In Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, the Foreign Ministers of the African Union member states met for the 47th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council. The meeting focused on the challenges of restorative justice for Africans, as well as strategic issues such as the financing of the organization’s 2026 budget. While progress was noted, including a slight increase in the rate of contribution to the program budget, the African Union warned of the poor implementation of the import tax agreed in Kigali in 2016.
In Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, the 47th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union was held on July 10 and 11, 2025. During this meeting, the foreign ministers of the member states discussed a theme with strong historical and political resonance: « Justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations. » This initiative was spearheaded by the African Union Commission as the continent seeks to strengthen its autonomy and make its voice heard on the international stage. The focus was also on the institution’s financing. The 2026 budget is expected to be finalized at the end of this meeting.
This session of the Executive Council will examine the Union’s budget for 2026. The PRC report submitted for your consideration highlights the progress in financing the program budget. It increased from 9.4% in 2025 to 12.7% in 2026. The program budget remains more than 77% funded by international partners. The Member States of the Union finance 100% of the operating budget.
MAHMOUD ALI YOUSSOUF, Chairperson of the AUC
Other key topics discussed included accelerating the continental integration process, the distribution of roles between the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, and Member States, and the progress of the AfCFTA, the African Continental Free Trade Area. These discussions are part of a shared desire to revitalize Agenda 2063, by placing regional cooperation and the harmonization of economic policies at the heart of priorities.
As Africa’s most transformative economic initiative since the founding of the OAU, the African Continental Free Trade Area has the potential to restructure African economies. By 2045, the AfCFTA is expected to boost intra-African trade by 45%, while also stimulating sectoral growth: 60% in agribusiness, 48% in manufacturing, 34% in services, and 28% in energy and mining. But we must ensure that this trade agreement does not remain on paper.
CLAVER GATETE, ECA Executive Secretary
Financing the African Union, however, remains a central challenge. The Commission announced a slight increase in Member States’ contributions to the programme budget, from 9.4% to 12.7% between 2025 and 2026. However, only 17 countries have so far implemented the 0.2% import tax, decided in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2016 to ensure the institution’s financial autonomy. This is a recurring concern, as pan-African ambitions require stable and sustainable resources.
The Commission continues its efforts to mobilize resources. As you know, the United States still refuses to apply resolution 2719 to Somalia. We will still have to rely on the Peace Fund, whose primary vocation is to support peace operations on our continent.MAHMOUD ALI YOUSSOUF, Chairperson of the AUC
In an uncertain global context, the African Union Commission therefore intends to maintain the course of sovereign, ambitious development driven by Africans themselves
