Agenda 2063 is the fruit of an immense collaborative effort to reflect on the “Africa We Want by 2063”. Ideas and inputs have therefore been received from Africans of all walks of life, and through a variety of forums and mechanisms, including from the general African citizenry and the Diaspora. Consequently, it is difficult, if not impossible, to acknowledge all the diverse inputs and contributions. The African Union Commission from the onset therefore expresses its gratitude and sincere thanks to all those who contributed to the preparation of Agenda 2063.
However, there are organizations and individuals whose role deserves recognition and special mention.
The Commission expresses its deep gratitude to the Assembly of the Union, the Executive Council, the Bahir Dar Ministerial Committee on Agenda 2063, as well the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) of the AU, for their outstanding leadership in steering the development and final adoption of Agenda 2063.
The Commission further gratefully acknowledges the pivotal role of AU Member States, who through written submissions, as well as through participation of their experts in diverse forums, have contributed significantly to the preparation and adoption of Agenda 2063. The Government of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia hosted the first Ministerial Retreat of the Executive Council, 24-26 January 2014 at Bahir Dar, which laid the basis of, and contributed greatly to the development of Agenda 2063.
The Commission notes with particular pleasure and gratitude the enthusiasm with which the Forum of Former African Heads of State and Government embraced Agenda 2063 and the richness of their inputs into the process, and wishes to take this opportunity to thank them and the Secretariat of the Forum.
Leading African policy makers, including Ministers and national experts also took part in various Ministerial conferences that discussed Agenda 2063. Similarly, many senior African experts participated in continent-wide stakeholder consultations, including from the private sector, academics/think tanks, civil society, planners, women, youth, media, the Diaspora, faith-based groups and others. Their inputs were critical and helped lay the foundations of the Agenda 2063 Framework document.
The Executives of the NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA), UNECA and AfDB – Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, Dr. Carlos Lopez and Dr. Donald Kaberuka – played an outstanding role, sharpened the debate and contributed immensely to shaping Agenda 2063. The Commission sincerely thanks them for their dedication and commitment to this and other continental causes.
The Regional Economic Communities are at the forefront of the implementation of Agenda 2063. Fittingly, they also played a key role in its formulation. The Commission takes this opportunity to express its sincere thanks to the Chief Executives of the RECs and their staff for their contributions, and for hosting the Commission’s teams during visits to their respective institutions.
In any endeavor, it is important to have a locomotive to drive the process and lead it to a successful conclusion. The Commission gratefully acknowledges the key role played by all the AU Commissioners in this regard. At the political level, the Commissioner for Economic Affairs Dr. Anthony Maruping, on behalf of the Chairperson of the Commission, led the process. At the technical level, our late brother Mr. Mandla Mandonsela, who as Director of Strategic Planning, Policy, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Resource Mobilization (SPPMERM) ably led the Agenda 2063 team; setting the overall strategic direction, overseeing the technical work and managing the necessary partnerships. The Commission takes this opportunity to pay a special tribute to the late Mr. Madonsela for his outstanding leadership, dedication and commitment to the African cause.
Ambassadors Febe Potgieter-Gqubule, Basso Sangqu and Lazarous Kapambwe, respectively Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief Advisor and Advisor in the Bureau of the Chairperson similarly made many valuable contributions, which the Commission gratefully acknowledges.
The Commission takes this opportunity to express special thanks to the Agenda 2063 Technical team comprised of Dr. Amadou Tijan Jallow, Mr. Yaw Adu-Boahene, Mr. Mersie Ejigu, Mr. Oumar Seck, Mr. Retselisitsoe Mabote and Mr. Kassim M. Khamis for their outstanding contributions. This core team spent many months synthesizing the inputs received from all stakeholders, undertaking the background research and drafting/finalizing the Agenda 2063 documents, namely: Agenda 2063 Framework Document, the Popular Version and the First Ten Year Implementation Plan. Their dedication and commitment has been exemplary. Ms. Christiane Matondo as part of the team also played a key role in the communication and outreach activities on Agenda 2063.
Sincere thanks also go to all staff of the Strategic Planning Directorate, in particular, Mr. Christopher Kachiza, Mr. Abdelkreem Ezaldin and Mr. Charles Wangadya, as well as the departmental planners and support staff of SPPMERM for facilitating the stakeholder consultations and contributing in many other ways. Sincere thanks also to all AUC Heads of Departments/Directorates and other Commission staff who in various contributed to Agenda 2063.
Sincere thanks also go to staff of the three core AUC partner institutions; members of the Agenda 2063 Technical Committee – the NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency (Mr. Gengezi Mgidlana); UN Economic Commission for Africa (Adeyemi Dipeolu, Emebet Mesfin, Francis Ikome, Hopestone Chavula and Mama Keita); African Development Bank (Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa, Chioma Onukogu and other staff); as well as the Joint Secretariat (AUC/AfDB/UNECA). The Commission acknowledges with gratitude, the following additional contributions from these institutions: African Development Bank for the financial and technical resources provided and UNECA for the short-term consultants put at the disposal of the Commission.
Finally, the Commission would like to express its appreciation to AU partners in general, especially those involved in the Joint Programme Arrangement (JPA) for Institutional Capacity Building. The Commission takes the opportunity to also sincerely thank the Government of Denmark in particular, as well as the Government of Sweden for their generous support to the work on the preparation of Agenda 2063.