The (Ir)relevance of the Office of the Chair of the African Union Commission: Analysing the Prospects for Change

Fágbàyíbọ̀, Babátúndé

doi:10.1017/s0021855311000210

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Functionally, the AUC has been described, albeit somewhat vaguely, as the ‘engine room’ (Fagbayibo, 2012, p. 15) of the AU as it is responsible for the day‐to‐day management of AU affairs. The AUC consists of a political and an administrative wing: Politically, the AUC comprises ten elected officials (Commissioners) and appointed corps of administrative and technical staff (African Union, 2002).…”

Section: Structures Developments and Functioning Of The Au And Ecowas...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The organisational dimension of executive authority in the Global South: Insights from the AU and ECOWAS commissions

2022

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The growing importance of executive authority at the international level has fuelled scholarly debate about the level of autonomy enjoyed by international public administration (IPA), that is, the executive arms of international organisations.Insights from IPAs in the West or Global North, such as the European Union, have largely shaped these debates, whereas data from IPAs in the Global South are largely missing in the discussion. This article seeks to remedy this imbalance and contribute to an organisational-theory-inspired conceptualisation of IPA autonomy: We draw insights from survey data from the commissions of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). We demonstrate that, although both commissions are embedded in inter-governmental organisations, they demonstrate remarkably strong features of actor-level autonomy. Thus, this study suggests that even IPAs constrained by an inter-governmental environment may still wield some degree of autonomy.Finally, the article draws practical implications for reforming IPAs.

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Section: Structures Developments and Functioning Of The Au And Ecowas...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The organisational dimension of executive authority in the Global South: Insights from the AU and ECOWAS commissions

2022

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“…The Statutes of the AUC (henceforth Statutes) explained in detail the functions and the composition of the AUC. In functional terms, the AUC acts as the ‘engine room’ (Fagbayibo 2012: 15) of the AU and is responsible for the day-to-day management of AU affairs (African Union 2002). According to Article 3(2) of the Statutes, the AUC is mandated to: represent the AU and defend its interests under the guidance of, and as mandated by the Assembly and Executive Council; initiate proposals to be submitted to the AU's organs, as well as implement decisions taken by them; act as the custodian of the AU Constitutive Act and OAU/AU legal instruments; provide operational support for all AU organs; assist member-states in implementing the AU's programmes; draft common African positions and coordinate member-states’ actions in international negotiations; manage the AU budget, resources and strategic planning; elaborate, promote, coordinate and harmonise the AU's programmes and policies with those of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs); ensure gender mainstreaming in all AU programmes and activities; take action as delegated by the Assembly and Executive Council (African Union 2014: 46).…”

Section: Organisational and Demographic Characteristics Of The Aucmentioning

confidence: 99%

People who run African affairs: staffing and recruitment in the African Union Commission

2020

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This study contributes to the field of International Public Administration (IPA) and the emerging area of Informal International Relations (IIR) by examining the politics of staffing and recruitment of the African Union Commission (AUC). Although the AUC has become a major political player in international affairs, there is a dearth of knowledge about the civil servants who work for the AUC and who run this paramount pan-African executive body. To address the void, this paper draws on a survey of 137 AUC staff, archival studies and interviews to explore recruitment of AUC staff. Combining organisational theory and informality as analytical lenses, the study demonstrates that, first, many informal international practices (IIPs) are embedded in AUC recruitment processes. Second, the AUC is composed largely of short-term, contracted staff. Finally, it shows that the AUC is dependent on lower-ranked personnel or that it is bottom-heavy. Many of these lower-ranked officials are intimately involved in the making of AUC policies and decisions, putting into question the assumption in existing scholarship that decision-makers of IOs are primarily reliant on top-ranked A-level officials (senior management).

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“…This function is the preserve of the Assembly, which effectively curtails the Chairperson's ability to drive the institution decisively. According to Fagbayibo (2012), the ability to allocate portfolios is essential to realizing her vision for the institution, and she will need to have these powers to implement her strategies.…”

Section: Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Obasanjo took offence and regarded this act as insubordination, and declared the appointment 'null and void'. According to Fagbayibo (2012): This tension should, however, be understood within the intergovernmental context within which the AU operates. The fact that the AU Chairperson is a member of the principal decision-making body, the Assembly, ensures that the absence of any clarity on the relationship with the Commission chairperson can easily be construed as a relationship of subordination: where the AU chairperson is superior (African Union: rules 4, 6 and 20).…”

Section: Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Broken Legs of the African Union Commission Chair: A Critique of the Present and Prospects for the Future

Saurombe

2014

JLSD

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Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma successfully lobbied for and secured the prime seat as the new AU Commission Chairperson. This paper argues that the office of the Chairperson of the AU Commission does not have the legal and political power to spearhead the proper functions of the Commission Secretariat, hence the ‘broken legs’ in the title. The new Chairperson is going into an organisation which is intergovernmental in nature, with the critical decision-making power still in the hands of individual member states. The question being asked in this paper is how the Chairperson can exercise her mandate under the current setup. There is a need to look critically at the AU’s culture and how it functions, and at its grand political dreams that in most cases have not come true. The paper concludes by advocating major institutional reforms so that the office of the AU Commission Chairperson becomes credible and legitimate to empower her to sit down and work.

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The (Ir)relevance of the Office of the Chair of the African Union Commission: Analysing the Prospects for Change

Cited by 7 publications

References 1 publication

The organisational dimension of executive authority in the Global South: Insights from the AU and ECOWAS commissions

The organisational dimension of executive authority in the Global South: Insights from the AU and ECOWAS commissions

People who run African affairs: staffing and recruitment in the African Union Commission

The Broken Legs of the African Union Commission Chair: A Critique of the Present and Prospects for the Future

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