Following a selection process conducted by the African Union (AU), from a large panel of high-level candidates and based on the criteria of transparency, merit and competence, Fathallah Sijilmassi becomes the first Director General in the history of the AU Commission.
This new position, created at the end of the 11th Extraordinary Summit of AU Heads of State and Government in November 2018, is part of the structural reform of the AU Commission.
Sijilmassi thus accedes to the highest non-elective position in the hierarchy of the African Union Commission. It follows on from Sijilmassi’s international responsibilities as secretary general of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Sijilmassi will, among other things, be responsible for leading the cross-cutting governance of the structures of the AU Commission (AUC), ensuring operational coordination between the various departments of the AUC and with Member States, as well as ensuring optimal performance of the pan-African technostructure.
The trust placed in this experienced Moroccan diplomat is a testimony to the credibility enjoyed by the Kingdom and its resources within the African Union and in Africa.
It comes in a context marked by a sustained commitment of Morocco, since its return to the Pan-African organization in January 2017, in favor of the implementation of the overall reform of the AU and the establishment of good administrative and financial governance within the Institution.
A career diplomat, Sijilmassi has held senior positions of national and international responsibility.
In addition to being Secretary General of the UfM, Sijilmassi has also served as Morocco’s ambassador to Paris and Brussels.
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