1.1          Background

Fifty years after the first thirty-three (33) independent African states gathered in Addis Ababa to form the Organization of African Union, now the African Union, the continent is looking ahead towards the next fifty years.

Thus, on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the OAU, Africa’s political leadership acknowledged past achievements and challenges and rededicated itself to the Pan African vision of “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the international arena.”

The Summit tasked the African Union Commission (AUC), supported by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), to prepare a continental 50-year agenda through a people-driven process – hence Agenda 2063.

The 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration incorporates a pledge   to   make   progress in eight priority areas (see text box). These priorities define the continental agenda, which will be integrated into regional and national development plans.

Agenda 2063, the continent’s shared strategic framework for inclusive growth and sustainable development, takes account of past achievements, challenges and opportunities at the national, continental and global levels to provide the basis and context in which the continent’s transformation is being designed and implemented, including:

• The durability of the Pan African vision and project, which guided struggles of African people and their descendants against slavery, and the disruptiveness of colonialism, apartheid and racial discrimination; and the commitment of the founders of the OAU to self- determination, integration, solidarity and unity. This today forms the backdrop for Africa’s renaissance, transformation and
• Lessons from global developmental experiences, such as: the significant advances by major countries of the Global South to lift huge segments of their populations out of poverty, improve incomes and catalyse economic and social transformation, and the global drive through the United Nations to find multi-lateral approaches to humanity’s most pressing concerns including human security and peace; the eradication of poverty, hunger and disease; and reduction in vulnerability to climate change
• An African turning point, with the end of the Cold War and the destruction of apartheid in Namibia and South Africa, reigniting Africa’s determination to end wars and conflicts, to build shared prosperity, to integrate, to build responsive and pluralist democratic governance and to end the continent’s marginalization and return to Africa’s priorities through the adoption of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and the transformation of the OAU into the African Thus over the last decade Africa has experienced sustained levels

of growth, much greater peace and stability and positive movements on several human development indicators. Africa must sustain and consolidate this positive turnaround, using it as a springboard to ensure its transformation and renaissance.

• The continuities and changes in the African development paradigm and dynamics, reflected in post-independence state – and nation-building, industrialization and modernization efforts, the fight against disease, and poverty; the focus on deepening Africa’s appreciation of its many, diverse assets and the push for integration, as captured in the OAU Charter, the Monrovia Declaration, the Lagos Plan of Action and NEPAD; the sectoral policy frameworks, strategies and architectures including agriculture, peace and security, infrastructure, science and technology, governance, industrialization, education, social policy, culture, sports and health and in normative frameworks around human and people’s, children’s and women’s rights.
• The need for people-centred development and gender equality, which places the African People at the centre of all continental efforts, to ensure broad-based participation in the transformation of the continent, and the building of caring and inclusive societies and It recognizes that empowering and removing all obstacles to women’s full participation in all areas and levels of human endeavour, is pivotal for any society reaching its full potential. Further, an enabling environment for its children and young people to flourish and reach their full potential is a pre-requisite to sustained innovation.
• The ebbs and flows of the global context, and in our times the modern information technology revolution of real time communication across vast distances, globalization and changes in production, changes and advances in technology, production, trade expansion, development of new knowledge and labour markets; the opportunities presented by global demographic trends and the increasing global middle and working classes in emerging and developing countries and regions; the move towards multi-polarity with strong elements of uni-polarism remaining, global security alliances and the undisputable evidence of the impact of climate Humanity today has the capacities, technology and know-how to ensure human security and a decent standard of living for all inhabitants of our earth, yet children continue to die of preventable diseases, while hunger and malnutrition remain part of the human experience, and inequality between regions and countries and within countries persist.

Over the last fifty years, African states have developed a number of responses to the exigencies of the times. Two major transitions stand out in this regard:

The first transition came in the 1960s and 1970s – a decade after the majority of African countries gained independence. To continue advancing the agenda for economic emancipation and drawing lessons from the global energy crisis of the 1970s, Africa took the strategic decision to pursue continental integration as a strategy for economic development. The various liberation and economic development strategies of the seventies and eighties including the Lagos Plan of Action have their genesis in that transition. This period was also marked by the Bretton Woods agenda on Structural Adjustments, which saw the contraction of African economies with far reaching consequences on critical social sectors.

The second transition occurred in the decade of the 1990s after the end of cold war and the adoption by the OAU of the Declaration of the Fundamental Changes in the World and Africa’s Response. The Declaration encapsulated Africa’s determination to tackle the peace and security challenges of the continent, including those within nations, to foster democracy and good governance as well as economic development through deepening integration of the continent. After two dead decades of development (80’s and 90’s) in Africa and the potential for increased marginalization, the continent turned the corner, with a better organized African Union and Regional

Economic Communities (RECs). Since then the continent has witnessed impressive and sustained growth, the consolidation of democracy and good governance such as the introduction of the African Peer Review Mechanism, and improved gender equality, and through the promotion of human rights and the rule of law.

