Mr. Saturnin EPIE, newly appointed Chief of the UNFPA Representation Office to the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), officially presented his credentials to the Chairperson of the African Union (AUC), H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat. The ceremony took place at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on October 5th, 2023.

During the event, the AU Chairperson acknowledged the significance of population issues for Africa and expressed the AUC's commitment to exploring opportunities for enhancing actions in this domain. In response, Mr. Saturnin EPIE assured the AUC of UNFPA's unwavering dedication to continued collaboration, emphasizing the AUC's role as an important and strategic partner. He further stated that UNFPA will persist in supporting initiatives to eliminate preventable maternal deaths, address the unmet need for family planning, combat gender-based violence, and eradicate harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation.