African Union

== Overview ==
The objectives of the African Union are:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://au.int/sites/default/files/pages/34873-file-constitutiveact_en.pdf |title=Constitutive Act |access-date=2 May 2021 |publisher=African Union |archive-date=15 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415235637/https://au.int/sites/default/files/pages/34873-file-constitutiveact_en.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

# To achieve greater unity, cohesion and solidarity among the African countries and African nations.
# To defend the sovereignty, [[territorial integrity]] and independence of its Member States.
# To accelerate the political and social-economic integration of the continent.
# To promote and defend [[Africa]]n common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples.
# To encourage international cooperation, taking due account of the [[Charter of the United Nations]] and the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]].
# To promote peace, security, and stability on the continent.
# To promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance.
# To promote and protect human and peoples' rights in accordance with the [[African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights]] and other relevant [[international human rights instruments|human rights instruments]].
# To establish the necessary conditions which enable the continent to play its rightful role in the global economy and in international negotiations.
# To promote [[sustainable development]] at the [[economic, social and cultural rights|economic, social and cultural levels]] as well as the integration of African economies.
# To promote co-operation in all fields of human activity to raise the [[standard of living|living standards]] of African people.
# To coordinate and harmonise the policies between the existing and future [[Regional Economic Communities]] for the gradual attainment of the objectives of the Union.
# To advance the development of the continent by promoting research in all fields, in particular in science and technology.
# To work with relevant international partners in the eradication of preventable diseases and the promotion of good health on the continent.

The African Union is made up of both political and administrative bodies. The highest decision-making organ is the [[Assembly of the African Union]], made up of all the heads of state or government of member states of the AU. The Assembly is chaired by [[Félix Tshisekedi]], President of the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]. The AU also has a representative body, the [[Pan-African Parliament]], which consists of 265 members elected by the national legislatures of the AU member states. Its president is [[Roger Nkodo Dang]].

Other political institutions of the AU include:

* the [[Executive Council of the African Union|Executive Council]], made up of [[foreign minister]]s, which prepares decisions for the Assembly;
* the [[Permanent Representatives' Committee of the African Union|Permanent Representatives Committee]], made up of the ambassadors to [[Addis Ababa]] of AU member states; and
* the [[Economic, Social, and Cultural Council]] (ECOSOCC), a civil society consultative body.

The [[African Union Commission|AU Commission]], the secretariat to the political structures, is chaired by [[Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma]] of South Africa. On 15 July 2012, Dlamini-Zuma won a tightly contested vote to become the first female head of the African Union Commission, replacing [[Jean Ping]] of [[Gabon]].

Other AU structures are hosted by different member states:

* the [[African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights]] is based in [[Banjul]], [[the Gambia]]; and
* the [[New Partnership for Africa's Development]] (NEPAD) and [[APRM]] [[wikt:secretariat|Secretariats]] and the [[Pan-African Parliament]] are in [[Midrand]], South Africa.

The AU's first military intervention in a member state was the May 2003 deployment of a peacekeeping force of soldiers from South Africa, [[Ethiopia]], and [[Mozambique]] to oversee the implementation of the various agreements in [[Burundi]]. AU troops were also deployed in the [[Sudan]] for peacekeeping during the [[War in Darfur|Darfur Conflict]], before the mission was handed over to the [[United Nations]] on 1 January 2008 via [[United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur|UNAMID]]. The AU has a peacekeeping mission in [[Somalia]], consisting of troops from [[Uganda]] and Burundi.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-07-27 |title=African Union adds 4,000 troops to Somalia peace force |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE66Q23I |access-date=2022-05-17 |archive-date=17 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517045202/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE66Q23I |url-status=live }}</ref>

The AU has adopted a number of important new documents establishing norms at continental level, to supplement those already in force when it was created. These include the [[African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption]] (2003), the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007), the [[New Partnership for Africa's Development]] (NEPAD) and its associated Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance.<ref>[http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Documents/Treaties/treaties.htm Africa-union.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070604051527/http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Documents/Treaties/treaties.htm |date=4 June 2007 }}</ref>