28th African Union Summit

28th African Union Summit The 28th African Union Summit convened at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa on 30–31 January 2017, bringing together African Union member state leaders, regional bloc representatives, and international partners. Chaired by Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia, the summit addressed continental priorities including the African Continental Free Trade Area, youth employment, peace and security in Somalia, and the response to the humanitarian situations in South Sudan and Lake Chad Basin. Delegations included officials from the European Union, United Nations, African Development Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.

Background and context

The summit built on outcomes from the 2016 United Nations General Assembly debates, the preceding African Union Summit (2016) decisions on the Agenda 2063 strategic framework, and the implementation of the Malabo Declaration on agriculture. Regional tensions following the 2016 Burundian unrest, the 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis, and the ongoing stabilization efforts in Libya shaped the context. Economic priorities were informed by policy discussions at the World Economic Forum, negotiations over the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) protocol, and the financing initiatives championed by the African Development Bank and the New Partnership for Africa's Development structures.

Organization and participants

Summit logistics were managed by the African Union Commission under Moussa Faki Mahamat's leadership, with protocol coordination by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. Heads of state attending included representatives from Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana, and Algeria. Regional organizations represented included the Economic Community of West African States, the Southern African Development Community, the Economic Community of Central African States, and the East African Community. Observers and partners present included delegations from the United Nations Security Council, the European Union External Action Service, the World Bank, the International Criminal Court, and the African Union Peace and Security Council.

Agenda and key themes

The summit agenda prioritized the African Continental Free Trade Area negotiations, implementation of Agenda 2063, and strategies to harness the demographic dividend via investments in youth employment, vocational training, and entrepreneurship. Security sessions addressed counterterrorism in the Sahel, stabilization in Somalia, and the regional response to the Boko Haram insurgency affecting Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad. Health and humanitarian items included the Ebola virus epidemic lessons, preparedness for outbreaks referenced by the World Health Organization, and responses to displacement linked to the South Sudanese Civil War. Governance discussions invoked standards from the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, electoral integrity promoted by the African Union Commission on International Law, and the role of the Pan-African Parliament in oversight.

Decisions and declarations

Member states endorsed a roadmap for operationalizing the African Continental Free Trade Area and adopted measures to accelerate ratification of the AfCFTA instruments among signatory states. The summit issued communiqués on the deployment of the African Standby Force elements to support stabilization in Somalia and authorized enhanced diplomatic engagement in the Gambia transitional arrangements under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States and the United Nations. Declarations reaffirmed commitment to Agenda 2063 aspirational projects, including infrastructure corridors promoted by the African Union Development Agency and financing mechanisms proposed by the African Export-Import Bank and the African Development Bank. The summit also called for intensified cooperation with the World Health Organization and UNAIDS on tackling communicable diseases, and urged member states to implement the Maputo Protocol commitments on rights protections.

Outcomes and follow-up actions

Concrete follow-up included establishment of technical working groups within the African Union Commission to fast-track AfCFTA ratification, coordination with the African Development Bank on youth employment financing facilities, and collaboration with the International Monetary Fund for macroeconomic policy support. The summit mandated monitoring by the African Union Peace and Security Council of deployments in Somalia and a diplomatic mediation timetable administered through the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel. Member states agreed to accelerate implementation of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa under UNESCO partnership and to report progress at subsequent AU summits and sessions of the Assembly of the African Union. International partners, including the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme, pledged technical assistance to support the summit commitments.

Category:African Union summits Category:2017 in politics