Excellency Mr. Chairperson of the PRC
Distinguished Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives, Members of the PRC
Madame Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission
Commissioners
Heads of Liaison Offices of the Regional Economic Communities
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to present, in these first weeks of the new year 2022, my best wishes for health and prosperity to you, your families and your respective States and Governments. Furthermore, I hope that this new year will be marked by stronger cooperation between the Commission and the PRC, in the continuation of a successful practice that has been strengthened in recent times.

In this regard, may I commend the wise leadership of H.E. Jean Léon NGANDU ILUNGA, Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chairman of the Permanent Representatives Committee.

Mr Chairman, I wish to thank you and congratulate you on the excellent work you have done in these difficult times, especially as the disruptive effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, already baffling despite the strong response actions, has been compounded, in the last months of 2021, by a security threat in the host country.

The PRC and the Commission, committed to the values of solidarity, empathy and African unity, decided to maintain our presence in Addis Ababa. Everyone realises today that it was a good choice.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Your dense agenda augurs well for a substantive and constructive session.

It is with great satisfaction that I have noted the significant importance you have given to the issues of audit and multilateral cooperation. These two points determine, in a way, the smooth running of our Union. The audit induces the implementation of accountability and guarantees a rational and responsible use of our both human and financial resources.

The management of our relations with partners, within the framework of multilateral cooperation, will have to take greater account of our interests, identified upstream in a concerted effort, in order to present a coherent posture to the partner articulated on common positions. Have we not often said that Africa must speak with one voice?

You will have to consider the Reports of the various Specialised Technical Committees (STCs), 7 in all, particularly those on Infrastructure and Energy, Education, Science and Innovation, Communication, Social development, Agriculture and Women empowerment. All of these issues considered represent development issues contained in the Agenda 2063, for whose execution we should strive.

The recommendations of the STC on Justice and Legal Matters will enable decisions concerning the ongoing Institutional Reform to acquire the necessary legal and political force for the phase of their operationalisation.

Mr. Chairman of PRC,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The COVID-19 pandemic, beyond its disastrous health and socio-economic effects, has, above all, shed light on the structural weaknesses of our health systems in Africa.

The attention you will have to give to the modalities of operationalisation of the Africa CDC, to the partnerships in the manufacture of vaccines and to the quantitative aspect of the instruments of ratification for the establishment of the Africa Medicines Agency (AMA), will certainly facilitate the initiation of a break from the currently dominant pattern and to place Africa in a renewed approach to health issues.

Institutional expansion, although it responds to a concern for operational efficiency, needs a more critical analysis to guarantee its compatibility with the budgetary constraints imposed by a sluggish economic situation, both internally at the level of our Member States and at Continental and international levels.

You will also have to consider the Report of the African Union Commission on International Law. At a time when international relations seem to be reconfigure around a worrying rise in unilateralism, we must reaffirm our position, that of a multilateralism built on the crucible of common efforts, the only guarantee of the advent of a robust security and peace regime and shared prosperity.

Other more specific issues on your agenda will receive the attention they deserve.

I hope that your deliberations, as usual and better than before, will afford the hierarchical organs a new opportunity to welcome the fine performance of the Permanent Representatives Committee.

For my part, I will never tire of commending your commitment to finding innovative solutions to the challenges you are facing that will enable the Agenda of Africa to become clearer and visible.

I would like, Dear Brothers and Sisters, to call upon all of us to better focus on the issue of streamlining our meetings, as the PRC Chairman reminded us. How to resolve this contradiction between the desire to lighten our agendas and the plethora of documents?

I thank you for your kind attention.