The project is expected to bolster the AU’s efforts to
implement Agenda 2063. Adopted in
2015, Agenda 2063
(https://bit.ly/37h4L4O) is the African Union’s vision for an integrated,
prosperous, and peaceful Africa driven by its own citizens and representing a
dynamic force in the global arena.
The project cost, amounting to $11.48 million, is being
supported with a grant from the Bank Group’s concessional financing window. It
was approved by the Board of Directors in February 2022. The signing of the
protocol of agreement signals the start of the implementation phase of the
project.
Deputy Chair Nsanzabaganwa alluded to the process of
consultation that led to the signing of the agreement. “As you know, this
ceremony and the signing of the protocol of agreement represent the culmination
of a series of interactions and
consultations that have occurred between the African Union Commission, the
African Development Bank, and several stakeholders starting last year,” she said.
The project will upgrade and automate several AU systems,
including those for information management, procurement and financial
management, human resources and results management. It will also address gaps
in the AU’s continental early warning system, a critical instrument in the
prevention and management of conflicts and fragility across the continent.
In her remarks, Bank Acting Vice President Fal said, “Today
is a milestone. Reaching it would not have been possible without the mutual
trust and collaboration that our respective institutions have shown
historically and throughout the process.”
Among key priorities the two institutions share are to drive
regional integration and build the capacity of African institutions and
businesses.
“Not only are Bank investments plugging regional
infrastructure gaps, they are also strengthening the institutional capabilities
of the AU, regional economic communities, the African Continental Free Trade
Agreement Secretariat, and other regional mechanisms,” Fal said
Fal headed a Bank delegation to the signing ceremony. The
delegation included Deputy Director General for the East Africa Region Abdul
Kamara, and Acting Director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office
Jean-Guy Afrika, among others.