Events

Fellow Africans, Our Dear Friends

One year ago, African leaders from governments, civil society, the arts, students, human rights groups, the media, women’s movements, youth organisations, intellectuals, trade unions, academics, and business met at the Headquarters of the African Union, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to celebrate 50 years since the founding of the Organisation of African Unity.

We were joined in these celebrations by our sisters and brothers in the Diaspora, and our friends and partners from across the world.

We gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and across the length and breadth of the continent to reflect on Africa over the last fifty years and where we are today. We celebrated our achievements, in particular the successes recorded in liberating the overwhelming majority of Africans from the yoke of colonialism and apartheid. We also acknowledged the long and arduous road of building independent nations and states, whilst defining Africa’s place in the world and the route towards African integration.

Throughout the year, we remembered the contributions of the early Pan Africanists, on the mother continent and in the Diaspora, who united into a powerful and enduring movement against dehumanizing slavery, racial oppression and colonialism, for self-determination and laid the foundation for our vision of a United Africa.

As we started the celebrations, we vowed to use the yearlong celebrations to remember our heroes and heroines, to learn lessons from our past and to chart the way forward for the ‘Africa we Want’.

One year on, Africa has a stronger sense of herself, her past and present, and the challenges and opportunities we face.

Most importantly, we used our Golden Jubilee celebrations to define the Africa we want. The ‘E-mail from the future’, which I wrote to Kwameh Nkrumah was but one contribution. It sparked off an amazing process of reflections and dreams about how Africa can be.

Africans from the north to the south, east to west, young and old, men and women, academics, business, and government officials, the religious sector and civil society, got talking and reflecting on our past, present and future.

These reflections found expression in Agenda 2063, a long-term vision and roadmap for the transformation of African into a continent that is integrated, peaceful, prosperous and people-centred.

Agenda 2063 thus contains a summation of the aspirations of Africans for the future we want, and let me voice some of them:
The young people said: We want a modernized Africa that uses technology to provide services to all people; with modern, fast and sustainable transport, energy and ICT infrastructure, a vibrant green economy and with free movement of people and goods.

We want to be able to study anywhere in the continent, have our qualifications recognized everywhere and be able to work or establish a business in any part of the continent.

The religious communities said: We want our people to live in peace, to express themselves and their beliefs freely, with tolerance for others’ religions. We want our societies to be based on shared values of loving thy neighbor, of solidarity and care for each other. We want accountable government and leadership that involve the people in determining their destiny.
The women said: We are more than half of the continent’s population and give birth to the other half. We want to be equal partners in building an Africa of peace and shared prosperity. We want our boys and girls to be healthy, to go to school, to acquire post school education, skills and jobs, and opportunities to participate in the future.

We don’t want the pain of not having food to feed our children, or losing our girls to child marriages, or kidnappings or our young people recruited into rebel groups or armed and criminal gangs, or losing our lives whilst giving lives.

Business people said: We want our economies to diversify and grow, and to make it easy to transport our goods from one country to another, to trade with fellow Africans and to establish strong African business champions in all sectors. We want to invest in new ventures and take risks on the innovation ideas of young entrepreneurs. We need reliable and adequate energy and other infrastructure to grow and expand our businesses.

The Farmers said: Since more than 70% of us working in agriculture are women, we need access to land, capital, irrigation, seeds, extension services, storage and transport. We know the land, the seasons, and we know we can feed the continent.

University students said: We want to be proud Africans, to compete with the best in the world, to live in a continent that is a success story. We want an Africa that is self-reliant and able to finance its development.

The African Tourism Ministers said: we want to capture a much larger share of the global tourism and over the next decades make Africa the preferred tourist destination of the world.

Workers said: we want the economy to grow and create jobs, with decent wages, social protection and safe working environments. We want investment and training in the informal economy to increase productivity and grow into the mainstream.

The small island states communities said: We want Africa to define and lead in the blue economy; and we want transport links amongst our islands and with the mainland. We want movement on the mitigation and adaptation strategies to help us deal with climate change.

One of our science publications wrote: without an African skills revolution, and scaled-up investment in science, mathematics, technology and research, Agenda 2063 won’t happen. African leaders must therefore champion the cause of science and technology.

The African Diaspora: We want the sixth region to be more than just a slogan, so that we can contribute and build effective links between the mother continent and her diaspora.

