President John Dramani Mahama has advocated for the African Union’s (AU) financial independence.
The President emphasized that this was necessary to ensure the continental body is free from overreliance on external funding.
President Mahama made this appeal in his address at the opening of a special meeting of the AU’s Heads of State and Governments in Nairobi, Kenya.
Kenyan President William Ruto, in his capacity as Chair of the AU Institutional Reforms, is chairing the two-day meeting.
The Nairobi meeting is expected to provide a roadmap for accelerating radical changes in the AU.
President Mahama stated that implementing the Kigali Decision on financing the union must be expedited.
The Kigali Decision on Financing the Union, made by the AU in July 2016, established a levy on imported goods to fund the AU.
He also advocated for principles on how AU member states conduct their affairs, ensuring that their policies and programs translate into real change for their people. He said, “We must adopt a mechanism that prioritizes accountability, transparency, and value for money, ensuring that every resource is maximized for the benefit of the African people.”
President Mahama mentioned that one of the pillars of reforms was the AU’s financial autonomy. The over-reliance on external partners for funding compromises the organization’s independence and its ability to set its own agenda.
He called for the empowerment of youth and women in leadership roles at all levels of governance.
“Africa’s future lies in its youth, and over 60 percent of our population is under the age of 25. Yet, their voices are largely absent in policymaking,” President Mahama said.
“We must institutionalize frameworks that empower our young people and women to lead at all levels of governance.”
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