Executive Council of the African Union makes decision by_______

Analyze the question: The question asks how the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) makes its decisions.

Explain the concept: The Executive Council is made up of foreign ministers (or other ministers designated by member governments). It prepares material for the Assembly of Heads of State and Government and coordinates AU policies. Under the AU Constitutive Act and the Rules of Procedure, decisions are made by consensus. Where consensus cannot be reached, the decision is taken by a two-thirds majority of member states.

Solution, option by option:

• A. 1/3 majority vote: Wrong. One-third is too small to be a decision threshold. The fallback is a two-thirds majority, not one-third.
• B. Discretion: Wrong. Decisions are made collectively under set rules, not at someone's personal discretion.
• C. Consensus: Correct. Consensus is the primary method of decision-making.
• D. The veto of the General Secretariat: Wrong. The AU has no "General Secretariat" with veto power. The AU Commission is the secretariat, and it has no veto.

Tip: For AU decision-making questions, remember "Consensus first, two-thirds second." If "consensus" appears among the options, it is almost always the answer. Also remember that the AU has no veto power, unlike the UN Security Council.