DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON
DEVELOPMENT OF THE AFRICAN UNION AGENDA 2063
Doc. EX.CL/832(XXV)
The Executive Council,
1. TAKES NOTE of the Report of the Commission on the development of the African Union Agenda 2063, as well as the two Draft documents, one being the popular version and the other the technical document both entitled “African Union Agenda 2063 - The Africa We Want”;
2. FURTHER TAKES NOTE of the presentations of the Chairperson of the Commission and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana, Chair of the Follow- Up Ministerial Committee on Agenda 2063 and WELCOMES the intensive consultations held with stakeholders;
3. RECALLS its Decision EX.CL/805(XXIV) taken at the Ordinary Session held in January 2014 requesting Member States to carefully study the Agenda 2063 Framework Document and provide the Commission with inputs by 15 April 2014 to facilitate the finalisation of Agenda 2063 for adoption during the June 2014 sessions of the AU Policy Organs;
4. NOTES that to date eight (8) Member States (Algeria, Ghana, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe) have submitted inputs for the enrichment of the Agenda 2063 technical document;
5. CONSIDERS the Agenda 2063 technical document as well as the popular version as work in progress and, in view of their importance to the socioeconomic transformation of the continent, REITERATES its call to Member States to carefully study both documents with a view to internalising and enriching them;
6. REITERATES ITS CALL to Member States and all African stakeholders, particularly youth, women and the Diaspora, to provide their support and contributions with a view to consolidating the draft Agenda 2063;
7. REQUESTS:
i) Member States to conduct national consultations on both Agenda 2063 technical document and the popular version and to provide inputs to the Commission by 31 October 2014;
ii) the Commission to continue working with the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in finalizing the Agenda 2063 Documents; the First 10-year plan; and the implementation, monitoring and evaluation framework, for submission to the January 2015 meetings of the AU Policy Organs;
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iii) The Commission to continue to explore and prepare concrete actions in the implementation of priority programmes and projects identified in Agenda 2063, notably, the Integrated High Speed Train Network, hastening the process for the creation of a Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), the African Passport and free movement of people, capitalization of opportunities in the aviation sector within the framework of the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision on the Unification of African Air Space; implementation of the Grand Inga Dam Project; the Pan-African E-Network, the creation of an Annual Consultative Platform for policy dialogue involving a wide range of stakeholders, and any other integrative initiatives that are in line with the spirit of Agenda 2063.
8. MANDATES the Commission to follow up on the formulation of these initiatives and take concrete steps towards their implementation:
i) Integrated High Speed Train Network;
ii) An E-University for the accelerated development human capital, science and technology, and innovation;
iii) Formulation of a commodities strategy;
iv) Establishment of an annual African forum (political leadership, businesses and the private sector, intellectuals, the civil society, etc.;
v) Formulation of a common position on steps to be taken towards the establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area pursuant to the decision of the January 2012 session of the Assembly of the Union;
vi) The development by the Commission of a sound communication strategy.
9. REQUESTS the Commission, in collaboration with the NEPAD Agency, UNECA and AfDB to carry out the necessary consultations with Island States with a view to developing a mechanism to ensure that their peculiarities, priorities and concerns are integrated into Agenda 2063 and related programmes;
10. FULLY ENDORSES the proposals and the outcomes of the First Meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Agenda 2063, particularly improving the working methods, and streamlining the Executive Council and Assembly agendas with emphasis on key strategic issues, assessment of implementation of decisions, as well as review of working relationships with the RECs.