Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia at 49th Session of the Executive Council

Excellency Édouard Bizimana, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation of Burundi and Chairperson of the Executive Council of the African Union,

Excellency Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission,

Excellencies, Ministers, Ambassadors, Heads of African Union Organs, representatives of partner countries and organizations,

It is a great honour to welcome you to Addis Ababa for the 49th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union.

I also want to extend my appreciation to my brother Minister Bizimana, and Ambassador Willy, for their excellent leadership in guiding the work of our Union.

Excellencies,

We are meeting at a defining moment in international affairs. The foundations of the global order are undergoing profound transformation. The assumptions that shaped international relations for decades are being shaken.

Things are in a flux. The events we are witnessing these days go beyond the daily headlines. We are living in an era destined for the history books. Geopolitical competition, technological disruption, climate pressures, and growing contestation over strategic resources are creating a new international dispensation.

These changes have a direct bearing on our continent.

We need to seize the moment to actively shape the contours of the new reality. We must become a strategic actor capable of providing African solutions to global challenges.

The African Union has a central role in this endeavour. Our Union must serve as the institution through which Africa articulates its priorities and advances its interests. The Union should emerge as a credible and authentic voice of Africa.

Despite the challenges we face, Africa's progress is real and undeniable. Of the top ten fastest-growing economies for 2026, 8 countries are from Africa. In economic and demographic terms, Africa is destined to be the engine of global growth in the second half of the 21st century.

Ethiopia views the African Union as the indispensable mechanism for collective action and a shared future. The Union is the institutional custodian of continental unity and solidarity.

Excellencies,

This session provides us with an important opportunity to reflect on the reforms necessary to ensure that the African Union remains fit for purpose in addressing the challenges of our time.

I wish to highlight the following interconnected priorities.

The first is the need for political ownership and orientation of our reform processes.

Our reform efforts must be commensurate with the magnitude and complexity of the challenges we face. Through the OAU and the AU; our illustrious predecessors have responded to the challenges they faced in the context of the postcolonial era, the cold war and the dawn of globalization.

Right now, we find ourselves in a new context necessitating a new African paradigm. We need a deep, strategic and politically owned and oriented recalibration of our institutions. The scope of our reform should not be confined to technocratic fine tuning and incremental tweaks. The ambition and horizon of our reforms must go beyond the technical to the strategic and political.

The second is the financial sustainability and independence of the Union.

For more than a decade, Member States have discussed mechanisms to ensure predictable and sustainable financing for our continental institution. The realities of today's global environment require renewed urgency.

An African Union that aspires to influence global affairs must possess the resources necessary to implement its decisions.

The third priority is the strategic ownership and responsible management of Africa's resources.

The theme of this session addresses one of the most fundamental issues affecting Africa's future.

In this regard, our approach must be guided by cooperation, mutual benefit, and equitable utilization. Africa's resources must be managed through African institutions, African frameworks, and African-led solutions.

Shared resources should serve as bridges of cooperation, integration, and prosperity.

Excellencies,

Before concluding, I wish to acknowledge the public health challenges facing parts of our continent, including the Ebola outbreak. Ethiopia expresses its full solidarity with the affected countries.

I would also like to commend the Chairperson of the Union for convening an extraordinary meeting on health and the Government of the Republic of Ghana for hosting the Summit.

We also appreciate the continued efforts of the African Union and the exceptional leadership of the African CDC in strengthening Africa's preparedness and response mechanisms.

Finally, I want to pay a special tribute to a veteran Ethiopian diplomat, a towering public servant who tirelessly worked for African Unity, the late Ambassador Konjit Sine-Giorgis. Ambassador Konjit passed away in April 2026. Her legacy endures and will continue to shine in these halls and across our continent.

I thank you.