IGAD Hosts High-Level Coordination Meeting for RECs Ahead of AU Mid-Year Summit

On Jul 13, 2025

Malabo – Sudanhorizon
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), led by its Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, convened a high-level coordination meeting in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Saturday. The meeting brought together chief executives of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and regional mechanisms on the sidelines of the African Union’s (AU) Mid-Year Coordination Summit.
The session was chaired by AU Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, with participation from heads of RECs and regional mechanisms. The objective was to enhance strategic coordination and alignment in pursuit of the AU’s Agenda 2063.
Youssouf praised the proactive role of the RECs in promoting regional integration, reaffirming the AU’s commitment to deepening cooperation. “The AU values the RECs as indispensable partners in delivering Agenda 2063. Our future lies in unity, consensus, and coordinated action. Together, we must shift from parallel efforts to collective implementation,” he said.
Dr. Workneh highlighted two key achievements under IGAD’s current leadership of the coordination platform:
Launching formal discussions to secure a dedicated budget for REC activities, in line with the 2021 Protocol governing AU–REC relations.
Ensuring the institutional embedding of RECs within the AU Commission’s structure, affirming their central role in governance and continental integration.
“These are not symbolic gestures, but structural shifts toward a more coherent, efficient, and African-owned development architecture,” Dr. Workneh emphasised.
The meeting underlined the need for joint resource mobilisation, clear division of labour, and sustained political commitment to advance continental priorities.
The outcomes of the meeting will feed into the 7th AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, where AU organs, RECs, and member states will assess progress and map out collective action toward a more integrated and prosperous Africa.

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