In 1999, the Organization of African Unity issued the Sirte Declaration, calling for the establishment of an African Union (AU), with a view, inter alia, to accelerating the process of integration in the continent to enable it to play its role in the global economy while addressing multifaceted social, economic and political problems.
The main objectives of the African Union are to rid the continent of the remaining vestiges of colonization and apartheid; to promote unity and solidarity among African states; to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development; to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states; and to promote international cooperation within the framework of the United Nations.
ICT falls under the Department of Infrastructure and Energy (DIE) in the AU.
Egypt is a strong supporter of the African Union’s efforts to boost cooperation among African states in ICT-related fields as a means to boost regional ties and facilitate the achievement of development goals across the continent. Main areas of cooperation between MCIT and the AU include digital transformation, AI, infrastructure, ICT related strategies and policies.
Egypt headed and hosted the Science and Technology Committee of the AU in October 2019, where several key decisions were adopted including the establishment of the African AI group.
