating good governance

• accountability

• multiple levels of government

• focus on decentralised mehtods

Thank you for your attention!

tarrosy@interhouse.hu