Marrakech – The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, announced on Friday the appointment of Moroccan diplomat Fathallah Sijilmassi as Special Envoy for the G20 and Global Affairs.
The appointment reflects the African Union’s continued push to strengthen its engagement with global institutions and platforms. According to the commission’s statement, it aims to ensure that Africa’s priorities, perspectives, and interests are effectively articulated in international decision-making processes.
In his new role, Sijilmassi will support the chairperson in advancing the African Union’s strategic engagement with the G20. On G20 matters, he will carry out his mission under the authority of the AU G20 Sherpa and in line with the bloc’s global G20 governance framework.
His mandate extends beyond the G20. Sijilmassi will also back the chairperson in advancing Africa’s engagement across other key global and multilateral platforms. He is tasked with conducting consultations with member states, international partners, and relevant stakeholders to promote coordinated African positions on issues of strategic importance to the continent.
Working in close coordination with the relevant AU departments and structures, the special envoy will contribute to strengthening Africa’s voice on global governance, international financial architecture, sustainable development, trade, climate action, technology, and other emerging global challenges affecting the continent.
The appointment comes at a moment when the international system is undergoing significant transformation, a shift that the commission says requires stronger African coordination and more effective representation in global forums.
The African Union has repeatedly stressed the need for Africa to play an active role in shaping decisions that affect its development and its place in the global order.
Youssouf expressed confidence in Sijilmassi’s experience, diplomatic expertise, and knowledge of global affairs, entrusting him with advancing the African Union’s strategic priorities and partnerships at the global level. The commission reaffirmed its commitment to a coordinated and strategic African engagement in world affairs, in line with Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.
The appointment marks another development three years after the African Union gained permanent representation within the G20. The decision was made at the G20 summit in New Delhi in September 2023, giving the continent a permanent seat alongside the world’s major economies.
Sijilmassi brings a long record in diplomacy and economics to the position. Born in Rabat on 21 August 1966, he is an economist and career diplomat who holds a doctorate in international economics from the University of Grenoble and is a graduate of the Grenoble Institute of Political Studies, also known as Sciences Po Grenoble.
He began his career at the Banque Commerciale du Maroc, now Attijariwafa Bank, in Milan between 1989 and 1992, before moving to the Ministry of Foreign Trade from 1992 to 1999. Within Moroccan diplomacy, he served as Director of Multilateral Cooperation from 1999 to 2001 and Director of European Affairs from 2001 to 2003.
King Mohammed VI then appointed him Ambassador to the European Union from 2003 to 2004 and to France from 2005 to 2009. He led the Moroccan Agency for Investment Development (AMDIE) from 2009 to 2012, then served as Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, a 43-country body based in Barcelona, from 2012 to 2018. He has held the post of Director-General of the AU Commission since his appointment in 2021.
Over his career, Sijilmassi has received several honors, including the rank of Officer of France’s Legion of Honor and Grand Officer of its National Order of Merit, Spain’s Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic, and Palestine’s Star of Merit.
