African Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want By The African Union

Agenda 2063 is as Africa’s visionary roadmap, envisioning the continent as a leading force on the global stage by the year 2063. It serves as a strategic framework, dedicated to fostering inclusive and sustainable development, embodying the principles of unity, self-determination, and collective prosperity inherent in Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance movement.

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The genesis of Agenda 2063 arose from the recognition among African leaders of the necessity to shift the continent’s focus from the anti-apartheid struggle and attainment of political independence—central themes of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), predecessor to the African Union.

Instead, the agenda prioritizes inclusive social and economic development, continental and regional integration, democratic governance, and peace and security. These endeavors aim to reposition Africa as a significant player in the global arena. Find below Acknowledgement and part of exlausive summary to Agenda 2063.

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Acknowledgement

Agenda 2063 is the fruit of an immense collaborative effort to reflect on the “Africa We Want by 2063”. Ideas and inputs have therefore been received from Africans of all walks of life, and through a variety of forums and mechanisms, including from the general African citizenry and the Diaspora.

Consequently, it is difficult, if not impossible, to acknowledge all the diverse inputs and contributions. The African Union Commission from the onset therefore expresses its gratitude and sincere thanks to all those who contributed to the preparation of Agenda 2063.

However, there are organizations and individuals whose role deserves recognition and special mention. The Commission expresses its deep gratitude to the Assembly of the Union, the Executive Council, the Bahir Dar Ministerial Committee on Agenda 2063, as well the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) of the AU, for their outstanding leadership in steering the development and final adoption of Agenda 2063.

The Commission further gratefully acknowledges the pivotal role of AU Member States, who through written submissions, as well as through participation of their experts in diverse forums, have contributed significantly to the preparation and adoption of Agenda 2063.

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The Government of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia hosted the first Ministerial Retreat of the Executive Council, 24-26 January 2014 at Bahir Dar, which laid the basis of, and contributed greatly to the development of Agenda 2063.

The Commission notes with particular pleasure and gratitude the enthusiasm with which the Forum of Former African Heads of State and Government embraced Agenda 2063 and the richness of their inputs into the process, and wishes to take this opportunity to thank them and the Secretariat of the Forum.

Leading African policy makers, including Ministers and national experts also took part in various Ministerial conferences that discussed Agenda 2063. Similarly, many senior African experts participated in continent-wide stakeholder consultations, including from the private sector, academics/think tanks, civil society, planners, women, youth, media, the Diaspora, faith-based groups and others.

Their inputs were critical and helped lay the foundations of the Agenda 2063 Framework document. The Executives of the NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA), UNECA and AfDB – Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, Dr. Carlos Lopez and Dr. Donald Kaberuka – played an outstanding role, sharpened the debate and contributed immensely to shaping Agenda 2063.

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The Commission sincerely thanks them for their dedication and commitment to this and other continental causes. The Regional Economic Communities are at the forefront of the implementation of Agenda 2063. Fittingly, they also played a key role in its formulation.

The Commission takes this opportunity to express its sincere thanks to the Chief Executives of the RECs and their staff for their contributions, and for hosting the Commission’s teams during visits to their respective institutions. In any endeavor, it is important to have a locomotive to drive the process and lead it to a successful conclusion.

The Commission gratefully acknowledges the key role played by all the AU Commissioners in this regard. At the political level, the Commissioner for Economic Affairs Dr. Anthony Maruping, on behalf of the Chairperson of the Commission, led the process.

At the technical level, our late brother Mr. Mandla Mandonsela, who as Director of Strategic Planning, Policy, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Resource Mobilization (SPPMERM) ably led the Agenda 2063 team; setting the overall strategic direction, overseeing the technical work and managing the necessary partnerships.

The Commission takes this opportunity to pay a special tribute to the late Mr. Madonsela for his outstanding leadership, dedication and commitment to the African cause.

Ambassadors Febe Potgieter-Gqubule, Basso Sangqu and Lazarous Kapambwe, respectively Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief Advisor and Advisor in the Bureau of the Chairperson similarly made many valuable contributions, which the Commission gratefully acknowledges.

