Your Excellency Amb Tete Antonio, Minister of External Relations of the Republic of Angola and Chairperson of the Executive Council;
Your Excellencies Distinguished Ministers;
Your Excellency Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission;
Your Excellency Selma Melika Hadadi, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission;
Your Excellency Mr. Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa;
Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen;

It is with great honor and pleasure that I welcome you all to the 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union, here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. To colleagues and distinguished delegates, I would like to say;
Welcome
Bien Venue
Karibu
Merhaban Bikum
Bem-vindo
Bien-venido

Allow me also to express profound appreciation to the Republic of Angola and our dear brother H.E. Tete Antonio, for the very successful leadership of our Council in this past year. My gratitude also goes to the new team at the AU Commission led by H.E. Mohammoud Ali Youssuf and his deputy my dear sister H.E. Selma Malika Haddadi for their commitment and dedication in the service of our continent.
As we gather here today, sitting under the umbrella of our Union which was established with the purpose of achieving political independence and economic integration, we are reminded of the importance of unity for our collective security, independence and prosperity.
This past year, we have witnessed mixed developments in our continent. It is encouraging to note that we stood together to promote a common position with regard to UNSC reform, climate justice and the reform of the global financial architecture. A common position on these matters was on display in particular in the first G-20 held on African soil in South Africa Pretoria. Several elections have also been held throughout our continent. The Republic of Guinea and the Republic of the Gabon have also rejoined our Union through the restoration of constitutional order. More and more countries are also relying on the AU Commission for electoral support and observation missions. These are some of the positive developments we need to consolidate and build upon.
On the other hand, our continent is still grappling with incidents of unconstitutional changes of government which are undermining the normative foundations of our Union. The evolving geopolitical landscape in which multilateralism and global cooperation are being eroded is also adversely affecting peace and security in our continent. Fierce competition for technological supremacy, control of critical mineral resources and major logistics routes are becoming a dominant feature of international relations. Trade and economic cooperation are being subordinated to political and security considerations.
In this context many big and middle powers are viewing Africa as a site for their competition and as an instrument of their ambitions. Unfortunately, a mentality of domination, extraction and exploitation still colours the prism through which many external actors view our continent. African Unity must be real and the African Union must be strong if we are to defend our continent from predatory moves that might come from all corners. What we need is not mere charity or good will of others but true partnership and that more than anything requires true strength which emanates from unity. Therefore, I hope that this session of the Executive Council will contribute to bolstering our unity and revitalizing our commitment to our shared objectives.
Excellencies,
This is also a moment to reflect on the economic and social developments of the past year. In 2025, Africa strengthened its regional integration through Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area. The aspiration for a continental free trade area has now turned in to a living reality and its implementation is accelerating in multiple fronts. There have also been progress in strengthening primary health care, improving our agricultural productivity and tackling climate change. Our continent is making steady progress in the social and economic spheres and the African Union is playing an important role in this journey. But the road ahead and the work that lies before us require greater unity and resolve. We are still very far from the Africa we want and hence, we need to redouble our efforts.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
In the coming years, Africa’s common voice must uphold African ownership of African solutions by defending peace, constitutional order, and sovereignty through strong continental leadership. We must also continue with our demand for fair global partnerships and financial reform, including debt relief and climate financing, grounded in equity and respect. Equally vital is fair representation on international platforms to influence global policies and decisions. This includes pursuing United Nations Security Council reform for permanent representation, strengthening Africa’s role in international economic forums for fair trade and balanced policies, securing a meaningful presence in global climate negotiations, and ensuring strong participation in global health governance, especially during public health crises. No global platform can be considered credible or be effective without Africa having its rightful role in shaping and influencing international decisions.
Finally, as Ethiopia prepares to host COP 32, I want to take this opportunity, to assure you that we view this as an opportunity for Africa to lead the global conversation on climate justice and sustainable development.
As the theme of this year happens to be sustainable water availability and safe sanitation, it also offers us an opportunity to carefully consider how we can rejuvenate the ecology from which our water resources originate. Africa is blessed with majestic rivers like the Nile, Congo, Niger, and Zambezi and great lakes like Victoria, Tanganyika, and Malawi. Our approach towards these resources should be guided by the principle of UBUNTU taking in to account the needs, situations and aspirations of all concerned.
Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
In closing, I wish to thank each member state for your continued trust and partnership. May the deliberations of this session strengthen our Union and truly advance Africa’s interest.
I wish you all a productive and enjoyable stay!
አመሰግናለሁ!
I Thank You!
Merci Boucoup! (ሜርሲ ቦኩ)
Shukran! (ሹክረን)
Obrigado! (ኦብሪጋዶ)
Gracuas ! (ገራሲያስ)
Asante Sana ! (አሳንቴ ሳና)