AFRICA
DAY 2024

On 25th May 1963 Africa’s continental organisation, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) (now the African Union) was created and to mark the occasion, 25th May was declared Africa Day which is celebrated annually across Africa and in the Diaspora. Africa Day celebrate Africa’s history, and culture as well as reflect on the progress made in achieving Africa’s Development Agenda 2063. The event in New York, will be organized by the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the UN, in collaboration with the UNAASG, the African Group and the Office of the Mayor of NYC.

Theme: Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa.

Education is a key lever for achieving Aspiration 1 of Agenda 2063 which envisions a continent with “well educated citizens and skills revolution underpinned by science, technology and innovation” and to promote greater focus on education, 2024 was declared as the Year of Education by the African Union with the overarching theme: “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality, and Relevant Learning in Africa”.

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AFRICA DAY
2023

“The Year of AfCFTA: Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation.”

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the Flagship Projects of Agenda 2063 Africa’s development framework. The AfCFTA was approved by the 18th ordinary Session of Assembly of Heads of State and Government, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2012 which adopted the decision to establish an African Continental Free Trade Area and the Action Plan for Boosting intra-African trade as a key initiatives whose implementation would promote socio-economic growth development . The AfCFTA aims at accelerating intra-African trade and boosting Africa’s trading position in the global market by strengthening Africa’s common voice and policy space in global trade negotiations.

The year 2023 marks 60 years since the Organization of the African Unity (OAU) was formed on 25 May 1963. The OAU later relaunched into the African Union (AU) in 2002. In celebrating 60 years of the continental organization, AU invites all African citizenry on the continent & in the diaspora to join in commemorative activities that reflect on the spirit of pan-Africanism that determined the actions of our forebearers & connects the past to the present #OurAfricaOurFuture.

africa day celebration in new york

This year, the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations and the African Group of Ambassodors organized a reception and an exhibition on May 25th, 2023 at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of South Africa

AFRICA DAY 2022

The African Union Commission commemorates “Africa Day” on May 25th each year to acknowledge its successes and to encourage the progress that Africa has made under a specific theme while reflecting upon the common challenges that the continent faces in a global environment. The AU theme of the Year 2022 is “Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent: Strengthening Agro-Food Systems, Health and Social Protection Systems for the Acceleration of Human, Social and Economic Capital Development”.

Africa can feed the World

In the Framework of the long-term vision encapsulated in Agenda 2063, aspiration one underlines the importance of nutrition for the “Africa We Want” with goal on “African people have a high standard of living, quality of life, sound health and wellbeing” and goal 3 on “citizens are healthy and well nourished, and enjoying a life expectancy of above 75 years.” Article 14 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child also calls for adequate nutrition, care to combat malnutrition and improved knowledge of nutrition, including breastfeeding and human capital development.

In a move to address the challenge of hunger and malnutrition, the 2014 Malabo Declaration 6 committed to ending hunger and reduce child stunting to 10 percent and the underweight to 5 percent 2025, endorsed Cost of Hunger (COHA) in Africa Study as a key advocacy tool and further endorsed the AU Nutrition Champion. In addition to the AU Nutrition champion, in the effort to rally high-level political engagement to advance nutrition in Africa, the African Union Heads of State and Government in 2018 endorsed the African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN) Initiative by the Africa Development Bank and the African Union Commission. The role of ALN is to rally high-level political engagement to advance nutrition in Africa.

Our African Agro-Food and Nutrition EXHIBITION

The 2022 Africa Day Exhibition on the theme”Africa Can Feed the World” aims to shed light on the potential of Africa’s Agro-Food systems. The exhibition is envisioned to present some samples of African agro-products and staples grown in different African countries as well as different cuisine from around the continent using these products.

The event will be an opportunity to amplify the call for action through strong commitment/ messages from Member States and Heads of partnering organizations, to exert effort in order to translate political commitments into effective programs on the ground, particularly in the context of the ambitious targets set in the African Union’s Malabo Declaration for 2025, World Health Assembly targets, AU Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Agenda for 2030.

To access to the event's pictures: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzRxUB

Solidarity Messages for Africa Day

H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
H.E. António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations
H.E. Mr. Collen Vixen Kelapile, President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC)

AFRICA DAY 2024