JOHANNESBURG (IPS)�South Africa has spelled out some of its priorities for the launch of the African Union (AU) in July, including a new emphasis on accountability over national sovereignty.

As the host country, South Africa is expected to provide the lead on many of the organizational and political issues that will be dealt with at the launch. One is a proposed "peer review mechanism" to compel African states to practice good governance and provide a measurable standard for donors that aid is being spent effectively.

"The first year of the AU is crucial for us to set the pace and direction of the organization for subsequent years," said the South African Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad.

"I would like to assure all, especially the Afro-pessimists, that the AU will be fundamentally different from its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity (OAU). It is not merely the �O� that falls away as certain detractors would scorn.

"The future focus will also be on meeting the basic needs of people with regard to socio-economic development, achieving peace, security and stability, and the protection of human rights, democracy, good governance and the rule of law. There will also be important limitations on the principle of sovereignty," Mr. Pahad added.

Non-interference in each other�s domestic affairs has long been a guiding principle of African nations diplomacy.

Mr. Pahad said South Africa would like to ensure that the core structures of the AU�the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, the Executive Council, the African Parliament, the Permanent Representative Committee of Ambassadors and the AU Commission�start functioning smoothly after the launch.

Discussions are also underway about the establishment of a Council of the Wise, comprising highly respected African personalities, to complement the efforts of the envisaged AU Peace and Security Council.

South Africa is determined that the AU should have effective mechanisms to bring political stability to the continent. Good governance and political and economic stability are the cornerstones of the New Partnership for Africa�s Development (NEPAD).

NEPAD is a program to kick-start economic and social development on the continent and it has the strong backing of South African President Thabo Mbeki, among other African leaders.

Presently, NEPAD and the African Union are not directly linked�although Mr. Mbeki would like the union to adopt the program and for member states to commit themselves to the program, at the launch summit. So far, only 15 states have committed themselves to NEPAD.

A detailed NEPAD Program of Action will be presented at the inaugural summit. The program will focus on good governance, peace and security, education, health and economic growth and attracting private investment.

A Draft Report on Good Governance and Democracy spells out in detail the commitments of those countries that sign up for NEPAD. They will be obliged to strengthen democracy, promote good governance and protect human rights and press freedom, among others.

Part of the NEPAD program is the establishment of an effective African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

"The APRM is designed, owned and managed by Africans so as to demonstrate that African leaders are fully aware of their responsibilities and obligations to their peoples and are genuinely prepared to engage and relate to the international community on the basis of mutual respect," explained Pahad.

The mechanism aims to identify, evaluate and disseminate best practices in political and economic governance and monitor progress towards these goals. Each country participating in NEPAD is expected to have a clear timetable for meeting these commitments.

There is sure to be substantial public and behind-the-scenes resistance to NEPAD at the launch. Despite reassurances by Mr. Mbeki, Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi is suspicious of the program�s dependence on support of the Group of Eight (G8) wealthy nations�Canada, Japan, Italy, France, Germany, the United States, Britain and Russia�for aid and investment.

And African academics and civil society organizations feel that they have not been consulted enough on the content of NEPAD or its program of action. At a conference in Johannesburg recently, African delegates resolved to conduct their own research into how best to boost the continent�s social and economic development.

In a recent meeting of South Africa�s Parliament, Mr. Mbeki conceded that African leaders involved in NEPAD had not done enough to consult the "masses." He pointed out that NEPAD could not succeed if it was the product of the elite.

The African Union is due to be launched in the South African port city of Durban on July 8-10.