African civil society leaders gathered on Wednesday at the U.S. House of Representatives to present a series of recommendations meant to boost peace, human rights, security, democracy and economic growth on the continent.
One key discussion point was the African Union’s ongoing struggle to enforce key human rights agreements. The surprising solution, according to some: more regional trade within Africa.
Soraya Aziz Souleymane, a development specialist from the Democratic Republic of Congo, said the AU doesn’t have enough coercive power, as countries abide by AU treaties voluntarily, and the only way to enforce those agreements is through economic sanctions.
Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
About the author
Jeff Tyson@jtyson21
Jeff is a former global development reporter for Devex. Based in Washington, D.C., he covers multilateral affairs, U.S. aid, and international development trends. He has worked with human rights organizations in both Senegal and the U.S., and prior to joining Devex worked as a production assistant at National Public Radio. He holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and French from the University of Rochester.
