Building capacity to help Africa trade better

African Union Agenda 2063

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African Union Agenda 2063

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African Union Agenda 2063
Photo credit: AUC, 2019

Agenda 2063 is a strategic framework for the socio-economic transformation of the continent within a 50 year period, from 2013 to 2063. It is Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. The genesis of Agenda 2063 was the realisation by African leaders that there was a need to refocus and reprioritise Africa’s agenda from the struggle against apartheid and the attainment of political independence for the continent which had been the focus of The Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the precursor of the African Union; and instead to prioritise inclusive social and economic development, continental and regional integration, democratic governance and peace and security amongst other issues aimed at repositioning Africa to becoming a dominant player in the global arena. Visit the AU website to find out more.

The 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration signed in May 2013 marked the re-dedication of Africa towards the attainment of the Pan African Vision of An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens, representing a dynamic force in the international arena and Agenda 2063 is the concrete manifestation of how the continent intends to achieve this vision. The Africa of the future was captured in a letter presented by the former Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

Agenda 2063 builds on, and seeks to accelerate the implementation of, past and existing continental initiatives for growth and sustainable development, including the Lagos Plan of Action, The Abuja Treaty, the Minimum Integration Programme, PIDA, CAADP, the New partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Regional Plans and Programmes and National Plans. Agenda 2063 encapsulates not only Africa’s Aspirations for the Future but also identifies key Flagship Programmes which can boost Africa’s economic growth and development and lead to the rapid transformation of the continent.

  • Agenda 2063: Popular version - Final edition, April 2015
  • Framework Document - September 2015
  • Background Note - 2015
  • Popular version - Second edition, August 2014
  • Agenda 2063 Progress Report - November 2019

The First Ten-Year Implementation Plan for Agenda 2063 builds upon the Agenda 2063 Framework Document adopted in January 2015, and seeks to accelerate Africa’s political, social, economic and technological transformation while continuing the Pan African drive for self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity. The First Continental Report on the Implementation of Agenda 2063 is a consolidation and evidence-based assessment of country and regional-level progress reports on Agenda 2063, complemented with interventions and results achieved at the regional and continental level.

  • First Continental Report on the Implementation of Agenda 2063, February 2020
  • Agenda 2063 First Ten-Year Implementation Plan (FTYIP) 2014-2023 (2.04 MB)
  • FTYIP: Core indicators Profile Handbook for Member States, March 2017 (1.64 MB)
  • Expert Meeting on Agenda 2063 Financing, Domestic Resource Mobilsation and Partnership Strategy: Meeting report and Summary of recommendations, December 2016 (1.00 MB)


Key initiatives

Agenda 2063 places great import in the role that trade plays in developing economies and recognises that trade is a powerful engine for economic growth and development. Within this framework, the AU has developed continental frameworks and flagship projects aimed at adding value to Africa’s commodities, reducing and removing barriers to intra-African trade and creating a larger market for African goods and services amongst its population of over one billion people.

Several continental frameworks have been developed to address the development of key sectors such as Agriculture, trade, transport, energy and mining. These sectors are seen as key in enabling Member States of the Union to achieve their development goals. To ensure coherence and convergence, these frameworks have been captured in the priority areas of the First Ten Year Implementation Plan.

The continental frameworks include the following:

Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT)

Boosting the volume of trade that African countries undertake among themselves and deepening regional market integration constitute a necessary response to the challenges facing Africa in the multilateral trading system and the global economy. In addition, fostering competition among African countries will assist in enhancing their capacity and prepare them to compete more effectively on the global market. To effectively achieve this, the BIAT Action Plan is divided into seven clusters: Trade Facilitation, Trade Policy, Productive capacities, Trade related Infrastructure, Trade Finance, Trade Information and Factor Market integration.

  • Decision on Boosting Intra-African Trade and Fast Tracking the Continental Free Trade Area (34 KB)
  • Declaration on Boosting Intra-African Trade and The Establishment of a Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) (91 KB)
  • BIAT: Issues Affecting Intra-African Trade, Proposed Action Plan for boosting intra-African Trade and Framework for the fast-tracking of a AfCFTA
  • Synthesis Paper on Boosting Intra-African Trade and Fast Tracking the Continental Free Trade Area

Accelerated Industrial Development for Africa (AIDA)

The leaders of Africa have in recent years shown commitment to the industrialization of the continent in both the short and long-term, and have taken a number of major initiatives to meet the challenges of development. During the January 2008 AU Summit on “the industrialization of Africa”, the Heads of State and Government endorsed and adopted the Plan of Action for the accelerated industrial development for Africa and directed the Commission of the African Union to speedily operationalize it in collaboration with development partners.

