auauthority19jun09-553f6c0677358d62.pdf

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the proposed transformation of the African Union Commission into the African Union Authority. It analyzes the ideological divide between gradualist and maximalist approaches to continental integration and proposes a hybrid institutional model that balances intergovernmentalism with supranationalism to improve policy implementation and development.

• The African Union General Assembly decided in January 2009 to transform the AU Commission into the AU Authority due to a perceived failure of the Commission to meet expectations, evidenced by a decision implementation rate of just over 10 per cent in some departments.
• There is a fundamental ideological divide regarding the nature of the proposed Authority: 'maximalists' view it as a motor to fast-track the creation of a 'United States of Africa' via a supranational model, while 'gradualists' argue it should remain intergovernmental to respect national sovereignty and the principle of subsidiarity.
• The authors propose a hybrid model for the AU Authority that is principally intergovernmental but possesses supranational traits, allowing it to act as an 'agent of Africans' rather than just an agent of member states to avoid being solely driven by national interests.
• The proposed jurisdiction of the Authority is divided into two pillars: a first pillar of non-politically sensitive issues (such as poverty reduction, food security, and global warming) where the Authority would have exclusive policy initiation rights, and a second pillar of sensitive issues (such as foreign policy, defence, and peace and security) where it would only provide support and coordination.
• To ensure implementation in first-pillar domains, the authors suggest the Authority be granted the power to refer member states that breach community directives to the African Court of Justice and Human Rights.
• The proposed institutional structure includes a president appointed by the General Assembly and a two-tier hierarchy consisting of political appointments (president and secretaries) and technocrats in the second tier.
• The briefing suggests empowering the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) with full legislative powers specifically in the first-pillar areas of jurisdiction to enhance citizen participation and ensure policies do not negatively impact the rights and freedoms of Africans.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). auauthority19jun09-553f6c0677358d62.pdf. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUAUTHORITY19JUN09.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. auauthority19jun09-553f6c0677358d62.pdf. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUAUTHORITY19JUN09.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=auauthority19jun09-553f6c0677358d62.pdf |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUAUTHORITY19JUN09.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndauauthority19jun09553f6c0677358d62pdf, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{auauthority19jun09-553f6c0677358d62.pdf}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUAUTHORITY19JUN09.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }