The Foreign Service Journal, December 2010

24 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0 The development of the Pan- African University system will increase opportunities for U.S. academic insti- tutions to engage the African Union in a multilateral context, sharing their technological, scientific and creative skills. (U.S. land grant academic insti- tutions are well equipped to assist the African continent in an agriculture ex- plosion that will help feed the world.) As part of this effort, USAU is working with the A.U. Commission on Education to conduct a study on best practices for establishing a cen- tralized administrative system for the proposed university. The notion of comparative advantage also applies to con- flict resolution. The nearly 20-year-old crisis in Somalia, for example, garners tremendous attention from the A.U. and partner countries, all of whom know that Somalia’s status as a failed state threatens not only the safety and security of those living there, but the region and the entire world. Working multilaterally offers the best prospect of progress. Toward that end, in July Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Johnnie Carson called a small groupmeeting on Somalia at the Kampala A.U. summit. Six African heads of state, the chair of the African Union Commission, and the leadership of the Peace and Secu- rity Council of the African Union all participated in this meeting. The as- sembly brought together a select group of A.U. member- states, partner nations and international organizations to discuss how each could help halt the vicious cycle of vio- lence and decline, and stabilize Somalia. Whether multilateral diplomacy is used to establish part- nerships, create broad-based initiatives or resolve conflicts, it is a powerful tool that augments established bilateral diplo- macy. It provides opportunities to apply resources effi- ciently, combining expertise, moral weight and insights. This, in turn, greatly enhances the odds of success for highly complex agreements. ■ F O C U S USAID funds helped the African Union establish a Democracy and Electoral Assistance Unit.