Sixth edition

Yale ModelAfrican Union VI

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

15-17 March 2027

Ethiopia in motionHighlands · heritage · Addis Ababa

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01At a glance

Diplomacy,
reimagined by Africa's
next generation.

Three days in the diplomatic capital of Africa. One room for the ideas that will shape the continent next.

YMAU VI convenes university delegations from across Africa and the diaspora for rigorous committee work, cultural exchange and a distinctly African approach to multilateral leadership.

Discover the programme

YMAU V · Accra 2026Our most recent conference, in numbers

0+delegates

0+nationalities

0%received financial aid

0workshop and panel speakers

Field notesLanguage · place · ritual

A little language
for the journey.

Addis reveals itself in small exchanges. Begin with three words that carry more than their literal translation, and one phrase worth taking with you.

01 · Greeting

Selam

Say it seh-LAHM

A greeting and a wish in one word: hello, but also peace.

02 · The city

New Flower

Say it ad-DEES AH-buh-bah

The city's Amharic name is an invitation to see Addis anew.

03 · Hospitality

Buna

Say it BOO-nah

Coffee as hospitality, conversation and time shared, not simply a drink between meetings.

English sound guides are approximate; capitals mark emphasis.

1963

Continental memory

Africa gathered here.

Thirty-two heads of independent African states met in Addis Ababa in May 1963 to create the Organisation of African Unity. Its successor, the African Union, is still headquartered in the city today.

Read the AU history

Official portrait of Secretary-General Abyssinia Haile

Abyssinia Haile · Secretary-GeneralYMAU VI · Addis Ababa

02From the Secretariat

We need youth in the room: not just observing Africa’s institutions, but shaping how they work.

Dear delegates, partners, and collaborators,

It is my distinct honour and pleasure to welcome you to the sixth edition of the Yale Model African Union conference, taking place from 15-17 March 2027 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

As such, as we continue to plan and coordinate our conference programming for 2027, we encourage you to stay involved in our programming throughout the year, helping us turn this vision into a needed reality. Join us in Addis, and help write this next chapter.

Sincerely,

Handwritten signature of Abyssinia Haile

Abyssinia HaileSecretary-GeneralYale Model African Union VI

Read the full welcome letter

03Conference theme

Our Vision,
Our Victory.

Championing African success on African terms

YMAU VI asks who has historically defined development, and what becomes possible when Africa sets its own measures of progress, prosperity and institutional success.

Explore the full theme

04The committees

A continental agenda,
being shaped with care.

The YMAU VI slate is confirmed: ten committees in service of Our Vision, Our Victory. Agendas, delegate levels and background guides will follow.

Slate released

Ten committees confirmed

From the Peace and Security Council to the STC on Education, Science and Technology.

See the slate

05The programme

Three considered days.
One lasting exchange.

This is a conference framework; the detailed running order is forthcoming.

Monday15 MAR

Opening

Arrival, delegate orientation and the formal opening of YMAU VI.

YMAU V delegates debating across a committee room

Tuesday16 MAR

Deliberation

A full day of committee work, leadership programming and cultural exchange.

Wednesday17 MAR

Closing

Final sessions, resolutions and the conference closing programme.

Film · YMAU V · Accra

ArchiveYMAU V · Accra

A previous room.
A living record.

The confirmed YMAU V film now lives here on the homepage as a story in its own right: an immediate view into the room before Addis.

Watch the full film Explore the archive

YMAU V delegates applauding together during the plenary programme

06The experience

More than a simulation.

Committee sessions meet leadership programming, cultural exchange and conversations over buna that continue long after the gavel falls.

Host city: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Dates: 15-17 March 2027
Venue: To be announced

YMAU V delegates on their feet negotiating across a committee-room table

Ethiopian coffee being poured from a traditional pot

Hospitality is part of the programme.

Bring your
delegation to
Addis.

Individual and delegation registration opens 5 October 2026. Early bird, regular and late windows run to 1 February 2027.

Registration opens5 October 2026

Final deadline1 February 2027

Ask the programmes team

VISixth editionAddis Ababa · 2027

Addis Ababa · 2027

Be in the room.

Registration opens 5 October 2026. Committee releases will be posted here as soon as they are confirmed.