Humanelaw

The African Union is a union comprising of 53 African states. The African Union was established with the purpose of securing Africa’s human rights, sustainable economy and democracy, especially by ending intra-African conflict and creating an efficient universal market. Morocco is the only African state which is not in AU. The AU was set up on 9th July, 2002 and it is a descendant to the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The Assembly of the African Union makes the most important decisions.
The secretariat of AU, the African Union Commission is situated in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The objectives of the leading institutions of AU are: to step up the political and socio-economic incorporation of the continent, to attain peace and security in Africa, to support democratic institutions and good governance and human rights.
The AU is made up of both political and administrative wings. The Assembly is its highest decision making arm. The assembly is made up of all the Government of member states of the AU. The chairman of the assembly is Bingu Wa Mutaharika and he is also the leader of Malawi elected at 10th ordinary meeting of the assembly. PAN African Parliament is the representative body of the AU and it comprises of 265 members elected by the national parliaments of the AU member nations. The Idriss Ndele Moussa is the current president of the Pan African Parliament. The Executive Council, the Permanent Representative Committee and the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) are the other political institutions of the AU.

Jean Ping of Gabon is the chairman of the AU Commission, the secretariat of the political structures. Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia is the main administrative capital of the African Union, where the African Union Commission’s headquarter is situated. Other African Union structures: are the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Gambia and the NEPAD and APRM secretariats and the Pan-African Parliament. The African Union covers the whole continent apart from Morocco and Spanish North Africa, as that state opposes the association of Western Sahara as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Nevertheless, Morocco has an unusual position within the African Union and benefits from the services available to all African Union nations from the institutions of the African Union, such as the African Development Bank (ADB). Moroccan delegates also take part at main African Union functions and dialogue as well as continue to try to resolve the divergence with the Polisario Front in Tindouf, Algeria and the parts of Western Sahara.

Organizations of the African Union:

• Pan- African parliament: This is the highest legislative body of the African union.
• Assembly of the African Union: It is composed of the heads of state and heads of the Government of the African Union.
• African Union Authority: The secretariat of the AU comprising of 10 commissioner and supporting staffs.
• African Court of Justice: The Constitutive Act provides for a court of justice to rule on disputes over interpretation of the African Union treaties.
• Executive Council: comprising of ministers designated by the Governments of the member states.
• Permanent Representatives’ Committee: This committee prepares the work for the Executive Council.
• Peace and Security Council (PSC): The protocol defines it as a collective security and early warning arrangement to facilitate timely and effective response to conflict and crisis situation in Africa.

Economic Social and Cultural Council: An advisory wing comprising of professional and civic representatives.
Human Rights: The ACHPR, is in existence since 1986 and is set up under the Charter (the African Charter) rather than the Constitutive Act of the African Union. It is the leading African human rights body, with responsibility for promoting and monitoring compliance with the African Charter. The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights was set up in 2006 to supplement the job of the Commission, following the admission into force of a protocol to the Charter providing for its creation. It is planned that the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights will be combined with the African Court of Justice.