African political parties have adopted the Addis Ababa Declaration, closing the Second African Political Parties Summit in Ethiopia with a pledge to put political leadership at the centre of the continent's economic transformation. The declaration was adopted on Saturday, 7 November, at the end of the three-day gathering in Addis Ababa, held under the theme "Governing for Growth".

The parties said Africa's economic transformation needs deliberate political choices, capable public institutions, sustained productive investment and continuity in national development priorities across changes of government. They said parties carry a defining responsibility to build capable states and productive economies through their programmes and participation in constitutional processes.

What the declaration commits parties to

The document calls on governing and opposition parties to set credible, long-term national development priorities backed by measurable objectives, milestones and public accountability. It recognises the opposition's role in scrutinising the feasibility, costs and delivery of development programmes. The parties reaffirmed commitments to constitutional governance, democratic accountability, political pluralism, the rule of law and peaceful political competition, and pledged policies promoting industrialisation, investment, enterprise, technology and jobs, alongside support for the African Continental Free Trade Area.

A new framework to 2040

A major decision is the creation of APPI Agenda 2040, a framework through which parties will define shared aspirations and measurable ambitions for Africa's political, economic and institutional transformation. The initiative's inaugural leadership was asked to consult parties and present a proposed framework at the next summit. The declaration also welcomed the APPI Charter, adopted on 6 November, and new bodies to strengthen political education and leadership preparation. African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, addressing the summit on Friday, warned that unregulated party financing risks exposing African politics to corruption and foreign interference, and called for strict financial rules to protect democratic governance.

[Source: Fana Media Corporation](https://www.fanamc.com/english/african-political-parties-adopt-addis-ababa-declaration-commit-to-advancing-economic-transformation/) | [Source: QNC News](https://qncnews.com/2026/11/07/african-union-chief-warns-unregulated-party-funding-risks-corruption-and-foreign-interference-in-africa-politics/)