Luanda — Participants at the 21st Meeting of Senior Officials of the Coordination Committee of the Africa-Arab Partnership reaffirmed, on Thursday (6), in Cairo, Egypt, the relevance of organizing the Economic Forum between the two regions.
According to the final communiqué of the event, it should take place on the sidelines of the 5th Africa-Arab Summit, scheduled for the first half of 2027, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
It also adds that the forum will serve as a platform to strengthen ties in trade, investment, infrastructure development and the promotion of the private sector.
To coordinate these activities, the creation of a Joint Committee was recommended, composed of representatives from the two Secretariats, responsible for preparing, by the end of 2027, a series of events commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the Africa-Arab Partnership.
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With the aim of reactivating bilateral cooperation, the Senior Officials committed to holding the 10th General Cooperation Meeting between the African Union Commission and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2027.
Regarding the trade sector, participants considered the implementation of the Africa-Arab Trade Fair, to be held in Togo, to be a priority, with financing from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (AfDA), Afreximbank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and other prominent African financial institutions.
It was also decided to hold institutional meetings, such as the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the Africa-Arab Partnership Coordination Committee, in New York, in September 2026, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, and the 22nd Meeting of Senior Officials of the Africa-Arab Partnership Coordination Committee, at the African Union headquarters, in November 2026, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Given the urgent need to strengthen joint capacities in disaster management, Senior Officials recommended the drafting of the Statute of the Africa-Arab Disaster Response Fund.
The document, which will include the governance structure, financing mechanisms, eligibility criteria and operational procedures, will be submitted for approval at the 5th Africa-Arab Summit.
During the proceedings, note was given to the progress made in revising the Joint Africa-Arab Action Plan.
The Secretariats received guidance for its finalization, ensuring the inclusion of goals, objectives, indicators, deadlines, expected results and the respective responsible parties.
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In the agriculture and food security sector, its strategic importance was reiterated, and it was suggested that consultations be advanced to host the 4th Ministerial Meeting on the matter in one of the Arab countries.
In parallel, the meeting reaffirmed the central role of the Africa-Arab Institute of Culture, urging the preparation of a multi-year program of activities and a resource mobilization strategy with the involvement of financial institutions, cultural bodies and development partners.
The Senior Officials also welcomed the activities carried out in the field of migration.
The urgency of coordinated actions based on shared responsibility, absolute respect for human rights, and the integral development of the migratory dimensions was reaffirmed, and the respective Action Plan should be updated in the short term.
The Africa-Arab Partnership Coordination Committee is a cooperation mechanism established on March 29, 2007, and last met at the level of Heads of State and Government on November 23, 2016, in Malabo, Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
