Green Legacy Initiative Reaches New Milestone with 805 Million Seedlings Planted in a Single Day
The 49th Session of the Executive Council Convened in Addis Ababa
Recap of the Work of the African Union Peace and Security Council in July 2026
Joint Session of Specialized Technical Committees on Finance and Trade Held in Abidjan
The Third Africa Blue Economy Week Convened in Luanda
NEWS IN BRIEF
Ethiopia
The Green Legacy Initiative recorded a major milestone on Sunday (August 3), with more than 26.2 million citizens planting 805.3 million tree seedlings across the country within 12 hours, exceeding the national target of 800 million seedlings. The nationwide campaign, held under this year’s theme, “Let Us Plant Hope,” covered more than 291,400 hectares and marked the largest single-day tree-planting effort of the current rainy season. (See more)
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurated the new terminal at Dejazmach Belay Zeleke International Airport in Bahir Dar during a visit to the city on Thursday (August 6). The Prime Minister was accompanied by First Lady Zinash Tayachew, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, and Speaker of the House of Federation Agegnehu Teshager.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a Green Legacy tree-planting program in Bishoftu on Saturday (August 1), bringing together ministry leadership and staff, ambassadors of neighboring countries, members of the diplomatic corps, and the Ethiopian diaspora. The campaign was officially launched by Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos and attended by State Ministers Ambassador Hadera Abera and Ambassador Berhanu Tsegaye.
State Minister Ambassador Hadera Abera held talks with Slovak Ambassador Rastislav Krizan on Thursday (August 6), reaffirming the commitment of Ethiopia and the Slovak Republic to deepen their longstanding bilateral relations. The two sides discussed expanding cooperation in manufacturing, industrial development, education, digital innovation, nuclear energy, and other areas of mutual interest.
Africa and the African Union
Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos held talks with African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on Tuesday (August 5). The discussions focused on peace and security in the Horn of Africa, as well as preparations for COP32, which Ethiopia will host in 2027.
The 49th Session of the Executive Council of the African Union convened in Addis Ababa on July 28-29. The crucial statutory meeting was preceded by the 52nd Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee, which considered the agenda items in preparation for the Executive Council meeting. (See article)
The African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC), under the Chairship of the Republic of Uganda, considered a broad range of peace and security matters at meetings held at th e Ministerial, Permanent Representatives, Committee of Experts, and Military Staff Committee levels. (See article)
The joint meeting of the 9th Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration, and the 5th Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals was held from July 20-25 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, under the theme “Financing Africa’s Industrialization for Sustainable Development.” (See article)
The 3rd African Union Blue Economy Week took place from July 22-25 in Luanda, Angola, under the theme “From Strategy to Action: Political Leadership for Africa’s Blue Economy Transformation.” Co-organized by the African Union and the Government of Angola, the event brought together maritime and ocean stakeholders. (See article)
Green Legacy Initiative Reaches New Milestone with 805 Million Seedlings Planted in a Single Day
The Green Legacy Initiative recorded a major milestone on Sunday (August 3), with more than 26.2 million citizens planting 805.3 million tree seedlings across the country within 12 hours, exceeding the national target of 800 million seedlings. The nationwide campaign, held under this year’s theme, “Let Us Plant Hope,” covered more than 291,400 hectares and marked the largest single-day tree-planting effort of the current rainy season.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, accompanied by First Lady Zinash Tayachew and members of the COP32 National Steering Committee, participated in the nationwide campaign and called on Ethiopians to continue contributing to the country’s environmental restoration efforts. The achievement comes as Ethiopia intensifies its climate action ahead of hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP32) in 2027.
Launched in 2019, the Green Legacy Initiative has become Ethiopia’s flagship environmental restoration program, aimed at combating deforestation, land degradation, soil erosion, and the effects of climate change. Through nationwide public participation, the initiative seeks to restore degraded landscapes, improve biodiversity, strengthen water conservation, and enhance food security through the planting of both forest and fruit-bearing trees.
This year’s campaign targets the planting of 8 billion seedlings, with more than 6.5 billion already planted during the current rainy season. Once the remaining 1.5 billion seedlings are planted to hit the 8 billion seasonal target, the cumulative total is projected to reach 56 billion toward the overall program goal of 65 billion.
The program has also contributed to expanding Ethiopia’s forest cover from 17.2 percent in 2019 to 23.6 percent, with a national target of increasing forest cover to 30 percent by 2030. In addition to environmental restoration, the initiative supports sustainable agriculture through agroforestry, promotes watershed rehabilitation, creates employment opportunities, and strengthens community resilience to climate change.
The Green Legacy Initiative continues to serve as one of Ethiopia’s flagship national programs, bringing together government institutions, the private sector, diplomatic missions, development partners, civil society organizations, and millions of citizens in a coordinated effort to promote sustainable development and environmental conservation. With preparations underway for COP32, the initiative also highlights Ethiopia’s commitment to advancing nature-based solutions and contributing to global climate action.
