From Barriers to Bridges: African Union Border Programme

Border management plays a key role in peace, security and integration. Africa’s Heads
of State and Government have adopted a number of measures to ensure that borders
enhance the well-being of border communities and promoteregional integration. By
adopting the African Union Border Programme (AUBP), African leaders have clearly
expressed their commitment to maximize the junction and bridge aspects of the African
borders and ensure that they are managed in such a manner to contribute to the
achievement of two key objectives of the AU, namely, the structural prevention of
conflicts and the deepening of the ongoing integration processes.

African Union Border Programme was established by African leaders in January 2007 at
the 8th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States and Government of the
African Union. The creation of the AUBP constitutes a direct response to the need to
preserve the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity for peace and
security on the African continent. At the same time, the AUBP places an emphasis on
its pro-active strategy of conflict prevention in order to forestall the necessity of conflict
resolution.

The AUBP is being implemented at national, regional and continental levels on the
basis of the principle of subsidiarity and respect of the sovereignty of States.
The AUBP is therefore the embodiment of African States’ commitment to transforming
borders into “bridges” for cooperation, integration and socio-economic development,
and to overcome negative perceptions of borders as  “barriers” as per the motto of the
Programme.
For more information about AUBP and its different activities click here:
http://aubis.peaceau.org/en/