The transformation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to the African Union and the adoption of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) have raised expectations of renewed commitment by African Heads of State to better governance and enhanced human security for the continent. The Human Security Initiative is a one-year project for a core network of seven established African Non-Governmental Organisations to embark upon a process of benchmarking the performance of key African governments in respect of human security issues, measured against the commitments taken at the level at OAU/AU heads of state meetings. If the one-year pilot is successful successful, the network may seek follow-on funding to continue and/or expand its work.
The NGOs involved in the network are:
- Africa Peace Forum
- African Security Dialogue and Research
- Institute for Human Rights and Development
- Institute for Security Studies
- Human Rights Trust of Southern Africa
- South African Institute of International Affairs
- West Africa Network for Peacebuilding
Countries under review are Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda.