AfCFTA Secretariat Official

8th AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting Reaffirms Commitment to Continental Integration and Agenda 2063. The Eighth (8th) Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (#AUMYCM) between the African Union (AU), the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and the Regional Mechanisms (RMs) took place on 4 October 2026 in El-Alamein, Arab Republic of #Egypt. Hosted by H.E. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the meeting convened African Heads of State and Government, the leadership of the African Union Commission, Chairpersons and representatives of the RECs and RMs, and senior representatives of AU institutions and partners. Its objective was to advance continental integration and the implementation of Agenda 2063, The Africa We Want. In his opening remarks, H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, @AlsisiOfficial, welcomed African leaders and delegations to Egypt and underscored the importance of strengthening coordination among the African Union, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms. He stressed that such coordination must translate shared aspirations into concrete, implementable projects that deliver tangible benefits to African peoples, moving the continent from fragmented efforts towards greater integration. Citing New Alamein as an example of transformation through development, investment, innovation and sustainable urban development, President El-Sisi highlighted the importance of peace, sovereignty, territorial integrity, good-neighbourly relations, dialogue and respect for international law in addressing differences, including those concerning borders and shared natural resources. He further emphasised the interdependence of peace, economic integration and development, calling for Africa to move beyond its traditional role as a supplier of raw materials by strengthening manufacturing, developing integrated value chains, adding value to its resources within the continent, promoting technology transfer and expanding intra-African trade, with the private sector, investors and financial institutions playing a central role. H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, @ymahmoudali, on his part, underscored the strategic importance of the MYCM as a principal platform for strengthening cooperation, coordination and policy coherence between the AU, RECs and RMs. He stressed that the rapidly evolving geopolitical environment requires Africa to deepen collective reflection, strengthen institutional coordination and enhance its capacity to respond effectively to challenges affecting peace, security, stability and socio-economic development. The Chairperson emphasised the need to translate continental commitments into tangible results for African citizens, stating that “Africa’s integration agenda must move decisively from aspiration to implementation.”He further highlighted the importance of a clear and effective division of labour between the AU, RECs and RMs, based on the principles of subsidiarity, complementarity and comparative advantage, while avoiding duplication and ensuring greater coherence in the implementation of continental priorities. H.E. President Évariste Ndayishimiye, Chairperson of the African Union and President of the Republic of Burundi, @GeneralNeva, expressed appreciation to President El-Sisi, the Government and people of Egypt for their warm hospitality and the successful organisation of the Meeting. He underscored the importance of close coordination among the AU, RECs and RMs, describing the Mid-Year Coordination Meeting as a principal framework for harmonising continental efforts and advancing the integration agenda. President Ndayishimiye identified inadequate productive capacity, infrastructure deficits, insufficient financing, challenges related to shared water resources, insecurity and conflicts as major obstacles to integration. He stressed that establishing a continental free-trade area alone would not be sufficient, emphasising that Africa must produce, transform and add value to its resources within the continent. He therefore called for stronger productive and manufacturing capacity, increased investment, technology transfer, improved infrastructure and greater intra-African trade, highlighting the importance of interconnected roads, railways, energy networks, ports and digital infrastructure to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services and unlock the full potential of the AfCFTA. The Meeting reaffirmed that accelerated continental integration remains central to the realisation of Agenda 2063 and its Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan. It stressed the need to strengthen coordination among the AU, RECs, RMs and Member States and to accelerate implementation of agreed continental and regional frameworks, programmes and legal instruments. Particular emphasis was placed on advancing the African Continental Free Trade Area (@AfCFTA) as a key driver of economic integration and sustainable development. The Meeting welcomed progress in advancing preferential trade arrangements and called for further efforts to remove unjustified and unnecessary non-tariff barriers, improve trade facilitation, strengthen cross-border payment systems and promote regional value chains. It also encouraged African enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, to increase investment in innovation, production and value addition in order to expand intra-African trade. The Meeting underscored that Africa’s economic integration must be accompanied by increased productive and manufacturing capacity. The continent’s substantial natural resources, human capital and growing markets should be leveraged to strengthen African value chains, promote industrialisation, facilitate technology transfer, create employment and increase the capacity of Member States to add value to their resources within the continent. The Meeting also reaffirmed the importance of infrastructure development, regional connectivity and digital integration as essential foundations for continental integration. It called for accelerated investment in cross-border infrastructure and transport corridors, the operationalisation of the Single African Air Transport Market and strengthened digital connectivity and inclusion. On water and sanitation, the Meeting reaffirmed the importance of ensuring sustainable water availability, safe sanitation and hygiene services in support of the objectives of Agenda 2063. It emphasised strengthened governance, accountability and monitoring systems, climate-resilient water resources planning, integrated water resources management and transboundary cooperation. Particular attention was called for to the needs of women, youth, schools and vulnerable communities. The Meeting further recognised that peace and security remain indispensable to Africa’s development and integration. It reaffirmed the important role of the Regional Mechanisms in strengthening continental peace and security architecture and called for enhanced coordination between the RMs and AU peace and security institutions. The Meeting emphasised the importance of preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention, early warning and early action in addressing emerging threats to peace and stability across the continent. On financing for development, the Meeting recognised the critical role of the African Development Bank and other African financial institutions in mobilising sustainable and innovative resources for the implementation of Agenda 2063, the AfCFTA, regional infrastructure projects, industrialisation and economic integration. It called for strengthened partnerships and coordinated efforts to mobilise financing for high-impact continental and regional programmes and encouraged Member States to advance, in accordance with their respective constitutional and legal procedures, the ratification of the legal instruments establishing the African Financial Institutions. The meeting considered the status of the division of labour between the AU, RECs/RMs and Member States. It reaffirmed the principles of subsidiarity, complementarity and comparative advantage as essential to ensuring an effective and coherent continental governance architecture. It requested the African Union Commission to finalise the relevant guidelines on the division of labour and report on progress to the Ninth MYCM. The Meeting welcomed the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of Resolution A/80/L.104, entitled “Correct the map: rebalancing global cartographic representation and promoting equitable representation of the world’s regions, particularly Africa,” recognising the resolution as a tangible contribution to addressing historical distortions in the representation of the African continent and to advancing the implementation of the relevant AU decision. The meeting finally considered and adopted its Declaration, reaffirming the collective commitment of the African Union, RECs, RMs and Member States to advancing continental integration, strengthening institutional coordination and promoting sustainable development, peace and prosperity across Africa. The eighth MYCM concluded with renewed determination to translate Africa’s shared aspirations into concrete action and measurable results. The Meeting reaffirmed that effective coordination among the AU, RECs, RMs and Member States is essential to accelerating the implementation of Agenda 2063 and building a more integrated, prosperous, peaceful and resilient Africa. Read @ au.int/en/pressreleases/2026… @SADC_News @The_EastAfrican @ecowas_cedeao