Decision on the Progress Report on the Implementation of the Institutional Reform of the African Union - Doc. Assembly/AU/2(XXXI)

DECISION ON THE PROGRESS REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE INSTITUTIONAL REFORM OF THE AFRICAN UNION

Doc. Assembly/AU/2(XXXI)

The Assembly,

1. RECALLS Article 9 (1) (a) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union on the powers and functions of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Union to determine the common policies of the African Union;

2. ALSO RECALLS decision Assembly/AU/Dec.635(XXVIII) of January 2017 on the Outcome of the Retreat of the Assembly of the African Union on the Institutional Reform of the African Union and decision Assembly/AU/Dec.687(XXX) of January 2018 on the progress report on the implementation of institutional reform of the Union;

3. WELCOMES the July 2018 Progress Report on the Implementation of the Institutional Reform of the African Union;

4. COMMENDS H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and Leader on the Institutional Reform of the African Union, and the Bureau of the Assembly for their leadership in the supervision of the AU reform process, as well as the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, for the progress made in operationalizing the institutional reform;

5. WELCOMES the progress made in deepening the consultation process in line with decision Assembly/AU/Dec.687(XXX) January 2018 ; and COMMENDS the Group of fifteen (15) Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Chief Executives of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and the Heads of AU Organs and institutions for their active participation in the consultations;

6. ALSO WELCOMES the progress made in implementing the budgetary and financial reforms and COMMENDS the Committee of Fifteen Ministers of Finance (F15) and its experts, and the Sub-Committee of the Permanent Representatives’ Committee on General Supervision and Coordination on Budgetary, Financial and Administrative Matters for the excellent work on the 2019 budget;

7. ALSO COMMENDS Professor Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo, Head of the Institutional Reform Implementation Unit, for the excellent work undertaken in coordinating the reform implementation process and Dr Donald Kaberuka, AU High Representative for Financing the Union for the excellent progress made on financing of the Union and Peace Fund agenda;

8. REQUESTS the Commission to finalize proposals and recommendations based on the initial findings on the Pan-African Parliament, the Peace & Security Council, the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Commission of Human and People’s Rights, the African Peer Review Mechanism and the Advisory Board on Corruption;

9. REITERATES the crucial importance of the reform of the Commission as well as the need for strong Member State and independent expert involvement in the process and ENDORSES the proposal that a retreat of the Executive Council be convened to review draft proposals and recommendations;

10. REQUESTS the Commission to implement the reform of the Commission in line with the process and timelines set out in the July 2018 Progress Report, with a view to strengthening the overall administrative, operational and procedural effectiveness of the Commission;

11. FURTHER REQUESTS the implementation of the roadmap on the clarification of the division of labour between the AU, RECs, Member States and continental organizations;

12. DECIDES to expand the membership of the Group of Fifteen Ministers of Foreign Affairs from fifteen (15) to twenty (20) Member States, four (4) per region, including the Kingdom of Morocco following the acceptance of its request for membership;

13. ALSO DECIDES to convene an Extraordinary Session of the Assembly on the AU institutional reform process on 17-18 November 2018 at the AU Headquarters.