ACCRA — Delegates from across the African continent are in Accra for the 45th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Executive Council and the 6th mid-year coordination meetings of the AU regional economic communities. The two events will respectively take place at the Accra International Conference Center from July 18 to July 21, 2024, under the theme “Educate an African fit for the 21st century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa.”

According to Ethiopian News Agency, Moussa Faki Mahamat, who opened the session today, “The operationalization of the African Union Peace Fund and the adoption of the principle of financing African peacekeeping missions from perennial resources are part of a line of significant sectoral progress.” Mahamat emphasized that amplifying these advances could, in time, usher in a new era of markedly reduced dependence on international partners for the demands of peace and the financing of peace support operations.

The African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting will assess the progress of the Continental Integration Agenda and evaluate the efficiency of the harmonization of policies between the African Union and the regional economic communities. The meeting is also expected to reflect on the AU’s role in the upcoming G20 leaders’ summit, scheduled for November in Brazil. Participants will discuss and adopt the 55-member bloc’s budget for 2025 and other issues affecting the continent.