14 March 2011: The fourth meeting of African legal experts is convening from 14-22 March 2011, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to consider the process of transforming the African Union (AU) Commission into an Authority. The meeting is expected to finalize the legal instruments on the transformation for submission to the 17th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, to be held in June 2011, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

The transformation into the AU Authority aims to strengthen the AU institutional framework and accelerate Africa’s economic and political integration. The Authority would exercise its functions based on the principle of subsidiary with regard to member States and Regional Economic Communities. Among other competencies, the Authority would address: continent-wide poverty reduction; free movement of persons and goods; peace and security, and coordination of African common defense policy, as well as its foreign policy.

The decision to transform the AU Commission into the AU Authority was taken by the AU Assembly in July 2009. [AU Press Release] [Expert Meeting Agenda]