Public Seminar Report Analysis of the 13th Ordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) Heads of States and Government

This report summarizes an ISS public seminar analyzing the 13th Ordinary AU Summit. The primary focus was the AU's decision to non-cooperate with the ICC regarding President Al-Bashir, the AU's frustration with the UN Security Council's referral powers, and the potential limitations of the proposed AU Authority.

• The 13th Ordinary AU Summit decided on non-cooperation with the ICC specifically regarding Al-Bashir, though not all ICC cases. This decision was met with objections from Botswana and Chad, the latter of which the seminar participants viewed as 'diplomatic posturing' due to its conflict with Sudan rather than a principled stance.
• The AU expressed disappointment and a sense of humiliation toward the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for its silence regarding the AU's request for deferral. Seminar participants questioned the legitimacy and moral authority of the UNSC's referral role, noting that three of its five permanent members—the USA, China, and Russia—are against the ICC.
• The AU's decision on the ICC has placed a previously robust Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the AU Commission and the ICC in a 'precarious situation'. This MOU had aimed to encourage AU member states to exercise first jurisdiction under complementarity principles, encourage ratification of the Rome statute, and establish a liaison office.
• The seminar discussed the proposed AU Authority as a step toward African integration, but participants argued that it would likely face the same political constraints as the AU Commission because its mandate and operational framework would not change substantially.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2009). Public Seminar Report Analysis of the 13th Ordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) Heads of States and Government. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUSEMREP8JUL09.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Public Seminar Report Analysis of the 13th Ordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) Heads of States and Government. 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUSEMREP8JUL09.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Public Seminar Report Analysis of the 13th Ordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) Heads of States and Government |date=8 July 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUSEMREP8JUL09.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2009public, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Public Seminar Report Analysis of the 13th Ordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) Heads of States and Government}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = jul, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUSEMREP8JUL09.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }