Committee Chairperson : Saif Mohamed.
The Pan-African Institute for Education for Development (IPED) is a specialized African Union institution tasked with serving as Africa’s Education Observatory. This is a critical role in ensuring the development of quality, responsive, and inclusive education in Africa based on sound, accurate, and timely information, in order to meet individual and collective goals for the development of human resources and intellectual capacity in Africa.
Topic: Fostering Collaboration between Higher Education Institutions to strengthen research and innovation on the continent.
The top African HEI is ranked 619 on the nature magazine’s institutions research output table1, Which is a table that shows the number of published articles by an institution. Additionally, “Africa produces only some 27,000 papers a year, about the same volume of published output as The Netherlands” . This truly reflects the current state of higher education on the African continent. Where due to lack of resources and expertise. Our research output is extremely low. Which is a crisis as research is essential in developing nations in order to achieve sustainable development. As “Research in developed nations are at the highest point of the scholarly pecking order and are fundamental to the accomplishment of any advanced learning-based economy.” Meaning that a country’s economy cannot thrive without the presence of strong research organizations that solve the pressing issues using innovative solutions. Thus the African nations need to put major efforts and collaborate in order to achieve a higher research output.
Taking South Africa as an example, the South African university system is the highest on the continent offering international medium quality education as “South Africa produces 37% of Africa’s research output” . And this focus on research and innovation in South Africa, led to constantly improving the South African economy. Additionally, when dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, research and innovation were a critical reason why South Africa was one of the best countries in Africa when dealing with the pandemic.
In this committee we will investigate how countries on the African continent with successful stories and backgrounds, like South Africa, can collaborate with countries where higher education is a national problem like Niger. In order to increase the research produced at African HEIs, output and quality. The committee will research how sharing expertise and resources can aid each other for the future of higher education on the African continent.
Topic: Securing the Rights of Migrant Workers on the African Continent.
Committee Chairperson : Fridaous Laleye.
Conference Theme : AN INCLUSIVE AFRICA : A FUTURE FOR ALL.
Chairperson : Yasmin M. Abdul Nasser.
This year the African Leadership Academy Model African Union (ALAMAU) commemorates 10 years of existence and its active efforts to equip young leaders from Africa and across the world with critical thinking, problem solving, research and diplomacy skills.
The conference theme seeks to stimulate discussions and spark debates on a wide range of topics pertaining to inclusivity in various sectors of development. Furthermore, the theme seeks to question how futuristic the African continent is if we are not inclusive about marginalised topics. As we envisage the collective success and prosperity of Africa, we see an Africa that is proactively growing into different sectors and the“…re-dedication of Africa towards the attainment of the Pan African vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens, representing a dynamic force in the international arena.”
With the media undeniably being a powerful catalyst for change and representation, delegates will bring to perspective what steps the media can take to report news without the exclusion of minorities in society. This perspective would expand to how minority representation and empowerment in governance can be ensured. Considering the immense importance of education, committees will come up with resolutions on how we can foster collaboration between higher education institutions to strengthen research and innovation on the continent. This will ensure the individual educational fields benefit from spaces and opportunities that will enable success for all.
As primary healthcare is an essential service to the populace, we look forward to understanding how to secure the quality and a standard of regulating public health services to prevent healthcare acquired infections. This is so that the average citizen is not prevented from accessing health services out of the fear of contracting more diseases or affected by contracting these diseases out of a lack of choice.
Furthermore, acknowledging the power of a thriving economy in a post pandemic world and the impact of the Russia-Ukraine invasion on economies, how do we ensure the effective utilisation of resources, trade and energy to promote a successful regional integration on the African continent? How do we capitalise on the success of the AU flagship project on the African Continental Free Trade Area to ensure that all African states are given equal inclusion to strengthen economic standings? At the same time, the AU flagship project of ‘Silencing the Guns’ has eight years more to attain measurable success.
How do we leverage local courts of human rights to settle interstate conflicts, consequently thinking of ways to secure the rights of migrant workers on the African continent to make certain that no one feels excluded anywhere on the continent.
Finally, in a fast-paced world of high technological dependency, how do we prevent cybersecurity crimes as we collectively advance to prosperity? How do governments prevent the perpetuation of cybersecurity crimes and ensure that the records of the entire citizenry is safeguarded and everyone feels safe.
