Sub-committees of the Permanent Representative Committee (PRC)

Substantive work of the Permanent Representative Committee of Ambassadors takes place in the PRC sub-committees. For this reason, representation across the 11 sub-committees is a necessary measure towards optimizing Kenya’s multilateral diplomacy.

These are the following:

  • Advisory Sub-Committee on Administration, Budgetary and financial matters.
  • Kenya chairs the Sub-Committee on Programmes and Conferences that seeks to align the programmes and activities of the AUC to the strategic plan.
  • Sub-Committee on Contributions.
  • Policy Sub-Committee of Special Emergency Assistance Fund for Drought and Famine Relief in Africa.
  • Sub-Committee on Structural Reforms
  • Sub-Committee on Refugees is a Committee for all with Uganda as Rapportuer.
  • Sub-Committee on Headquarters and other Agreements
  • Sub-Committee on NEPAD
  • Sub-Committee on Economic and Trade Matters
  • Sub-committee on Multilateral Cooperation

The AU Commission

In addition to the PRC Sub-Committees, substantial amount of work also takes place with the AUC Commission. There are a total of 8 commissions as follows:

  • Peace and Security
  • Political Affairs
  • Rural Agriculture and Development
  • Human Resources, Science and Technology
  • Social Affairs  and Directorate of Gender
  • Economic Affairs
  • Trade and Industry
  • Infrastructure and Energy
  • Legal Affairs
  • Office of the Chair and Vice Chair, AUC

AU Organs

Besides the AUC Commission, the AU has a number of organs established to address specific areas of competencies. Except ECOSOC that operates within the AUC, all other organs of the AU are located in different countries across the continent.  Nonetheless, they are required to interact, on a constant basis, with the AUC as well as with Member States, often through Addis Ababa missions.  The scope and impact of the work of these organs is growing increasingly significant over time. These are:

  • Pan-African Parliament –  Located in Midrand, South Africa
  • African Commission on Human and Peoples Right – Located in Banjui, Gambia
  • The Court of Justice – Arusha, Tanzania
  • NEPAD – Midrand, South Africa
  • ECOSOC – Civil Society and Diaspora Office (CIDO)  – Addis Ababa
  • Financial Institutions – Under establishment.

African Union Ministerial Committees

The AU has two ministerial committees established by Summit decisions. The first, in which Kenya is a member is the AU Ministerial Committee on Post Conflict Reconstruction for Sudan.  Created in 2003, this committee comprising of 8 members states focuses attention of the reconstruction of the Sudan.  The second is the ministerial committee on candidatures.

The Peace and Security Council

Established pursuant to eh Article 5(2) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the Peace Council is a standing decision making organ for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in Africa.  This premier organ of the Union was created to ensure timely and efficient response to conflict and crisis in Africa, and operates on a continuous basis.

Kenya is one of the five countries serving a 3-year term on the AU Peace and Security Council starting in April 2010. The PSC is the premier organ of the African Union mandated to deal with issues of peace and security in Africa.  In addition, the PSC has fours subsidiary bodies that Kenya engages in, namely the Subcommittee on sanctions (East African region is represented by Djibouti), the Subcommittee on PCRD for Burundi and DRC (East African region is represented by Rwanda) and the Subcommittee on drafting – Kenya is the regional representative to this PSC committee as well as the Military Staff Committee.