Addis Ababa, June 18, 2026 (FMC) — The Chairperson of the African Union Commission African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has outlined strategic priorities aimed at fast-tracking the implementation of Africa’s long-term development blueprint.
Speaking at today’s Ministerial Follow-up Committee meeting on the implementation of Agenda 2063, he emphasized that the success of Africa’s “Decade of Acceleration” will be judged not by the quality of plans, but by the delivery of tangible transformation across the continent.
He presented the first Biennial Progress Report of the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan (2024–2033), noting that Africa’s overall performance currently stands at 53 percent. While acknowledging visible progress in several areas, he cautioned that implementation is still not advancing at the speed and scale required to meet Agenda 2063 ambitions.
He highlighted gains in governance reforms and citizen empowerment, while warning that progress remains uneven across key flagship initiatives.
The Chairperson outlined three strategic priorities to accelerate implementation.
First, he called for fast-tracking regional integration, building on momentum under the African Continental Free Trade Area African Continental Free Trade Area, advancing air transport liberalisation, energy market integration, and digital transformation, while addressing persistent gaps in infrastructure, connectivity, and protocol implementation.
Second, he stressed that peace and security remain essential prerequisites for development, investment, and intra-African trade.
Third, he urged urgent reforms in development financing, including stronger domestic resource mobilisation, fair and effective taxation systems, improved public financial management, stronger action against illicit financial flows, and the deployment of innovative financing mechanisms.
He further called for stronger alignment between planning, budgeting, and execution, deeper integration of Agenda 2063 into national development frameworks, and reinforced accountability systems to ensure delivery.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed appreciation to the President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire Alassane Ouattara, in his capacity as AU Champion for Agenda 2063, for his continued leadership in advancing Africa’s long-term transformation agenda.
Concluding his remarks, he stated: “Let this be the decade where Africa moves decisively from aspiration to realisation.”