Regional Consultations for the Implementation of the African Union Commodity Strategy in the East African Community

A Flagship Project of Agenda 2063

Date: September 16-18, 2025

Location: Arusha, Tanzania

Introduction

The African Union Commission (AUC), Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM) is organizing pivotal regional consultations to drive the implementation of the African Union Commodity Strategy within the East African Community (EAC). This event is a critical step towards realizing the goals of Agenda 2063, aiming to transform Africa's economies through commodity-led industrialization and sustainable development.

The Strategic Imperative: From Raw Materials to Regional Prosperity

For too long, Africa’s economic potential has been constrained by its dependence on commodity imports, despite being rich in natural resources. This reliance hinders sustainable development, economic diversification, and the achievement of Agenda 2063's goals. It also leads to challenges such as macroeconomic instability, slow productivity growth, and political instability.

To address this, the African Union Heads of State and Government endorsed the African Union Commodity Strategy (AUCS) as a flagship project of Agenda 2063. The strategy's vision is to shift Africa from being a mere supplier of raw materials to a continent that strategically uses its own resources to build prosperity for its citizens.

This initiative is deeply interconnected with other key AU projects, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Accelerated Industrial Development for Africa (AIDA), and the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), creating a unified push towards a prosperous, integrated Africa. These consultations are essential to overcome implementation hurdles such as low awareness, insufficient financing, and a lack of required skills at regional and national levels.

Objectives of the Consultation

The primary objectives for this gathering are to:

• Advance coordination efforts to implement and domesticate the African Union Commodity Strategy and its Action Plan in the EAC region.
• Encourage the EAC Secretariat to provide the technical assistance and capacity needed for Member States to implement the strategy at the national level.
• Establish a regional coordination mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the AU Commodity Strategy, which will include producing a biannual implementation report.

Expected Outcomes

By the end of the consultations, the AUC aims to achieve:

• Strengthened synergies and linkages in implementing the AU Commodity Strategy among the AUC, AUDA-NEPAD, and EAC Member States.
• Enhanced visibility of the AU Commodity Strategy in the EAC Region, leading to greater regional support and capacity building for its implementation.
• Establishment of an implementation coordination committee for the AU Commodity Strategy to ensure robust regional oversight and reporting.

Who Will Be Attending

The event will bring together key policymakers and experts from a wide range of institutions, including the African Union Commission, AUDA-NEPAD, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and the EAC Secretariat. Also in attendance will be representatives from commodities-related government ministries, chambers of commerce, private sector representatives and other vital institutions from across the EAC Region, alongside the AU's strategic partners.

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Reference

• The African Union Commodity Strategy and Action Plan (English, Arabic, French and Portuguese)

African Union Commodity Strategy Action Plan -Click Here: African Union Commodity Strategy Action Plan | African Union

Contact for Inquiries

For more information, please contact:

1. Madam Ron Osman Omar,

Director of Industry, Minerals, Entrepreneurship and Tourism,

Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals,

African Union Commission

Email: OmarR@africanunion.org

2. Mr. John Youhanes Magok,

Mineral Resources Development Expert,

Division of Industry, Minerals and Innovation,

Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals,

African Union Commission

Email: NhialJ@africanunion.org