The growing agency of the African Union in the international system

This paper explores the growing agency of the African Union (AU) in the international system and answers the question of how Africa has succeeded in consolidating itself as a key player in the global power hierarchy in the 21st century. It posits the hypothesis that the continent’s recent success is...

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Main Authors: Jerónimo Delgado-Caicedo, Guilherme Ziebell de Oliveira
Format: Article
Language:Spanish
Published: Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) 2025-04-01
Series:Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cidob.org/en/publications/growing-agency-african-union-international-system
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author Jerónimo Delgado-Caicedo
Guilherme Ziebell de Oliveira
author_facet Jerónimo Delgado-Caicedo
Guilherme Ziebell de Oliveira
author_sort Jerónimo Delgado-Caicedo
collection DOAJ
description This paper explores the growing agency of the African Union (AU) in the international system and answers the question of how Africa has succeeded in consolidating itself as a key player in the global power hierarchy in the 21st century. It posits the hypothesis that the continent’s recent success is due to three processes: (a) an increase in its power resources thanks to recent processes of stabilisation, peacemaking and development; (b) the consolidation of Africa as a significant player from the Global South; and (c) the creation of the AU as a regional political bloc with international influence. These three phenomena, coordinated by the AU, have allowed the continent to steadily position itself at the heart of current global geopolitical transformations. The paper demonstrates how the organisation has managed to utilise its agency to increase its power and enhance its international reach.
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publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB)
record_format Article
series Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals
spelling doaj-art-4d994de3db6242fb9c59a0bbd1cd1c612025-08-20T02:11:30ZspaBarcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB)Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals1133-65952013-035X2025-04-011399912010.24241/rcai.2025.139.1.99The growing agency of the African Union in the international systemJerónimo Delgado-Caicedo0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9449-8281Guilherme Ziebell de Oliveira1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0118-6279Profesor, investigador y coordinador del Observatorio de Análisis de los Sistemas Internacionales (OASIS), Universidad Externado de Colombia (Bogotá)Profesor adjunto, Departamento de Economía y Relaciones Internacionales, Universidad Federal de Río Grande del Sur (Porto Alegre, Brasil)This paper explores the growing agency of the African Union (AU) in the international system and answers the question of how Africa has succeeded in consolidating itself as a key player in the global power hierarchy in the 21st century. It posits the hypothesis that the continent’s recent success is due to three processes: (a) an increase in its power resources thanks to recent processes of stabilisation, peacemaking and development; (b) the consolidation of Africa as a significant player from the Global South; and (c) the creation of the AU as a regional political bloc with international influence. These three phenomena, coordinated by the AU, have allowed the continent to steadily position itself at the heart of current global geopolitical transformations. The paper demonstrates how the organisation has managed to utilise its agency to increase its power and enhance its international reach.https://cidob.org/en/publications/growing-agency-african-union-international-systemafrican unionagencyafricainternational reachpowerinternational systemglobal south
spellingShingle Jerónimo Delgado-Caicedo
Guilherme Ziebell de Oliveira
The growing agency of the African Union in the international system
Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals
african union
agency
africa
international reach
power
international system
global south
title The growing agency of the African Union in the international system
title_full The growing agency of the African Union in the international system
title_fullStr The growing agency of the African Union in the international system
title_full_unstemmed The growing agency of the African Union in the international system
title_short The growing agency of the African Union in the international system
title_sort growing agency of the african union in the international system
topic african union
agency
africa
international reach
power
international system
global south
url https://cidob.org/en/publications/growing-agency-african-union-international-system
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