Corruption is undoubtedly the most pressing governance and development challenge that most African countries are confronted with today. Corruption has debilitating and corrosive effects on progress, stability and development of the continent.
It is against this backdrop that the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), meeting at their 30th Ordinary Session at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, have resolved to join efforts to speed up the fight against corruption. To that effect, they adopted the theme: “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation” as the clarion call for the year 2018.
During the opening ceremony of the 30th AU Summit at the AU Conference Center (Mandela Hall), the different African leaders who took the floor acknowledged the fact that African countries, in particular, have shown a growing commitment in tackling the problem of corruption in the past decade. However they pointed out that more is yet to be done and can be done if strong measures are put in place to curb this societal flaw at all levels. The African leaders in their speeches noted that many African countries have established national anti-corruption institutions in an effort to tackle the problem. In spite of all these efforts and measures, the spread of corruption has been unrelenting and has remained a major obstacle to the attainment of the continent’s development goals.
The 30th summit of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, which kicked off in Addis Ababa on 28 January 2018 welcomed and congratulated the newly elected Presidents of Angola, Zimbabwe; Benin; Somalia and Liberia. The opening ceremony of the summit also saw the election of Rwandan President Paul Kagame as the Union’s Chairperson for the year 2018 as well as the launch of the DotAfrica domain name; the launch of the Single African Air Transport Market and the African Union Kwame Nkrumah Continental award for Scientific Excellence 2017, to the laureates, among others. The event took place in the presence of the Deputy Chairperson of the AUC, H.E. Thomas Kwesi Quartey, AU Organs and Staff as well as the AU Commissioners, the RECs, the Diplomatic corps, and invited guests.
In his opening remarks, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat said the AU will continue in its efforts to foster a united, peaceful and prosperous Africa and promote the dignity of African people. “Tolerance and reconciliation are required if the African continent is to move forward” he emphasized, saying that these values are major prerequisites for ’Silencing the Guns by 2020’.
”We can no longer stand by at the indescribable cruelty of the violence that belligerents continue to inflict on a population that has suffered far too much for far too long. The time has come to impose sanctions on those impeding peace” underscored the AUC Chairperson.
He underscored the need to speed up the reform of the Union as a tool to enhance integration, which is indispensable for development as well as promote peace and justice in the continent. He also urged the Member States to reinforce the fight against Illicit Financial Flows as a step to fighting corruption in the continent. On connecting the African Union to its citizens, Chairperson Moussa Faki stressed that the African Union will establish youth quotas across its institutions, and identify appropriate ways and means to ensure the private sector’s participation. He announced an appointment of a special youth envoy in the near future.
H.E. Antonio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations on his part commended the constructive cooperation between the AU and the UN. He announced that a MoU was signed recently between him and the AUC Chairperson to work closely in the issues of peace and security and the implementation of the Africa Agenda 2063. He also highlighted that the UN Agenda 2030 and the African Continental agenda are mutually complementary.
The UN Secretary-General reiterated the support of the UN to the AU on all the sustainable development goals.
Original source: AU
Published on 28 January 2018
