African Union — continental organization operationalizing healthcare initiatives and coordinating regional responses to security, health, and development challenges across member states.
… This accession brings Botswana into alignment with 44 of the 55 African Union Member States that have now ratified or acceded to the Charter, adopted by the AU in 2006. …
… For her part, Ms Shope-Soumah appealed for the implementation of the proposed major international Liberation Heritage Park and Freedom Monument, in partnership with the African Union and South Africa. …
… President Boko commended the African Union, Africa CDC, World Health Organization and other health partners for their swift, coordinated response in mobilising African and international solidarity. …
… The repatriation of artefacts from the UK is directly linked to the African Union’s strategic push of which it champions the return of collected heritage through its ‘Plan of Action on Cultural and Creative Industries', driving bilateral claims by individual African countries aga …
… g attracted countries and stakeholders from across the continent including Angola, Liberia, Namibia, South Africa, Ghana, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Botswana, Malawi, Lesotho and Eswatini, as well as key institutions such as the UNESCO and the African Union …
The World Bank has upgraded Sub-Saharan Africa's economic growth forecast to 4.3 percent for 2026, up from 4.1 percent in 2025, driven by firmer macroeconomic conditions, resurgent domestic demand, and investment in clean energy and digital technology. Nearly three-quarters of the region's economies, including Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Zambia, have received upward growth revisions.
The World Bank has upgraded Sub-Saharan Africa's economic growth forecast to 4.3 percent for 2026, up from 4.1 percent in 2025, driven by firmer macroeconomic conditions, resurgent domestic demand, and investment in clean energy and digital technology. Nearly three-quarters of the region's economies, including Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Zambia, have received upward growth revisions.
At the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, Botswana's Minister of International Relations Dr Phenyo Butale said the UN system requires reform to create a more equitable global order, and expressed concern about the rise of unilateral decision-making and conflicts undermining global cooperation and development partnerships.
A Texas-based private equity firm is investing roughly $150 million to build the TEMCO Hospital Ecosystem near Sir Seretse Khama International Airport—an integrated facility combining a 130-bed specialist hospital, medical hospitality wing, and pharmaceutical manufacturing plant on one site.
The Botswana Defence Force and Namibia Defence Force have launched joint military exercise Tshwaragano III in Lobatse to deepen operational effectiveness, exchange professional knowledge, and strengthen regional peace and security cooperation amid evolving cross-border security challenges.
António Guterres is stepping down as UN Secretary-General at the end of his second term, and a diverse field of candidates—including former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet—is emerging to compete for the role, each advancing different visions for the organization's future.
The Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BOMRA) is consulting with pharmaceutical executives, device manufacturers, and industry lawyers to develop regulations for the Medicines and Related Substances Act, No. 29 of 2025, which passed Parliament in December but has not yet taken effect.
The African Union's Africa CDC operationalized the Africa Pharmaceutical Platform and Medical devices (APPM) initiative in 2026, completing its first tender across 10 member states and securing 30–90% price reductions while involving African manufacturers in five of the ten products tendered. More than R 33 billion in new healthcare investment is flowing into African markets through development finance institutions and blended-finance vehicles.
Scientists forecast a "super" El Niño event in late 2026 will trigger higher temperatures and reduced rainfall across the Southern Hemisphere, potentially causing $10–20 billion in economic damages across Africa. Botswana faces particular risks including soaring temperatures, diminishing water supplies, increased wildfire risks, and impacts on wildlife populations, prompting the African Union Commission to urge member states to strengthen early warning systems.
The African Development Bank has provided a $15 million loan to Biovac, a South African vaccine manufacturer, to develop a multi-vaccine facility in Cape Town that will increase Africa's domestic vaccine production capacity and create about 340 jobs.
Kgosi Mosadi Seboko of Balete is using custom and community leadership to advance Botswana's efforts to end violence against women and girls, including supporting the country's ratification and implementation of the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls following a July 17 visit by the African Union Technical Assistance Mission.
Botswana has formally acceded to the African Youth Charter, a legally binding instrument on youth development adopted by the African Union in 2006, joining 44 of the 55 African Union Member States. The accession commits the Government to securing youth rights, employment, education, health access, and meaningful participation in governance.
President Duma Boko said Botswana and South Africa enjoy smooth relations with emerging issues resolved efficiently through close collaboration, during a farewell courtesy call by outgoing South African High Commissioner Ms Thaninga Shope-Soumah. He highlighted cooperation on Foot and Mouth Disease, travel and movement of people and goods, and engagement through the Bi-National Commission, Southern African Customs Union, and Southern African Development Community.
President Advocate Duma Boko called for urgent political, financial and technical support to contain the Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, emphasizing that infectious diseases transcend borders and require collective action. Speaking at a June 16 virtual meeting, Boko stressed the importance of regional cooperation, protecting frontline health workers, and enhanced cross-border surveillance to respond to the outbreak, which has a joint preparedness and response plan valued at US$518 million.
Botswana and the European Union have reaffirmed their partnership at the 7th Botswana–EU Partnership Dialogue in Gaborone, with Minister Dr Phenyo Butale highlighting cooperation in renewable energy, digital transformation, biodiversity conservation, and economic diversification.
The Khama III Memorial Museum has received 45 sacred artefacts, including clothing and hunting implements, repatriated from Brighton and Hove Museum in the United Kingdom after a formal claim submitted in 2022. The items, collected by British missionary Reverend William Charles Willoughby in the 1890s from GaMmangwato territory, were officially unveiled at the museum in Serowe.
Gaborone hosted the 13th AFTRA conference and 15th Roundtable at the International Convention Centre, bringing together education leaders and policymakers under the theme "Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession: Implications for Africa" to explore approaches such as peer mentoring and professional learning communities aimed at strengthening education systems across the continent.