1. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and Togolese Abroad, H.E. Prof. Robert DUSSEY, chaired the second virtual meeting of the High Committee for the “African Roots and African Diaspora Decade” on Monday, September 13, 2021, following the inaugural meeting on June 10, 2021.
   
2. In his opening remarks, Minister DUSSEY urged the members of the High Committee to act promptly in implementing the Decision of the Conference of Heads of State and Government regarding the 2021-2031 Agenda for the “African Roots and African Diaspora Decade.” The Minister emphasized the need to “act swiftly to meet the aspirations of African diasporas and optimize their contributions to both the development of individual countries and the achievement of the objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.”

3. The meeting allowed the members of the High Committee to discuss the main areas of work, projects to be included on the agenda, and the financing mechanisms for various initiatives and activities of the “Decade of African Roots and the African Diaspora.” In this regard, participants unanimously welcomed the announcement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco of his government’s decision to support the activities of the decade with a budget of $200,000.
   
4. The meeting provided an opportunity for participants to agree on short and medium-term actions to make the process much more inclusive, particularly through the involvement of Afro-descendant communities from the Americas, the Pacific, the Caribbean, and the Antilles, as well as non-state actors.
   
5. The meeting also requested the African Union Commission, in preparation for the next meeting, to prepare a conceptual note outlining ongoing projects and initiatives on the continent, as well as a list of the most representative organizations of the African diaspora and Afro-descendant communities.
   
6. Congratulating Togo for hosting this important meeting, participants reaffirmed their commitment and readiness to support Togo and the African Union Commission in implementing the Decade’s Agenda.
   
7. Participating countries in this meeting, in alphabetical order: South Africa, Algeria, Angola, Gambia, Ghana, Morocco, Namibia, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Togo. The African Union Commission was represented by the Vice-President.

Done in Lomé, on September 13, 2021