Agenda 2063 is a vision for Africa as well as an action plan. It covers the 50 year period between 2013 and 2063 with periodic implementation reviews and action plans.
This new effort to envision Africa’s long-term development trajectory is timely for several reasons:
- Changing global context. Globalization and the information technology revolution have provided unprecedented opportunities for countries and regions with the right policies to make significant advances and lift huge sections of populations out of poverty, improve incomes and catalyze economic and social transformations. In addition, most African economies now have in place sound macro-economic and market-oriented economies which have spurred growth, trade and investment expansion.
- Building on the NEPAD experience. National, regional and global efforts made to implement NEPAD, unseen during the (Lagos Plan of Action) and (Abuja Treaty), have enabled AU to build institutions (e.g., APRM, etc.), demonstrate unprecedented commitment to implement agreed agenda, generate valuable lessons that present strong foundation for Agenda 2063. Indeed, Agenda 2063 is a logical and natural continuation of NEPAD and other initiatives.
- A more united and strong Africa. Africa today is more united, a global power to reckon with, capable of rallying support around a common agenda and speaking with one voice with demonstrated strong capacity to negotiate and withstand the influence of forces that would like to see it divided.
- Strong and well functioning regional institutions. Africa’s sub regional institutions have been rationalized and the eight officially AU recognized Regional Economic Communities (CEN-SAD, COMESA, EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD, SADC and UMA) are today strong development and political institutions that citizens’ can count on and Agenda 2063 can stand on.
- New development and investment opportunities. Africa today is faced with a confluence of factors that present a great opportunity for consolidation and rapid progress. These include:
- Unprecedented positive and sustained growth trajectory of many African countries resulting from sound macro-economic policies and strategies bolstered by high commodity prices
- Significant reduction of armed conflicts, improved peace and stability, coupled with advances in democratic governance.
- A fast rising broad based African entrepreneurial and middle class, coupled with the youth bulge, which can act as catalyst for further growth and technological progress.
- Changes in the international finance architecture, the rise of the BRICS and improved flows of FDI to Africa beyond commodity producing sectors.
The above factors constitute a unique opportunity for Africa to capitalize upon. Agenda 2063 while seizing these opportunities, underlines the fact that success depends on unity of purpose; transparency; placing citizens’ first; sound governance; willingness and capability to assess performance and correct mistakes timely.
Source: agenda2063.au.int
Read the current Agenda 2063 document here
The Email from the Future: The AU Commission Chairperson, Dr Dlamini Zuma’s to the Retreat of Foreign Ministers held at Bahir Dar, Ethiopia on 24-26 January 2014
Decision on the Report of the Commission on Development of the African Union Agenda 2063
24th AU Summit Decisions, Declarations and Resolutions