Promoting Africa’s growth and economic development by championing citizen inclusion and increased cooperation and integration of African states.
Promoting Africa’s growth and economic development by championing citizen inclusion and increased cooperation and integration of African states.
Agenda 2063 is the blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. It is the strategic framework for delivering on Africa’s goal for inclusive and sustainable development and is a concrete manifestation of the pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance.
H.E President William Samoei Ruto (PhD), President of the Republic of Kenya and the African Union Champion on Institutional Reform. H.E. Ruto was appointed during the 37th Assembly of Heads of State and Government in February 2024 to champion the AU Institutional Reform process taking over from the H.E Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda who led the implementation of the reform process since 2016.
The AU offers exciting opportunities to get involved in determining continental policies and implementing development programmes that impact the lives of African citizens everywhere. Find out more by visiting the links on right.
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Opening Remarks by The Commissioner of Trade and Industry on the Occasion of the 6th Ordinary meeting of the African Union Sub-Committee of Directors General of Customs
Remarks by the
Chairperson of the African Union Commission
H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma
to the
Ministerial Meeting of the Peace and Security Council on the Situation in Libya
September 23nd, 2014
New York, USA
Your Excellency, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chad, Chairperson of the PSC,
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the member countries of the Peace and Security Council,
Commissioner for Peace and Security, Sergui Smail and other AU Commissioners
Ambassadors,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the AU Commission, I would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to the Republic of Chad, chair of the Peace and Security Council for September, for the initiative to convene this important meeting. We are grateful to the other members of Council for their support to the holding of this meeting.
We are convening this meeting on Libya at a time of growing concern in Africa and internationally for the rapidly deteriorating situation in that country. It has been three years since the popular uprising that overthrew the Qaddafi regime, but the Libyan people have yet to fully achieve their aspirations to peace, security, democracy and socio-economic wellbeing.
We find ourselves today in a situation of weakened state authority, the division of the country into distinct areas controlled by rival armed groups, the growth of violent extremism, the proliferation of arms, the prevalence of organized crime groups and the worsening of the trafficking of human beings across the Sahara to Europe.
The humanitarian situation is of utmost concern, especially the situation of women and children. We condemn in the strongest terms the violence directed against civilians and civilian institutions.
This dire situation poses a threat to the very existence of the country and its national cohesion. But it also poses a serious threat to regional peace, security and stability.
Libya is an important member of the African Union. Our meeting here today is therefore aimed at working with our Libyan brothers and sisters to find a solution to the challenges facing them. It is important for the Peace and Security Council to issue a strong appeal to the Libyan stakeholders to put an immediate end to the spiral of violence and to work to achieve the peace, security, democracy and prosperity for which so many have already sacrificed their lives.
Excellencies
At the same time, the Peace and Security Council should reiterate the AU’s continued support to Libya’s legitimate institutions, in particular the House of Representatives as the sole legislative authority in the country. Let me seize this opportunity to welcome the endorsement of a new Cabinet by the House of Representatives yesterday.
I would like to reiterate that there is no military solution to the crisis in Libya. The Libyan stakeholders must therefore do all in their powers to conclude a cessation of hostilities and begin meaningful negotiations toward an inclusive dialogue based on respect for the democratic process, and the unequivocal rejection of terrorism and violent extremism.
It is imperative that all Libyan stakeholders come together, in the interests of the continued survival of Libya as a united state. This includes giving Libyan women the opportunity to participate in the negotiations on the future of their country.
The African Union, as always, stands ready to participate in all processes aimed at addressing the crisis. History has taught us that a failure to place the continent at the centre of efforts is likely to hamper the chances of success.
I think we should ensure that the continent is at the centre of finding a lasting solution.
Libya is an African country and is a founding country of the African Union. We therefore pledge our continued solidarity to Libya and its people in their time of need. A stable, democratic and prosperous Libya will be an asset for the continent as a whole.
In concluding, I would like to express the AU’s appreciation to the countries of the region for their continued commitment and support to the Libyan people. As we move forward, I have no doubt that we can continue to rely on their engagement and deep knowledge of the situation to facilitate a lasting solution to the crisis.
I thank you.
