Norway and the African Union (AU) have signed a three-year cooperation agreement, with a framework of NOK 180 million (USD 21 million) over three years, to strengthen the political dialogue and cooperation between Norway and the AU.
The African Union Commission and the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs agree to cooperate on areas of mutual interest, including peace and security, good governance and democratization, and sustainable development and job creation. In addition to the direct financial support, the agreement includes provisions for the strategic dialogue between the two partners at both political and senior officials’ level.
‘In recent years, the AU has gained considerable importance as a political arena for African countries and as Africa’s voice in international forums. At a time when global norms and multilateral cooperation are under pressure, the AU is a vital partner for Norway. We particularly want to help to further strengthen the AU’s ability to prevent and resolve conflicts,’ said Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.
Cooperation under the agreement will support the implementation of Africa's own sustainable development framework, Agenda 2063. Norway will support the AU’s work on peace and security, democracy and governance, sustainable development and job creation, as well as capacity-building in the AU Commission.
‘Norway is an important partner for the African Union, and our strategic partnership is already very strong. With the new Strategic Partnership Agreement we have laid the basis for continued strong cooperation for the next three years’, said AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.
In October 2018, Norway established a Norwegian delegation to the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. The delegation is headed by Ambassador Morten Aasland.