The African Quality Policy

First envisaged in the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community in 1991, this current Africa Quality Policy (AQP) was developed jointly by the PAQI institutions and Member States of the African Union through a comprehensive consultative process and approved on 3^rd September 2021. The AQP lays down policy directions for the operation of a continental-level QI, with the aim of aligning the AQP with the policies governing national and REC-level QIs. The alignment works in both directions, meaning that national and REC-level quality policies (QP) constitute building blocks for the continental AQP while at the same time the latter lays down directions for the former.

The AQP is the basic AU instrument to modernize/ consolidate the continental QI. It lays down policy directions for the various functions of the QI and indicates how they are fulfilled at country, REC and continental levels in order to have an effective QI to serve African as well as international needs. While the AU does not have the legal basis to enforce measures at country or REC levels, it does have the political mandate and authority to lead the continent along a path that brings sustainable development. Thus, this function of setting and implementing the AQP should be understood as the AU providing the thrust and leadership in QP and QI matters at continental level and its reliance on Member States and RECs to achieve the objectives of the AQP. This leadership role of the AU also means that it has to establish the necessary mechanism for overseeing the implementation of the AQP, to monitor its effectiveness and take corrective actions when needed.