The Mid-Year Coordination Meeting is aligned to the commitment by the African Union Heads of State and Government to the development and integration of the continent, as articulated in Article 3 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, which sets out the key objectives, including, accelerating the political and socio-economic integration of the continent and promoting sustainable development at the economic, social and cultural levels as well as the integration of African economies.

In January 2017, as part of the African Union Institutional Reforms, the Heads of State and Government adopted a decision on managing the business of the African Union efficiently and effectively, at both political and operational levels. The Heads of State and Government decided that in place of the previously convened June/July Summit, the Bureau of the African Union Assembly would proceed to hold a coordination meeting with the Regional Economic Communities, with the participation of the Chairpersons of the Regional Economic Communities, the AU Commission and Regional Mechanisms. Ahead of this meeting, the AU Commission shall play a more active coordination and harmonisation role with the Regional Economic Communities, in line with the Treaty establishing of the African Economic Community (the Abuja Treaty).

The Treaty establishing the African Economic Community (AEC) was adopted in 1991. Article 4 of the Treaty’s objectives is “to promote economic, social and cultural development and the integration of African economies in order to increase economic self-reliance and promote an endogenous and self-sustained development”; ii. Article 4 (2) (i) of the Treaty focuses on the need to gradually remove obstacles to the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital and the right of residence and establishment among Member States.

The Mid-Year Coordination Meeting is preceded by the 42^ND Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives’ Committee, which started on 27^th September and the 39^TH Ordinary Session of the Executive Council to be held on the 13 – 14 October 2021.

In 2013, member states of the African Union agreed upon "Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want", working towards an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its citizens, representing a dynamic force in the international arena. In line with this vision, deepening and accelerating the socio economic and political integration of the African continent remains crucial for Africa's development. The Mid-Year Coordination Meeting between the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities and the Regional Mechanisms and the meetings of the African Union Executive Council and the Permanent Representatives’ Committee will focus on various priority areas that include but are not limited to;

1. BUDGET OF THE UNION FOR THE YEAR 2022

The meetings will discuss how to reconcile the Union’s ambitions to fulfil its legitimate aspirations with the constraints of the budget

2. MULTILATERAL COOPERATION

The meetings will deliberate strategies to adopt in order to optimize results that will meet the expectations of the African people. The relevance of this concern emanates from the principle according to which Africa combines its endogenous efforts with the contributions of its partners to build and assert itself.

3. OPERATIONALISATION OF THE AFRICACDC. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND ITS SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT ON AFRICAN ECONOMIES

This is an urgent and vital issue in view of the health risks and the emergence of new variants of Covid19, in view of their socio-economic impact which has led to a deterioration of the living conditions of African people. The meeting will be challenged to take measures that will enable AfricaCDC to consolidate its operational modalities.

When the first case of COVID-19 in Africa was reported on 14 February 2020 in Egypt, the predictions for the continent were dire. However, the African Union was one of the first regional institutions to adopt a Joint Continental Strategy for the COVID-19 Outbreak as a continental strategy by African Union member states to contain and prevent the spread of the virus. This led to the exemplary societal resilience featured across sectors, and Africans’ determination to fight the disease. The continent has cautiously defied expectations and largely withstood the devastating health effects of the pandemic, as compared to other regions of the world. However, the socioeconomic crisis continues to hit Africa hard.

The Africa CDC has extended partnership in the implementation of the continental strategy against COVID-19 on all fronts. These activities include: supporting the AUC in studying the impact of COVID-19 on governance, peace and security; backing country offices and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in the prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence during the pandemic; supporting the procurement of personal protective equipment for countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); bolstering health systems; supporting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to create innovative solutions for African problems; and building the capacity of target groups such as health workers, faith-based organizations, civil-society organizations, youth and women’s groups and leading health institutions.

At the Mid-Year Coordination meeting, H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa and African Union Champion for the COVID-19 Response, will present a comprehensive report on the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. Learn more about the efforts and responses of the continent in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond here.

