12 May 2025, Addis Ababa- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the African Union Commission convened a pivotal validation workshop for the African Transition Index (ATI) in Addis Ababa. The workshop marks a critical step toward the full rollout of the ATI Platform, an innovative tool designed to provide real-time insights into political transitions across Africa. 

Developed under the Africa Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions (AFSIT), a joint initiative of the AUC and UNDP, the ATI aims to strengthen governance, promote stability, and support inclusive political transitions across the continent.

The ATI Platform is being developed with support from the European Union and responds to the growing complexities of political transitions in Africa. The ATI sets out to provide timely, context-specific data and analyses that will enable policymakers, civil society and international partners to anticipate and respond to emerging political dynamics effectively.

The ATI Platform stands out for its multidimensional approach to assessing political transitions. Unlike conventional governance indices, it measures transition potential across three interconnected domains:

• Rule by the people – Evaluating political participation, inclusivity and civil society engagement.
• Rule of law – Assessing accountability, judicial independence and access to justice.
• Enabling environment – Measuring economic stability, social resilience and state capacity.

The ATI also features the Early Warning Opportunities Platform, which uses advanced algorithms to identify potential risks and opportunities, offering governments and development partners critical foresight to strengthen democratic processes and prevent conflict.

Reflecting on the significance of the workshop, Dr Jide Okeke, Coordinator of the Regional Programme for Africa (RSCA) said: “The ATI represents a new era in how we approach political transitions in Africa. It integrates real-time data with context-specific analysis, which gives decision-makers the insights needed to support inclusive and peaceful transitions in an effective and timely manner.”

The validation workshop is designed to ensure that the ATI Platform meets the diverse needs of its intended users — which includes policymakers, researchers, civil society organizations and regional bodies. Participants engaged in hands-on sessions to evaluate the platform’s data sources, indicators, and usability, with a focus on long-term impact and sustainability.

Taye Abdulkadir, from the AU Continental Early Warning System, emphasized the broader regional impact of the platform: “Africa’s political landscape is complex and dynamic. The ATI Platform is an essential tool for promoting good governance, reducing conflict and building resilient institutions, which complements existing early warning mechanisms of the continent. We look forward to working closely with all our partners to ensure it becomes a game-changing resource for the continent.”

The workshop also provided an opportunity to outline the next steps for the ATI Platform, including the potential integration of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to enhance early-warning capabilities. 

Participants contributed to a shared and forward-looking vision for the ATI Platform. one that is Africa-owned, technically robust, policy-relevant and positioned for long-term impact. The workshop was a critical opportunity to test the platform’s features, gather expert feedback and refine its functionalities ahead of the official launch in July 2025.

For more information, please contact:

Ayda Labassi, Digital Communications Specialist, UNDP Regional Programme for Africa, RSCA: ayda.labassi@undp.org