Statement by the
Chairperson of the African Union Commission
H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma
At the
Meeting of the Committee of Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC),
held on the margins of the 69th UN General Assembly and UN Climate Change Summit at the Office of the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations, 305 East 47th Street,
September 22nd, 2014
New York, USA
Your Excellency, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and Coordinator of CAHOSCC
Your Excellency, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Your Excellency, Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union, Minister of Environment of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Excellency Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission and other Commissioners
Excellencies, Heads of State and Members of CAHOSCC
Excellencies, Ministers and Leaders of Delegations
I am pleased to welcome you all to this meeting of the Committee of African Heads of States and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), convening here at a very critical point in the global negotiations on climate change and the post-2015 development agenda.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
It is worth repeating that even though Africa contributed and continues to contribute the least to global warming, it bears the brunt of the impact of climate change, representing an urgent and irreversible threat to human societies and the planet.
This ranges from the devastating impact of increasing sea temperatures on the livelihoods of coastal communities and islands, to the impact of rising sea levels on the very survival of the peoples of island states.
It reflects itself in the southwards expansion of the Sahara/Sahel desert, the drying up of the great Lake Chad, more severe and frequent droughts in Southern and East Africa, floods plaguing Mozambique and Sudan, unpredictable weather patterns that impacts on agriculture, and the threats everywhere to African biodiversity and eco systems.
All the above takes place at a time when Africa is pushing forward to build shared prosperity, by addressing its energy, transport, ICT, water and sanitation, and other infrastructure backlogs. We confront this threat as we focus on modernizing our agricultural and agro-processing sectors and seek to diversify our economies, through industrialization, building manufacturing and adding value to our natural resources.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
Since Africa is so directly affected and since we started engaging based on a common position, our approach has been to focus on what we need to do to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and seeking to integrate the issues into our development planning.
There are a host of African initiatives, in virtually every single country, which as African leaders we must promote and popularize. This includes ensuring that as we power our continent, households, cities, rural areas and industry, we have an appropriate energy mix.
This includes pushing forward with hydro-electric projects such as the Inga dam in the DRC, the Renaissance dam in Ethiopia and other regional hydro projects in West and Southern Africa. It means that as African leaders we must promote the African Clean Energy Corridor along the eastern coast of Africa, which IRENA is implementing with affected states, with its mix of solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy. We must promote and push these initiatives, and call on our partners to work with Africa on these critical projects.
Africa is also doing work to push back desertification through the Great Green Wall for Sahara and Sahel initiatives and the Sustainable Forest Management Programmes in Africa. We are pursuing national and regional initiatives on water and sanitation, and as part of CAADP promotes climate resilient and climate smart agriculture.
At national and continental levels, we are looking at climate associated risk management, ranging from strengthening our scientific monitoring capacities through the Climate for Development in Africa (ClimDev-Africa) programme and the African Regional Strategy on Meteorology; to the innovative Africa Risk Capacity (ARC) that provides coverage to participating countries against floods and droughts. The ARC is launching an extreme climate facility (XCF) to insure against risk, but also develop extreme climate indices and thresholds that could be used to track severity and frequency of weather extremes across Africa.
Of course we have to develop the skills, science, technology and research capacity, to enable Africans across the continent to manage and drive innovations in all these areas. The AU will before the end of 2014, launch the Pan African University branch on Climate Change in Algeria, to build an African centre of excellence, sharing experiences and pooling our collective knowledge and best practices on climate change mitigation and adaptation, and on sustainable development.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
These are amongst the major initiatives, which are at the core of Africa’s drive for its common prosperity and human security, to help current generations to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and leave a better Africa for future generations.
This is what we are doing as Africa, but we also have expectations from the rest of the world.
Our expectations include the need for the revision of the global 2 degrees Celsius (2°C) goal to safer levels for all people, especially small island states; greater commitments from developed countries on reducing emissions; as well as technology transfer and resources to assist developing countries with mitigation and adaptation. In addition, the recent report of the Global Oceans Commission calls for a stand-alone goal in the Sustainable Development Goals on our oceans, a recommendation that Africa should support.
This CAHOSC meeting therefore has an important challenge: to consolidate the common African positions and sharpen our common messages; but also to ensure that we highlight what Africa is already doing for itself, and to fight for policy space in the climate change negotiations, that will allow Africa to develop and prosper.
I wish this important meeting fruitful deliberations.
I thank you
Address by the
Chairperson of the African Union Commission
H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma
on the occasion of the
3rd Annual African First Ladies Discussion on
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
September 22nd, 2014
Credit Suisse, 1 Madison Avenue,
New York, USA
Your Excellency, President Jakaya Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania
Honourable First Ladies
Chairperson of the Bunengi Foundation, Ms. Savannah Maziya and Board members
Our sister, Honorable Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women
Excellency Commissioner for Human Resources Science and Technology of the African Union Commission
Fellow panellists, Ms. Julia Gupta from Credit Suisse and Mr. Kamran Khan, Vice President of Compact Operations
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
I am honoured, on behalf of the African Union Commission, to participate in this 3rd Annual African First Ladies discussion on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); an issue that is so critical for African development.
