AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE
UNIÃO AFRICANA
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: 5517 700 Fax: 5517844 Website: www. Africa-union.org
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Seventeenth Ordinary Session 19 - 23 July 2010 Kampala, Uganda
EX. CL/579 (XVII)
REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMISSION COVERING THE PERIOD JANUARY TO JUNE 2010
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FOREWORD i
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
II. PEACE AND SECURITY 10
III. REGIONAL INTEGRATION, DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION 40
III.1 Integration and Human Capital Development 40
1. Education 40 2. Science & Technology and ICT 42 3. Health and Sanitation 44 4. Human and Social Welfare 44 5. Children, Youth and Sport 48
III.2 Integration and Development of Interconnectivity 51
1. Transport 51 2. Energy 53 3. Telecommunications, Posts and ICT 57 4. Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) 58 5. Institutional Architecture for Infrastructure Development in Africa (IAIDA) 59 6. European Union – Africa Infrastructure Partnership 59
III.3 Integration and Development of Financial Market and Assets 60
1. Economic and Financial Crisis: Have G20 Commitments to Africa been Honoured? 60
III.4 Integration and Development of production capacities 62
1. Agriculture (CAADP, Food crisis) 62 2. Industrial and Mining Development 66
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III.5 Integration and Trade capacity building 67
1. Instruments for Intra-African Trade 67 2. Multilateral Trade Rules Negotiations (EPA,WTO) 69
III.6 Role of all Actors in Strengthening the Integration Process (Public Sector, Private Sector, Civil Society, Diaspora) 69
III.7 Partnership and Relations with the World 72
1. On-going Partnerships 72 2. Representational Offices 84
IV. SHARED VALUES 102
IV. 1 Democracy, Elections and Governance 102 IV. 2 Human Rights 106 IV. 3 Humanitarian Affairs, Refugees and Displaced Persons 108 IV. 4 Gender and Development 109 IV. 5 Culture 110 IV. 6 Legal Matters (Legal architecture of the Union) 111
V. STRENGTHENING THE INSTITUTIONS 119
V.1 The Commission 119
1. Institutional Capacity Building Programme 119 2. Audit Activities 129 3. Communication and Information 131
V.2 The Financial Institutions 132 1. Establishment of the Financial Institutions: Significant 132 Progress Achieved 2. Alternative Sources of Funding of the African Union: 133 Generate its own Funds in order to Strengthen the Union
VI. CONCLUSION 134
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page i FOREWORD
This Report, the fifth in the series since I took office at the helm of the African Union Commission, is intended to reflect as faithfully as possible the activities undertaken by the Commission since the last session of the Assembly in January/February 2010. It aims, in particular, to generate reflection on the results so far achieved, thus enabling us to devise a more effective action to position the Organisation on a highly promising path, leading to the gradual actualisation of the Vision and Mission of the Union and the Strategic Plan of the Commission.
Since the last Assembly session in January/February 2010, the Commission has continued to implement the Decisions of the Executive Council and of the Assembly as well as the Strategic Plan 2009-2012 adopted by the Assembly in Sirte in July 2009, a plan articulated around four Pillars: Peace and Security; Integration, Development and Cooperation; Shared Values; and Strengthening the Institutions.
The Commission, in addition, devoted sustained attention to the strategic guidelines given at the last session by the Bureau of the Assembly, namely: the priorities of the priorities identified, that is, food self-sufficiency and agriculture, transport infrastructure, energy and ICTs. This Report represents an account of the numerous activities undertaken in these key sectors for the development of the Continent.
To live up to all the aforementioned expectations of Member States, the Commission worked closely with all Organs of the Union, particularly the Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC) which, on behalf of all Member States, was associated with all stages of the process. The Commission and the PRC worked together, more than previously, in a way that enabled the PRC to consider all the documents meant for the Executive Council. By so doing, the Commission made the necessary clarification by providing quality information, thereby facilitating the work and decision of the Council. This collaboration in particular allowed for in-depth analysis of all the documents submitted to Council together with all the related implications and appropriate recommendations. The collaboration also made possible the finalisation of the draft Staff Rules and Regulations, adoption of which is expected during the present Assembly session.
Similarly, the Commission prepared a Draft Structure which has been reviewed in line with the needs deemed to be the most essential, taking into account available and mobilizable resources. However, much progress could not be made with respect to this activity at the level of the Sub-committee on Structures. It is our hope that Member States will make it a point to endow the Commission with an adequate structure to discharge its missions that are growing by the day. It is also needful for Member States to make timely payment of their assessed budget contributions to facilitate implementation of the programmes put in place on the basis of these budgetary resources and avoid the situation whereby, at each budgetary session, it is deplored that the rates of execution are always at their lowest.
The Commission has, for its part, gradually provided itself with modern, efficient, transparent and accountability-driven management tools, thereby further reassuring our
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Member States, our partners and the African society in general, that judicious use is being made of the public money and other resources put at our disposal. Whether in regard to human resource management, budget, official missions and other travels, or with respect to the external liaison offices, assets, materials and equipment management, and regulations and procedure monitoring, these high-performance electronic tools and instruments that have been inspired by best practices in similar organisations, are being employed in no small measure to correct and do away, once and for all, with the management errors and bad habits of the past.
