The African Governance Architecture and African Peace and Security Architecture (AGA-APSA) Platform today commenced its 2026 Statutory Political Meeting in Addis Ababa, with a strong call for accelerated action to translate continental policy commitments into tangible results and to place youth empowerment at the heart of Africa’s governance and peace agenda.

In her welcoming remarks, Hon. Sabrina Gahar, Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) and the Chairperson of the platform at the political level framed the protection and empowerment of African youth not as a secondary concern, but as the central pillar for achieving sustainable peace and security.

Participants in a high-level panel discussion called for meaningful participation of youth in peace processes, and investing in their resilience through mandatory budgetary allocations for education, healthcare, and social services.

In his opening remarks, H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for PAPS at the African Union Commission (AUC) and Rapporteur of the AGA-APSA Platform at the political level, underscored that sustainable peace and security in Africa are inseparable from democratic governance, human rights, and accountable institutions, as emphasized during the 2026 Statutory Political Meeting of the AGA-APSA Platform. Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, highlighted the Platform’s evolution into a key continental coordination mechanism and commended progress made in 2025, notably the 13^th High-Level Dialogue on Justice, Rights, Reparations and State-Building, alongside youth- and women-focused engagements that strengthened intergenerational ownership and policy relevance.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Commissioner outlined priority actions including stronger implementation of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) and Permanents Representatives’ Committee (PRC) decisions, early preparation for the 2028 AU Theme of the Year on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance, and the elevation of youth empowerment as a flagship initiative of the Platform. Stressing the need to translate commitments into concrete results, he stated: “Youth inclusion, mainstreaming and empowerment remains a cross-cutting imperative for democracy, human rights, conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and regional integration. In this regard, youth empowerment has been proposed for this Platform as a key flagship initiative. I have personally committed to advancing this agenda and I invite all members to rally around this theme for the year 2026 by integrating youth meaningfully across platforms, programmes and activities. We do have the strategy already, the AGA-APSA Youth Engagement Strategy, we just need to action it,” and reaffirmed his personal commitment to advancing youth inclusion through existing frameworks such as the AGA-APSA Youth Engagement Strategy, positioning the Platform as a driver of Agenda 2063’s vision of an inclusive, people-centred Africa.

H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye welcomed the upcoming African Governance Report 2027 focused on “Youth in Governance in Africa: From Promise to Prosperity” and announced a dedicated political panel discussion on “Youth Empowerment for Governance and Regional Integration,” featuring insights from H.E. Amb. Marie-Antoinette Rose Quatre, CEO of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

The meeting, which includes the election of a new Bureau for the Platform, brings together high-level representatives from AGA-APSA member bodies, the PSC, the PRC Sub-Committee, Ambassadors, youth representatives, and stakeholders.

The AGA-APSA Platform reaffirms its commitment to being a driving force for a peaceful, just, and inclusive Africa as envisioned by Agenda 2063, harnessing the energy and potential of its youth to achieve sustainable development, democratic governance, and lasting security.

For further information about AGA-APSA, please contact:

1. Ms. Makda Mikre Tessema |Senior Democracy and Governance Expert, AGA-APSA Secretariat | Email: Makdam@africanunion.org
2. Ms. Hagar Azzooz | Project Officer, AGA-APSA| Email: Azzoozh@africanunion.org

For media inquiries, please contact:

1. Ms. Wynne Musabayana | Head, Communication Division| Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission | E-mail: Musabayanaw@africanunion.org
2. Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate (ICD), African Union Commission | E-mail: GamalK@africanunion.org

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