We have made the point so many times, and will keep repeating it, that African development will not happened at the pace and depth it needs, without the empowerment of its girls, its youth and its women; and it will not happen by neglecting 50% of Africa’s talent, as Savanna so eloquently said.
The Common African Position on the Post 2015 Development Goals, correctly notes: “investment in children, youth and women always generate substantial development multipliers with positive effects on all sectors of the economy and society.”
The Common African Position, and our vision for the next fifty years, Agenda 2063 therefore emphasise the need for gender parity and equality, as well as the development of African skills and technological capacities as a driver of our transformation agenda.
Our people, especially young men and women, are our most precious resources, and we need to develop their skills, especially in the STEM areas, to modernise agriculture and agro-processing; to build, expand and maintain our infrastructure; to develop manufacturing and add value to our natural resources and to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Africa’s capacity to feed itself now and in the future requires increasing investments in climate change research, biotechnology research and development, and innovation.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
One of the key MDG goals was to achieve gender parity in education. By, 2014 out of forty-eight (48) countries that provided data, 18 countries achieved gender parity at primary school level.
In Africa, as is the case across the world, we are also beginning to see some increases in the number of girls that takes science and maths at primary school level. As they enter higher levels of education, however, the numbers of girls and young women steadily decrease.
Even in countries where girls and boys complete secondary school in equal numbers and with similar scores in maths and sciences, there are fewer women majoring in science and engineering at universities. By graduation, men outnumber women in nearly every science and engineering field, and in some, such as physics, engineering, and computer science, the difference is dramatic, with women earning only 20 percent of bachelor’s degrees.
Deliberate efforts are therefore needed to ensure that girls and young women have access to primary, secondary and higher education, and that they are steered towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Countries where such efforts are being made are beginning to see movements in the right direction. For example, Rwanda since 2006 implements a deliberate strategy to promote women’s participation in science, maths and technology (SMT) as part of the country’s vision to create a knowledge-based society. Thus they have increased the percentage of girls enrolled in maths and chemistry in secondary education from 22% and 35% respectively in 2004 to 30% and 45% respectively by 2010.
A survey amongst Nigerian women science, maths and technology university graduates showed a drastic increase in the number of females graduating in SMT discipline over the years: only 5% received their degrees in 1980 and before, 25% between 1981 and 1990 and rising to 70% between 1991 and 2000.
The Inter University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) in 2009 saw women as percentage of total science and technology enrolments range from 17% and 18% at universities in Kenya and Uganda respectively, to 24% and 27% for Tanzania and Rwanda . The female proportion of science and technology academic staff at these East African universities was even more shocking: 2% in Rwanda, 3% in Kenya, 5% in Uganda and 7 % in Tanzania. And of course, if you don’t have role models in STEM, they will not be attracted to these areas.
Studies on the reasons for the low participation of girls and women in science, technology and mathematics identified early childhood environment, family expectations, societal image, gender stereotypes, and the school environment and gender issues more broadly , as amongst the reasons for the continued low participation of girls and women in STEM. In addition, the UNESCO Atlas of Gender Equality in Education, also identifies other factors such as the importance of female role models in girls’ academic success; and distance from school, which impacts more on girls than on boys. The broader issue of access and quality of education are therefore also important.
The Forum for African Women Educators (FAWE) introduced its SMT model in 2005, featuring activities such as science camps, clubs and study tours for girls, publishing profiles on women achievers in science-based fields, exposing girls to female role models in science and technology fields and by awarding achievers in SMT subjects. This model has been introduced in a number of countries across the continent . Schools where this have been introduced are beginning to see higher rates of girls’ participation in STEM subjects, improved test scores, as well as improvements in teachers’ attitudes towards girls’ abilities and participation in STEM and improvements in instructional materials for these subjects.
The work by initiatives such as the African First Ladies and the Bunengi Foundation is therefore critical, to advocate for more girls and women in education and in STEM, but also more generally to advocate for changes in the overall status of women. The AU is also involved in campaigns against early marriages, and to keep girls in school for as long as possible.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
Technology brings about great changes and opportunities to leapfrog development. The African continent faces great challenges, but at the same time have huge opportunities: its people, its natural resources and the positive trajectory on a number of social and economic indicators, including growth, participation in education, progress on maternal mortality, on the HIV pandemic, on gender equality and on peace and security.
