Mariam Lanji Msah, 26th November 2025

President William Ruto has issued a compelling call to fellow African leaders, urging unified support for a comprehensive reform of the African Union (AU) to prevent the bloc from becoming ineffective on the global stage.

Chairing a meeting of the AU Institutional Reform Ad Hoc Committee in Luanda on Tuesday, President Ruto, who serves as the AU Champion for Institutional Reform, stated that transformative change is critical to elevating Africa's voice and agenda.

“Without meaningful change, the AU risks becoming ineffective, which would cost the continent far more in lost opportunity and diminished influence,” President Ruto warned.

He expressed confidence in the process, affirming, “This reform is doable. It is possible and necessary to have an effective African Union, and we can do it within the shortest time possible while carrying everyone on board.”

A Roadmap for a Stronger Union

The discussions centered on an eight-point reform agenda designed to make the AU more efficient and responsive. The key proposals include:

• Unified Security & Governance: Merging the Peace and Security Architecture with the African Governance Architecture to improve crisis prevention.
• Sustainable Financing: Strengthening the AU's funding through strict budget rules and the full adoption of an import levy.
• Empowered Parliament: Revitalizing the Pan-African Parliament by ratifying the Malabo Protocol to grant it limited legislative powers.
• Efficient Operations: Streamlining the AU Assembly's agenda, restructuring organs for a leaner system, and clarifying the division of labour between the AU, regional bodies, and member states.
• Stronger Legal Framework: Operationalizing the African Court of Justice and categorizing AU decisions into binding and non-binding to improve compliance.

“These recommendations form a coherent road-map for a stronger, more effective and more responsive African Union, fit to advance Agenda 2063,” President Ruto stated.

An Inclusive Process

To ensure all member states have a voice, President Ruto announced plans for a dedicated summit where leaders can contribute their perspectives. He also called on governments to review a detailed report and submit written feedback to the AU Secretariat ahead of the broader AU Summit in February.

He specifically cautioned against letting cost concerns derail the process, noting that many impactful decisions do not require new funding.

The African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, commended President Ruto's leadership, affirming the Commission's full commitment to realizing these reforms.