African Union Governance and Peace Architecture Sets the Agenda Ahead of the 2026 AU Summit in Addis Ababa

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As Addis Ababa prepares to host the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly and the 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, the African Union Commission has begun laying the political and institutional groundwork that will shape the tone of the 2026 AU Summit.

On 9–10 February 2026, the African Union Commission (AUC) convened the First Statutory Technical Meeting of the African Governance Architecture–African Peace and Security Architecture (AGA‑APSA) Platform at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa. The meeting forms a critical part of the pre‑Summit process, bringing together AU organs, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Regional Mechanisms (RMs), and senior technical officials responsible for governance, peace, and security across the continent.

The objective was clear: align Africa’s governance and peace frameworks ahead of the highest decision‑making sessions of the Union.

The meeting focused on reviewing the AGA‑APSA Secretariat’s 2025 activities, discussing the 2026 workplan, endorsing the revised Rules of Procedure, and examining proposed flagship initiatives for the year. These deliberations are intended to strengthen coordination across Africa’s governance and peace institutions at a time when political stability, youth inclusion, and regional integration remain central to continental priorities.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Patience Chiradza, Director of the Governance and Conflict Prevention Directorate (GCPD) and Rapporteur of the AGA‑APSA Platform at the technical level, underscored the importance of deeper synergy between governance and peace mechanisms. Her message reflected a long‑standing AU position: that peace and security cannot be sustained without credible governance structures.

The platform’s Chairperson at the technical level, Dr. Ayalew Getachew Assefa, Acting Executive Secretary of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), highlighted progress achieved during ACERWC’s tenure as Chair before formally opening the meeting. His intervention emphasized continuity and institutional memory as the platform transitions into its 2026 cycle.

Technical presentations were delivered by Ambassador Salah Hammad, Acting Head of the AGA‑APSA Secretariat, alongside Ms. Makda M. Tessema, Senior Democracy and Governance Expert. These sessions outlined the Secretariat’s performance in 2025 and presented the strategic direction for 2026. Further discussions on flagship initiatives were led by Ms. Hagar Azzooz, Project Officer at the AGA‑APSA Secretariat.

A key thematic priority emerging from the meeting was the mainstreaming of youth inclusion in governance, peace, security, and regional integration. Participants stressed the need to move beyond rhetoric and embed youth participation within continental decision‑making frameworks, particularly as Africa approaches a demographic future shaped overwhelmingly by young people.

The meeting also addressed updates on the EU Governance, Peace and Security (GPS) Programme, reviewed coordination mechanisms across AU institutions, and initiated preparations for the election of the 2026 Chairperson and Vice‑Chairperson of the AGA‑APSA Platform.

Participants included technical heads of AU organs, officials from RECs and RMs, AUC departments and directorates, and governance and peace practitioners tasked with translating AU policy into action on the ground.

Established in 2010, the African Governance Architecture (AGA) was designed to harmonise governance initiatives across the continent. Its integration with the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) reflects the AU’s recognition that sustainable peace is inseparable from democratic governance, accountability, and institutional legitimacy.

As Africa moves toward the 2026 AU Summit, the AGA‑APSA Platform’s work signals a broader institutional reality: the decisions that shape continental outcomes are built long before Heads of State enter the Assembly Hall.

Africa is still young in institutional terms. Its governance systems are evolving under pressure, scrutiny, and expectation. But each technical meeting, each coordinated framework, and each effort to centre African solutions brings the continent closer to owning its peace, its governance, and its future — on its own terms.

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