Madbouly: Egypt supports AU institutional, financial reforms

CAIRO – 2 July 2018: Since the beginning of the institutional reform process at the African Union (AU), Egypt has been actively engaged in various committees and working groups formed to ensure the reform process produces consistent results, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said Sunday.

In his speech delivered during the 31st African Union Summit, Madbouly asserted Egypt's support of the institutional and developmental reforms at the AU bodies.Through the reforms, the AU seeks to achieve the 2063 Agenda, which reflects the AU Vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa,and works to fulfill the goal of “silencing the guns” by the year 2020.

In this regard, he referred to the necessity of the development of the commission’s administrative structure, the compliance with the procedures of the AU policy-making organs to ensure that the AU policies are truly expressed, and of revitalizing the drafting committee on resolutions of the executive council and the summit.


The 31st African Union Summit-Press Photo

Regarding the financing of the African Union, he stressed the importance of amending the current contribution of funds by member states, which lacks equality, as it puts major burdens on a limited number of countries, especially with the increase of financial commitments as determined at the Johannesburg Summit in 2015.

Mabdouly also highlighted the significance of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency, which was established in 2010, as an outcome of the integration of NEPAD into AU structures and processes;the agency is concerned with facilitating, coordinating and monitoring the implementation of continental and regional priority programs and projects.

He pointed out that this reform will contribute in achieving the regional integration and Africa’s unity, pointing out that the success achieved by NEPAD is based on the governing structure's ability to supervise the developmental projects assigned to it under the AU umbrella.

He further remarked that Egypt believes in the importance of the Peace Fund to solve the African problems, affirming that African countries' contributions cannot substitute the role of the international community or the international Security Council in preserving international peace and security.

He added that it would be unrealistic for the African countries to provide human sacrifices for international security and peace-keeping and assume at the same time the financial burdens; hence, Egypt stressed that the United Nations should finance 75 percent of the Peace Fund’s budget before calling the AU member states to finance 25 percent of the budget voluntarily.

Madbouly also referred to the report on establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area.

“Egypt was at the forefront of the 44 countries signing the agreement to establish the African Free Trade Area during the recent special Kigali Summit, held in March 2018, as a major step toward economic integration to reach the main objective and form the African Economic Community,” said Madbouly.

The 31st African Union summit kicked off on Sunday with the participation of 22 heads of states under the theme “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation".

In the same context, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz held a meeting, on the sidelines of the summit, held in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on July 1 and 2, with the Egyptian prime minister.

During the meeting, Madbouly handed over a letter from President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to Abdel Aziz, who stressed on the importance to promote cooperation between the two countries.