Luanda: Participants at the 21st Meeting of Senior Officials of the Coordination Committee of the Africa-Arab Partnership reaffirmed the relevance of organizing the Economic Forum between the two regions. According to Angola Press News Agency, the final communiqu© of the event indicated that the forum 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. 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. This committee, composed of representatives from the two Secretariats, will be responsible for preparing a series of events commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the Africa-Arab Partnership by the end of 2027. In an effort to reactivate 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, as a priority. This initiative is expected to receive financing from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (AfDA), Afreximbank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and other prominent African financial institutions. Additionally, it was 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 drafting the Statute of the Africa-Arab Disaster Response Fund. This document, which will include governance structure, financing mechanisms, eligibility criteria, and operational procedures, will be submitted for approval at the 5th Africa-Arab Summit. During the proceedings, progress in revising the Joint Africa-Arab Action Plan was acknowledged, and the Secretariats received guidance for its finalization, ensuring the inclusion of goals, objectives, indicators, deadlines, expected results, and the respective responsible parties.
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 involving 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, with an updated Action Plan to be developed in the short term. The Africa-Arab Partnership Coordination Committee, a cooperation mechanism established on March 29, 2007, last met at the level of Heads of State and Government on November 23, 2016, in Malabo, Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