  • Action Plan for the Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa, September 2007

Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA)

PIDA is a multi-sector programme covering Transport, Energy, Transboundary water and ICT dedicated to facilitating continental integration in Africa through improved regional infrastructure and is designed to support implementation of the Abuja Treaty and the creation of the African economic Community. PIDA is a joint initiative of the African Union Commission, the NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA), and the African Development Bank (AfDB) launched in January 2012. PIDA promotes regional economic integration by building mutually beneficial infrastructure and strengthening the ability of countries to trade and establish regional value chains for increased competitiveness.

  • Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative Report - February 2020
  • Infrastructure Outlook 2040
  • AU-NEPAD Continental Business Network 5% Agenda Report 2017
  • NEPAD-CBN Report on De-Risking Infrastructure and PIDA Projects in Africa - June 2016
  • Financing Africa’s Infrastructure Development: Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships for Regional Infrastructure Transformation - NEPAD Agency, 2014
  • Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) - 2012
  • PIDA Executive Summary, November 2011

The PIDA Priority Action Plan (PIDA-PAP), which extends to 2020, comprises 51 programmes and projects divided into 433 projects covering transport, energy, ICT and trans-boundary water sectors. PIDA will allow countries to meet forecast demand for infrastructure services and boost competitiveness by: (i) Increasing efficiencies; (ii) Accelerating growth; (iii) Facilitating integration in the world economy; (iv) Improving living standards and; (v) Unleashing intra-African trade.

  • PIDA Progress Report 2019
  • 2018 PIDA Progress Report: Summary Update
  • PIDA Priority Action Plan Progress Report, February 2017
  • PIDA Progress Report 2017
  • PIDA Progress Report 2016

Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP)

CAADP is Africa’s policy framework for agricultural transformation, wealth creation, food security and nutrition, economic growth and prosperity for all. In Maputo, Mozambique in July 2003, the AU Summit made the first declaration on CAADP as an integral part of NEPAD. CAADP aims to stimulate and facilitate increased agricultural performance through improvements in policy and institutional environments, access to improved technologies and information, and increased investment financing.

  • Revised Follow up Mechanism for Plan of Action for the Promotion of Employment and Poverty Alleviation, September 2004
  • Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, July 2003
  • Introducing the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme
  • Country CAADP Implementation Guidelines under the Malabo Declaration, 2016
  • Implementation Strategy and Roadmap to Achieve the 2025 Vision on CAADP
  • Declaration on Renewed Partnership for a Unified Approach to End Hunger in Africa by 2025 under the CAADP Framework, July 2013
  • Mutual Accountability Framework for the CAADP, 2011

Africa Mining Vision (AMV)

The Africa Mining Vision, adopted by Heads of State at the February 2009 AU Summit, defines an aspiration for mining to catalyse broad, transparent, equitable and sustainable growth and socio-economic development. It is Africa’s own response to tackling the paradox of great mineral wealth existing side by side with pervasive poverty through the integration of mining into development policies at local, national and regional levels. If the AMV is to effectively support the contribution of mining to growth and development, it needs to be implemented at the country level. And at regional level, it means integrating mining into industrial and trade policy.

  • Africa Mining Vision, February 2009
  • Addis Ababa Declaration on Building a Sustainable Future for Africa’s Extractive Industry – From Vision to Action, December 2011
  • The Country Mining Vision (CMV), October 2013


Flagship Projects

African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

The Agenda 2063 flagship initiative the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) refers to a continental geographic zone where goods and services move among member states of the AU with no restrictions. The AfCFTA aims to boost intra-African trade by providing a comprehensive and mutually beneficial trade agreement among the member states, covering trade in goods and services, investment, intellectual property rights and competition policy. Read more...

African Commodities Strategy

To ensure better management of its commodities and natural resources for the benefit of Africa’s people and to drive economic growth, the Agenda 2063 continental Commodities Strategy aims to identify, formulate and drive the implementation of policies and programmes that will enable African countries to add value, extract higher rents from their commodities, integrate into global value chains and promote vertical and horizontal diversification anchored in value addition and local content development. This Strategy aims at fulfilling the aforementioned objectives by reviewing the state of play for high-priority commodities sectors in Africa, namely agriculture, mining, and energy. It considers current trends and outlooks, as well as sector-specific opportunities and challenges.

The strategy envisions a commodity-led industrialisation which focuses on developing Africa’s commodities as a driver for achieving the structural, social and economic transformation of the continent. Commodity based industrialisation can serve as a launching pad for long term diversification in new non commodity sectors, if well supported by robust industrial policies.

A draft strategy was developed in 2016, which focuses on energy, agriculture and crosscutting strategies dealing with mining and industrialisation. The updated draft African Union Commodity Strategy was presented to the 2nd Meeting of the STC on Trade Industry and Mining in January 2019 and will be presented to an extraordinary Specialised Technical Committee (STC) of Ministers of Trade, Industry and Minerals for adoption.

