Johannesburg, July 29, 2022 - The First Ten-Year Implementation Plan comes to an end in 2023.  To this end the Executive Council under decision EX.CL/Dec.1164(XL) called upon the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) to lead the evaluation of the FTYIP and the development of the successor plan, dubbed “the Special Project”. The report of the evaluation of the First Ten Year Implementation Plan and the Plan for the successor five-year plan (2024 – 2028) will be presented to the AU Assembly in February 2023.

The Special Project is a demonstration of Africa’s commitment and resolve to continue pursuing the aspirations of the African people that are encapsulated in Agenda 2063. This was re-affirmed during the launch of the Special Project at the meeting of the Ministerial Follow-up Committee on Agenda 2063 that was held on June 30, 2022. The launch, that had the participation of ministers in-charge of national planning and finance and other high-level dignitaries, underscored, amongst others, the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement.

It is against this backdrop that the AU Technical Working Group conducted five – half-day regional orientation sessions covering all the five regions of Africa. The virtual orientation sessions purposed to equip participants with requisite information and guiding tools for coordinating the national consultations featuring an assessment of Africa’s performance on the first decade of Agenda 2063 implementation and identifying the priories and key considerations for successful implementation of the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063. The sessions, held between 25 and 29 July 2022, had in attendance designated Agenda 2063 national focal points and other participants from 48 AU Member States.

The regional orientation sessions paved the way for national multi-stakeholder consultations on the evaluation of the First ten-year Implementation Plan and the preparation of the successor ten-year plan of Agenda 2063.  The national consultations will be held in all the AU Member States and will be characterised by inclusive participation of state and non-state actors at national, sub-national, and community-level. They will feature the participation of government ministries, the private sector, the youth and women, the diaspora, the media and the academia amongst others. Each AU Member State will be expected to prepare and submit a national consultation report to AUC and AUDA-NEPAD by 15 September 2022. The national consultation report shall embody the views and opinions of state and non-state actors.

The AU Technical Working Group will continue to provide technical support to the RECs and Member States in undertaking the national consultations, including making available guidelines and templates for evaluating the First Ten Year Implementation Plan and eliciting views on the priorities and key considerations of the next ten -year plan of Agenda 2063. Furthermore, in the spirit of accompanying the AU Member States in executing the Special Project, AUDA-NEPAD has provided USD 1,100,000 towards the country level consultations. AU Member States are encouraged to liaise with other development players in their respective countries – including the UNDP and other entities for additional support in executing the Special Project.