The Executive Council of the African Union Holds its sixth retreat to discuss the reform of the AU Commission

Horndiplomat-The Executive Council of the African Union, holding its sixth retreat, continued to discuss the reform of the AU Commission in its afternoon session on Tuesday (September 12).

The debate focused mainly on possible proposals presented by the Reform Unit and main issues were: the structure and mandate of the AU Commission; division of labor among its departments; connections between the AU Commission and Regional bodies; geographical representation and the rotation of elected official posts within the Commission including the positions of Chairperson and Deputy Chairpersons; the number of commissioners; and gender parity.

Representing Ethiopia, State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Aklilu Hailemichael, presenting Ethiopia’s own proposal, noted that infrastructure and energy, so basic to Africa’s needs and development, should be emphasized. He called for a separate commission to be established to cover these areas. According to the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry