Addis Ababa, 11 January 2013 - Where and how do we get to that prosperous Africa by 2063, and what will be the different roles of AUC, ECA and AfDB 50 years from now? The question and other related issues were on the agenda of a two-day high level discussion co-chaired, today Friday, 11 January 2013, by the Chairperson of African Union Commission (AUC), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the Executive Secretary of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Dr. Carlos Lopes and the President of African Development Bank (AfDB) Dr. Donald Kaberuka, at the headquarters of the African Union, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The joint meeting was dedicated to the African vision 2063, including key challenges, strategic issues and priorities facing Africa over the next 50 years, and how to find effective means of addressing them, in a bid to enhance the institutional links and coordination between the three organizations in support of the implementation of continental programmes, projects and initiatives.

“It gives us a good point to just step back, and reflect on where Africa should be going in the next 50 years” said Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. She added that, “it'll be great for the future generations to find themselves 50 years from now in a prosperous Africa at peace with itself, an Africa that will have an important voice in the global affairs”.

Highlighting the objective of this high level discussion, the AUC Chairperson said “there is a lot of work that needs to be done, that is why it is important that we define how we can work to implement our action plan using our different but complimentary mandates”. She emphasized that the three organisations are building on their traditional relationship which “needs to be strengthened … we must ensure that we put in place a strong mechanisms that will coordinate our actions to enable us regularly brief our Leaders in the Continent with one voice”.

Dr. Donald Kaberuka called in line with the celebration of the half century of African unity, for a reflection on “what Africa has achieved so far and what it could have done differently so that the continent can take a different path going forward”. “This is the beginning of that kind of reflection which is sober and realistic, which asks the right and critical Question to say here is what went wrong, here is what we can do differently and here is our contribution”, stressed the President of AfDB.

“The mainstream thinking now is that Africa is different and we could get it right if we want. The choice is fully ours, and it’s now time for us to define what we want” said president Kaberuka.

Dr. Carlos Lopes stressed on the importance of the joint meeting during a year when Africa is commemorating 50 years of Pan-African history, highlighting the need for the three institutions to work together for the sake of the Continent. “We need to have the African Agenda as our priority and to adhere to it”, said the Executive Secretary of the ECA.

We have to engage in a very serious way to ensure that our Development Agenda is a transformative Agenda and is something that will give credit so that the Continent can take charge of its own affairs. This is the reason why these three Institutions have to coordinate their efforts and work together”, noted Dr. Lopes.

The three Chief Executive Officers will adopt a communiqué at the end of the two days meeting, tomorrow 12 January.