"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, prayers and peace be upon the most noble of messengers,

Mr. President,

Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government,

Mr. President of the African Union Commission,

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset of my address, I am pleased to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to His Excellency President William Ruto for the comprehensive report he presented on the institutional reform of the African Union, a report that reflects the considerable effort he has invested in steering this important process since his appointment to lead our organization’s institutional reform efforts in 2024, and we affirm our support for his tireless endeavors aimed at ensuring the success of this vital process.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are today approaching the end of a decade since the launch of this reform process in 2016, a process that has on the whole been characterized by relatively satisfactory results, yet its workload has grown, its scope has expanded, and its challenges have multiplied, creating a situation that today calls for a responsible pause for assessment, review, and correction.

In our view, our optimal choice lies in continuing this process, but according to a renewed and more effective reform approach, grounded in clarity of vision and realism in implementation, and with a pragmatic spirit that takes into account our financial and human capacities and is compatible with the applicable legal and administrative frameworks, while adopting a flexible and gradual methodology that focuses on addressing reform thrusts on a case-by-case approach, away from comprehensive approaches that may drain our resources and weaken the effectiveness of our decisions.

Such a new approach should be guided by the following core priorities:

First, strengthening the effectiveness of the African Union’s political bodies through rationalizing their work, focusing on priority issues, and ensuring the coherence of their strategic orientations and decisions with current challenges.

Second, proceeding with the reform of the Union’s structure and programs in a gradual and realistic manner that guarantees the optimal use of resources, reinforces the independence of continental decision-making, and limits excessive dependence on external partners, while enshrining the principles of transparency and effectiveness in program implementation, developing recruitment and follow-up mechanisms, rationalizing expenditures, and seeking to explore new sources of sustainable financing that guarantee the credibility and effectiveness of joint African action.

Third, restructuring the continental peace and security system in a manner that ensures the full activation of its pillars and strengthens its capacity to respond to mounting security challenges, through supporting preventive diplomacy, intensifying mediation efforts, activating field mechanisms for conflict management, and ensuring the effectiveness of the Peace Fund.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

With regard to the other topics included on the reform agenda, such as the Pan-African Parliament, the African Court of Justice, the restructuring of 57 African Union units, and the definition of working frameworks between the Union and member states, regional economic communities, and regional mechanisms, my country’s delegation considers it important to proceed gradually and with deliberation in addressing these files as part of the new reform approach, which allows us to tackle these subjects one by one, while giving due attention to the financial and structural implications arising from them, particularly in the medium and long terms.

Building on these priorities, we affirm the need to implement this new approach with precision and effectiveness, through strengthening and entrenching the pivotal role of the Committee of Permanent Representatives in following up on the implementation of all directives and decisions issued by the deliberative bodies, in close coordination with the African Union Commission and under the direct supervision of His Excellency the President of the brotherly Republic of Kenya, in his capacity as coordinator of the reform process, for whom we have great esteem and to whom we extend our full support.

Our shared ambition is for this reform process to lead to a more effective and influential African Union, capable of responding to the aspirations of the peoples of our continent and strengthening Africa’s standing as a responsible and consequential actor on the world stage.

Thank you for your kind attention.

May peace and Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you."

39th AU Summit

Full text of President Tebboune's address on AU institutional reform