Noting that the year 2023 marks “the First Ten Year Implementation Plan (FTYIP) of Agenda 2063 (2013 – 2023)” and “is the first in a series of five ten year plans over the fifty year horizon of Agenda 2063’s 50 time frame” ALAMAU is determined to engage delegates in transformative discourse that will propel the vision of the seven sets of aspirations into actualized actions. As we globally move to a post pandemic world, it is highly pertinent to resume discussions on what an inclusive Africa looks like and what quality of future it holds for us all. For decades, we have dwelled heavily on conversations of events of the past and as much as we acknowledge that the past is important, more crucially, we believe clinging to the past without an active action for the future is a futile engagement. Delegates through this theme and the set up of various committees in the 2023 ALAMAU will grapple with topics that will challenge their perspectives, scope and broaden their horizon on a series of international relations affairs.
The Press Corps is a group of young journalists charged with the responsibility of recording and disseminating information on the events during the African Leadership Academy Model African Union (ALAMAU) conference. This committee will also be responsible for conducting press conferences and interviews with members of the ALAMAU community, including the organising team, delegates, advisors, and guests. Delegates will take up the role of recording the proceedings of the conference through reporting, photojournalism, and documentation.
Topic: How can the media report inclusion of minoritised communities in Africa?
Committee Chairperson : Lakeisha Waichungo.
The press corps topic for this year aims to evaluate how the media has reported on minoritized groups in the past, in order to understand how they can improve this in the future. The theme of ALAMAU 2023 is ‘An inclusive Africa: an Africa for all’, and this topic serves as an opportunity for our journalists and reporters to create the kinds of inclusive spaces they want to see in the world.
Representation matters. It is a crucial part in showcasing the diversity present on the continent, and in our individual communities. Representation means breaking down negative stereotypes of certain groups of people, dispelling harmful myths, and overall creating a culture that is accepting of all types of people. For example, the population of Albino people all over Africa have been subject to attacks, based off of misconceptions about the condition, especially in East Africa. In Kenya for example, although ‘the last case was in 2015 and it was reported that the violence may have been related to October 2015 elections in Tanzania’, steps that the Kenyan government have taken in order to ensure the safety, representation and inclusion of the Albino community, have proved to be somewhat futile, as albino people still ‘suffer terribly from pervasive myths and misconceptions about their condition. This negative public perception relegates most of them into isolation that locks them in a vicious cycle of poverty’.
As the years have gone by, however, and scientific research has become more and more trusted, we have witnessed a decrease in negative stereotypes against them, and an increase in Albino people being employed in Kenya, such as Isaac Mwaura becoming the first albino person in Kenya and the fourth in Africa to hold a position in parliament.3 This as well as the multiple civil society organizations, such as the Albino Society of Kenya that advocate for and represent albino people in Kenya, have aided in shifting the perspective and promoting inclusion of this community, and shown how the media, and how they choose to report on minority groups, have the power to create positive change, or to continue perpetrating negative stereotypes.
At ALAMAU 2023, the Press Corps will explore what kind of language is appropriate to use for diverse audiences, how to include different perspectives while reporting about minoritized groups, and most importantly, look for ways to improve the inclusion of Africa on an international stage.
Topic: Cybersecurity for Data Privacy Issues and Prevention Measures.
Committee Chairperson: Ela Ben Saad
Committee Chairperson : Shahd Hekal.
The Department for Infrastructure and Energy (DIE) is the part of the AU concerned with the development of energy accessibility and sound infrastructure on the continent. The DIE is tasked with implementing energy and infrastructure goals for agenda 2063 and is in charge of The Integrated High Speed Train Network project that aims to connect all African capitals for ease of transportation and commerce as well as the Grand Inga Dam Project that is centered around providing energy access to all Africans on the continent, among other additional projects.
Topic: Energy Poverty and the Effort Towards Energy Equity on the Continent.
Energy poverty is the inability to access consistent or clean sources of energy. Many around the world go through their days with no access to electricity at all or access to polluting energy that causes health hazards and lung infections, such as the burning of biomass for heating and cooking purposes. This is the reality of 640 million people in Africa. 33 countries in Africa are considered of the least developed in the world, and 79% of their population is left without energy access. In a domestic setting, energy is used to power homes, heat water, cook food, and provide access to educational institutions. The gap between those who have energy access and those who don’t causes economical, educational, and social inequalities. For this, bridging the gap is of utmost importance for moving forward as a continent in its entirety, with no one left behind.
As a consequence of energy poverty, a large part of the continent is not able to keep up with the race for national development and growth. In an effort to put an end to this cycle and promote energy equity across the continent, the department of Infrastructure and Energy of the African Union has partnered with the European Union in order to provide access to energy all over the continent. A case study on the consequence of energy poverty is that of Uganda; the country currently has an influx of external refugees, which further exacerbates the level of energy poverty due to the constant increment in energy demand.
