81269012-African Union Communications Strategy and Implementation

As a joint AU-German Government initiative, the GIZ project ‘Citizen Engagement and Innovative Data Use for Africa's Development?(DataCipation)’ project aims to strengthen the engagement between AU organs, regional economic communities, member states and citizens leveraging data, digital and non-digital approaches for good governance and development, with activities in three interrelated action areas: — strengthening cooperation between AU Member States and the African digital innovation system; — leveraging participatory, inclusive and innovative communication opportunities for African citizens; — fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue on good governance in digital contexts. The political partner for the 3-year project (2020-2023) is the Bureau of the Chairperson at the African Union Commission, demonstrating the high-level political commitment of the AU to the project. The Directorate of Information and Communication of the African Union Commission (DIC/AUC) is mandated to steer and coordinate communication activities according to the newly defined AU brand strategy. Core activities foreseen for the joint cooperation are the development and implementation of communication formats enabling participatory, inclusive and creative engagement for citizens in line with the AU brand identity as well as capacity development for AU staff on interactive communication tools and methodologies. The GIZ project ‘Support to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)’ supports the AU Commission (AUC), specifically AUC's Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as well as the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana in the areas of AfCFTA negotiations and implementation. Outstanding issues of Phase I negotiations in trade in goods and trade in services, as well as Phase II and III negotiation topics are being supported by a range of mechanisms. The project is structured along 5 outputs, namely: — institutional support; — trade in services; — trade in goods; — investment, competition policy, intellectual property and e-commerce; — sustainability and other cross- cutting topics. All activities are closely coordinated across the continental, regional (East African Community (EAC) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)) and country (Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, Tunisia) level to ensure that all levels are appropriately linked.