The 49th Session of the Executive Council Convened in Addis Ababa
The 49th Session of the Executive Council of the African Union convened in Addis Ababa on July 28-29. The crucial statutory meeting was preceded by the 52nd Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee, which considered the agenda items in preparation for the Executive Council meeting.
Ambassador Édouard Bizimana, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Burundi and Chairperson of the Executive Council, presided over the meeting. Delegations from Member States of the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, and Regional Mechanisms joined the gathering and deliberated on the agenda covering progress in the implementation of decisions on the AU’s continental integration agenda and the organisational and financial status of the Union.
In his opening remarks, Gedion Timothewos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, emphasised that the global order is undergoing profound transformation due to geopolitical competition, technological disruption, climate pressures, and growing contestation over strategic resources. He underscored that Africa cannot be a bystander in this global flux. Instead, Africa must seize the moment to actively shape the contours of the new reality and become a strategic actor capable of providing African solutions to global challenges.
The Council adopted the budget of the Union for 2027 and the scale of assessment for Member States’ contributions for the period 2027-2029. The discussions on these two important items saw strategic discussions on the financial independence of the African Union and the need to alleviate reliance on external finance.
Ethiopia once again defined the moment by voluntarily upgrading its scale of assessment to the Tier One category. This move will nearly double Ethiopia’s annual contribution to the budget of the African Union. Ethiopia’s decision was followed by Kenya’s similar pronouncement. The decision of the two neighbourly countries will provide the Union with much-needed finance to support its programmes.
The Council also adopted the implementation roadmap of the African Union theme of the year 2027, which focuses on the Single African Air Transport Market and emerging technologies. Under the agenda dealing with the status of implementation of Agenda 2063, the Council endorsed Ethiopia’s proposal for the establishment of a coalition of critical mineral-producing countries of Africa.
On the margins of the meeting, the Ethiopian delegation conducted various bilateral meetings with heads of delegations of several countries taking part in the meeting.
Recap of the Work of the African Union Peace and Security Council in July 2026
The African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC), under the Chairship of the Republic of Uganda, considered a broad range of peace and security matters at meetings held at the Ministerial, Permanent Representatives, Committee of Experts, and Military Staff Committee levels.
The work of the Council for July commenced with the Third Accra Reflection Forum on Unconstitutional Changes of Government (UCG), held in Accra, Ghana, from 3-4 July 2026 under the theme “Youth Inclusion for African Stability.” The forum underscored the importance of enhancing youth participation to reinforce the AU’s response to UCG. During the discussion, Ethiopia reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the AU’s zero-tolerance policy on UCG, emphasizing that no political grievance, security challenge, or economic hardship can justify the unconstitutional seizure of power.
On July 8, the Council reviewed the situation in Abyei. Members stressed the need to preserve peace and stability in the region while revitalizing the role of the African Union and sustaining dialogue between Sudan and South Sudan on the determination of Abyei’s final status. The Council also commended Ethiopia for its longstanding contribution as the sole troop-contributing country to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) for over eleven years and paid tribute to the sacrifices of Ethiopian peacekeepers in support of lasting peace and stability. The Council decided to remain seized of the matter and requested the African Union Commission to reinstate institutional follow-up mechanisms on the Abyei question.
The Council also held an informal consultation with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on financing the AUSSOM. The consultation gained significance amid growing uncertainty over the Mission’s future logistical support following the US announcement to terminate support through the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) by the end of 2026. Member States emphasized the importance of securing predictable and sustainable financing to safeguard AUSSOM’s operational continuity and consolidate the gains made in stabilizing Somalia.
On July 21, at the Ministerial level, the Council assessed the evolving threat of terrorism and violent extremism across the continent. Representing Ethiopia, Ambassador Hadera Abera, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, noted that the expanding belt of terrorism stretching from West Africa through the Sahel to the Middle East continues to undermine peace and security across Africa and beyond. He highlighted Ethiopia’s longstanding contribution to regional counter-terrorism efforts and reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to strengthening African cooperation against the evolving threat of terrorism.
On July 22, the Council considered the biannual report of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on elections conducted during the first half of 2026. Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner of the AU for Political, Peace and Security Affairs, briefed the Council on the successful conduct of Ethiopia’s 7th General Election, held on 1 June 2026. He noted that, with more than 54 million registered voters, the election was the largest held on the continent in 2026. He further briefed the Council that more than 52,000 polling stations were established nationwide, supported by over 350,000 election officials, while more than 10,400 candidates representing 42 political parties, alongside 80 independent candidates, contested for seats in the House of Peoples’ Representatives and Regional Councils across 501 constituencies.
Ambassador Lemlem Fiseha, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the African Union and UNECA, in her statement, underscored that the African Union was the principal international election observation mission invited by Ethiopia, reflecting the Government’s confidence in African institutions and its commitment to African mechanisms. The Council congratulated Ethiopia for the peaceful, free, and orderly conduct of the election and commended the ongoing National Dialogue as a crucial nationally owned process for promoting national unity. The Council also encouraged Member States to institutionalize similar dialogue platforms to address domestic political differences and consolidate nation-building efforts.
