Addis Ababa - Angolan Wilson De Almeida Adão was elected, on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, chairman of the African Governance Architecture (AGA), for a two-year term.
Before this election, Wilson de Almeida Adão was chosen, on November 8, 2023, as chairman of the Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child of the African Union (AU).
The Angolan specialist was unanimously elected by AGA members during a political meeting of this AU body, held on the sidelines of preparations for the 37th ordinary summit of the African Union scheduled for next weekend, in the Ethiopian capital.
Speaking to the press following this election, Wilson Adão clarified that his structure has the responsibility for managing issues relating to democracy and the rule of law on the continent, seeking to contribute to Member States' respect for universal democratic principles.
He acknowledged, in this regard, that the African continent is currently going through a difficult time in this area, with several countries shaken, almost simultaneously, by the phenomenon of unconstitutional changes of Governments, through coups d'état.
On the other hand, he highlighted that his new election responds to the concerns of the Angolan Government to increase the presence of national cadres in the structures of the pan-African organization based in Addis Ababa,
In the opinion of the Angolan authorities, the current levels of representation of national staff in AU bodies contrast with the position that the country currently occupies in the table of financial contributions to the functioning of the organization.
Therefore, they are committed to increasing the country's influence within the AU, as, as part of ongoing reforms, the number of vacancies reserved for permanent Angolan officials in the AU Commission has been increased from 39 to 74.
Angola is one of the six largest contributors to the AU Statutory Budget, alongside South Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria, but has a representation rate of around 7% in the organization's structures.
Recently, the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, highlighted the strategic importance of inserting national staff into international and regional organizations, in the context of foreign policy and defending Angola's interests in the international arena. IZ/VIC/DOJ
