Assembly/AU/Dec.233(XII) Page 1 DECISION ON THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY ON THE UNION GOVERNMENT The Assembly: 1. RECALLS its decision adopted during its Special Session on the Union Government held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 1 February 2009, to transform the African Union Commission into the African Union Authority; 2. FURTHER RECALLS its directive to the Executive Council to elaborate upon this decision; 3. TAKES NOTE and DECIDES to endorse the recommendation of the Executive Council, which reads as follows: “Pursuant to the Decision of the Assembly directing the Executive Council to elaborate upon its decision regarding the establishment of the African Union Authority: The Executive Council received the decision: 1. 2. 3. to transform the African Union Commission into an African Union Authority; to strengthen the AU Authority; that the Authority shall have a structure comprising of the President, the Vice President and Secretaries with portfolios based on areas of shared competencies as agreed upon. The Executive Council further took note of the Report submitted to it by the AU Commission in response to the decision of the Assembly. The Executive Council recommended as follows: 1. In order to transform the AUC into an Authority, the Constitutive Act should be amended in accordance with the provisions of Article 32 of the said Act and, thereafter, call upon Member States to expedite the ratification of the amendments; 2. There is a need to further study the proposals contained in the Report of the Commission with special regard to: a. b. c. d. The functions of the African Union Authority The size of the Authority The functions of the Secretaries; The financial implications of establishing such Authority.