The AU Commission

The African Union Commission (AUC) is the AU’s secretariat and undertakes the day to day activities of the Union. It is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Its functions, include:

Representing the AU and defending its interests under the guidance of and as mandated by the Assembly and the Executive Council
Initiating proposals to be submitted to the AU’s organs as well as implementing decisions taken by them
Acting as the custodian of the AU Constitutive Act and all other OAU/AU legal instruments
Liaising closely with the AU organs to guide, support and monitor the AU’s performance to ensure conformity and harmony with agreed policies, strategies, programmes and projects
Providing operational support for all AU organs
Assisting Member States in implementing the AU’s programmes
Drafting AU common positions and coordinating Member States’ actions in international negotiations
Managing the AU budget and resources
Elaborating, promoting, coordinating and harmonising the AU’s programmes and policies with those of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs)
Ensuring gender mainstreaming in all AU programmes and activities
Taking action, as delegated by the Assembly and Executive Council.

Structure

The Commission is composed of a chairperson, deputy chairperson and six commissioners, plus staff. The Assembly elects the AUC Chairperson and AUC Deputy Chairperson. The Executive Council elects the six AUC Commissioners, who are appointed by the Assembly. Commission members’ terms are for four years, renewable once. Elections and terms are governed by the AU Assembly Rules of Procedure the Executive Council Rules of Procedure and the Commission Statutes

AUC Chairperson

The Chairperson of the Commission is the Chief Executive Officer, legal representative of the AU and the Commission’s Chief Accounting Officer. He or she is directly responsible to the Executive Council for the discharge of his or her duties. The Chairperson of the AUC is elected by the Assembly for a four-year term, renewable once. Election is by secret ballot and a two-thirds majority of Member States eligible to vote. The current AUC Chairperson is Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat from The Republic of Chad. Visit AUC Chairperson to find out more about the structure and function of the Office of the Chairperson of the AUC

AUC Deputy Chairperson

The Deputy Chairperson assists the Chairperson in the execution of his or her functions for the smooth running of the Commission and is in charge of administration and finance. The Deputy acts as the Chairperson in his or her absence. The Deputy Chairperson is elected by the Assembly for a four-year term, renewable once. Election is by secret ballot and a two-thirds majority of Member States eligible to vote. The Deputy must not be from the same region as the Chairperson of the Commission. Visit AUC Deputy Chairperson to find out more about the structure and function of the Office of the Deputy Chairperson of the AUC

AUC Commissioners

AU Commission Departments

AUC DIRECTORATES & SPECIAL UNITS

MISSION & SPECIAL LIAISON OFFICES

SPECIAL UNITS

Agenda 2063

Flagship Projects

Integrated High Speed Train Network

Connecting African capitals and commercial centers through a High-Speed Train Network; facilitating the movement of goods, factor services and people as well as reducing transport costs and relieving congestion of current and future systems through increased rail connectivity.

African Commodities Strategy

Transforming Africa from a raw materials supplier by enabling countries to add value, extract higher rents from commodities, integrate into global value chains promote diversification anchored in value addition and local content development.

African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

Accelerating intra-African trade and boosting Africa’s trading position in the global market by strengthening Africa’s common voice and policy space in global trade negotiations.

The African Passport & Free Movement of People

Removing restrictions on Africans’ ability to travel, work and live within their own continent by transforming restrictive laws and promoting visa free travel to enhance movement of all African citizens in all African countries.

Silencing the Guns by 2020

Ending all wars, civil conflicts, gender-based violence, violent conflicts and preventing genocide in the continent by 2020.

The Grand Inga Dam Project

Generating an estimated 43,200MW of power to support current regional power pools and their combined service to transform Africa from traditional to modern sources of energy and ensure access to clean and affordable electricity.

Single African Air-Transport Market

Promoting intra-regional connectivity between the capital cities of Africa by creating a single unified air transport market in Africa, as an impetus to the continent’s economic integration and growth agenda.

African Economic Forum

Multi-stakeholder meeting bringing together the Africa’s policy makers, private sector, academia and civil society to reflect on accelerating Africa’s socio- economic development and transformation by harnessing its vast resources.

African Financial Institutions

Accelerating integration and economic development through the establishment of organisations which will play a pivotal role in the mobilization of resources and management of the African financial sector.

The Pan African e-Network

Transforming Africa into an e-Society by implementing policies and strategies that lead to transformative e-applications and services in Africa such as broad band terrestrial infrastructure, cyber security and revolutionary bio and nanotechnology industries.

Africa Outer Space Strategy

Strengthening Africa’s use of outer space to bolster development in critical sectors such as agriculture, disaster management, remote sensing, climate forecast, banking and finance, defense and security.

African Virtual & e-University

Using ICT based programmes to increase access to tertiary and continuing education in Africa by reaching large numbers of students and professionals in multiple sites simultaneously.

Cyber Security

Incorporating emerging technologies in Africa’s development plans and ensuring these technologies are used for the benefit of African individuals, institutions and nation states by ensuring data protection and safety online.

Great African Museum

Preserving and promoting African cultural heritage by creating awareness of Africa’s vast, dynamic and diverse cultural artefacts and Africa’s continuing influence on world cultures in art, music, language, science, and so on.

Encyclopaedia Africana

Provide an authoritative resource on the authentic history of Africa and African life.

H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat
Chairperson of the African Union Commission

H.E. Kwesi Quartey
Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission
Commissioners

NOW

Related Content

Agenda 2063

Resources

Key Resources