(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-01-28 14:37

ADDIS ABABA -- The 8th summit of the African Union(AU) is going to open on Monday in the pan-Africa organization's headquarters in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. Here is a brief introduction to the African Union.

HISTORY:

The establishment of African Union to replace the Organization of African Union (OAU), which was founded in 1963, was envisaged at an extraordinary summit meeting convened in September 1999 in Sirte, Libya with a view to furthering African cooperation, development and integration. The Constitutive Act of the African Union entered into force in May 2001 and AU became fully operational in July 2002.

MEMBERS:

The AU has 53 members. Morocco is the only African country that is not a member of the AU. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic ( SADR) was admitted to the OAU in February 1982, following recognition by more than one-half of the member states, but its membership was disputed by Morocco and other states which claimed that a two-thirds majority was needed to admit SADR whose existence was in question. Morocco withdrew from the OAU with effect from November 1985 and has not applied to join the AU.

MAJOR ORGANS:

*The Assembly, comprising members' top leaders or their accredited representatives, is the supreme organ and meets at least once a year to determine and monitor the union's priorities and common policies and to adopt its annual work program. Resolutions are passed by a two-thirds majority, procedural matters by a simple majority. A chairperson is elected at each meeting from among the members to hold office for one year. The current chairperson is the Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso.

The Assembly ensures compliance by members with decisions of the union, adopts the biannual budget and hears and settles disputes between member states.

The first Assembly meeting was held in Durban of South Africa in July 2002.

*The Executive Council consists of ministers of foreign affairs and others and meets at least twice a year. It determines the issues to be submitted to the Assembly for decision, coordinates and harmonizes the policies, activities and initiatives of the Union in areas of common interest to member states, monitors the implementation of policies and decisions of the Assembly.

*The Pan-African Parliament, inaugurated on March 18, 2004, has consultative and advisory powers only, but with the aim of ultimately evolving into an institution with full legislative powers.

*The Commission is the permanent secretariat of the organization, comprising a chairperson, deputy chairperson and eight commissioners responsible for peace and security; political affairs; infrastructure and energy; social affairs; human resources, science and technology; trade and industry; rural economy and agriculture; and economic affairs. It reports to the Executive Council. The current Commission chairman is former Malian president Alpha Oumar Konare.

THEME OF THE 8TH AU SUMMIT:

*Science, Technology and Scientific Research for Development

*Climate Change in Africa.

Source: AU's official website, Africa South of the Sahara 2003.