ACBF Provides a Grant of US$ 5 million to the African Union Commission

On September 10, 2007, the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the African Union Commission (AUC) concluded a grant agreement of US$ 5 million at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The grant, to be disbursed over a four-year period, will finance a program to build the human and institutional capacity of the AU Commission (AU-CAP). The overall goal of the AU-CAP is to contribute meaningfully to the institutional transformation process and the effective implementation of the new Strategic Plan. Furthermore, the program will strengthen the policy interface framework among the AU, the RECs and other AU organs, thereby ensuring the harmonization of development policies across Africa, enhanced knowledge management systems and the operationalization of partnerships with the RECs, with the ultimate objective of accelerating regional integration and sustainable development and poverty reduction on the continent. The signing ceremony was graced by the presence of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Prof. Alpha Oumar Konaré, Mrs. Elizabeth Tankeu, AU Commissioner of Trade and Industry and ACBF Executive Board member, and Ambassador John Kayode Shinkaiye, Chief of Staff to the Chairperson of the AU Commission

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Soumana Sako, ACBF Executive Secretary, indicated that the signing of the grant is another step towards the deepening of an already-fruitful relationship between the two institutions, which dates back to 1992. He noted that the funding would assist the AU Commission to undergo its institutional transformation and implement its Strategic Plan of Action, which would enable the AU to effectively promote peace, security, good governance, regional integration as well as build and strengthen a shared vision of continental unity among Africans. The Executive Secretary underscores the need for the continent to take its economic integration and political unity agenda even further, albeit in a progressive and pragmatic manner, as no single African country will be able to make it on its own in this fast globalizing world. He also remarked that the relationship between the AU and the ACBF goes beyond financial cooperation, providing the following highlights of the special partnership between the two institutions: The AU is an honorary member of the ACBF. The AU, in passing a Resolution in July 2002 on the “Decade for Capacity Building in Africa” (2002-2011), was a champion of ACBF’s capacity building initiatives on the continent, sparking renewed interest in the Foundation by African and non-African donors. More recently, the Stakeholders’ workshop held in February 2006 on the study on the Capacity Needs of Africa’s Regional Economic Communities (RECs), undertaken by ACBF at the request of NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee, bears testimony to the fruitful collaboration between the two institutions. Dr. Sako concluded by rendering special tribute to the AU Chairperson in his advocacy efforts for the Foundation, and expressed his belief that this grant agreement symbolizes the fruition of his initiatives as well as the opening of a new era in the partnership between ACBF and the AU.

In his address, Prof. Alpha Oumar Konaré, Chairperson of the AUC, extended his thanks to ACBF for providing a substantial financial assistance to the AUC’s capacity building and strengthening efforts. He recalled that ACBF had assisted the OAU and is currently assisting the AU in implementing a number of programs. He added that the signing ceremony represents a good occasion to acknowledge and underscore the unfaltering support of the Foundation to the AUC, and to renew AU’s willingness to consolidate this partnership in the interest of the African peoples. In concluding, Prof. Konaré assured that the grant would be put to good use and commended ACBF for choosing to focus on the institutional transformation of the AU through the building of capacities.

Dr. Soumana Sako (left), Executive Secretary of ACBF, exchanging instruments of the grant agreement with Prof. Alpha Oumar Konaré (right), Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

ACBF awarded its first grant in 1992 to the African Union (then the Organization of African Unity) to the tune of US$ 3 million in support of its Policy Analysis Support Unit (PASU), renewing it in 2000 with another funding of US$ 3 million. Over the last 15 years, ACBF has made available to the AU, together with the current grant, more than US$ 11 million to enhance the policy analysis and advocacy capacity of the AU.