The 37th Extraordinary Session of the Meeting of Heads of State and Authorities of the African Union (AU) started on Saturday, February 17, 2024. Its theme was: “Educate an African match for the 21st century: Constructing resilient training techniques for better entry.” “To Inclusive, Lifelong, High quality, and Related Studying in Africa” was the occasion on the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, properly attended by African heads of state and authorities in addition to high-level representatives from the African continent and over and past.
On the occasion, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, was elected Chairman of the Union for 2024, taking up the baton from outgoing Chairman Azali Assoumani, President of the Union of Comoros.
Keynote audio system in the course of the official opening ceremony included Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairman of the AU Fee; Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary Basic of the League of Arab States, Prime Minister of Palestine Mohammad Shyyyeh and others The outgoing Chairman of the Union, the President of the Union of Comoros, is an Assoumani.
The assembly started with a minute's silence in honor of the late Namibian President Hage Geingob. The outgoing Chairman of the Union, President Assoumani, took the ground and offered a complete report on the achievements and actions undertaken on behalf of the AU throughout his time period in workplace. He famous achievements within the areas of peace and safety, socio-economic growth, youth and girls empowerment, Africa talking with one voice and taking widespread positions on international points, enhancing infrastructure, agriculture, local weather change, training, well being and ICT, amongst others . He known as for peace within the Center East and reiterated the necessity for a two-state answer for Israel and Palestine.
In his welcoming speech, the Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed highlighted the significance of making sturdy regional and continental platforms, stressing that these platforms are essential in addressing nationwide growth challenges from geopolitical, logistical and safety views. He hailed the African Union's entry into the G20 as “a major milestone” on the worldwide stage.
In his tackle to the gathering, AUC Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat highlighted some crucial considerations going through the continent, together with peace, political and institutional instability, local weather change, deficits in financial governance, integration challenges, poverty and the marginalization of Girls and younger folks in growth and management processes. He harassed the pressing want for Member States to proactively tackle these points and underscored their significance in attaining the targets of Agenda 2063 for a modified and affluent Africa.
“We at the moment are confronted with a significant problem as a result of urgency of clear positions on this difficulty, which is of central significance to the emergence of our group and our continent. Strengthening our unity and intensifying our struggles require a brand new starting, a real renaissance of nationalism and Pan-Africanism,” stated the AUC chairman.
Faki highlighted the continent's progress, praising the profitable progress of institutional reforms and progress in regional integration, significantly by way of the African Continental Free Commerce Space (AfCFTA). He expressed satisfaction with progress in quite a few areas, together with the Peace Fund, the African Widespread Positions on Local weather Change, international governance reform, funding of African peacekeeping missions and the AU's notable entry into the G20 Discussion board.
The Secretary Basic of the League of Arab States and the Prime Minister of Palestine highlighted peace and safety considerations and known as for a right away ceasefire within the ongoing battle between Israel and Palestine. Additionally they known as for win-win strategic partnerships, financial growth and inclusive, high quality training, which is amongst others the African Union's theme for 2024.
“The World South will change into an inevitable a part of the answer to the best crises afflicting this planet…” Solely an inclusive social venture will allow us to construct affluent, free, democratic and sovereign societies,” emphasised Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva the opening of the AU meeting. President Lula supplied to assist the African continent's efforts to shut the digital divide and reiterated his nation's willingness to contribute to the development of expertise and be sure that synthetic intelligence (AI) governance mechanisms replicate the views of the World South .
“The nation (Brazil) is dedicated to facilitating an improved dialogue between the G20 and the Excessive-Stage Panel established by the UN Secretary-Basic. “The intention of this initiative is to stimulate discussions on the World Digital Compact, with a give attention to creating efficient, equitable and far-reaching governance frameworks to assist Africa’s digital transformation,” he emphasised. President Lula additionally harassed that local weather motion is a crucial precedence forward of COP 30, saying: “Our precedence additionally consists of the well being of our planet.” The pressing want to guard the world's two largest tropical rainforests within the Amazon and Congo basins, makes us key gamers within the local weather agenda. With out Africa there is no such thing as a international south. He continued: “To revitalize Brazil's relations with Africa, we should restore our historic ties and play an essential function in shaping a brand new, extra simply and supportive world order.” Most significantly, it paves the best way for us to face the challenges forward sort out it collectively.”
As the best decision-making physique of the AU, the Meeting deliberates and decides on numerous continental precedence points, together with the progress of the Union's institutional and monetary reforms, which embody the operationalization of the African Union Peace Fund; the Panel of Eminent Africans to supervise the pre-selection of Commissioner candidates forward of the upcoming AU Fee elections in 2025; the progress report on the implementation of the AfCFTA because the theme of 2023; Progress within the operationalization of the Africa CDC and the institution and operationalization of the African Medicines Company (AMA), amongst others.
The 2-day assembly additionally thought of a number of reviews from AU our bodies and specialised businesses, in addition to reviews from numerous African Union subcommittees coping with multilateral cooperation points. human rights and governance; Refugees, returnees and internally displaced individuals; Financial and industrial affairs amongst others. Reviews from the AU's numerous technical committees, which give attention to points reminiscent of gender equality and the development of girls; training, science and expertise, agriculture, rural growth, water and surroundings; transport, regional infrastructure and vitality; and Justice and Authorized Affairs offered.
The 37th bizarre session of the Meeting of Heads of State and Authorities concluded on February 18, 2024 with the adoption of the selections, declarations and resolutions of the Summit.