The individual member states of the African Union (AU) coordinate foreign policy through this agency, in addition to conducting their own international relations on a state-by-state basis. The AU represents the interests of African peoples at large in intergovernmental organizations (IGO's); for instance, it is a permanent observer at the United Nations' General Assembly.
Membership of the AU overlaps with other IGO's, and occasionally these third-party organizations and the AU will coordinate matters of public policy.
Non-Aligned Movement (Every AU member state, except South Sudan and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic)
Community of Sahel-Saharan States:
Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries:
G33:
G90:
OPEC:
Community of Portuguese Language Countries:
Organisation internationale de la Francophonie:
Organization of Ibero-American States:
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation:
The African Union maintains special diplomatic representation with the United States,[1] European Union, and as of 2022 has plans for a mission to the People's Republic of China.[2] In 2011, the United States Mission to the African Union donated a state of the art multimedia box to the cash-starved African Union in a formal ceremony, in which they also presented new interns who will be trained to use it.[3]