As Africa celebrates half-century of independence, it is opportune to embark on a critical process of stock taking and mapping out a new long-term vision for the continent. “Agenda 2063: The Future We Want for Africa” is, therefore, an endogenous, shared strategic framework for inclusive growth and sustainable development for Africa’s transformation, and a continuation of the Pan African drive, for self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity, in order to:

• Galvanize and unite in action all Africans and the Diaspora around the common vision of a peaceful, integrated and prosperous Africa, driven by its citizens and taking its rightful place in the world;
• Harness Africa’s continental endowments embodied in its people, history, cultures and natural resources, and geo-political position to effect equitable and people-centred growth and development; eradicate poverty; develop Africa’s human capital; build social assets, infrastructure and public goods; consolidate enduring peace and security; put in place effective and strong developmental states, participatory and accountable institutions; and empower women and youth to bring about the African renaissance;
• Build on and accelerate the implementation of continental frameworks including, most notably, the Lagos Plan of Action, Abuja Treaty, NEPAD, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme–CAADP, the 2014 Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods (3AGTs), the Plan of Action for Accelerated Industrial Development in Africa (AIDA), the Minimum Integration Programme, the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), the AU/NEPAD Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action, and Africa’s Agro-industry and Agribusiness Development Initiative (3ADI) ;
• Provide internal coherence, alignment and coordination to continental, regional and national frameworks and plans adopted by the AU, RECs and Members states;
• Offer policy space/platform for individual, sectoral and collective actions to realize the continental vision;
• Develop an implementation mechanism that is underpinned by a strong knowledge management system which enhances the quality of delivery through cutting edge research, innovation and codification of ground breaking experiences, promote sharing of experiences and learning from each other, and establish communities of practices; and
• Delineate the respective roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder such as RECs, Member States, Civil Society and private sector in the formulation and implementation of Agenda 2063.

This new effort to envision Africa’s long-term development trajectory is timely for several reasons. Globalization and the information technology revolution have provided unprecedented opportunities for countries and regions, including Africa, with the right policies to make significant advances and lift huge sections of populations out of poverty improve incomes and catalyse economic and social transformations.

Africa is also now in a better position to build on the past and present successes such as the NEPAD experience. National, regional and continental efforts made to implement NEPAD, unseen during the LPA and the Abuja Treaty, have enabled AU to build institutions (e.g., APRM, etc.),

demonstrate strong commitment to implement agreed agenda, generate valuable lessons that present a strong foundation for Agenda 2063, and which can be considered a logical continuation of NEPAD and other initiatives.

The continent is more united, a global power to reckon with, capable of rallying support around a common agenda and speaking with one voice with capacity to negotiate and withstand the influence of forces that would like to see it divided. Furthermore, Africa’s regional institutions have been rationalized and the eight officially AU recognized Regional Economic Communities (CEN- SAD, COMESA, EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD, SADC and UMA) are today stronger development and political institutions that citizens’ can count on and Agenda 2063 can stand on.

Finally, a confluence of factors presents a great opportunity for consolidation and rapid progress of the continent. These include: significant positive and sustained growth trajectory of many African countries; notable reduction in violent conflict, increased peace and stability, coupled with advances in democratic governance; prospects for a rising middle class, coupled with the youth bulge, which can act as catalyst for further growth, particularly in the consumer sectors and services; and the change in the international finance architecture, with the rise of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and improved flows of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The above-mentioned factors constitute a unique opportunity for Africa to capitalize upon. However, success depends upon acting in unity, transparency, willingness and capability to assess performance and correct mistakes and build on successes, placing citizens’ first, and sound governance and values.

Long – term planning as per Agenda 2063 is not new. A number of African countries have developed long term plans and national visions (e.g., Uganda (2040), South Africa and Egypt (2050), Sierra Leone, Senegal and Cameroon (2035); while Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Lesotho, Cote D’Ivoire are preparing to replace their respective visions that end in 2020, which would take them to beyond 2050. Agenda 2063 fits within this tradition and seeks to build upon and consolidate these efforts.

1.2          Agenda 2063 Preparatory Process

Agenda 2063 was developed through an extensive consultative process of various African stakeholders, including Youth, Women, Civil Society Organizations’, the Diaspora, African Think Tanks and Research Institutions, Government Planners, Private Sector, the Media, inter-faith leaders, the Forum for Former African Heads of State and Government, African Island States and others2. In addition, ideas captured from continent wide sector ministerial meetings and meetings with the Regional Economic Communities are included. Outcomes of these consultations form the basis for Aspirations of the African People, the driver of Agenda 2063.

Preparation of agenda 2063 also included an extensive review of the African development experience, analysis of challenges and opportunities of today as well as a review of national plans, regional and continental frameworks and technical studies. The plans and frameworks provided insights for the development priorities that form a plank for Agenda 2063, in particular in the First 10 Year Implementation Plan. Furthermore, a Resource Mobilization Strategy for Agenda 2063 has been developed looking at strategies for Africa to finance her own development. Lastly, a specific Agenda 2063 Communication Strategy has been designed and it is being implemented with the goal of engaging Africans from all works of life, and the Diaspora to galvanize action in support of Agenda 2063.

2 Written contributions/Inputs were also received from diverse stakeholders such as African governance forum, Association of Public Administration, African Trade Unions, RUFORUM, Wildlife Foundation, Cultural Heritage Foundation, African Airlines Association and many others

Agenda 2063 is presented in three key documents listed below:

• Agenda 2063 Framework Document that contains the vision for 2063, a comprehensive situational analysis of key issues, the goals, priorities, targets and indicative strategies, as well as proposals on “Making it happen” dealing with implementation, monitoring and evaluation;
• Agenda 2063 Popular Version presenting the Agenda in simple terms to facilitate ownership by the African citizenry; and
• First 10-year Implementation Plan (2013-2023) which lays out the immediate priorities and is designed to kick-start the journey towards

1.3          Overview of Agenda 2063 Framework Document

The Framework document is organized in three parts and presented in six chapters as follows:

• The Vision (context, challenges and opportunities for achieving it) – Chapters 1-3;
• The Transformation Framework outlining the goals, priority areas, targets and indicative strategies (Chapter 4) as well as the critical success factors – Chapter 5; and
• “Making it Happen”: implementation, monitoring, evaluation and associated accompanying measures – Chapter 6.