Question

Difficulty: Very hardOrganisation of African Unity (OAU) and African Union (AU)

Under the Constitutive Act of the African Union, which organ composed of Ministers of Foreign Affairs is directly responsible for preparing decisions and recommendations for the Assembly of Heads of State and Government?

  1. The Executive CouncilAnswer
  2. B
    The Permanent Representatives Committee
  3. C
    The Commission of the African Union
  4. D
    The Specialized Technical Committees

Answer

The Executive Council is the organ composed of Ministers of Foreign Affairs responsible for preparing decisions for the Assembly.
The Executive Council is composed of Foreign Affairs Ministers or designated cabinet ministers of member states. Under the AU framework, it meets at least twice a year to coordinate common policies and prepare the agenda, reports, and recommendations submitted to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the institutional hierarchy and membership of the African Union organs defined in the Constitutive Act.
Recognize that the supreme organ is the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
Understanding institutional governance hierarchy is necessary to pinpoint organ responsibilities.
2
Analyze the composition and mandate of ministerial-level preparatory organs.
The Executive Council is composed of Ministers of Foreign Affairs (or designated ministers) and is mandated under Article 13 of the Constitutive Act to prepare decisions, policy agendas, and recommendations for consideration by the Assembly.
Differentiating between ambassadorial bodies (PRC) and ministerial bodies (Executive Council) resolves the specific role required.

Key Concept

AU Institutional Governance Framework and Ministerial Organ Roles
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