Assembly of the African Union

Assembly of the African Union
Name	Assembly of the African Union
Formation	2002
Headquarters	Addis Ababa
Leader title	Chairperson
Parent organization	African Union

Assembly of the African Union is the supreme decision-making body of the African Union convening heads of state and government from member State of the African Union. It provides strategic guidance on continental policy and issues relating to peace, security, trade, and regional integration involving actors such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, African Development Bank, African Continental Free Trade Area, Economic Community of West African States, and the United Nations. The Assembly meets at regular and extraordinary sessions to adopt declarations, protocols, and instruments that shape relations among institutions like the African Union Commission, Peace and Security Council (African Union), and external partners including the European Union and African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States.

History

The Assembly was constituted with the creation of the African Union at the Sirte Declaration and the OAU to AU transition following summits such as the Summit of the OAU and instruments like the Constitutive Act of the African Union. Early sessions convened in Addis Ababa and Maputo, reflecting continuity from the Organization of African Unity era where leaders met in venues including Dakar and Harare. Major historical milestones include the adoption of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), endorsement of the African Peace and Security Architecture, and ratification of the African Union Constitutive Act provisions on intervention and sovereignty debated during crises in Darfur, Mali, and Libya. The Assembly has also responded to pandemics and crises referenced alongside bodies such as the World Health Organization, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank.

Membership and Composition

Membership comprises heads of state and government from the fifty-five member Republic of Burundi-era members recognized by the African Union. Delegations routinely include representatives from states such as Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Ethiopia, Algeria, Morocco, and Gabon. Composition is informed by regional blocs including the Economic Community of Central African States, Southern African Development Community, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and Arab Maghreb Union. Observers and invited participants have included the African Diaspora, representatives from the European Commission, the United Nations Security Council, and organizations like the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and African Export-Import Bank.

Functions and Powers

The Assembly exercises powers derived from the Constitutive Act of the African Union to determine priorities on peace and security issues such as mandates for the African Standby Force, authorization of interventions similar to measures applied in Rwanda and Somalia, and endorsement of missions coordinated with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and European Union Training Mission. It adopts policies affecting trade instruments like the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, approves budgets for the African Union Commission, and appoints officials to institutions such as the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights and the Pan-African Parliament. The Assembly also ratifies protocols related to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and issues communiqués addressing matters involving parties such as Sudan, Eritrea, and Zimbabwe.

Meetings and Procedures

Sessions are convened as Ordinary Sessions during annual African Union Summit gatherings and as Extraordinary Sessions in response to crises or requests from members like Ghana or Senegal. Agendas are prepared in coordination with the African Union Commission and relevant organs including the Specialized Technical Committees and the Committee of Fifteen. Meetings have taken place in host cities such as Addis Ababa, Banjul, Mauritius, and Accra, and follow procedural rules reflecting precedents from assemblies like the United Nations General Assembly and practices in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Documents produced include decisions, declarations, roadmaps, and communiqués often negotiated with stakeholders such as the African Union Youth Envoy and the African Peer Review Mechanism.

Decision-Making and Voting

Decisions are adopted by consensus where possible, with voting rules specified by the African Union Constitutive Act and Assembly protocol when consensus is not achieved. Voting modalities range from simple majority to two-thirds majorities for matters like admission of new members (e.g., Morocco re-admission) or amendments to instruments such as the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights. The Assembly’s authority to make binding determinations intersects with judicial organs like the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights and consultative bodies such as the Economic, Social and Cultural Council. Voting outcomes have influenced interventions endorsed in contexts including Mali and Burundi.

Leadership and Organizational Structure

The Assembly is chaired on a rotational basis by elected heads of state and government; notable chairs have included leaders from Rwanda, South Africa, Egypt, and Senegal. The Chairperson presides over summit sessions with support from the Bureau of the Assembly, which comprises vice-presidents representing African regions such as North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Administrative and technical support is provided by the African Union Commission under its Chairperson and Commissioners, and coordination occurs with organs like the Pan-African Parliament, African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, and the African Standby Force Secretariat.

Relations with Other Organizations and International Role

The Assembly engages multilaterally with entities including the United Nations General Assembly, European Union Commission, African Development Bank Group, World Bank Group, and regional bodies like the Arab League and Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. It shapes Africa’s positions in global forums such as the G20 summits, United Nations Security Council consultations, COP climate conferences, and BRICS dialogues, coordinating with partners like the International Criminal Court and World Health Organization. Through partnership frameworks and memoranda with actors such as the United States, China, European Union, and Japan, the Assembly influences peace operations, trade negotiations, development financing, and continental initiatives such as the Agenda 2063 vision.

Category:African Union