The Commission takes this opportunity to express special thanks to the Agenda 2063 Technical team comprised of Dr. Amadou Tijan Jallow, Mr. Yaw Adu-Boahene, Mr. Mersie Ejigu, Mr. Oumar Seck, Mr. Retselisitsoe Mabote and Mr. Kassim M. Khamis for their outstanding contributions.

This core team spent many months synthesizing the inputs received from all stakeholders, undertaking the background research and drafting/finalizing the Agenda 2063 documents, namely: Agenda 2063 Framework Document, the Popular Version and the First Ten Year Implementation Plan.

Their dedication and commitment has been exemplary. Ms. Christiane Matondo as part of the team also played a key role in the communication and outreach activities on Agenda 2063. Sincere thanks also go to all staff of the Strategic Planning Directorate, in particular, Mr. Christopher Kachiza, Mr. Abdelkreem Ezaldin and Mr. Charles Wangadya, as well as the departmental planners and support staff of SPPMERM for facilitating the stakeholder consultations and contributing in many other ways.

Sincere thanks also to all AUC Heads of Departments/Directorates and other Commission staff who in various contributed to Agenda 2063.

Sincere thanks also go to staff of the three core AUC partner institutions; members of the Agenda 2063 Technical Committee – the NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency (Mr. Gengezi Mgidlana); UN Economic Commission for Africa (Adeyemi Dipeolu, Emebet Mesfin, Francis Ikome, Hopestone Chavula and Mama Keita); African Development Bank (Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa, Chioma Onukogu and other staff); as well as the Joint Secretariat (AUC/AfDB/UNECA).

The Commission acknowledges with gratitude, the following additional contributions from these institutions: African Development Bank for the financial and technical resources provided and UNECA for the short-term consultants put at the disposal of the Commission.

Finally, the Commission would like to express its appreciation to AU partners in general, especially those involved in the Joint Programme Arrangement (JPA) for Institutional Capacity Building.

The Commission takes the opportunity to also sincerely thank the Government of Denmark in particular, as well as the Government of Sweden for their generous support to the work on the preparation of Agenda 2063.

Executive SummAry

Fifty years after the first thirty-three (33) independent African states gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to form the Organization of African Union, now the African Union, the continent is looking ahead towards the next fifty years.

On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the OAU in May 2013, Africa’s political leadership acknowledged past achievements and challenges and rededicated itself to the Pan African vision of “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the international arena.”

The AU Summit tasked the African Union Commission (AUC), supported by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), to prepare a 50-year continental agenda through a people-driven process.

Agenda 2063 was developed through an extensive consultative process involving various African stakeholders, including the youth, women, Civil Society Organizations, the Diaspora, African Think Tanks and Research Institutions, Government planners, Private Sector, the African media, inter-faith leaders, the Forum for Former African Heads of State and Government, African Islands States and others.

In addition, ideas captured from continent wide sector ministerial meetings and meetings with the Regional Economic Communities are included. Outcomes of these consultations form the basis for the Aspirations of the African People, the driver of Agenda 2063.

Preparation of Agenda 2063 also included an extensive review of African development experiences, analysis of challenges and opportunities of today, as well as a review of national plans, regional and continental frameworks and technical studies, including drawing upon publications and research materials from many institutions and organizations.

The plans and the frameworks reviewed contributed insights for the development of the priorities that form a plank for Agenda 2063, in particular the First 10 Year Implementation Plan. Furthermore, a resource mobilization strategy for Agenda 2063 has been developed looking at strategies for Africa to finance her own development.

Lastly, an Agenda 2063 communication strategy has been designed and it is now being implemented with the goal of engaging Africans from all works of life, and the Diaspora to galvanize action in support of Agenda 2063.