Our artists said: We want our heritage and culture to be a vibrant part of the Pan African identity and renaissance, we want Africa to reclaim its place amongst the world’s leading civilization, with its values of ubuntu, of solidarity, equality, unity in diversity and living in harmony with our natural environment.
These are but a few of the aspirations for the Future we Want voiced by Africans as we celebrated and reflected over the past year.
Fellow Africans, Dear Friends
Agenda 2063 is however not only about aspirations.
It builds on the historic tenants of the Pan African movement, the continental frameworks of the OAU such as the Monrovia declaration, the Lagos Plan of Action, the Abuja Treaty and NEPAD. It consolidates into a comprehensive framework our sectoral strategies: in agriculture, arts, culture, education, science, technology, social policy, infrastructure, health, industrialization and integration, etc. It takes account of the national and regional developmental plans.

Agenda 2063 will therefore prioritise strategies, identify the key enablers, the capacity required for implementation and how we will finance our programmes.

As a generation that lived to celebrate fifty years since the dream of a United Africa was articulated on 25 May 1963, we are once again taking up the baton.

We are confident that the generations that will celebrate centenary of our continental union in 2063 - our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren - will live in an Africa very different from what we have today.

The journey towards 2063 has started. It will be a long journey and we will climb many hills.
But we will succeed.

I wish you a happy Africa Day!

Press Statement:

AUC Chairperson condemns the terrorist attack in China, calls for joint international action

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 23 May 2014. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma condemns the barbaric acts of terrorism that left 31 people dead and many others wounded in Xinjiang, China. The Chairperson calls on the international community to take resolute action, and in unison, to combat the growing wave of terrorism around the world, and to suppress with unrivalled determination the evil forces behind the phenomenon.

The Chairperson stresses that this attack is a reminder of the continued threat that terrorism and violent extremism poses to the entire world, and highlights the need for continued and enhanced international action to address this scourge.

The AU also joins the international community in strongly condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes. Accordingly, she expresses Africa's commitment to fully play its role in the global efforts to combat terrorism on the basis of AU and international counter-terrorism instruments.

Dr. Dlamini Zuma expresses her heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved families and wishes speedy recovery to the wounded. She extends her support and solidarity to the Government of People’s Republic of China.

JEE/wzm

Press Release Nº112/2014

AUC Chairperson attends AfDB Annual Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 21 May, 2014: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Dr. NkosazanaDlaminiZumaarrives in Kigali, Rwanda on Wednesday 21 May 2014, to participate in the 49th annual meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB) holding in Kigali, Rwanda, from 19-23 May 2014.

Dr. DlaminiZuma will be participating in some panel discussions. One of the panel discussions takes place Wednesday 21 May 2014, focusing on the theme, “Leadership for the Africa we Want”. It will address two issues for discussion: 1) How can we nurture visionary African leadership to address any leadership deficit and engender trust in policies; 2) Does Africa need effective institutions more than it needs strong leaders?

Co-panelists will include: H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda;H.E. Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon; H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya; H. E. Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki, former President, Republic of South Africa; Hon. OlusegunObasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and Dr. Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair, Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

The AUC Chairperson will also attend the official opening of the meeting taking place on Thursday, 22 May 2014. The annual meetingwill be attended by Heads of States, finance ministers and the governors of the central banks from the53 regional member countries (RMC) of the AfDB

JEE/wzm

Press Release Nº110/2014

Africa prioritizes infrastructure to modernize the continent – Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 20 May, 2014: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has said that Africa is prioritizing infrastructural development to speed up the modernization of the continent. She was speaking in an audience with the visiting Governor-General of New Zealand, Honorable Sir Jeremiah Mateperae on Tuesday, 20 May 2014 at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The AU Commission Chairperson and the Governor-General held conversations discussing possible areas of cooperation between the African Union Commission and New Zealand. Areas of mutual interest identified among others included: agriculture and agro-processing, geothermal energy, and human capacity development.

Dr. Dlamini Zuma expressed keen interest in the continent having institutions both physical and e-space, to massively train its young people, noting that training is a key driver to speed up the continent’s skills revolution.

Sir Jeremiah Mateperae noted that his government encourages women to be innovative and to train in science and technology, adding that “engaging women has the greatest multiplier effect.”

New Zealand expressed interest to produce the second edition of the AU Handbook in English and French. The first edition of the handbook, modeled after the United Nations handbook, was produced and launched in 2013.

The AUC Chairperson and the New Zealand Governor-General also agreed on the importance of promoting people-people opportunities in the areas of sports and culture.

New Zealand is opening its new embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia thereby strengthening its relationship with Africa.

JEE/wzm