African Union Commission

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, 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.