Offers a comprehensive examination of the work of the African Union (AU), with emphasis on its capacity to meet the challenges of building and sustaining governance institutions and security mechanisms. This book analyzes debates on leadership in Africa and examines key options for overcoming the constraints that African leaders face.

Debates on democratization, respect for the rule of law, political stability and related issues such as gender equality and environmental management, and how the AU might shape the continent's future directions are also closely examined. As governance and security in Africa have been internationalized and the AU is heavily dependent on the international community to fund its activities and construct its institutions, Makinda and Okumu explore the types of capacity building that Africa needs and suggest ways of pursuing the goal of 'African approaches' to governance and security through capacity building. They also explore the role that the AU might play in Africa's search for knowledge, especially science, technology and innovation, in order to enhance governance, development and human security.

Introduction
1. The OAU and Mutual Preservation
2. The African Union: Meeting the Challenge of Globalization
3. Governance, Democracy, and the Rule of Law
4. Security and Peace Building
5. Knowledge and Development
6. Challenges of Globalization, Security, and Governance
Notes
Appendix 1: The Constitutive Act of the African Union
Appendix 2: Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the AU
Appendix 3: African Union's Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance
Appendix 4: Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union
Select Bibliography
Index