During the 27^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, which took place from 17 to 18 July 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda, the Conference took a historic and salutary decision on funding Of the African Union (AU/Dec.605 (XXVII)). The Assembly decided to introduce a 0.2% levy on eligible imports in order to provide the Union with reliable financing. The Assembly also decided to set up a committee of 10 ministers of finance to follow up with the African Union Commission on the implementation of this decision and also on the preparation of the annual budget of the African Union.

The Commission, in collaboration with the Regional Deans of Permanent Representatives of the Member States in Addis Ababa, has set up this committee of ministers of finance (F10). The inaugural F10 meeting was held in Addis Ababa on the 15 September 2016 on the eve of the AU Finance Ministers meeting which took place on the 16^th September 2016 and later on   in Washington, DC in October 2016 in margins of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. During this meeting, F10 decided to meet with the Bureau of Association of African Central Banks to discuss how to implement the decision on AU funding, including the opening of bank accounts within Central banks at Member State level. The consultation between the F10 and the Bureau of the Association of Central African Banks was held on 12 January 2017 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

During this meeting, F10 decided to set up a committee of senior officials from the ministries of the F10 countries, which will meet before each meeting of the F10. The purpose of the Senior Officials Meeting is to review all the various technical documents to be submitted for consideration by the F10 Ministers. The African Union Commission has already sent letters to the F10 countries for the appointment of senior officials of F10 for the set-up of this technical committee of F10.

At the last meeting of F10 it was decided that ‘The F10 would also meet on the margins of the AU-ECA conference of Ministers of Finance in Dakar at the end of March 2017 to look at outstanding technical issues and advice the F10 accordingly’. To implement this decision, the African Union Commission, in consultation with the President of F10, would like to convene an F10 meeting on the sidelines of the meeting of finance ministers to be held in March 2017 in Dakar, Senegal.

Prior to the F10 meeting, the African Union Commission will convene a meeting of the F10 Technical Committee. 

The objectives of the meeting are:

• Validate the Terms of Reference for the Technical Committee of F10;
• Discuss the report of the Commission on the implementation of the decision on the financing of the Union;
• Discuss the advocacy strategy for the implementation of the decision on the financing of the African Union;
• Discuss the collaboration between the F10 and the Bureau of Association of African Central Bank for the implementation of the decision.

At the end of the meeting of senior experts, the following documents will be reviewed:

• Terms of Reference for the F10 Technical Committee;
• Report from the Commission on the implementation of the Decision on the financing of the Union
• Advocacy Strategy for the Implementation of the Decision on the Financing of the African Union
• Document on the collaboration between the F10 and the Bureau of Association of African Central Bank for the implementation of the decision

This expert meeting will be held from 24 to 25 March 2017 in Dakar, Senegal.

Senior experts from F10 countries (Algeria, Egypt, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Congo, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa), the African Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) will be invited to attend the meeting.