Agenda 2063, Africa’s endogenous plan for structural transformation and a shared strategic framework for inclusive growth and sustainable development, consists of three dimensions as follows:

1. The Vision for 2063: based on the African Union Vision and the seven aspirations emanating from the voices of the stakeholders consulted, it paints a vivid picture of where Africans would like to see their continent 50 years from now, when Africa would be celebrating the centenary of the founding of the OAU. The vision incorporates milestones, which represent transitions in the journey towards the “Africa we Want” by 2063.
2. The Transformation Framework: presents the foundations on which Agenda 2063 is built, as well as the detailed milestones in the journey in the form of goals, priority areas, targets and indicative strategies. The framework is presented in two comprehensive results matrices; at national and at regional and continental levels. This will facilitate measurement of progress and strengthen accountability for results at all levels. The transformation framework represents the “what must be done” to attain the vision for 2063.
3. Making it Happen: outlines the “how to get there” of Agenda 2063, and treats aspects related to: implementation, monitoring and evaluation principles and responsibilities; financing; partnerships; capacities for implementation; and communication and outreach.

The three dimensions described above are presented in the six chapters of the Agenda 2063 Framework document, whose contents are summarized below:

CHAPTER1: Introduction Chapter 1 outlines the genesis of Agenda 2063 anchoring it on the AU Vision, and the eight ideals of the Solemn Declaration of the Golden Jubilee of the founding of the OAU.

It situates Agenda 2063 in the historical context of Pan Africanism, as well as the various transitions marking the responses of African countries to the exegeses of the times.

The chapter shows that Agenda 2063 builds upon past and present continental initiatives such as the Monrovia Declaration, the Lagos Plan of Action, the Abuja Treaty and NEPAD, as well as on Africa’s recent positive performance in the economic, social and political fields to put the continent on a new positive trajectory of growth, peace and prosperity.

The Agenda draws upon the continent’s rich history, natural resources, people, culture, as well as its institutions at all levels, and capitalizes on the opportunities of changing African and global trends and dynamics.

CHAPTER 2: The Vision and African Aspirations for 2063 This chapter presents the Vision for 2063.

Africans of diverse social formations1 and in the Diaspora affirmed the AU Vision of “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the international arena” as the overarching guide for the future of the African continent.

Further, they reaffirmed the relevance and validity of the OAU/AU 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration.

The converging voices of Africans of different backgrounds, including those in the Diaspora have painted a clear picture of what they desire for themselves and the continent in the future. From these converging voices, a common and a shared set of aspirations has emerged:

1. A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development;
2. An integrated continent, politically united, based on the ideals of Pan Africanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance;
3. An Africa of good governance, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law;
4. A peaceful and secure Africa;
5. An Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, values and ethics;
6. An Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children; and
7. Africa as a strong, united, resilient and influential global player and partner

These seven aspirations show strong convergence with the AU Vision, and are in line with the eight priorities of the OAU/AU 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration. Collectively these shared aspirations demonstrate strong continuity of thinking between the OAU founders and the present generation of Africans, albeit in a new dynamic global context.

The chapter details what achieving each of the seven aspirations would mean for Africa and her citizenry. For example, the attainment of Aspiration 1 (A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development) would mean that:

• African people will have a high standard of living and quality of life and well-being;
• Well educated citizens and skills revolution underpinned by science, technology and innovation for a knowledge society will be broad-based, and no child misses school due to poverty or any form of discrimination;
• Citizens are healthy, well-nourished and have long life spans;
• Cities, peri-urban and rural communities are equipped with modern communication, sanitation, education and health facilities and are vibrant, dynamic market economies, people have access to affordable and decent housing including, housing finance together with all the basic necessities of life, and social capital is valued and preserved;
• Economies are structurally transformed through industrialization, manufacturing and value addition to create shared growth through private sector development, entrepreneurship and decent jobs for all;
• Modern agriculture for scaled-up production, improved productivity and value addition through commodity transformation and services, contribute to farmer and national prosperity and food and nutrition security; and
• The continent embeds principally adaptation processes to maintain healthy ecosystems, preserve the African natural environment – as the largest remaining reserve of pristine waters, old growth forests and land in the world.

