In a matter of days, African leaders will converge on Addis Ababa at a moment of uncommon pressure and expectation. From deepening climate stress and protracted conflicts to fragile growth prospects and rising global uncertainty, the continent enters 2026 facing challenges that can no longer be deferred. Against this backdrop, the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government, scheduled for 14–15 February 2026, is shaping up to be more than a routine diplomatic gathering. It is a test of Africa’s capacity to align ambition with execution at a time when both are urgently required.
Convened under the theme “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” the summit elevates water security to the centre of Africa’s development and resilience agenda. As deliberations draw near, the question confronting policymakers is not only what will be discussed, but whether the decisions taken will meaningfully address the structural constraints holding back the continent’s long-term transformation.
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Globally, water stress is fast becoming one of the defining development challenges of this decade, intersecting with food security, public health, urbanisation and climate adaptation. Africa is at the sharp end of this crisis. Current African Union assessments indicate that over 400 million people across the continent still lack access to basic drinking water services, while more than 700 million remain without safely managed sanitation. These gaps impose heavy economic and social costs, constraining productivity, fuelling disease burdens and reinforcing inequality, particularly for women and girls, who account for an estimated 70 per cent of household water collection.
By centring the 2026 summit on water and sanitation, the African Union is signalling a strategic shift: treating water not as a sectoral issue but as an enabling foundation for industrialisation, human capital development and climate resilience. The recently adopted Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy provides the implementation backbone for this ambition, aligning national water strategies with continental development goals and long-term financing frameworks.
As leaders prepare to meet, it is evident that water security cannot be meaningfully advanced in the absence of peace. Persistent instability in Sudan, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, parts of the Sahel, and pockets of Libya continues to exact a heavy toll on civilian populations while undermining regional cooperation and economic integration.
These conflicts represent more than humanitarian emergencies; they are structural obstacles to Agenda 2063 itself. In the lead-up to the summit, senior diplomats and security officials have emphasised the need to strengthen the African Peace and Security Architecture, improve early warning and mediation mechanisms, and secure predictable financing for peace operations. With the summit days away, expectations are high that leaders will move beyond declarations towards firmer commitments on implementation and accountability.
Economic Integration and Institutional Reform Under Scrutiny
The timing of the 39th summit is significant for Africa’s economic integration agenda. The African Continental Free Trade Area is entering a phase where policy frameworks must translate into measurable trade flows, industrial linkages and employment outcomes. With growth uneven across regions and fiscal pressures mounting in many economies, integration is increasingly viewed as a necessity rather than an aspiration.
Ahead of the summit, preparatory meetings of the Permanent Representatives’ Committee and the Executive Council have focused on institutional efficiency, coordination across AU organs, and the alignment of flagship projects under Agenda 2063. These discussions underscore a growing recognition that institutional reform is essential if continental initiatives are to deliver tangible benefits.
Africa and the World
As the summit approaches, Africa’s external positioning also looms large. The continent’s expanded engagement within the G20, renewed calls for reform of the United Nations Security Council, and its role in global climate negotiations all feature prominently in background consultations. These conversations reflect an understanding that Africa’s development outcomes are increasingly shaped by global financial conditions, geopolitical competition and climate finance flows.
The Addis Ababa gathering, therefore, serves as a platform not only for internal coordination but for articulating a more coherent African voice in global governance at a time of heightened uncertainty.
Who Will Be in Addis Ababa
In keeping with tradition, the summit will bring together Heads of State and Government from across the African Union’s 55 member states, alongside senior officials, regional economic communities, development partners, civil society leaders and private sector actors. In the days preceding the Assembly, a dense calendar of statutory meetings and side events has already set the tone, covering issues ranging from governance and democracy to nutrition, education, development finance and reparative justice.
These engagements are shaping the policy environment in which leaders will take final decisions, underscoring the increasingly multi-stakeholder nature of the AU’s decision-making process.
Beyond the Theme: What Africa Must Confront in 2026
While water and sanitation anchor the official theme, several deeper challenges are pressing as leaders prepare to meet. Youth unemployment remains one of the most destabilising forces across the continent, with millions of young Africans locked out of formal economic opportunities despite rapid population growth. Without decisive action on skills, entrepreneurship and labour-intensive sectors, demographic pressures risk translating into prolonged social strain.
Climate vulnerability beyond water, including extreme heat, flooding and land degradation, continues to outpace adaptation efforts. These risks demand integrated responses that link climate policy to infrastructure, agriculture and urban planning.
Digital inequality and governance capacity are also emerging fault lines. As economies digitise unevenly, gaps in access, regulation and institutional readiness threaten to widen inequality and weaken public trust.
Finally, debt sustainability and financial autonomy are fast becoming defining constraints. High borrowing costs and limited fiscal space are restricting development spending across many African states, reinforcing the need for coordinated continental approaches to financing, debt management and domestic resource mobilisation.
A Summit Measured by What Comes After
As the 39th African Union Summit draws near, expectations are tempered by experience. Declarations alone will not resolve Africa’s structural challenges. What will matter is whether commitments on water security, peace, integration and governance are followed by credible implementation, sustained financing and political will.
In the days ahead, Addis Ababa will host intense diplomacy and high-level dialogue. The true test, however, will begin once the summit ends, in how decisively Africa turns shared vision into durable progress for its people.
