The African Union (AU) is the continent’s premier political organisation, with all 54 countries as members. It is the largest association of African states and ranks second only to the European Union in institutional development. The AU, which was officially relaunched in 2002 as the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), continues to play a central role in shaping continental priorities. Building on the achievements of the OAU, the AU was formed to promote regional integration, cooperation, and economic development to achieve peace, security, and prosperity in Africa.
Presently, the AU is steering a continent through a volatile period marked by democratic backsliding and a resurgence of military coups while confronting deep-seated developmental challenges. Globally, the AU navigates a fractured order and growing tensions. The order is fracturing due to a retreat from multilateralism, notably exemplified by the United States’ hostile posture toward global cooperation amid emerging crises and shocks across health, climate, migration, and energy, as well as a decline in official development assistance.
The AU has attracted widespread criticism for being ineffective as a regional organisation. However, this article reflects on how it has developed considerable agency, defined as its capacity to shape the continent’s agenda and that of global affairs. According to scholar Thomas Kwasi Tieku, it has exhibited significant agential capacities across various domains and through specific pathways, including agenda-setting, norm development, decision-making, rule creation, and policy development.
This is contrary to narratives that depict the African continent as being on the periphery of the international order due to structural constraints. This is reinforced by the shortcomings of dominant tools of social scientific analysis, which render much of what happens in Africa invisible to outsiders, as well as by a focus on what does not work rather than on what is working.
Since its launch 24 years ago, Africa has emerged as the fastest-growing region in 2025, home to 11 of the 15 fastest-growing economies globally. However, the AU has accomplished numerous successes, including:
- The Common African Positions, developed by the AU, have enabled it to build consensus among all member states on collective issues. This is evident in the impact of collective bargaining and action on critical multilateral problems, such as climate change, as seen in forums like the Conference of the Parties and in outcomes like the Paris Agreement.
- On global health issues, the AU’ s advocacy has enabled a continental response to pandemics, mobilising resources to ensure the availability of COVID-19 vaccines to member states.
- Consensus on calls for reform of global institutions, including the UN and its contentious Security Council, for more equitable representation for Africa and for strategic engagement, while highlighting the need to reform the international financial architecture and advance finance for development.
The AU’s official inclusion in the Group of 20 (G20) marks a significant step in elevating its influence and role in global affairs. The G20 plays a crucial role in international economic governance. Since it emerged as an informal gathering of finance ministers and central bank governors following the 1999 Asian financial crisis, its agenda has expanded to cover economic, environmental, social, development, and security issues. The AU emphasises the need for strategic alliances to promote Africa’s interests, secure necessary support, enhance its international reputation, and increase its influence in global affairs.
Previously, South Africa was the only African country represented in forums such as the BRICS and G20, where its national priorities often overshadowed broader continental concerns. AU membership provides a unified voice for Africa, supporting a wider regional agenda. The AU views the growing number of global partnerships as evidence of Africa’s rising importance and a strategic effort to achieve its objectives through multilateral cooperation. Consequently, ensuring African nations effectively participate in international platforms, primarily through the G20, is vital to strengthening the continent’s presence and influence, particularly in shaping global financial reforms.
The Johannesburg-hosted G20 Summit in November last year, during South Africa’s presidency, was the first since the AU became a permanent member in 2023. It presented a timely chance for African countries to assume a leadership role in global affairs.
The “African” G20 focused on four key priorities, as reflected in the 120-paragraph leaders’ declaration:
- Disaster resilience and response: Improving global systems to better manage the rising impact of climate-related disasters.
- Debt sustainability for low-income countries: Advocating for fair and transparent sovereign credit ratings to lower capital costs for these nations.
- Mobilising finance for a Just Energy Transition: Supporting green initiatives by boosting climate finance and reinforcing the role of multilateral development banks.
- Harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth: Making sure resource-rich countries benefit from industrialisation, rather than solely exporting raw materials.
There are notable synergies between the G20 and the AU’ s development goals, especially with Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want, a strategic plan for the continent’ s growth over the next five decades. The Johannesburg Summit achieved convergence with Agenda 2063’s aims for a prosperous, united Africa with effective governance, peace and security, a strong cultural identity, people-centred growth, and a prominent global presence.
Towards accelerating the implementation of Agenda 2063 priorities, the G20 came up with key achievements, including:
- Infrastructure investment: The G20 launched the “Partnership for African Infrastructure”, a multi-billion-dollar initiative to fund critical projects in transport, energy, and digital connectivity across the continent. This is seen as a direct response to Africa’ s massive infrastructure gap. Moreover, this means greater trade integration through the rollout of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is poised to increase intra-continental trade and propel the continent to become the world’ s largest free-trade area.
- Reforming international financial architecture: Representation in global institutions: The final communiqué included a strong call to reform global financial institutions to give African nations a greater voice in decision-making, a long-standing demand of the continent’ s leaders. Another win was the G20 Africa Engagement Framework, a medium-term strategy focused on debt sustainability and economic growth.
Debt is one of the biggest challenges facing countries on the continent, with many experiencing debt distress or a high risk of having to choose between servicing debt and investing in developmental outcomes. On November 10 last year, the AU hosted G20 pre-summit consultations at its headquarters in Addis Ababa: the G20 High-Level Side Event on Debt Sustainability, the Cost of Capital and the reform of the International Financial Architecture. This places it centrally in advocating for affordable, predictable, and sustainable developmental finance.
- Enhancing food security through strengthening agricultural output and adaptation: A new programme was established to support sustainable agriculture and food systems in Africa, aiming to reduce the continent’s reliance on food imports and bolster its resilience to climate-related food shocks. This builds on existing measures such as the AU’ s 2003 Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security.
- Climate justice: Advancing a just energy transition and ensuring sustainable finance. The summit saw a deal to create a “Global Green Transition Fund” to mobilise private and public capital to support renewable energy projects in developing nations. This echoes the AU’ s promotion of a “just transition” that balances climate action with developmental needs, focusing on energy access, industrialisation, and equity.
- Health resilience, strengthening health, and pandemic preparedness: The G20 established a new Global Health Security Pact. This aims to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response capabilities worldwide. Key provisions include increased funding for the World Health Organization (WHO), a commitment to equitable access to vaccines and medical treatments, and a framework for more effectively sharing public health data during global health emergencies.
- Digital transformation: Leaders committed to supporting Africa’ s digital transformation by investing in digital literacy programmes and expanding internet access, recognising the digital economy’s potential to drive growth and create jobs.
To play a more proactive role in an evolving context, the AU must commit to its shared continental agenda and to peace and development across the continent. Coordinating policies and positions between the AU and member states is crucial.
This coordination can be facilitated by the eight Regional Economic Communities recognised by the AU, which are seen as foundational elements of the African Economic Community. Clear division of responsibilities, along with precise definitions and explanations of terms, will foster understanding and unity among member states. Moreover, for Africa to exert meaningful global influence, the AU needs to define its multilateral priorities more clearly and pursue them consistently, especially in forums such as the G20.
Stuart is an independent policy analyst. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Security and Strategic Studies from the University of Pretoria. Previously, he was a researcher in the governance delivery and impact programme at Good Governance Africa. Before joining Good Governance Africa, he was a junior research fellow with the Centre for Law and Society at the University of Cape Town. He also worked as a research consultant at the Institute of Security Studies.