4. STRUCTURAL REFORMS.

To fully realize the potential the African continent has and to achieve the development objectives of the continent, the African Union (AU) has set out a comprehensive reform agenda that lays a strong foundation for the continental structural transformation and impactful delivery of the socio-economic aspirations of Africa’s development blueprint, Agenda 2063. Since the launching of the Institutional Reforms in January 2017, significant progress has been made in the journey towards a better structured, sustainably financed, properly and soundly managed institution that aptly responds to the new realities of Africa, the untapped opportunities and conclusively address the challenges that remain in the full realization of sustainable development and a peaceful and secure Africa.

In taking stock of the progress made in the reforms agenda, there is no doubt that the AU reforms are no longer a question of necessity but on how to realize the set goals of the reform agenda. There is a general consensus by African states on the need to re-position the Union into an effective and efficient structure. Drawing lessons on the implementation challenges of previous reform proposals such as the 2007 Adedeji Audit, the new reform approach places strategic importance on the significant oversight role of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in the reform process, to ensure its successful implementation.

The AU reforms are wide reaching and currently focus on the secretariat of the Union that is the AU Commission, the African Union Development Agency (AUDA NEPAD) formerly the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD), and the financial reforms of the Union. The reforms fundamentally position the AU to meets the evolving needs of its Member States and ensures an impactful delivery of Agenda 2063 to the African citizenry guided by core principles set for the reforms.

The AU Commission has since adopted a leaner departmental structure that reflects a new performance-based commission that can deliver Agenda 2063 and drive the continental priorities. The leaner structure saw a reduction of the elective positions from the ten (10) to eight (8) positions and takes into account the division of labour between the AU Commission, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms, Member States and continental organizations to eliminate duplication and overlap, in terms of mandates and functions.

The policy organs will consider the updates on the Reforms of the Union. Learn more about the Reforms here.

5. THEME OF THE YEAR

A mid-term evaluation of the concrete activities carried out under the theme for the year 2021: arts, culture and heritage: levers for building the Africa we Want, will be done.

The causal relationship asserted in the formulation of this theme between culture and the construction of Africa sends two messages, one tending to transcend folk aspects, the other relating to the vital role of cultural dynamism in development.

This theme is important as it is one of the permanent drivers of the implementation of Agenda 2063.

6.THE STATUS OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN AFRICA

Since the wave of independence of African countries in the 1960s, African Union Heads of State and Government have considered regional integration as a priority strategy that could enable the continent realise and achieve its economic growth and development.

In this regard, several plans and programmes have been adopted to translate this idea of integration into reality. The establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) is considered the very first initiative of African Heads of State and Government in their ultimate desire to have an integrated and peaceful continent. This was followed by the Lagos Plan of Action, the 1991 Abuja Treaty whose ultimate goal is to create the African Economic Community (AEC). The Abuja Treaty proposes a gradual evolution towards the creation of AEC by dividing the whole process into 6 different stages in 34 years, including the strengthening and creation of RECs, the elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers, the Customs Union, the Free Trade Area, the Common Market and the Economic and Monetary Union.

Taking into consideration a new continental context and to speed up the continental integration process with a view to establishing the AEC, the Heads of State and Government reaffirmed in Libya in the "Sirte Declaration in 1999, their commitment to implement the stages advocated in the Abuja Treaty. To this end, the Minimum Integration Programme (MIP) was developed by the RECs and the African Union Commission (AUC) as a convergence and harmonization mechanism focusing on a few priority areas in which pan-African institutions in charge of regional integration could pool their efforts and build on positive experiences for successful continental integration.

However, in spite of the several initiatives adopted, the implementation of the regional integration process in accordance with the deadlines of the Abuja Treaty has been slow, despite the voluntarism expressed in the Sirte Declaration. This can be explained by a number of difficulties such as: the persistence of tariff barriers and non-tariff barriers, the divergence among States to define a common external tariff and the absence of financial compensation mechanisms for the establishment of the Customs Union (CU), the obstacles to the free movement of people and factors of production for the completion of the Common Market (CM), the weak harmonization of fiscal, monetary and financial policies at the regional level and the overlap of RECs.

