DECISION ON THE ACTIVITY REPORT OF THE AFRICAN UNION
COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL LAW (AUCIL)
Doc. EX.CL/861(XXV)
The Executive Council,
1. TAKES NOTE of the Activity Report of the African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL) for the period May 2013 to June 2014 together with the recommendations contained therein;
2. RECOGNIZES the importance of the legal studies on various issues carried out by AUCIL on the request of the Policy Organs of the Union and also those initiated by itself;
3. RECALLS Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec. 777(XXIII), which requests that the relevant Sub-Committee of the PRC considers strengthening this Organ, including expanding the structure of its Secretariat in accordance with the Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec 720(XXI);
4. REQUESTS the relevant Sub-Committee of the PRC to consider the proposed expansion of the structure of the Secretariat and report to policy organs in June/July 2015;
5. RECALLS Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec.777(XXIII) as well as United Nations General Assembly resolution 2099 (XX) of 20 December 1965 adopted following an initiative by the Republic of Ghana, in which it established the United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law to contribute towards a better knowledge of international law as a means of strengthening international peace and security and promoting friendly relations and cooperation among States;
6. ONCE AGAIN REQUESTS the African Group in New York through the Commission and also calls upon all United Nations Member States to strongly support the successive requests by the United Nations General Assembly to the Secretary-General to provide to the programme budget for the biennium 2014-2015 and future biennium’s the resources necessary to ensure the continued effectiveness and further development of the Programme of Assistance, in particular the organization of the United Nations Regional Course in International Law for Africa and other similar United Nations Regional Courses on a regular basis and the viability of the United Nations Audio-visual Library of International Law, as contained in Resolutions 66/97, 67/91 and 68/110;
7. ENCOURAGES:
i) The AUCIL, within the limits of available resources, to bolster its activities in the development and codification of International Law with specific focus on African Union Law. In this regard, draft conventions should be initiated in areas with specific interest to the African Union;
ii) Member States and other Organs of the Union to extend necessary support to the AUCIL in the preparation of its Studies by, inter alia, providing information AUCIL may need for this purpose on issues of International Law of interest to the African Union.