To address our challenges and to turn our opportunities into shared prosperity for all, we must invest in our most important resource - our people and we must go stem
We therefore congratulate the African First Ladies and the Bunengi Foundation for the work they do to champion girls participation in STEM, and look forward to working with them on these issues.
I thank you
September 21st is International Peace Day, a day devoted to peace and to end wars and violent conflicts.
However, peace is more than just achieving a war-free world. Peace is about economic independence and security. It is about a world free of sexual violence. It is about having universal education and health care services especially to young girls and women.
Peace is about social and political cohesion. It is about respecting and celebrating diversity in our continent and the world at large.
Thirty years after the UN General Assembly declared International Peace Day, Africa has taken major strides towards achieving a continent at peace with itself, its communities and the world.
Progress is possible because African women and men are putting their lives on the line to protect African citizens and maintain peace and security.
We therefore pay tribute to our African Peacekeepers and peacekeepers the world over, some of whom have lost their lives, while others have been seriously injured.
Last year on Peace Day, our vision for peace was challenged and compromised when terrorists attached the Westgate shopping mall in Kenya killing least 67 innocent people and leaving over 175 wounded.
We will continue to fight terrorism in all its forms, including the kidnapping of innocent school students.
As we celebrate this international peace day, our hearts go to those who have lost their lives in the battlefield, as well as in the Ebola epidemic currently plaguing an important part of our continent.
In the spirit of Ubuntu, we have deployed our young men and women together with much needed medical and humanitarian assistance to stop the spread of the disease and its farreaching social, economic and political consequences in the region and the entire continent.
We will remain steadfast in our quest for peace and prosperity in an integrated continent.
Happy International Peace Day!
H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma
Chairperson
African Union Commission
Opening Statement delivered by Mr Jalel Chelba, Division of Civil Society to Civil Society Organizations in Gabon at the ECOSOCC Sensitization and Motivation Campaign held in Libreville, Gabon
STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION (AUC)
H.E DR. NKOSAZANA DLAMIN ZUMA, DURING THE EXECUTIVE AND STANDING COMMITTEE MEETINGS OF THE CONFDERATION OF AFRICAN FOOTBALL (CAF),
19 SEPTEMBER, 2014, AT 14:00 PM
AUC HEADQUATERS, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
H.E Dr. Issa Hayatou, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF)
Distinguished Members of the CAF Executive Committee and Standing Committees
Excellencies, Members of the Permanent Representative Council of the AU and of the
Excellencies, representatives from the Diplomatic Corps and International Organisations
Invited Guests,
Representatives from the media,
Ladies and gentlemen
On behalf of the African Union Commission, we are honoured to host the CAF Executive Committee and Standing Committee meetings and warmly welcome you to the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We hope it will help to further strengthen the relations between our two African institutions.
The relations between the African Union and CAF are historical and important for the entire continent. Our two institutions share common Pan African values, as exemplified by the role that CAF played in the liberation struggle of Africa, in the development of the human potential of Africa through sport and increasingly in the promotion of peace and security.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
CAF and the AU are deeply aware that the common prosperity of the continent and its citizens, are critical to our agenda for peace and human security. Africa is at a point where it faces new and old challenges, like the Ebola crisis, the threat of terrorism and conflicts. At the same time, a number of economic, social and human development indicators are moving in the right direction. Growth is being sustained at 5% and over, public and private investments in infrastructure across the majority of countries are increasing, we have halted and reversed the spread of the AIDs pandemic, intra-African trade is on the increase, maternal mortality is on the decline and we have more boys and girls in school than ever before in our history.
To sustain the positive trajectory, and decisively break the back of poverty and under-development, to ensure African prosperity, we must ensure faster and deeper political, social and economic transformation. The African Union, the Regional Economic Communities and Member states, as it finalizes its framework for the Africa we want, Agenda 2063, therefore continue to work on a number of key African priorities.
These priorities include investing in people, especially youth and women as our most precious resource; in health, education, science, technology, innovation and research.
It includes transforming and modernizing our agriculture and agro-processing, so as to end hunger and malnutrition, and enable the continent to feed itself and to be a net exporter of food. Woman, who are the majority of the agricultural work force, are also calling for modernization of agriculture, to banish the handheld hoe to the museums.
