In the framework of the first Steering Committee on the Aide Memoire between the European Commission (EC) and the African Union Commission (AUC) on measures to strengthen the financial management of the African Union Commission, The African Union Commission and the European Union (EU) signed today, 29 June 2016 the African Union Support Programme III (AUSP III).  The program has a new co-funding of €51 Million (85% European Union and 15% African Union Commission).  

The Deputy Chairperson of the AUC, H.E. Mr. Erastus Mwencha expressed gratitude for the support the European Union has been providing to the African Union over the years. He added: ‘Support under the African Union Support Programme has helped consolidate the institutional transformation of the African Union Commission and other Organs. The AUC has also benefited from other EU funded programmes which include support to Peace and Security, Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Election Observation, AU Research Grants and we are actively engaged on future programs of support’.

Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Director General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO) Klaus RUDISCHHAUSER said: "I am delighted to be here in Addis Ababa to witness another important step forward in the implementation of the Africa-EU Partnership. The AUSP is one of our flagship programmes and provides direct support to the AU Commission to build capacity for the implementation of a number of key priorities under Agenda 2063 such as the negotiations towards the Continental Free Trade Area, the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa and the operationalisation of the African Governance Architecture"

The AUSP III is the main flagship programme of Joint Africa-EU Strategy Roadmap agreed in the 4th EU-Africa Summit.  The programme will have two main results: (1) Enhanced European-African Union policy dialogue and efficiency in the performance of the African Union Commission and (2) Effective implementation of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy Roadmap 2014-2017 by the African Union Commission.

The AUSP III that will run from July 2016 to June 2019 will focus on the joint priorities reaffirmed in the last College to College meeting held in April 2016 in Addis Ababa including:

-        the operationalisation of the African Governance Architecture and a strong African Human Rights System that is accessible to African citizens, including through enhanced EU-AU political dialogue - (Priority Area 2);

-        the mainstreaming of human development in the areas of Science Technology and Innovation (i.e., African Observatory for Science, Technology and Innovation, Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards); Higher Education (AU Mwalimu Nyerere Scholarship Scheme) and Mobility, Migration and Employment (African Institute of Remittances) - (Priority Area 3);

-        the boosting of sustainable and inclusive development and growth and continental integration including through AU flagship initiatives such as Boosting Intra-Africa Trade (BIAT), Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) and the Institutional Architecture for Infrastructure Development in Africa (IAIDA), the Accelerated Industrial Development in Africa (AIDA) - (Priority Area 4);

-        the mainstreaming of cross cutting issues and global challenges of common  interests as Climate Change and Sustainable Development Goals / Agenda 2030 - (Priority Area 5).

The implementation of these actions will feed into the monitoring of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy Roadmap with a focus on the achievements and on what the partnership delivers, which will be presented at the next Africa-EU Summit in 2017.

About African Union Support Programs

The first support package under AUSP I (African Union Support Programme I), supported the institutional and administrative capacity within the African Union Commission and other organs. The programm was the key instrument in supporting the African Union in the implementation of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES) since 2007 and in advancing the AU reform agenda through the EU-AU policy dialogue.

The current programme African Union Support Programme II builds on the objectives of AUSP I. It has been in place since January 2014 and will be succeeded by AUSP III.