Desire Assogbavi

Welcome to My Blog! This blog is a civic space dedicated to sharing insights, updates, and analyses on African politics. It focuses particularly on the African Union (AU), its organs, policies, and decisions, with the aim of fostering citizen participation in continental governance and encouraging the translation of AU commitments into action at the national level. Beyond the AU, I also explore the role of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and other regional mechanisms that serve as building blocks of Africa’s integration and development. I am a jurist, advocate, and international development strategist with more than 20 years of experience in policy analysis, diplomacy, high-level advocacy, and strategic leadership across Africa and the global stage. My expertise spans international law, governance, human rights, peace and security, and humanitarian policy. Over the course of my career, I have worked extensively with multilateral institutions, including the African Union, its Regional Economic Communities, and the United Nations system. Currently, I serve as Advocacy Advisor for Africa at the Open Society Foundations. Previously, I was Senior Director of Advocacy and Strategic Relations for Africa at the ONE Campaign and UNFPA Representative to the African Union and UNECA (2017–2019). From 2009 to 2017, I was the founding Head of Oxfam International’s Liaison Office to the AU. Earlier in my career, I coordinated the Africa Team for the Coalition for the International Criminal Court in New York and served as a Senior Policy Analyst with Oxfam GB. In my home country, Togo, I was elected Commissioner to both the National Human Rights Commission and the Inter-Ministerial Commission on International Humanitarian Law, and also led civic education programming that reached over two million listeners on national radio. Beyond institutional roles, I have been a researcher with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, contributed to the Landmine Monitor annual reports, led the drafting team of the African Union Compendium, and published more than 100 articles and papers on African politics, governance, and international law. Since 2014, I have also been a member of the Netherlands Government’s Knowledge Platform on Inclusive Development Policies. I studied international law, administrative sciences, human rights, and management in Togo, France, Canada, and Austria, and I am fluent in French and English. 👉 This space is where I share reflections, analysis, and debates on Africa’s policies, politics and institutions, with the hope of sparking dialogue, deepening understanding, and strengthening citizen voice in shaping the continent’s future