CCA was represented by Chairman of the Board Michael Dignam, CCA Board member Jeff Hoffman, and CCA East Africa Director and liaison to the AU, Asfaw Alemayehu. Michael Dignam and Jeff Hoffman traveled to Kampala for the sole purpose of signing the MOU and to underline its importance to CCA with the leadership of the AU. Signing for the AU was Chairman of the AU Commission, Jean Ping, and it was witnessed by U.S. Ambassador to the AU, Michael Battle. During the signing, Ping said he is delighted to sign the MOU as it will increase the AU/CCA collaboration.

The AU has asked for assistance from CCA in helping to develop the private sector in Africa. Part of the plan is that CCA will work directly with the newly created Pan-African Chambers of Commerce, which will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. CCA President Stephen Hayes said, “This MOU will allow us to move an already very good relationship with the AU to a higher and far more active level. We have a number of program ideas that can be implemented now far more readily between CCA and the AU thanks to this MOU. It will also allow the AU greater access to our planning of events.” Hayes went on to say that the significance of the MOU to the corporate members of CCA is that it will facilitate more easily business partnerships between US and African companies.