African Union: Preparations Underway in Addis Ababa for the 39th AU Summit

Institutional Mobilization Ahead of February 2026

The African Union has formally launched preparations for its 39th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government, scheduled to take place on 14–15 February 2026 in Addis Ababa. Since 12 January 2026, the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) has been in session at AU headquarters, marking the start of an intensive institutional cycle that will shape the Union’s political, security, and development priorities for the year ahead.

This preparatory phase also includes the 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, set for 11–12 February, which will consolidate recommendations before they are elevated to the summit level. Together, these meetings constitute one of the most consequential governance sequences in the AU’s annual calendar.

Water as a Strategic Development and Security Issue

The central theme selected for the 39th Summit — “Water as a Vital Resource for Development and Life” — reflects a deliberate shift in continental priorities. Beyond its humanitarian dimension, water is increasingly framed as a strategic asset linked to food security, public health, climate resilience, energy production, and political stability.

The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has emphasized that water stress now represents a structural constraint on African development rather than a sectoral challenge. Demographic growth, urbanization, climate variability, and weak infrastructure have transformed water access into a governance issue with direct implications for social cohesion and state legitimacy.

This thematic focus builds on commitments made during the September 2025 climate summit, positioning the AU to articulate a unified African stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil and COP32 in 2027, which is expected to be hosted on African soil, with Ethiopia as the designated venue.

Peace, Security, and Conflict Prevention Remain Central

While water anchors the summit’s thematic agenda, peace and security remain at the core of the AU’s strategic deliberations. The PRC is reviewing files related to conflict prevention, crisis management, and post-conflict stabilization, reflecting the persistence of active or latent conflicts across several regions of the continent.

These discussions are occurring against a backdrop of expanding security pressures: armed insurgencies, transnational terrorism, maritime insecurity, and climate-induced displacement. The AU’s Peace and Security Architecture is therefore under renewed scrutiny, particularly regarding early warning mechanisms, mediation frameworks, and the coordination between regional economic communities and continental institutions.

Economic Integration and Agenda 2063

Economic governance is another pillar of the preparatory process. The PRC is examining progress and bottlenecks related to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which remains a flagship project under Agenda 2063. Despite political consensus on integration, implementation gaps persist, notably in infrastructure, customs harmonization, and intra-African value chains.

The February summit is expected to revisit these challenges, with an emphasis on translating policy ambition into operational delivery — especially in a context of global economic fragmentation and tightening external financing conditions.

Toward a Continental Water and Sanitation Roadmap

A key technical outcome under preparation is the 2026 roadmap for sustainable water supply and safe sanitation services. Permanent representatives are working on policy recommendations, financing frameworks, and implementation benchmarks that will be submitted for adoption at the summit.

This roadmap aims to move beyond declaratory commitments by aligning national strategies, regional cooperation, and international partnerships around measurable targets. The objective is to anchor water governance within long-term development planning while addressing immediate vulnerabilities faced by both urban and rural populations.

Strategic Outlook

The 39th AU Summit is shaping up to be more than a routine institutional gathering. By elevating water to the level of a continental strategic priority, the African Union is signalling a broader understanding of development as an integrated system — where environmental resources, security, and economic transformation are inseparable.

The effectiveness of this approach will ultimately depend on political will, coordination capacity, and the ability of AU institutions to bridge the gap between collective ambition and national execution. February 2026 will therefore serve as a test of whether the Union can convert thematic focus into concrete continental momentum.