DECISION ON THE ACTIVITY REPORT OF THE AFRICAN UNION
COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL LAW (AUCIL)
DOC. EX.CL/800(XXIII)
The Executive Council,
1. TAKES NOTE of the Activity Report of the African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL) for the period July 2012 to May 2013 together with the recommendations contained therein;
2. CONGRATULATES the newly elected members of the AUCIL;
3. RECOGNIZES the importance of the legal opinions on various issues provided by AUCIL on the request of the Policy Organs of the Union;
4. RECALLS Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec.720(XXI), which recognized the need to reinforce the operational capacity of the AUCIL in terms of adequate financial resources and support structures and decided that they should be given due consideration by the relevant Sub-Committees of the PRC;
5. 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), as well aligning the grades of the members of the Secretariats of other Organs of the African Union;
6. RECALLS 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;
7. REQUESTS the African Group in New York through the Commission to strongly support the request by the United Nations General Assembly to the Secretary- General to provide to the programme budget for the biennium 2014-2015 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 resolution 67/91;
8. ENCOURAGES 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;
9. ALSO ENCOURAGES 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.
10. INVITES AUCIL to undertake and finalize studies that have been requested in the past by the Policy Organs and to submit their outcomes to the latter for consideration;
11. REQUESTS the AUCIL to publish the findings of its research and studies in all working languages of the Union.