The Board of Directors is the supreme body of the Institute and is accountable to the African Union and the League of Arab States.

The term of office of the members of the Board of Directors is five years.
The Board is composed as follows :

1. Five members to be nominated by the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union in consultation with the Member States of the African Union.
2. Five members to be nominated by the Secretary General of the Arab League in consultation with the Member States of the League of Arab States.
3. A representative of the Commission of the African Union.
4. A representative of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States.
5. The Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) or his/her representative.
6. The President of the African Development Bank or his/her representative.
7. A representative of the Host Country shall attend the meeting of the Board of Directors as observer.

HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

Honorary Membership of the Board can be granted by the Board to philanthropic organizations, foundations, associations and prominent personalities.

FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The main functions of the Board of Directors are to:

• Adopt the general policy and the programmes of the Institute;
• Take all appropriate measures for the attainment of the Institute’s aims and objectives;
• Ensure the consistency and complimentarity of the programs of the Institute with other programs and activities within the framework of Afro-Arab Cooperation.
• Review and approve the action plan and the annual reports of the Institute.
• Examine and approve the budget;
• Assist the Institute in mobilizing extra-budgetary resources.
• Appoint the Director General of the Institute and terminate, if necessary, the appointment of the Director General.
• Follow-up on the implementation of the decisions which the Board has taken;
• Approve the co-operation agreements signed by the Director General of the Institute.
• Ensure the judicious utilization of the financial resources of the institute;

MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

• The Board of Directors meets in ordinary session twice a year, in the months of May and November. The November session is held at the Headquarters of the Institute in Bamako.
• The Board can also hold extraordinary sessions at the request of a least one third of its members or at the request of the African Union and/or the League of Arab States.
• The quorum for the meeting of the Board of Directors is 2/3 of its members.
  The decisions of the Board on all matters are taken by a 2/3 majority of members present.
• At the beginning of each ordinary session, the Board elects the members of the Bureau, the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson and the Rapporteur. The term of office of the Bureau is one year.
• The Board shall establish two sub-committees: one for cultural, scientific and academic matters and the other for administrative and legal issues. It shall also establish other sub-committees as deemed necessary.
• The Chairperson of the Board may invite Honorary Members to attend meetings of the Board as appropriate.
• The Chairperson of the Board shall ensure the proper implementation of the Board’s decisions and in between sessions, deal with urgent matters beyond the competence of the Director-General, in consultation with the other members of the Bureau navigate here.

(It is to be noted that the Board of Directors will replace the current Executive Council according to the re-structuring plan).