The African Union Commission (AUC) acts as the executive/administrative branch or secretariat of the
African Union
The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...
. It is headed by a
chairperson
The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a Board of directors, board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by ...
and consists of a number of Commissioners dealing with different areas of policy.
The
African Union Headquarters are in
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...
,
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
. It should be distinguished from the
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) is a quasi-judicial body tasked with promoting and protecting human rights and collective (peoples') rights throughout the African continent as well as interpreting the African Char ...
, (based in
Banjul
Banjul (, (US) and ), officially the City of Banjul, is the capital city of The Gambia. It is the centre of the eponymous administrative division which is home to an estimated 400,000 residents, making it The Gambia's largest and most densely ...
,
Gambia
The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
), 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
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
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
Ministry may refer to:
Government
* Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister
* Ministry (government department), a department of a government
Religion
* Christian mi ...
. 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
The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...
(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
Raila Amolo Odinga (born 7 January 1945) is a Kenyan politician who served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He was the Member of Parliament (Kenya), Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata Constituency from 1992 to 2013 and has ...
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
{{Africa-stub