The African Union Counter-Terrorism Centre (AU-CTC) was inaugurated in 2004 with Headquarters in Algiers, Algeria, as a structure of the African Union Commission (AUC), in conformity with the Protocol to the 1999 OAU Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism. The Protocol confers on the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, the responsibility for implementing regional, continental and international counter-terrorism instruments as well as harmonizing, standardizing and coordinating continental efforts in the prevention and combating of terrorism.

The establishment of AU-CTC is as constituted under Section H, Paragraphs 19 to 21 of the AU Plan of Action on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism and pursuant to the relevant decisions adopted by the policy Organs of the Union including in particular Assembly/AU /Dec.15 (II); EX.CL/Dec.13 (II); EX/CL/Dec.82 (IV); and EX.CL/Dec.126 (V). The ACSRT was inaugurated on 13 October 2004.