Africa in International Affairs

International Governmental Organizations (IGOs)

These are organizations made up of two or more sovereign states. Examples include:

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
• World Health Organization

International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs)

These are organizations made up of individuals or private groups. Examples include:

• International Red Cross
• Amnesty International
• Transparency International

1. To show solidarity with other states of the world especially during emergencies.
2. To give the continent a forum through which they could discuss the continental affairs.
3. Increased participation in the United Nations General Assembly meant that Africans would henceforth receive more international attention than was the case before.
4. To demonstrate their sovereignty through participation in global affairs.
5. To enhance Africa's development — for example, the participation in the Commonwealth of Nations intended to develop Africa through English-speaking states that are more developed. Similarly, the French Community was meant to coordinate cooperation of the Francophone states and their former colonial masters.
6. African participation in Non-Aligned Movement was to put the continent in a strategic situation in the struggle between the Eastern and the Western block during the Cold War.

The UN is an international organization comprising independent states from all over the world. It was formed after the Second World War in 1945.

Objectives of the UN

1. To develop friendly relations among states of the world.
2. To maintain international peace and security.
3. To promote respect for human rights and freedom.
4. To promote human welfare by uplifting living standards.
5. To promote international understanding among nations.

Structure and Organs of the UN

The UN, whose headquarters is in New York, USA, is made up of:

The General Assembly

This is the most supreme organ of the UN. It meets once a year unless during extraordinary sessions and comprises all member states of the UN.

Functions of the General Assembly

1. To admit new members.
2. To consider any matter touching on international peace and security.
3. To approve the UN budget.
4. To elect non-permanent members of the Security Council, judges of the International Court of Justice, and appoint the Secretary General with approval of the Security Council.

Due to the increase in membership of African countries, Africa was enabled to push through the African agenda in the General Assembly. Such issues include:

1. The evils of European colonialism in Africa and the need for decolonization.
2. The evils of the apartheid regime in South Africa.
3. The unfair interference of apartheid South Africa in Namibia.
4. Marginalization of the continent in global economy.
5. The danger of the Cold War and the great powers' military intervention in the continent.

The Security Council

This comprises 15 members, five of them permanent. They include China, Russia, France, United Kingdom and the U.S.A. The ten non-permanent members are appointed for a two-year term by the General Assembly. The five permanent members have veto powers. This means if any one of them votes against a proposal, a resolution cannot be made.

Functions of the Security Council

1. To enforce international peace and security. If any state defied the UN, the Security Council can order for sanctions against it. For example, Libya, apartheid South Africa and Iraq are good examples.
2. To investigate situations that pose a threat to international peace.
3. To urge states to conform to peaceful settlements of disputes.
4. To expel countries that violate UN regulations.
5. To recommend procedures to be followed in dispute settlements for countries experiencing conflicts.

The International Court of Justice

It is based in The Hague, Netherlands, and is the highest judicial organ in the UN. It consists of 15 judges, who serve a term of 9 years with a possibility for re-election.

The Secretariat

The secretariat is located in New York, USA, and consists of international civil servants, led by the Secretary General. It is the body concerned with the day-to-day work of the UN.

Duties and Functions of the UN Secretary General

1. To administer peacekeeping operations.
2. To research on trends of human rights.
3. To point out any situation that poses a threat to global peace to the UN General Assembly.
4. To monitor how UN recommendations are executed.
5. To translate documents.
6. To register treaties.

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

This is made up of 54 UN member states elected by the General Assembly to serve for a term of three years. It serves as the main UN forum for coordination of economic and social issues.

This work is supervised by commissions, which include:

1. The Statistical Commission.
2. The Population Commission.
3. The Commission for Social Development.
4. The Commission on the Status of Women.
5. The Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

The United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF deals with welfare activities for children all over the world.

1. Assists refugees worldwide — for example, in 1959 UNICEF helped refugees in Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria with blankets and tents.
2. Collaborates with African states in promoting sanitation in rural areas.
3. Donates essential drugs to protect the lives of young children and mothers.
4. To conduct research in collaboration with African countries in the field of agriculture to fight malnutrition and hunger.
5. Promotes girl-child education programs with a view to uplift the quality of life of African children.
6. Promotes maternal health in Africa and in other parts of the world.