His Excellency Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC),
Your Excellencies Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives of the Member States of the African Union (AU),
Her Excellency Ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi, Vice-Chairperson of the AUC,
Your Excellencies Commissioners of the AUC,
Your Excellency Director-General of the AU Commission,
Distinguished Representatives of AU Member States,
Distinguished Representatives of other AUC Bodies, Directorates and Services,
Distinguished Representatives of Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs),
Ladies and Gentlemen,
All protocol observed.

At the start of this new year, allow me, on behalf of the Republic of Angola and in my capacity as Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the African Union, to wish you all good health, prosperity and success, with our Heavenly Father, God, the Supreme Creator, always at the centre of our personal, family and professional lives.
I hope that 2026 will be a year of hope and determination for each of our countries, and that it will offer us the opportunity to further consolidate the bonds of brotherhood and cooperation that unite us, guided by the principles of Pan-Africanism.
Encouraged by this same spirit of solidarity and confidence, I am honoured to take the floor to open the proceedings of the 51st Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) of the African Union, which begins today, 12 January, and will end on 30 January this year.

Your Excellencies,
I would like to recall that the Permanent Representatives Committee plays a key role in the preparation and monitoring of strategic dossiers of our continental organisation.
Our mission is to ensure the smooth running of the Union's affairs, guaranteeing the implementation of the priority and flagship projects set out in Agenda 2063, entitled 'The Africa We Want'. A sovereign, united, peaceful and developed Africa. "The vision of a strong and self-sufficient Africa remains a beacon for our actions," as stated by His Excellency João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, in his capacity as Chairperson of the African Union.
It is therefore clear that Agenda 2063, a true compass and source of African pride, embodies our common vision of a prosperous, integrated and peaceful Africa that we aspire to achieve through constant vigilance and concerted action.

In this context, I express my appreciation for the spirit of collaboration of all Member States and humbly renew my gratitude for the trust placed in the Republic of Angola, as Chair of the African Union, whose term is gradually coming to an end.
We must all remain steadfast, with the same commitment to ensuring that we fulfil our responsibilities, particularly in mobilising multifaceted resources and strengthening monitoring mechanisms to make the motto "The Africa We Want" a reality, with tangible and measurable results for our populations.
The presence of all of you at this opening ceremony, held in person at the headquarters of our Continental Organisation, and the enthusiasm evident in this room, testify to the alignment of Member States with the success of this joint exercise and the collective commitment to advance the African Union in the areas of peace, development and sustainable integration.

Your Excellencies,
As we prepare to examine and consolidate the preparatory documents for the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, the highest continental body, preceded by the 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, it is imperative that we continually strengthen our internal unity and cohesion.
A strong African Union is based on common positions and, where necessary, on bold, daring or innovative decision-making and action on major international issues.
In a world marked by rapid change and growing tensions, which we have witnessed with disbelief in recent times, our collective and united voice in diversity must resonate clearly and firmly, thus reaffirming Africa's role and place as one of the key players in the international system.

Your Excellencies,
No country, no region of the world, no one, absolutely no one, can live in isolation.
International relations teach us that, in this globalised and interdependent world, no Nation can, on its own, tackle the major contemporary transnational challenges, whether social, economic, environmental or political. These challenges require a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to be overcome.
In the face of complex interdependence and multipolarity, all actors, even the most modest, including non-state, formal and informal actors, are called upon to contribute to the search for concerted solutions and the building of partnerships that reinforce stability, integration and common prosperity on a global scale, valuing multilateralism.
Our continent, like other regions of the world, faces major and persistent challenges, whether political, economic or security-related.

We note with great concern the persistence of armed conflicts, terrorism and violent extremism, but also other hybrid transnational threats involving a combination of coercive and subversive activities, using conventional and unconventional methods (disinformation, cyberattacks and economic manipulation) to compromise the security of our countries and their institutions.
This phenomenon is a real challenge to national defence and political stability, which tends to be undermined by the exploitation of structural vulnerabilities resulting, above all, from the deficit in public governance in the eyes of the population, particularly African youth, who are increasingly connected and eager for change.
Added to this is the worrying trend towards a return to hegemonic and unilateral behaviour, which undermines global balance, threatens the sovereignty of nations and devalues the principles of multilateralism, in contradiction with the commitments made in the "Pact for the Future".
This geopolitical reality requires us to strengthen Africa's common and unequivocal position, which leaves no room for doubt or ambiguous interpretations, against any form of external interference in the affairs of our continent. To this end, we must increasingly value the spirit of unity and solidarity that characterises us and that we have inherited from our Founding Fathers.
Only in this way can we defend, with vigour and conviction, our right to self-determination and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to effective multilateralism, the essential bulwark for consolidating and promoting prosperity.
Although the latter is being put to the test, it remains the only guarantee of a fair and equitable world order that respects the principles of cooperation and solidarity.

Your Excellencies,
During this Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee, our agenda covers several topics of strategic, critical and vital interest, namely peace and security, due to their natural preponderance, but also financial and budgetary issues, which are equally crucial to providing our Union with the necessary means to efficiently fulfil its mission.
Our Heads of State and Government will also be called upon to advance the process of institutional reforms, with the aim of making the African Union more operational, more effective and less dependent on external partners.
These reforms are essential if our Organisation is to be able to meet the challenges of the future and if Africa is to assert itself as a solid bloc, like a few other regions in the world.
As an African proverb says: "He who walks alone may arrive faster, but he who walks with others will certainly go further."
It is in this spirit that we must work, with courage and solidarity.
Considering the noble task that now falls to us to prepare well for the upcoming 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, I invite each of us to participate in the debates with constructive, responsible interactions imbued with the solidarity that has always characterised our relations as Member States.
Together, let us bring the necessary dynamism to our deliberations, with a view to creating the best conditions for this year's Summit to be a decisive moment in advancing the aspirations of Agenda 2063, but also in strengthening the cohesion, coherence and visibility of our Union on the international stage.
I believe in our common desire for a prosperous and unyielding Africa, as expressed by Achille Mbembe. I believe in the Member States and in African leadership. I believe, as always, in Africa and its Continental Organisation!
With these words, I declare open the 51st Ordinary Session of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the African Union.

Thank you very much for your attention.