The Bureau of the AUCIL shall be composed of the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson and the General Rapporteur, all of whom shall be elected by a simple majority of all the Members of the AUCIL present and voting.

The Bureau of the AUCIL is currently composed of:

a)            Amb. Prof. Sebastião Da Silva Isata Pereira Bravo (Angola) – Chairperson

b)            Justice Abdi Ismael Hersi (Djibouti) - Vice-Chairperson

c)            Prof. Hajer Gueldich (Tunisia) - General Rapporteur

From 2014 – 2016, the Bureau was composed of Prof. Daniel Makiese Mwanawanzambi from the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the Acting Chairperson, Mr. Ebenezer Appreku from Ghana as the acting Vice-Chairperson and Justice Naceesay Salla- Wadda from The Gambia as the General Rapporteur. Following the untimely death of Mr. Ebenezer Appreku*[1], the bureau was composed of an Acting Chairperson, Mr. Daniel Makiese Mwanawanzambi and Justice Naceesay Salla-Wadda as the General Rapporteur  from September 2016 to December 2016.

From 2012 to 2014, the Bureau was composed of Mr. Adelardus Kilangi from Tanzania as the Chairperson, Mr. Filali KAMEL from Algeria as Vice Chairperson and Prof. Daniel Makiese Mwanawanzambi as the General Rapporteur. The first Bureau from 2010 to 2012 consisted of Prof. Blaise Tchikaya from Congo as Chairperson, Mr. Atanazio K. Tembo  from Malawi as Vice-Chairperson and Mrs. Lillian B. Mahiri-Zaja from Kenya as General Rapporteur.

SESSIONS OF THE AFRICAN UNION COMMMISION ON INTERNATIONAL LAW

Article 15 of the Statute stipulates that the AUCIL Members shall serve the Organ on a part-time basis. Member meet twice (2) a year at its Ordinary Sessions. At the request of the Chairperson or two thirds of the membership, the Members may meet in an extraordinary sessions.

THE FORUMS ON INTERNATIONAL LAW

With the view to encouraging the teaching, study and dissemination of international law and African Union law, the AUCIL holds an annual Forum on International Law. The duration of the forum is two days. The Forum also aims to identify ways to accelerate dissemination throughout the continent. Accordingly, the Forum has been held in Eastern, Northern and Western Africa. 

SECRETARIAT OF THE AFRICAN UNION COMMMISION ON INTERNATIONAL LAW

The AUCIL Secretariat is based within the Office of the Legal Counsel at the Headquarters of the African union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Mr. Mourad Ben Dhiab serves as the Secretary to the AUCIL.

COOPERATION WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

In compliance to its mandate, the AUCIL has been collaborating with other Organs of the African union, the Regional Economic Communities; the United Nations International Law Commission; the Codification Division of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs; the Inter American-Juridical Committee of the Organisation of American States; the International Committee of the Red Cross; the African Institute of International Law; the Centre des Etudes juridiques Africaines on variety of International Law subjects.

In particular, the AUCIL has contributed towards the dissemination of International Law within the continent by partnering with the Codification Division of the United Nations in holding the yearly UN Regional Course on Africa. It has also played its role in the development of African Universities through its involvement in the first International Law Seminar for African Universities held by the African Institute of International Law.

[1] Mr. Ebenezer Appreku, a Ghanaian National was a twice-appointed Member of AUCIL, having been first appointed in 2009 and re-appointed in 2015.