The Director General, AUC

Directors,

Heads of Divisions,

Dear Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, allow me to warmly welcome you to our first CDCP internal Retreat since the new Commission took office. I extend a special welcome to Amb. Dr. Fathallah Sijilmassi, Director General of the African Union Commission and congratulate him on being the first one in this new and important role. I am particularly thrilled to see you all in person and in good health, despite the public health turmoil we are all facing for almost two years now. I would kindly ask each of us to take a minute of silence in memory of those of our colleagues, family and friends we have lost. Thank you!

Dear Colleagues,

As we gather here today to discuss issues pertinent to our work, I would like on the onset to recognize and commend the efforts that you have all demonstrated in the past months since I took office in March 2021. The complexities of our work are manyfold, while working tirelessly to improve our capacity to deliver and the working method. The persistence of COVID-19 has not made it easier, either. 

As you are all aware, our work is pivotal in carrying forward the bigger mandate of our Union as well as our overall Agenda 2063 Aspirations. In that regard, it is imperative that we develop a sense of urgency and increase synergies among our various offices especially on elements of cross-cutting nature.

Having been mandated to carry forward deep aspects of institutional reforms, we are called to drive an organisational transformation agenda in a view to deliver (1) a lean but efficient, (2) inclusive and effective, (3) transparent and accountable; all-in-all, (4) a rules- and values-based African Union, starting with the Commission in all its arms, and extending to other organs and institutions of the Union.

Anew work culture and ethics is required for the improvement of many of our governance, administrative, human capital and staff well-being, financial, digital, conferencing, and other practices and services. Our ability to leverage and optimize on our human and infrastructural resources will be our key success factor that is now needed more than ever.

Our retreat will provide an opportunity to interact with the new Cabinet and discuss the vision, priorities and overall expectation from each functions under the Cabinet. I therefore expect honest interaction on the challenges or gaps faced by each of you, (notwithstanding your success drivers), for which we must establish clear and effective mechanisms in solving them, while encouraging progressive and constructive deliberations on ways to anticipate some of our foreseeable operations bottlenecks.

I would like to reiterate that my Cabinet will remain open and ready to support you in whatever capacity needed, with the ultimate goal to effectively deliver as one. I wish all of us fruitful deliberations as we look forward to the outcome of our Retreat.

I thank you!