OAU summit / council documents on CD ROM

CD ROM: African Regional Organisations: From Unity to Union - Key documents of the OAU, ECOWAS, SADC, IGAD and COMESA (1963-2001)

An important purpose of the deliberations in Durban is to seek new ways to improve Africa’s capacity to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts, as well as to build sustainable peace in the aftermath of conflicts. The OAU and sub-regional organisations play a vital role in building and maintaining peace on the continent.

During the last few months the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) has been cooperating with the OAU to reflect upon the history and commitments that African leaders have made to democracy, good governance, peace and security-related matters. This work includes the release of a CD-ROM that contains all OAU Council of Ministers and Summit decisions, declarations and commitments from 1963 to 2001. This is a unique resource that provides an electronic compilation of key documents since the signing of the Charter of the OAU in Addis Ababa almost forty years ago. The CD also features a highly developed electronic search engine. 

At the launch of the CD in Durban on 3 July, His Excellency the Secretary-General Amara Essy thanked the ISS for converting the OAU archives into electronic format as a contribution to preserving and publicising the history of the organisation. Apart for the complete versions of OAU Council and Summit decisions since 1963, the CD also contains the key documents for the following regional organisations: SADC, ECOWAS, IGAD and COMESA. It is a work in progress, and will be updated with documents from other subregional organisations and more recent documentation, as it becomes available.

To order, please e-mail the ISS at pubs@iss.co.za or kathy@iss.co.za.