African Union
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the African Union
Institutions Casablanca Group Union of African States Organisation of African Unity African Economic Community African Unification Front
Executive Assembly Chairperson Commission Chairperson Conference and Events Peace & Sec. Pol. Affairs Infra. & Energy Soc. Affairs HR, Sci., & Tech. Trade and Industry Rural Econ. & Agri. Economic Legal Counsel Executive Council Rep. Committee
Legislature Pan-African Parliament President Bureau Secretariat List of members Permanent Committees Rural Econ., Agri., Resources, Environ. Monetary & Financial Trade, Customs, & Immigration Cooperation, IR, & Conflict Transport, Industry, Communications,   Energy, Science, & Tech. Health, Labour, & Social Educ., Culture, Tourism, & HR Gender, Family, Youth, Disabilities Justice & Rights Rules, Privileges, & Discipline
Judiciary Sirte Declaration Constitutive Act of the AU Law Charter on Rights Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Justice and Human Rights Court of Justice Court on Human and Peoples' Rights List of judges
Advisory bodies Peace and Security Council Economic, Social and Cultural Council Specialised Technical Committees Rural Econ., Agri. Monetary & Financial Trade, Customs, and Immigration Industry, Sci. & Tech., Energy, Natural Resources, & Environment Transport, Comm., Tourism Health, Labor, Social Edu., Culture, & Human Resources
Financial bodies AEC Pillars (Abuja Treaty) CEN-SAD COMESA EAC ECCAS/CEEAC CEMAC ECOWAS UEMOA WAMZ IGAD SADC SACU AMU/UMA African Central Bank African Monetary Union African Investment Bank New Partnership for Africa's Development African Peer Review Mechanism New Partnership for Africa's Development E-School Program
Decentralised bodies Agencies of the AU Africa CDC
Related topics Enlargement Foreign relations TerrAfrica partnership
Other countries
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The Constitutive Act of the African Union sets out the codified framework under which the African Union is to conduct itself. It was signed on 11 July 2000 at Lomé, Togo. It entered into force after two thirds of the 53 signatory states ratified the convention. When a state ratifies the Constitutive Act, it formally becomes a member of the AU. All 53 signatory states have ratified the document.

The only states in Africa that have neither signed nor ratified the document are Morocco and South Sudan. South Sudan has been admitted as a member of the AU but has not yet ratified the Constitutive Act.

Aims

The objectives of the AU laid down in the Act are the following:^[1]

1. To achieve greater unity, cohesion and solidarity between the African countries and African nations.
2. To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States.
3. To accelerate the political and social-economic integration of the continent.
4. To promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples.
5. To encourage international cooperation, taking due account of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
6. To promote peace, security, and stability on the continent.
7. To promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance.
8. To promote and protect human and peoples' rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and other relevant human rights instruments.
9. To establish the necessary conditions which enable the continent to play its rightful role in the global economy and in international negotiations.
10. To promote sustainable development at the economic, social and cultural levels as well as the integration of African economies.
11. To promote co-operation in all fields of human activity to raise the living standards of African peoples.
12. To coordinate and harmonise the policies between the existing and future Regional Economic Communities for the gradual attainment of the objectives of the Union.
13. To advance the development of the continent by promoting research in all fields, in particular in science and technology.
14. To work with relevant international partners in the eradication of preventable diseases and the promotion of good health on the continent.

See also

• Sirte Declaration, 9 September 1999, resolving to create the African Union.

References

External links

• Constitutive Act of the African Union

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