The committee of the Infrastructure and Energy of ALA MAU 2023 aims to discuss effective policies to promote continent wide energy access and equity. Delegates will be expected to think critically about ways to lessen energy poverty and the different perspectives through which it is caused in line with the goals of Agenda 2063 towards “inclusive and sustainable growth and development”and the fulfillment of an equitable future for everyone on the continent.
Committee Chairperson : Kidus Chernet Tessma.
The Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) is a commission in the African Union (AU), responsible for reinvigorating good governance, peace, stability, security, inclusion, and human rights across Africa. The role of the commission is to prevent and mediate conflicts, as well as to combat terrorism and corruption.
Topic: Leveraging Human Right courts to settle intrastate conflicts.
It is a call to rescue the continent. Currently, six African countries – Libya, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Northern Mozambique, Ethiopia, and the north-west as well as south-west regions of Cameroon – are embroiled in intense internal conflicts. When such armed conflicts are confined to a specific territory-bounded, they are referred to as intrastate conflicts, though they may extend and reach bordered countries in some cases. They may begin as a simple discourse or protest of some groups in the country, but they may later become the cause of many deaths through ethnic cleansing and genocide massacres. According to a statista research department study, intrastate conflicts claimed the lives of 19,290 people on the African continent in 2021. Furthermore, the number of intrastate conflicts is significantly increasing each year compared to interstate or inter-ethnic conflicts. From the World101’s research, it can be concluded that intrastate conflicts have increased fivefold over interstate conflicts. Hence, there is an urgent need of addressing intrastate conflicts via peaceful and legal means.
Given that intrastate conflicts severely violate people’s human rights, utilizing Human Rights Courts to resolve such conflicts may be a good approach. These courts will make decisions based on laws and legal procedures that will ideally promote both peace and justice. They will charge individuals and governments who are found to be committing or fueling conflicts. They will also enable damaged regions/groups, in particular, to receive compensation and immediate humanitarian aid. For example, the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) frequently ordered provisional measures in response to the Libya incident in 2011. It was important to note that these measures to end the conflict by forcing Libya’s government to be open for international NGOs and investigators. However, due to a variety of challenges, including intervention concerns, non-deposition of the courts by many countries, application procedures, and so on, Human Rights Courts have not been able to operate to their full potential on intrastate conflict cases.
At the African Leadership Academy Model African Union 2023, PAPS will debate on this topic with delegates expected to find ways to effectively use Human Rights Courts to purposefully solve such issues.
Committee Chairperson : Kaza-Zack Kazirukanyo.
The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is the technical arm of the African Union, adopted in 2002 by the African Union to manage Africa’s development in the 21st century. NEPAD’s primary objective is to eradicate poverty and place African countries on the journey towards sustainable growth as individual nations and as a collective. The organization also strives to halt the marginalization of Africa in the globalization process and integrate Africa into the global economy.
Topic: Africa’s New Age: the Energy Climate Conundrum.
Africa faces the immediate threat of climate change; current predictions depict the continent to reach critical global warming levels as soon as 2050. Weather-related disasters already exacerbate food insecurity, poverty, and population displacement for millions across the continent– in 2020 alone, climate-related calamities induced the internal displacement of 4.3 million Africans. From Beira to the Sahel region and beyond, extreme climate patterns put $1.4 trillion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ––nearly half Africa’s GDP—- vulnerable to exposure.
With an estimated 600 million people and 10 million medium-sized enterprises lacking access to electricity, Agenda 2063’s goal for “A Prosperous Africa, based on Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development” is relevant now more than ever. , An “affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern” energy system is needed to open new opportunities and strengthen the rights of impoverished people.
At ALAMAU 2023, NEPAD will examine Africa’s position as a key economic player in the ongoing climate and energy crises. Delegates will answer critical questions: is Africa being left behind in the green revolution? Can the continent afford a dramatic shift to renewable energies? What must happen to our natural resources, in the face of future climate-related devastations? NEPAD will deliberate the future habitability of the continent with a forward-thinking approach.
Committee Chairperson : Samson Daimon Mwakabage.
The Specialised Technical Committee on Trade, Industry and Minerals is a committee of the African Union which centres its efforts on promoting continental trade and industrial growth on the continent, as well as effective utilisation of resources, specifically minerals. It accomplishes this role by developing and executing strategies that will be used in international and inter-continental trade, industry development and mineral resource allocation on the continent.
Topic: Rethinking the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Supporting the AU towards effective regional economic integration.
