The African Union

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of all 55 states that make up the countries of the African Continent. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organization of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999).

Establishment 

The decision to establish the African Union was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 2000 by its predecessor the Organisation of African Unity.

The decision was taken with a view to creating a new continental organisation to build on the OAU’s work and refocus attention from the fight against colonisation and apartheid – which was the main focus of the OAU - towards greater cooperation and integration of African states in order to boost African growth and development.

It was founded on 26 May 2001 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and launched on 9 July 2002 in Durban South Africa.

Ascension to G20

The AU was made a permanent member of the G20 during a meeting in Delhi, India, on 9 September 2023. This meant it became one of only two regional blocs – along with the EU - with full membership. Before this, its designation was “invited international organisation”.

Members

All UN member states based in African and on African islands are members of the AU, as well as the partially recognised state of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

South Sudan joined the AU on 15 August 2011 after seceding from Sudan, and Morocco joined on 17 January 2017. All other members were founding members, having been part of the OAU when the AU was formed.

Suspensions

Mali was suspended on 19 August 2020 after a military coup. Its suspension was lifted on 9 October of the same year in view of the progress made in returning to democracy. However, the country was again suspended on 1 June 2021 after its second coup in nine months.

Guinea was suspended on 10 September 2021 following the military coup which deposed then-President Alpha Conde.

Sudan was suspended on 27 October 2021 following the military coup which deposed then-Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s civilian government.

Burkina Faso was suspended on 31 January 2022 following a military coup.

Niger was suspended on 22 August 2023 following a military coup the month before which saw democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum deposed.

Gabon was suspended on 31 August 2023 following a military coup which deposed then-President Ali Bongo Ondimba.

Observers

Haiti, Israel (suspended since February 2023), Kazakhstan, Latvia, Mexico, Palestine, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates.

Statistics

Population: 1,321,000,000 (2020 estimate)

Area: 29,922,059 km2

GDP: $2.587tn (2020 estimate)

Constitution

The Constitutive Act of the African Union establishes the formal structure that governs the operations of the African Union.

The document was officially endorsed on July 11, 2000, in Lomé, Togo, and became legally effective once more than two-thirds of the 53 countries that initially signed it ratified the agreement on May 26, 2001.

By ratifying the Constitutive Act, a nation formally joins the African Union as a member. All 55 states that originally signed the document have since ratified it, with South Sudan and Morocco being the most recent African nations to do so.

Aims

The vision of the AU is “An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.”

The Constitutive Act of the African Union and the Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the African Union lay out the aims of the AU which are:

• Achieve greater unity and solidarity between African countries and their people

• Defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of its Member States;

• Accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent;

• Promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples;

• Encourage international cooperation

• Promote peace, security, and stability on the continent;

• Promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation, and good governance;

• Promote and protect human and peoples’ rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant human rights instruments;

• Establish the necessary conditions which enable the continent to play its rightful role in the global economy and in international negotiations;

• Promote sustainable development at the economic, social, and cultural levels as well as the integration of African economies;

• Promote cooperation in all fields of human activity to raise the living standards of African peoples;

• Coordinate and harmonise the policies between the existing and future Regional Economic Communities for the gradual attainment of the objectives of the Union;

• Advance the development of the continent by promoting research in all fields, in particular in science and technology

• Work with relevant international partners in the eradication of preventable diseases and the promotion of good health on the continent.

• Ensure the effective participation of women in decision-making, particularly in the political, economic and socio-cultural areas;

• Develop and promote common policies on trade, defence and foreign relations to ensure the defence of the Continent and the strengthening of its negotiating positions;

• Invite and encourage the full participation of the African Diaspora as an important part of our Continent, in the building of the African Union.

Secretariat

The African Union’s secretariat, the African Union Commission, is based in Addis Ababa. 

Primary Working Languages

Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swahili.

Presidency

The Chairperson of the African Union is selected by the Assembly following consultations by Member States. The office of the Chair of the African Union is held for a period for one year by a Head of State or Government. Click here for a list of the AU’s former Chairpersons.

Flag

The current AU flag was adopted on 31 January 2010.

The design, by Yadesa Bojia, symbolises the hope of Africa and depicts a dark green representation of the African continent, including the Sinai Peninsula and nearby islands, set against a white sun, encircled by a ring of 55 five-pointed gold (yellow) stars that represent the union’s 55 member states, displayed on a dark green background. 

The AU did not have a flag when first formed. It used the flag of its predecessor the Organisation of African Unity between 2004 and 2010.

Organs

Decision Making

• The Assembly of Heads of State and Government,

• The Executive Council,

• The Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC),

• Specialised Technical Committees (STCs),

• The Peace and Security Council

• The African Union Commission

• The Pan-African Parliament

• The Economic, Social & Cultural Council (ECOSOCC)

Judicial, Legal, and Human Rights

• African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR)

• African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR)

• AU Commission on International Law (AUCIL)

• AU Advisory Board on Corruption (AUABC)

• The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

Financial

• The African Central Bank

• The African Investment Bank

• The African Monetary Fund

Other

• The Regional Economic Communities (RECs)

• The African Peer Review Mechanism