The Road Ahead for the African Governance Architecture: An Overview of Current Challenges and Possible Solutions

The African Governance Architecture (AGA), established by the African Union in 2011, aims to coordinate continental governance initiatives under a 'shared values' agenda. However, the paper identifies critical gaps in its operationalization, specifically a disconnect between governance and security frameworks and an undefined role for the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The authors argue that integrating the AGA with the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) would transform the latter from a reactive to a pre-emptive tool by using governance assessments to flag potential conflicts. Additionally, the paper suggests the APRM should serve as the primary diagnostic tool for monitoring member states' compliance with shared values instruments, noting that past APRM reports have already identified systemic barriers to domestication, such as bureaucratic red tape and lack of enforcement capacity.

• The African Governance Architecture (AGA) is an evolving framework designed to integrate various governance institutions and instruments to promote 'shared values' in Africa, but it currently lacks a clear internal division of tasks and defined interaction processes.
• There is a significant operational disconnect between the AGA and the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), which can lead to contradictory responses during crises, as evidenced by the differing stances of the ACHPR and the PSC during the Côte d’Ivoire crisis.
• Integrating the AGA with the APSA could shift the security architecture from a reactive tool to a pre-emptive mechanism by using AGA governance assessments to identify risks before they escalate into conflict.
• The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, which entered into force in February 2012, serves as a legally binding anchor for the AGA and can act as a normative bridge to the APSA by enabling the PSC to sanction breaches of constitutional order.
• The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is underutilized within the AGA; it should be formally positioned as the diagnostic tool to monitor the ratification and domestication of shared values instruments.
• APRM Country Review Reports have identified recurring obstacles to the domestication of international standards across various African states, including insufficient capacity, lack of internal monitoring systems, and bureaucratic delays.
• The APRM faces a challenge of continental legitimacy because its membership is limited to 34 of the 54 African Union member states.

APA

Tissi, N., & Aggad-Clerx, F. (2014). The Road Ahead for the African Governance Architecture: An Overview of Current Challenges and Possible Solutions. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Occasional-Paper-174.pdf

Chicago

Tissi, Nicola, and Faten Aggad-Clerx. The Road Ahead for the African Governance Architecture: An Overview of Current Challenges and Possible Solutions. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2014. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Occasional-Paper-174.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tissi |first1=Nicola |last2=Aggad-Clerx |first2=Faten |title=The Road Ahead for the African Governance Architecture: An Overview of Current Challenges and Possible Solutions |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=February 2014 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Occasional-Paper-174.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tissi2014road, author = {Tissi, Nicola and Aggad-Clerx, Faten}, title = {{The Road Ahead for the African Governance Architecture: An Overview of Current Challenges and Possible Solutions}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2014}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Occasional-Paper-174.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }