The Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa hosted the two-day 37th African Union (AU) Summit. It was attended by leaders of AU member states and representatives of international organisations. This is reported by ENA.

The opening ceremony of the summit, which was held under the theme “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa”, took place on Saturday, 17 February. Over the two days, the leaders discussed security on the continent, AU reform initiatives, the quality and accessibility of education in the union, and the implementation of the first phase of the ten-year plan of Agenda 2063. The second phase of the plan was also approved.

Speaking at the closing session, the President of Mauritania and the new Chairperson of the African Union, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, made key conclusions on the achievements of the first decade of Agenda 2063, the roadmap for continental development, and expressed readiness to embark on the second phase. He also emphasised the need to strengthen Africa’s presence in the international arena, advocating for a stronger position of the continent’s states in the UN Security Council.

“Africa deciding its own destiny in the international arena is an existing necessity. We have no other choice,” he added.

According to him, peace, stability, human rights, good governance and sustainable development have been identified as key priorities of the countries of the union.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has taken the initiative to establish the headquarters of the future Central Bank of Africa in Abuja. The establishment of such an institution is one of the stages in the realisation of the Abuja Treaty signed in 1991, an agreement that envisages the eventual formation of the African Economic Community.

“The Nigerian authorities, in conjunction with the African Union Commission, are committed to pushing for the commencement of the Central Bank of Africa in Abuja in 2028. Africa’s successful realisation of its integration plans depends on the determination of its leaders, their willingness to work together. Our goal is to realise Africa’s common Agenda 2063,” Tinubu said.

Prior to the summit, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the bilateral agenda.

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