African Union Commission

The African Union Commission (AUC) acts as the executive/administrative branch or secretariat of the African Union. It is headed by a chairperson and consists of a number of Commissioners dealing with different areas of policy.

The African Union Headquarters are in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It should be distinguished from the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, (based in Banjul, Gambia), which is a separate body that reports to the African Union.

History

On September 13, 2005 an agreement was reached by the Commission and France whereby France would donate €5 million for the furtherance of African Union activities. Some of the initiatives this money will go to are an African Communication Policy and an African Common Defence Force. The signatory on behalf of the Commission was Bernard Zoba.

The African Union Commission became a part of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2012. FOCAC is the main multi-lateral coordination mechanism between the African countries and China. Since joining FOCAC, the African Union Commission has increasingly played a coordinating role, although each African country in FOCAC continues to represent itself individually.

Departments

The commission is divided into departments known that can be likened to ministries. A commissioner's portfolio can be supported by numerous sub departments; they prepare proposals for them and if approved by a majority of commissioners proposals go forward to the Parliament and Council for consideration.
* Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment
* Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry, Mining
* Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation
* Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security
* Department of Infrastructure and Energy
* Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development

Agencies

The agencies of the African Union (AU) are specialized institutions established to implement the AU's objectives of promoting unity, peace, and sustainable development across Africa.

Key members

* Mahamoud Ali Youssouf is Chairman of the Commission.
* Selma Haddadi is Deputy Chairman.
*Directorate of Conference Management and Publications is headed by Nedjat Khellaf
* Directorate of Peace and Security is headed by Bankole Adeoye (previously headed by Ramtane Lamamra)
* Directorate of Political Affairs is headed by Julia Dolly Joiner
* Directorate of Infrastructure and Energy is headed by Elham Mahmood Ibrahim
* Directorate of Social Affairs is headed by Amira El Fadil
* Directorate of Human Resources, Science and Technology is headed by Nagia Essayed
* African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development was Raila Odinga from October 2018. Prior to this, the Directorate of Trade and Industry was headed by Elisabeth Tankeu.
* Directorate of Rural Economy and Agriculture is headed by Rosebud Kurwijila
* Directorate of Economic Affairs is headed by Maxwell Mkwezalamba
* Office of the Legal Counsel is headed by Ben Kioko
*the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment is Josefa Sacko
* Tidiane Ouattara

Finances

The African Union Commission (AUC) operates on a budget funded through contributions from its member states as well as international partners. The budget supports the Commission's administrative functions, peacekeeping operations, development programs, and other initiatives aligned with the African Union's strategic objectives.

Annual Budget

Below is a summary of the AUC's annual budgets over recent years:

* 2021: $623.2 million
* 2022: $637.9 million
* 2023: $641.1 million
* 2024: $647.3 million

The budget reflects incremental increases to support expanded operations, including initiatives in peace and security, socio-economic development, and institutional capacity building.

Member State Contributions

Member states contribute to the AUC's budget based on an assessed contribution formula that considers factors such as the size of their economies. Contributions are categorized into three tiers:

# Tier 1: Major contributors, including countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria, contribute a significant share of the budget.
# Tier 2: Middle-income countries contribute a moderate share.
# Tier 3: Least Developed Countries (LDCs) contribute a smaller, more manageable share.

The African Union has also adopted a 0.2% levy on eligible imports to finance its budget independently and reduce reliance on external donors. However, compliance with the levy varies across member states, affecting the overall contribution landscape.

References

External links

Official website

Organisations based in Addis Ababa

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