AfrEA and AU sign historic MoU to foster Agenda 2063

In a landmark moment for Africa’s development journey, the African Evaluation Association (AfrEA) and the African Union (AU) signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during AfrEA’s 25th Anniversary celebrations in Addis Ababa. This agreement, signed on 18 June 2025, marks a transformative step toward institutionalizing evaluation as a cornerstone of Africa’s development architecture, aligning with the AU’s Agenda 2063.

A Shared Vision for Africa’s Future

The MoU, formalized through the Addis Ababa Declaration 2025, underscores the critical role of evaluation in fostering evidence-based decision-making, accountability, and inclusive growth across the continent. It reflects a shared commitment to harnessing African-led evaluation practices to accelerate the realization of Agenda 2063’s aspirations.

AfrEA, celebrating 25 years of leadership in the evaluation field, has evolved into a dynamic hub for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capacity building. The anniversary event brought together governments, regional and national evaluation associations, development partners, civil society, academia, and the private sector in a powerful demonstration of unity and purpose.

Key Commitments of the MoU

The Declaration outlines six strategic pillars:

1. 1. Institutionalizing Evaluation
      AU Member States will be supported to embed robust evaluation systems into national and regional development frameworks, guided by the African Evaluation Principles and the Made in Africa Evaluation (MAE) approach.

1. 1. Strengthening Capacity
      Investments in training and partnerships with VOPEs and academic institutions will build a skilled evaluation workforce. Regional hubs will be established to promote peer learning and technical support.

1. 1. Leveraging Innovation and Technology
      The MoU promotes the use of AI and data analytics to enhance evaluation accuracy and accessibility. It calls for co-designed AI tools rooted in African data and languages.

1. 1. Fostering Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration
      A Continental Evaluation Consortium will be formed to coordinate cross-border evaluations and align efforts with AU organs and regional institutions.

1. 1. Promoting Equity and Inclusion
      The AU and AfrEA commit to amplifying youth and women’s leadership in evaluation, integrating gender-responsive and youth-inclusive methodologies, and prioritizing evaluations in areas such as women’s empowerment and digital inclusion.

1. 1. Resource Mobilization
      National governments and international partners are urged to allocate dedicated funding for evaluation systems and Agenda 2063-focused assessments.

A New Era for African Evaluation

The Addis Ababa Declaration reaffirms AfrEA’s unwavering commitment to positioning evaluation at the heart of Africa’s development agenda. It aligns evaluation systems with the Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, spotlighting the zeal of AfrEA and the AU to ensure that Africa’s transformative journey is guided by evidence, accountability, and the collective aspirations of its people.

This MoU sets a precedent for collaborative, culturally grounded, and forward-looking evaluation practices that will shape the continent’s future for generations to come.