The meeting brings together Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Regional Mechanism (RMs) and member states to review the progress of the continental integration agenda.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is participating in the summit as the current chair of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

The meeting will explore ways to enhance integration, including promoting free movement and the African passport, as well as connecting infrastructure and financial markets.

It will also explore establishing a common African market to accelerate trade, agriculture, establishment of businesses, and transfer of skills in Africa.

To accelerate these efforts, the meeting will discuss the division of labour between the AU, RECs, RMs, and member states, anchored on the principles of subsidiarity, complementary, and competitive advantage.

The division of labour is centred around six pillars: policy planning and formulation; policy adoption; policy implementation; monitoring, evaluation and reporting; resource mobilization; and partnerships.

Also on the agenda will be the financing of Agenda 2063, focusing on Africa’s economic recovery and the implementation of initiatives to address challenges in agriculture, infrastructure, debt, climate change, security, energy, and health.

This year’s meeting will be preceded by the meeting of the AU’s Executive Council on 13-14 July.

The ministerial meeting will discuss the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

It will consider next year’s theme (education); budget matters; African candidacies to international bodies; treaty ratification and implementation; the status of institutional reforms and Agenda 2063, among others.

The Executive Council will also appoint some members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR); the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption (AUABC); the African Union Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC); African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL), and a member of the Board of External Auditors (BoEAs).

The meeting will conclude with a declaration.

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