In view of the fragmentation of the continent into several smaller markets, regional integration appears as the way forward for the creation of a large market which facilitates the free movement of capital, goods, people and services. It is also the optimal way to facilitate investment in key areas of infrastructure, energy, agriculture and industry for structural transformation of the continent.

To monitor and evaluate the status of integration, in May 2013, African ministers in charge of integration tasked the AU Commission to develop monitoring and evaluation frameworks on the implementation of the commitments of African integration. Relatedly, the series of the African Integration Report and the African Regional Integration Index are such initiatives to monitor and provide comprehensive and structured review of the status of integration. The reports also sets out innovative policies for accelerating the ongoing regional integration process to achieve an “integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa.”

7. THE DIVISION OF LABOUR BETWEEN THE MEMBER STATES, AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION AND THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC COMMUNITIES.

In the Division of Labour between African Union, Regional Economic Communities and Member States, the Policy Planning and Formulation stipulates that the African Union, Regional Economic Communities and Member States shall do the following;

The role of the African Union.

• The African Union will be the body to coordinate the formulation and adoption of continental policy decisions. These decisions/policies will be informed through consultations with Member states and RECs.
• Draft necessary legal instruments for the continental policies and programs/projects.
• Organize awareness and negotiation meetings for the legal instruments.

The role of the Regional Economic Communities.

• Formulate regional policies in line with the continental orientations.
• Serve as focal points for facilitating consultations for the formulation of continental policies and programs/projects in consultation with the RECs and the AU.
• Support the alignment of national development plans with regional and continental development frameworks in consultation with the RECs and the AU.
• Support the participation of Member states in the negotiation of legal instruments aimed at building common understanding and position in consultation with the RECs and the AU.

The role of the Member states.

• Participate in the formulation of Regional and Continental policies and programs/projects.
• Adopt/integrate continental/regional policies and programs/projects as one of the basis for developing their national visions and plans.
• Serve as focal points for facilitating consultations for the formulation of continental policies and programs/projects in consultation with the RECs and the AU.
• Support the alignment of national development plans with regional and continental development frameworks in consultation with the RECs and the AU.
• Facilitate and coordinate the participation of Member states in the negotiation of legal instruments aimed at building common understanding and position in consultation with the RECs and the AU.

Read more on the roles of each body in Policy adoption, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, resource mobilization, and partnerships here.

8. ELECTIONS.

The following elections will be held during the meeting of the Executive Council.

1. Election and Appointment of the Two (2) Commissioners of the AU Commission. Elections for two outstanding Commissioner Posts for Commissioner of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development and the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation that were postponed during the elections of the AU Commission leadership conducted in February 2021. In the interim, the incumbents, Mrs. Amira Elfadil Mohammed (Sudan) and Prof. Sarah Agbor (Cameroon) respectively, have continued to serve in their current positions until the elections are conducted. 
2. Election and Appointment of the President and Vice President of the Pan African University (PAU), Election and Appointment of Four (4) Members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
3. Election and Appointment of Four (4) Members of the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption
4. Provisional appointment of the CEO of AUDA- NEPAD.

Participants at the Mid-Year Coordination Meeting will include the Bureau of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government; officials from the African Union Commission, Organs and Specialized Institutions and Agencies, Regional Economic Communities and the Regional Mechanisms.

Media can register to attend the open sessions of the 39^th ordinary session of the Executive Council and the 3^rd Mid Year Coordination Meeting. For more information please read the Media announcment at https://au.int/en/announcements/20211007/media-announcement-online-regis...

14 OCTOBER 2021: Opening Session of the 39^TH Ordinary Session of the Executive Council.

16 OCTOBER 2021: Opening Session of the 3^rd Mid-Year Coordination Meeting Between The African Union, The Regional Economic Communities And The Regional Mechanisms.