President Cyril Ramaphosa will represent the Southern African Development Community (SADC) at the African Union’s (AU) 8th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in El-Alamein, Egypt on Sunday where African leaders will review progress towards continental integration and implementation of Agenda 2063.
Ramaphosa will attend the summit in his capacity as chairperson of SADC, joining heads of state and government from the AU Bureau, leaders of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms, heads of AU organs and development partners.
The annual meeting serves as the principal platform for coordination between the AU and Africa’s regional blocs, which are regarded as key building blocks for continental integration.
It provides an opportunity for regional leaders to assess progress towards the goals of Agenda 2063, the AU’s long-term blueprint for economic transformation, integration and sustainable development.
A key focus of this year’s meeting will be the implementation of the AU-REC division of labour framework, which seeks to clarify responsibilities between the continental body, regional organisations and member states to improve coordination and accelerate delivery of common development objectives.
Leaders are also expected to review progress in implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), considered a cornerstone of Africa’s integration agenda.
Discussions will further examine regional infrastructure initiatives, including water and sanitation projects, as well as efforts to strengthen peace and security mechanisms across the continent.
The summit will assess measures aimed at preventing and resolving conflicts, including enhancing the AU’s early warning systems to identify and address emerging security threats.
Another item on the agenda is the role of the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) in advancing regional and continental integration programmes.
According to the South African Presidency, the meeting will also provide Ramaphosa with an opportunity to hold bilateral engagements with fellow African leaders on issues of mutual interest.
The coordination meeting comes alongside other continental engagements hosted by Egypt, including an AUDA-NEPAD Founders Summit on Saturday and a Business Forum running from Friday to Sunday.
JN/APA