Our priorities also embrace the need for industrialization and value addition to our natural resources, so that we have inclusive growth and create jobs and economic opportunities for especially Africa’s young people. The skilling of our young and the empowerment of women, including through access to capital, land, markets and infrastructure are critical, in all sectors of our economies, including the extractive industries, the green, blue and maritime economies and in infrastructure development and manufacturing.
All of the above means that we have to make decisive progress on the infrastructure backlogs: energy, transport, ICT, water and sanitation, and other social infrastructure. Many of our national development plans, regional master plans and indeed Agenda 2063 therefore pay special attention to infrastructure development.
Last, but not least, our priorities also include ensuring peace and stability, through good governance, inclusive, caring and tolerant societies and through democratic, accountable, effective and people-centred public institutions.
Ladies and Gentlemen
The contribution that CAF makes to the development of African football and to youth and community development more broadly, is a critical part of this Pan African drive for the Africa we want. When fans from across the continent cheer on their national and continental teams during the African Cup of Nations, Olympic or World Cup Games, it is an expression of our believe in our common destiny.
Yesterday when I met with the CAF President and Deputies, I said to him that in the coming decades, an African team must win the World Cup, in addition to hosting it again. We talk about Africa rising, we also want to see our football and sports as rising.
We are committed to invest in our people, especially health and education. For the sporting family, and more specifically football, this means promoting mass community and amateur sports that build healthy bodies, as well as the development of professional sport. It also means training our people in the various sports sciences, so that we can indeed produce the excellence we are capable of. The AU Commission division on sports stands ready to work with CAF on these issues.
Sports people also know that without infrastructure, it becomes difficult to do anything. We must therefore add to the Agenda 2063 list of infrastructure, the importance of sports infrastructure, not just big stadiums, but also facilities in all our schools, educational institutions and communities.
We remain steadfast that we will not move forward decisively, unless we empower the continent’s youth and women. More is being done across the continent today to promote women’s football (and in some of our countries our women’s national teams outperform the male teams!). But, we do know that more can be done to invest in getting more girls to play the game, to build their self-confidence and to contribute towards keeping them in school, to reduce teenage parenthood and early marriages. When I said yesterday that African teams must start winning the World Cup, I was therefore also including our women’s teams!
The AU and CAF are already cooperating on the Make Peace Happen Campaign, and we have footballers who serve as champions of this campaign. When Africa celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the forming of the OAU/AU last year, our Heads of State and Government pledged that by 2020, we would have silence all the guns on the continent. This is not a goal that can only be done by governments, we need all of African society to work towards this, and we look forward to continue working with CAF and the national associations towards achieving this objective.
Of course ending conflict and violence, and building caring and tolerant societies also apply to sports fans. We noted with concerns the incidents of violence at some sports event, and we add our voices to that of CAF, calling on fans to support their teams with their usual enthusiasm and vigor, but to do so in a peaceful manner.
The AU is working tirelessly to ensure that we end the Ebola crisis in parts of West Africa, through assistance to the countries concerned and by raising public awareness. We know that CAF has and can play a role in this regard, and we welcome all efforts.
Finally, Africa will not move forward unless it is able to raise resources for its development and its institutions. We must also work together on this, and ensure that we all contribute towards the building of a better Africa for all.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Excellencies,
In our meeting with the CAF President yesterday, we therefore agreed that CAF and the national associations will make their contributions and set out the aspirations for the Africa they want. The deadline for submission is the end of October, and we look forward to receiving your written submissions. We will incorporate it into the Agenda 2063 framework that will be adopted by the Summit in January 2015.
I wish the CAF Executive Council fruitful deliberations, at the AU Headquarters. This is your home and we look forward to welcome you back.
Closing Remarks by H.E. Dr. Aisha Abdullahi (Amb.) Commissioner for Political Affairs African Union Commission at the African Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights
Addis Ababa, 17 September 2014: The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, continues to closely follow the evolution of the situation in Guinea-Bissau, particularly following the presidential and legislative elections of April and May 2014.
The Chairperson of the Commission welcomes the determination of President Jose Mario Vaz and of his Government in initiating the required reforms in Guinea-Bissau.
The Chairperson of the Commission reiterates the AU’s support to the democratically-elected institutions in their efforts towards recovery in the country, in consultation with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as well as with the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), the International Organization of la Francophonie (OIF), the European Union (EU), the United Nations and other members of the international community, as evidenced by the presence, at this moment, in Bissau, of a joint assessment mission.
The Chairperson of the Commission calls on all the political stakeholders to maintain the sense of responsibility which they have demonstrated during the Transition, with a view to consolidating and deepening democracy in the country.