On July 27, the Council considered the situation in Burkina Faso and Niger, reaffirming the importance of sustained engagement with countries undergoing political transition while upholding the African Union’s normative framework on Unconstitutional Changes of Government.
The Council’s subsidiary bodies also held various sessions during the month. Accordingly, the Committee of Experts prepared a Ministerial session on Counter-Terrorism and Violent Extremism, the Sub-Committee on Sanctions reviewed preventive measures relating to Unconstitutional Changes of Government, while the Military Staff Committee considered operational matters concerning the Continental Logistics Base of the African Standby Force.
Throughout the month, Ethiopia remained actively engaged across the Council’s deliberations and reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to advancing African-led and African-owned solutions in addressing the continent’s peace and security challenges.
Joint Session of Specialized Technical Committees on Finance and Trade Held in Abidjan
The joint meeting of the 9th Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration, and the 5th Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals was held from July 20-25 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, under the theme “Financing Africa’s Industrialization for Sustainable Development.”
In his opening remarks, Minister of Trade, Industry and Handicrafts of Côte d’Ivoire Ibrahim Kalil Konaté reflected on initiatives aimed at building domestic raw material processing capabilities and the active role of private sector finance in Côte d’Ivoire’s industrialization efforts. The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Claver Gatete, for his part, stressed the need to ensure sustained investment and financing for Africa’s productive sectors, including infrastructure, manufacturing, and competitive industries, to realize industrialization across the continent. In line with this, he further highlighted the importance of improving domestic resource mobilization, ensuring better strategic use of public resources, accelerating regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and providing affordable, sustainable, and integrated energy supply across the continent.
During the meeting, Ethiopia’s key reform measures to boost domestic sources of development financing were highlighted. These included efforts to strengthen domestic resource mobilization by enhancing the role of the private sector in the economy, policy and regulatory changes to broaden the tax base, and improved monetary management through exchange-rate reforms and digitalization. In addition, Ethiopia’s experience in mobilizing finance through various blended financing mechanisms, including public-private partnerships and foreign direct investment from Africa’s private sector, was presented.
Participants of the joint session underscored the need to improve tax administration and digitalization, enhance mineral beneficiation and domestic value addition, and develop and finance strategic economic and regional industry corridors to accelerate industrialization.
Furthermore, participants emphasized the need to fast-track the operationalization of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and African Union Financial Institutions, including the African Monetary Institute, in line with the 2026 decision of the African Union Assembly. The meeting also urged Member States to develop national and regional strategies to utilize preferential trade opportunities available for Africa.
The joint session concluded with the adoption of the Declaration of the Joint STC, which, among others, encouraged Member States to endorse the proclamation of the Fourth Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA IV), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on May 20, 2026, and integrate IDDA IV and AIDA/PAIDA into their national industrial strategies. The Declaration also called for the establishment and operationalization of the PAIDA-Industrialization Project Preparation Facility to support the development of de-risked and bankable projects across the continent.
The Third Africa Blue Economy Week Convened in Luanda
The 3rd African Union Blue Economy Week took place from July 22-25 in Luanda, Angola, under the theme “From Strategy to Action: Political Leadership for Africa’s Blue Economy Transformation.” Co-organized by the African Union and the Government of Angola, the event brought together maritime and ocean stakeholders.
During the event, Angolan Vice President Esperança Maria da Costa and AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, and Blue Economy Moses Vilakati addressed the ministerial segment, stressing the role of the blue economy in Africa’s development.
Discussions covered the state of Africa’s blue economy, digital technologies and data systems, and the roles of women and youth. Participants noted that 80 percent of African states have integrated the sector into their national plans and that the blue economy could generate USD 405 billion and create 57 million jobs by 2030, while facing challenges of underinvestment, policy fragmentation, and uneven implementation. Progress was also reported on integrating the 2019 Africa Blue Economy Strategy into regional and sectoral frameworks.
The Ethiopian delegation highlighted ongoing efforts to unlock the country’s blue economy potential and called for coordinated action among African Member States to ensure maritime security. The delegation underscored that the underutilization and misuse of Africa’s maritime resources are sources of socio-economic and security challenges on the continent. Highlighting the fact that Africa’s maritime resources are increasingly exposed to external interests while intra-African cooperation remains limited, the delegation called for a united stance in the use and development of Africa’s maritime resources for the benefit of the continent.
It is to be recalled that the African Union adopted the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIM Strategy), which aims to address the continental outlook shaped by longstanding “sea blindness” that failed to recognize the maritime domain as an economic and security space. The Strategy envisages the establishment of a continental naval force and shipping company.
The 3rd African Union Blue Economy Week concluded with the adoption of the Luanda Declaration and Call to Action, setting out priorities and specific appeals to Member States, the AU Commission, and partners.
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