HIBAPRESS-RABAT-UA
The battle for the succession of the Chadian Moussa Faki Mahamat as President of the Commission of the African Union (AU) in February 2025 has officially been launched and, as can be expected, is currently being played out behind the scenes, particularly for the post of 1st Vice-Presidency which this year goes to North Africa.
Legal functions
(a) As the controlling officer, and by virtue of the authority delegated by the Authorising Officer of the Union (the Chairperson of the Commission), the Vice-Chairperson shall be responsible for the day-to-day financial and administrative operations of the respective organs and institutions of the Union; (b) Chair all meetings and deliberations of the Commission in the absence of the Chairperson, in order to ensure clear and comprehensive presentation of information by participants and to guide discussions towards consensus-building and the way forward; (c) Assist the Chairperson in taking measures to promote and popularize the objectives of the AU and improve its performance; (d) Assist the Chairperson in submitting reports as requested by the Assembly, the Executive Council, the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC), committees and any other organs.
Assist the Chairperson, in collaboration with the PRC, in the preparation of the AU budget and strategic planning documents that ensure optimal availability of resources required to achieve the AU’s objectives.
(f) Facilitate the functioning, decision-making and reporting of all meetings of AU Organs, and ensure conformity and harmony with adopted AU policies, strategies, programmes and projects. (g) Assist the Chairperson in consulting with governments of Member States, other institutions and RECs with a view to coordinating with them on AU activities. (h) Participate in the preparation of the annual report on the activities of the AU and its Organs in order to provide information on the progress of AU projects and programmes and to make recommendations on the way forward. (i) Assist the Chairperson of the Commission and contribute to making Africa a significant partner at the global level, as well as an integrated bloc within the continent.
