The AU is the largest multilateral organization outside of the United Nations system to which the United States has an accredited ambassador. As a Pan-African forum, the AU bridges regional divides through partnerships across its 55 member states, and is increasingly the venue in which consensus on African and global issues is formed. The engagement of the U.S. Mission to the African Union (USAU) with the AU has grown substantially in the pursuit of mutual strategic objectives for Africa: 1) Strengthening democratic institutions to foster good governance and rule of law; 2) Advancing peace and security; 3) Promoting economic growth, trade, and investment; and 4) Promoting opportunity and development. These four pillars of engagement, formalized in the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding creating a strategic partnership with the African Union, remain our guiding principles for cooperation. The MOU provides a framework for the United States to expand and deepen its relationship with the AU and affirms the AU Commission’s strong commitment to partner with the United States. The work of USAU — building partnerships with the institutions, state, and non-state actors representing almost 2 billion people across the continent, remains essential in advancing U.S. strategic objectives in the diplomatic capital of Africa.