African Union: Institutional Reforms On Course

Cameroon’s Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang represented President Paul Biya at the 11th extraordinary summit of the African Union on institutional reforms that took place at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on November 17-18, 2018. The leaders used the summit to consider and make decisions based on the outcomes of the 20th extraordinary session of the AU Executive Council meeting, held from November 14-15, 2018. Main topics covered by this summit include AU Institutional Reform, reform of the AU Commission, mandate of the AU Development Agency (AUDA), and Financing of the African Union.

One of the key steps in the implementation of the Financing of the Union agenda, which is part of the ongoing institutional reform process was the appointment of five members of the board of Trustees of the African Union Peace Fund. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat made the appointments on November 16, 2018. Also, the European Union and the United Nations will occupy two seats on the Peace Fund Board that have been allocated for international partners.

The Peace Fund has the mission to finance three key priorities: mediation and preventive diplomacy activities, institutional capacity requirements, and peace support operations. Opening the summit, the current Chairperson of the African Union, Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda said, “I am pleased to note that we are very much on course.

We have passed the halfway point and the end is in sight. But there is still very important...