| AU Summit (2018) | |
|---|---|
| Name | AU Summit (2018) |
| Date | 2018 |
AU Summit (2018) was the 31st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, a recurring continental summit bringing together heads of state and government from across Africa to deliberate on political, economic, and security issues. Convened under the auspices of the African Union and hosted by a member state, the summit gathered representatives from United Nations, African Development Bank, Economic Community of West African States, Southern African Development Community, and other regional organizations. The meeting intersected with institutions such as International Monetary Fund, World Bank, European Union, United States, and China in observer or partner roles.
The summit followed precedents set by the African Union Constitutive Act and previous sessions like the 2017 African Union Summit and aimed to advance initiatives initiated at the Sirte Summit and Addis Ababa Summit cycles. Objectives included advancing the Agenda 2063 roadmap, discussing reforms of the African Union Commission, implementing recommendations from the Panel of the Wise and the African Peer Review Mechanism, and reviewing commitments under the Transformative Agenda and the Common African Position on various multilateral frameworks. The session also sought to synchronize continental priorities with programmes from New Partnership for Africa's Development, Maputo Protocol, African Continental Free Trade Area, and bilateral priorities from African Export-Import Bank and African Union Development Agency.
Attendance comprised presidents and prime ministers from member states including leaders from Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Kenya, as well as delegations representing Morocco, Algeria, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, Cameroon, Mozambique, Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, South Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Chad, Benin, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mauritius, Madagascar, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Mauritania, Tunisia, Libya, Eritrea, and observer states including United States of America, China, Russia, India, Brazil, United Kingdom, France, and multilateral actors such as European Commission and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Heads of state from regional economic communities such as Economic Community of Central African States and Intergovernmental Authority on Development also participated alongside representatives from African Civil Society Network and the African Media Initiative.
Agendas covered the ratification of protocols related to the African Continental Free Trade Area, discussions on the Debt Relief approaches with inputs from International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group, and measures regarding peace operations in Mali, Burundi, Central African Republic, and Somalia. The summit addressed the reform of the African Union Commission leadership, the launch of initiatives linked to Agenda 2063' flagship projects, and deliberations on the Silencing the Guns campaign. Health and social policy engagements included coordination with World Health Organization on Ebola and HIV/AIDS programs, and cooperation with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and Global Fund for immunization drives. Trade and infrastructure discussions interfaced with African Development Bank financing for transnational corridors such as the Trans-African Highway and the Lagos–Mombasa Corridor.
The summit issued declarations endorsing accelerated ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area instruments and reaffirmed commitments to Agenda 2063 flagship projects, the Silencing the Guns roadmap, and the strengthening of the African Peace and Security Architecture. Agreements were announced to enhance collaboration with United Nations peacekeeping, coordinate anti-corruption measures aligned with the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption, and pursue reforms recommended by the High-Level Panel on governance and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. The assembly adopted communiqués urging member states to expedite financial commitments to the African Union Commission budget and to support the African Standby Force readiness timetable. Resolutions addressed climate resilience consistent with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change commitments and engagement with the Green Climate Fund.
Security arrangements were coordinated among host state security services, African Union Mission in Somalia liaison units, and external partners including delegations from European Union security cooperation teams and United States Africa Command advisors where bilateral arrangements existed. Logistical planning involved the African Union Commission protocol office, host government ministries, and international organizations such as United Nations Development Programme and International Organization for Migration for humanitarian liaison. Contingency measures referenced past incidents like challenges experienced during the 2013 African Union Summit and drew on best practices from summits of the Commonwealth and the United Nations General Assembly.
Critiques centered on the pace of reforms to the African Union Commission and perceived gaps between declaratory commitments and implementation similar to critiques levied after the 2016 African Union Summit and reports by watchdogs including Transparency International and Human Rights Watch. Observers from Amnesty International and regional NGOs questioned responses to human rights concerns in countries such as Sudan and Burundi, while analysts from think tanks like Chatham House, Brookings Institution, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, and International Crisis Group scrutinized the effectiveness of peacekeeping mandates. Financial transparency issues prompted calls for audits by the African Court of Auditors and oversight from the Pan-African Parliament.
Category:African Union summits