  • A brief on the African Union Commodities Strategy and Industrialisation - March 2017

African Passport and Free movement

The objective of the African Passport is to remove restrictions on Africans ability to travel, work and live within their own continent. The initiative aims at transforming Africa’s laws, which remain generally restrictive on movement of people despite political commitments to bring down borders with the view to promoting the issuance of visas by Member States to enhance free movement of all African citizens in all African countries.

  • Migration Policy Framework for Africa - June 2006
  • The Migration Policy Framework for Africa (MPFA) 2018-2020
  • Revised Migration Policy Framework for Africa and Plan of Action 2018-2027
  • Final Report of the 4th Pan African Forum on Migration - November 2018
  • Decision on Free Movement of Persons and the African Passport, July 2016 (293 KB)
  • Protocol to the Abuja Treaty relating to the Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment, adopted 29 January 2018 (3.80 MB)
  • Protocol to the Abuja Treaty relating to the Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment (French) (4.26 MB)
  • Status of signature and ratification as at 16 July 2019 (12 KB)

Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM)

The SAATM aims to ensure intra-regional connectivity between the capital cities of Africa and create a single unified air transport market in Africa, as an impetus to the continent’s economic integration and growth agenda. SAATM provides for the full liberalisation of intra-African air transport services in terms of market access, traffic rights for scheduled and freight air services by eligible airlines thereby improving air services connectivity and air carrier efficiencies. It removes restrictions on ownership and provides for the full liberalisation of frequencies, tariffs and capacity. It also provides eligibility criteria for African community carriers, safety and security standards, mechanisms for fair competition and dispute settlement as well as consumer protection.

  • Launching of the Single African Air Transport Market: Concept note, January 2018 (330 KB)
  • The Single African Air Transport Market: An Agenda 2063 Flagship Project (1.20 MB)
  • The Single African Air Transport Market: PIDA Brochure, 2017 (1.95 MB)
  • Establishment of SAATM: Updated Activity Roadmap 2016-2017 (319 KB)
  • Meeting of Experts of the Ministerial Working Group on Establishment of a SAATM: Concept note, October 2017 (313 KB)
  • Report of the Second Ministerial Working Group on SAATM, October 2016 (624 KB)
  • Ministerial Working Group on Implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision & Establishment of SAATM: Final Communiqué, October 2016 (56 KB)
  • Ministerial Conference on Aviation Security and Facilitation in Africa: Report, April 2016 (784 KB)
Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024

Strengthening capacity in science, technology and innovation for sustainable development, and harnessing the outcome discoveries, can only be achieved within a comprehensive framework of science, technology and innovation, where we respond at the national, regional and continental levels, with policies, programmes, institutions and partnerships, which maximize economic opportunities and societal benefits. In this regard, the African Heads of State and Government in June 2014 adopted the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA-2024) as the continental framework for accelerating Africa's transition to an innovation-led, knowledge-based economy within the overall framework of the AU Agenda 2063.

STISA-2024 outlines the key socio-economic priority areas that Africa has to collectively address through scientific research and development, and innovation. STISA-2024 is the first of ten-year strategies, that will be developed in the framework of the long-term journey of Agenda 2063 and deployed across various socio-economic and development sectors.

  • Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024

  • Five Year Science, Technology and Innovation Plan of Action (2019-2024)
Cyber Security

The decision to adopt Cyber Security as a flagship programme of Agenda 2063 is a clear indication that Africa needs to not only incorporate in its development plans the rapid changes brought about by emerging technologies, but also to ensure that these technologies are used for the benefit of African individuals, institutions or nation states by ensuring data protection and safety online. 

  • AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, June 2014

  • Status of signature and ratification, June 2016
Pan-African e-Network

This aims to put in place policies and strategies that will lead to transformative e-applications and services in Africa; especially the intra-African broad band terrestrial infrastructure; and cyber security, making the information revolution the basis for service delivery in the bio and nanotechnology industries and ultimately transform Africa into an e-Society.

African Financial Institutions

The creation of African Continental Financial Institutions aims at accelerating integration and socio-economic development of the continent through the establishment of organisations which will play a pivotal role in the mobilization of resources and management of the African financial sector. The financial institutions envisaged to promote economic integration are the African Investment Bank and Pan African Stock Exchange; the African Monetary Fund and the African Central Bank.

  • Protocol on the Establishment of the African Monetary Fund - 27 June 2014
  • Protocol on the African Investment Bank - 30 June 2009
  • Comments of the RECs on the timelines for the Establishment of the African Central Bank and AMCP Macroeconomic Convergence Criteria: Report - January 2020

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