African Union Executive Council Successfully concludes its 49th Ordinary Session

The Forty-Ninth Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Executive Council successfully concluded today its 29 July 2026, at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, following two days of deliberations by Ministers of Foreign Affairs and other Ministers designated by the Member States of the African Union. The meeting considered a broad range of strategic, institutional and policy matters aimed at advancing continental integration, strengthening African Union institutions and accelerating the implementation of Agenda 2063.

During its Closed Session, the Executive Council considered the Report of the 52nd Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives' Committee (PRC) and deliberated on a broad range of issues relating to the financial, budgetary and administrative management of the African Union, multilateral cooperation, economic and trade affairs, institutional governance and accountability, as well as the Report of the Commission on the Implementation of the Skills Audit and Competency Assessment (SACA).

The Executive Council also considered the outcomes of the African Union Retreat on G20 Engagements, the progress report on the implementation of the Roadmap for the African Union Theme of the Year 2026, "Ensuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve Agenda 2063 Goals," as well as the progress reports of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the African Medicines Agency (AMA).

In addition, the Council considered the reports of the Executive Council Committees and other Ministerial Committees, including those on the Scale of Assessment and contributions and the Committee of Fifteen Ministers of Finance (F15), the implementation of Agenda 2063, African candidatures within the international system, and the acceleration of the ratification, accession and implementation of OAU/AU treaties.

The Council further considered the appointment of members of the African Union Board of External Auditors (BoEAs). It also reviewed the draft working documents and declaration for the Eighth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting between the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the Regional Mechanisms (RMs), scheduled to be held on 4 October 2026 in El Alamein, Egypt, and Council adopted the corresponding decisions of its Forty-Ninth Ordinary Session.

Addressing the closing ceremony, H.E. Ambassador Édouard Bizimana, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation of the Republic of Burundi and Chairperson of the Executive Council, and H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, commended Member States for their constructive engagement and the spirit of consensus that characterised the session. They reaffirmed the Executive Council's commitment to advancing the African Union's integration agenda and delivering on the aspirations of Agenda 2063.

They also expressed their appreciation for the diligent work of the Permanent Representatives' Committee (PRC), whose preparatory deliberations laid a strong foundation for the successful outcomes of the Executive Council.

Chairperson Youssouf and Minister Bizimana further congratulated Burundi on its commitment to implement the 0.2 per cent levy, while commending Angola, Ethiopia and Kenya for joining the Union's Tier One contributors. They described these decisions as significant milestones in advancing the African Union Reform Agenda and strengthening the Organisation's financial sustainability and self-reliance.

Throughout the two-day meeting, the Council reaffirmed the importance of strengthening African Union institutions, enhancing coordination among Member States, and promoting collective action to address the continent's development priorities. Discussions also underscored the need to accelerate implementation of Agenda 2063 and reinforce Africa's common positions on regional and global issues.

For more information, please contact:

Ambassador Nuur Mohamud Sheekh | Spokesperson of the AUC Chairperson -[email protected]

Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou | Head, Media and Information Division, Information and Communication Directorate, and the Communication Adviser of the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union (AU) to the United Nations (UN) | Email: [email protected] | Tel: +251911361185 / +1 3478127195 (WhatsApp)