A two-day consultative meeting on the African Union reforms with members of the AU Reform Steering Committee, chaired by President Paul Kagame, ended yesterday in Kigali, with further consultations expected in coming weeks.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, briefed the group at length about the challenges and opportunities facing the organisation in the years ahead.

Discussion focused on the changes necessary to make the AU and its organs more functional and fit-for-purpose, in order to better serve the continent’s needs in a rapidly-changing economic, social, and political context in Africa and globally, according to a statement.

Over the coming weeks and months, further consultations with a broad range of stakeholders across Africa are set to continue, it said.

The 27th AU Summit entrusted President Kagame "to lead the ongoing institutional reform of the AU Commission and its Organs, to ensure that the AU structures and modus operandi are aligned with the demands of integration and implementation of Agenda 2063, and to enable more effective and efficient use of resources and business-oriented delivery.”

In pursuit of that mandate, on Monday and Tuesday, President Kagame held the third round of consultations with the advisory team assisting him with this process.

Members of the steering committee team are: Cristina Duarte, former minister for finance and planning of Cabo Verde; Dr Donald Kaberuka, former president of African Development Bank; Dr Acha Leke, senior partner at McKinsey & Co; Dr Carlos Lopes, former executive secretary of UN Economic Commission for Africa; Strive Masiyiwa, executive chair of Econet Wireless; Tito Mboweni, former governor of South African Reserve Bank; Amina J. Mohammed, minister for environment of Nigeria; Mariam Mahamat Nour, minister for economy, planning, and international cooperation of Chad; and Vera Songwe, regional director for West and Central Africa at the International Finance Corporation.

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