The Panel of the Wise is a consultative body of the African Union, composed of five appointed members who each serve for three years. Its mandate is to provide opinions to the Peace and Security Council on issues relevant to conflict prevention, management, and resolution. Representatives are chosen for the North, East, South, West, and Central regions of the continent.[1]
The first Panel of the Wise was established in December 2007, with a mandate which expired in 2010. The Assembly of Heads of State and Government, meeting in Kampala in 2010, decided to expand the Panel's composition, by appointing a Group of "Friends of the Panel of the Wise" appointed on the same basis as the Panel (one representative for each African sub-region).
Contents |
The first members, appointed in 2007, were:[2]
| Region | Member | Country | Description | Role in Panel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | Ahmed Ben Bella | Algeria | former President of Algeria | Member (Chairperson) |
| West | Elisabeth K. Pognon | Benin | President of the Constitutional Court in Benin | Member |
| East | Salim Ahmed Salim | Tanzania | former Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity | Member |
| Central | Miguel Trovoada | São Tomé and Príncipe | former President of São Tomé and Príncipe | Member |
| South | Brigalia Bam | South Africa | Head of South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission | Member |
The current members and friends of the Panel of the Wise, serving 2010-2013, are:
| Region | Member | Country | Description | Role in Panel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | Ahmed Ben Bella | Algeria | former President of Algeria | Member (Chairperson; 2nd & last term) |
| West | Mary Chinery-Hesse | Ghana | Member (1st term) | |
| East | Salim Ahmed Salim | Tanzania | former Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity | Member (2nd & last term) |
| Central | Marie-Madeleine Kalala | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Member (1st term) | |
| South | Kenneth Kaunda | Zambia | President of Zambia | Member (1st term) |
| North | TBA | Friend | ||
| West | Elisabeth K. Pognon | Benin | President of the Constitutional Court in Benin | Friend (2nd & last time) |
| East | TBA | Friend | ||
| Central | Miguel Trovoada | São Tomé and Príncipe | former President of São Tomé and Príncipe | Friend (2nd & last term) |
| South | Brigalia Bam | South Africa | Head of South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission | Friend (2nd & last term) |