The chapter concludes by indicating that at current rates of performance (i.e. a “business as usual” scenario), the continent would neither catch up nor be able to meet the rising expectations of her citizens, especially the youth and women as:

• Only a tiny number of countries, which had consistently high growth for the last two decades, will converge with the rest of the world, while the majority of the other countries do not converge, and the fragile countries stay fragile.
• Per capita incomes continue to rise at 1.9 per cent annually but given growth in the rest of the world, however, Africa’s per capita incomes would actually diverge further from those of the rest of the world.
• The middle-class would increase but after decades would still be only a third of the population. Nearly one in five Africans would, correspondingly, still be mired in poverty.
• Finally, given growth elsewhere in the world, Africa’s share of global GDP would stagnate at a low level.

Such a scenario, or at worst one of stagnation does not correspond with the aspirations of Africans for their future and is certainly unacceptable.

CHAPTER 3: Africa the last Fifty Years and the Present:

Progress, Challenges and Implications for Agenda 2063.

This chapter takes each aspiration as a point of departure, and presents a comprehensive analysis of progress made and identifies some of the key issues and challenges to be addressed if the vision outlined in chapter 2 is to be attained.

While recognizing the tremendous progress the continent has made in all areas, the following summarizes some of the main priorities for action (see annex 1 for a more elaborate summary):

• Aspiration 1 (A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development): ending poverty, inequalities of income and opportunity; job creation; addressing the challenges of rapid urbanization, improvement of habitats and access to basic necessities of life; providing social security and protection; developing Africa’s human and social capital (through an education and skills revolution emphasizing science and technology and expanding access to quality health care services, particularly for women and girls); transforming Africa’s economies through beneficiation from Africa’s natural resources, manufacturing, industrialization and value addition, as well as raising productivity and competitiveness; radically transforming African agriculture to enable the continent to feed itself and be a major player as a net food exporter; exploiting the vast potential of Africa’s blue/ocean economy; and finally putting in place measures to sustainably manage the continent’s rich biodiversity, forests, land and waters and using mainly adaptive measures to address Climate change risks.
  • Aspiration 2 (An integrated continent, politically united, based on the ideals of Pan Africanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance): accelerating progress towards continental unity and integration for sustained growth, trade, exchanges of goods, services, free movement of people and capital through: (i) establishing a United Africa; (ii) fast tracking of the CFTA; (iii) improving connectivity through newer and bolder initiatives to link the continent by rail, road, sea and air; and (iv) developing regional and continental power pools, as well as ICT.
  • Aspiration 3 (An Africa of good governance, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law): consolidating democratic gains and improving the quality of governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law; building strong institutions for a development state; and facilitating the emergence of development-oriented and visionary leadership in all spheres and at all levels.
  • Aspiration 4 (A peaceful and secure Africa): strengthening governance, accountability and transparency as a foundation for a peaceful Africa; strengthening mechanisms for securing peace and reconciliation at all levels, as well as addressing emerging threats to Africa’s peace and security; and putting in place strategies for the continent to finance her security needs.
  • Aspiration 5 (An Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, values and ethics): inculcating the spirit of Pan Africanism; tapping Africa’s rich heritage and culture to ensure that the creative arts are major contributors to Africa’s growth and transformation; and restoring and preserving Africa’s cultural heritage.
  • Aspiration 6 (An Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children): strengthening the role of Africa’s women through ensuring gender equality and parity in all spheres of life (political, economic and social); eliminating all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls; creating opportunities for Africa’s youth for self-realization, access to health, education and jobs; and ensuring safety and security for Africa’s children, and providing for early childhood development.
  • Aspiration 7 (Africa as a strong, united, resilient and influential global player and partner): improving Africa’s place in the global governance system (UNSC, financial institutions, global commons such as outer space); improving Africa’s partnerships and refocusing them more strategically to respond to African priorities for growth and transformation; and ensuring that the continent has the right strategies to finance its own development and reducing aid dependency.

CHAPTER 4: Agenda 2063: Goals, Priority Areas, Targets and Indicative Strategies

Chapter 4 presents the transformation framework, including the foundation of Agenda 2063, the conceptual approach, and importantly the goals, priority areas, targets and indicative strategies. These are presented in detail in Annexes 3 and 4.

below is a schematic presentation of the foundation of Agenda 2063, the aspirations, as well as the goals. Read more at African Agenda 2063

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