The African Union (AU) through the African Economic Community (AEC) has implemented strategies to ensure that regional economic integration is effectively achieved through the roles played by the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) such as the South African Development Committee (SADC), East African Community (EAC), Economic Cooperation for West African States (ECOWAS) etc. In 1994, there was a formal establishment of the RECs in the efforts of establishing Africa Economic Communities (AEC) through the Abuja treaty. The Abuja treaty was a legal agreement signed between member states of the African Union (AU) to establish the AEC as the efforts in promoting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Despite the formal establishment during the Abuja treaty, the progress in economic integrations on the continent has not been convincing.
By 2018, 75% of total goods on the continent were imported, of which only 6% was obtained regional. Most countries on the continent find it difficult to purchase and sell goods among each other due to several trade barriers. For example, some RECs have not yet established the Free Trade Area (FTA) which increases the cost of trading. As a result, countries find it less profitable trading regionally. For example, shipping a car from Japan to Rwanda would cost $1500, while transporting a car from South Africa to Rwanda would cost $5000. With the performance of RECs being a barrier to effective growth of industry and trade on the continent, urgent action plans are necessary to turn the odds. Ultimately, the African Union should find a way to balance the individual objectives of each REC to the overall mission and vision of the AEC to promote regional economic integration.
At the ALAMAU 2023, the Trade, Industry and Mining Committee (TIMC) will seek action plans that will call for sustainable regional economic cooperation to benefit the future of the continent. Taking into account the objectives of each REC, this committee will foster collaboration and common goals for every Community on the continent.
Committee Chairperson : Kingsley Onyedikachi Aaron-Onuigbo.
The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) was set up to ensure the full participation of African peoples in the economic development and integration of the continent. The PAP is intended as a platform for people from all African states to be involved in discussions and decision making on the problems and challenges facing the continent. The Parliament is located in Midrand, South Africa. The Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disabilities considers issues relating to the promotion of gender equality and assists the Parliament to oversee the development of AU policies and activities relating to family, youth and people with disabilities.
Topic: Ensuring Minority Representation and Empowerment in Governance.
How can African countries achieve any of the above-mentioned goals without an integration of social minorities into the core of their governance? Before questioning any African country, this blurb must define what or who is a “minority.” A “minority” is an important member of a body who is constantly excluded from that body. 6 For example, women who are integral members of the human population are constantly left out of positions of governance. Minorities include but are not limited to: gender minorities like women, disabled persons, ethnic or racial minorities, sexual minorities like LGBTQ+ identifiers, etc.
The introduction above highlights the necessity of this committee’s topic: “Ensuring Minority Representation and Empowerment in Governance.” In a paper published by the University of Cape Town’s Centre for African Studies, Joseph Adebayo aptly postulates that the retention of old male politicians in politics has birthed a culture that excludes much of Africa’s youth and women from participation. 7 Professor Adebayo’s realisation increases in peculiarity when considering the World Bank’s gender distribution of Sub-Saharan Africa: approximately 51% female to 49% male population. 8 In analysing Africa’s sustainable development goals, the United Nations also reported that 70% of sub-Saharan Africa are under the age of 30, yet less than 10% of politicians in the continent are below 35 years. 9 In consideration of the presented statistics, is it not bizarre that African countries are aiming for “full equality in all spheres of life” as wells as “engaged and empowered youth and children” without a consideration of the necessary measures to implement this “representation” and “empowerment.” 10
As the Nigerian elections of February 2023 near, the popular contenders remain Peter Obi (Labour Party), Atiku Abubakar (People’s Democratic Party) and Bola Ahmed Tinubu (All Progressives Congress). They are all men, and their median age is 69. 11 How does this show Nigeria’s commitment to achieving the 2063 goals of inclusion and Youth Empowerment? Most African countries have maintained the same political scene as Nigeria since their various independence. The trend in gerontocrat leadership continues.
The purpose of this committee is to rethink strategies that will ensure that minorities are represented in governance. These minorities range from youth to women to disabled persons. This committee will not only consider representation but will also debate the processes through which these minorities can seek support and remain in governance positions. This committee will ponder the importance of a government comprised of a body as diverse as the people it is ruling. Through this committee session various African countries will debate how to leverage of the successes of achieving diversity in governance while also comparing the challenges that are inherent in such endeavours. The committee will answer questions like: was a specific political entity, political campaign or government body hindered or spurred by having a more diverse body? Were there any specific examples of successes or failures as a result of a pursuit in representation in Governance? (A case study of Malawi’s first female president, Joyce Banda will be used in the study guide).
The resolutions from this committee will put forth solutions to represent and empower minorities in African governance. The committee will do this while taking into account, the positions of the various African countries, their beliefs, norms and traditions.
Topic: Regulating Public Health Services To Prevent Nosocomial Infections in Africa.
Committee Chairperson : Mahmoud Hafez.