The Commission has, in recent months, invested significant effort in the preparation of the debate on the theme of the present Summit which is “Maternal, Infant and Child Health and Development in Africa”. In so doing, the Commission worked with all Member States through interaction with their Health Ministers as well as with all our partners, particularly United Nations Agencies, to enable the Assembly of the Union to take appropriate decisions to tackle the challenges facing the Continent, which indeed includes achieving this important Millennium Development Goal at the threshold of 2015 and thus proclaim proudly that we are certain that “no woman should die while giving life”.
With regard to Peace and Security, the Commission has continued to deploy intense efforts, bearing in mind, in particular, that 2010 has been proclaimed the Year of Peace and Security in Africa, and that it is also the year of operationalization of the African Stand-by Force. It is for this reason that, in addition to the issues addressed in this Report, other more comprehensive reports are being submitted to the policy Organs, for an exhaustive overview of the actions we have undertaken to promote the programmes outlined for the Year. We urge all Member States and all the people of Africa to continue to rally behind these initiatives to change the image of our Continent ridden with conflicts and endemic social and humanitarian crises into one at peace within its own borders, a Continent set to play its part to perfection and take its proper place in the globalisation process.
To achieve this goal, it is noteworthy that the Commission, together with a number of Member States participated in the deliberations of the G8 and G20 Summits chaired by Canada in the vicinity of Toronto in June this year. Africa must continue to press the G8 and G20 for adequate representation in these forums to enable the Continent to defend its legitimate interests. It must also insist that the commitments made by these bodies are honoured, rather than merely witnessing a sort of recycling of the pledges made but never actually implemented. In the same vein, Africa must continuously insist on being represented in all the forums, such as the Security Council and the Bretton Woods Institutions, where decisions that shape the world are taken.
As regards strengthening partnerships, we have two important events lined up for this year, namely, the 2nd Afro-Arab Summit due to be held in Libya in October 2010, and the 3rd Africa-Europe Summit, also scheduled to take place in Libya in November 2010. We have, in concert with the relevant partners, taken all the measures required for these Summits to be held under the best possible conditions and, in particular, to ensure that the meetings are provided with appropriate documentation that will enable them to take decisions commensurate with our expectations. To this end, we have held meetings on a
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page iii regular basis, with the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States with respect to the Afro-Arab Summit. With regard to the Africa-EU Summit, the meeting of the EU and AU Commissions held in Addis Ababa on 8 June 2010, presided by their President and Chairperson respectively, afforded the two parties the opportunity to assess the level of preparations, which was deemed satisfactory.
In conclusion, I take this opportunity to reiterate our total commitment to further strengthen our relations with all the stakeholders and all our partners, so as to join forces with them in achieving the objectives of the Union in the best possible conditions. I have no doubt that all our Member States will continue to accompany us in our efforts with all the other role players, namely: the RECs, the Civil Society and other non-State players such as the private sector, as well as our development partners.
Jean Ping Chairperson, African Union Commission
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REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMISSION COVERING THE PERIOD JANUARY TO JUNE 2010
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
1. This report gives an account of the activities undertaken by the Commission during the period from January to June 2010. During this period, the Commission continued with the gradual implementation of the continental integration agenda and the consolidation of peace and security in the Continent, pursuant to the guidelines contained in the Strategic Plan 2009-2012 adopted by the Assembly of the Union in July 2009 and the shared values of democratic governance. This Plan, it is recalled, covers the following four Strategic Pillars: i) Peace and Security; ii) Integration, Development and Cooperation; iii) Shared Values; and iv) Institutional and Capacity Building. Year after year, we invest our best efforts, with determination, to implement this Strategic Plan with the annual budgets voted by the Assembly. May I point out, in this regard, that we continue to count on the support of all Member States in terms of providing adequate resources for the successful implementation of the budgets so provided and the relevant programmes, payment of their contributions in good time, mobilization of extra-budgetary resources and seeking alternative sources of financing.
2. We once again make an urgent appeal to the policy organs of the Union to find appropriate solution to this thorny problem of financing the Strategic Plan. Whereas experience has shown that the capacity of our Member States to fully finance the Union’s programmes is limited, the fact remains that the Organization cannot tolerate a situation whereby most of its programmes are financed by external partners. It is therefore needful to put paid to this issue of alternative sources of financing for the Union – an organization which is increasingly acquiring a pride of place both in the Continent and in the world at large and should, for this reason, be endowed with resources commensurate with its ambitions and growing responsibilities.
3. I would also like to mention that, in pursuance of the preparations for the debate on the Theme of the present Summit - “Maternal, Infant and Child Health and Development in Africa” - many activities have been undertaken by the Commission, the key objective being to mobilize the energies of all the stakeholders and partners for the attainment in 2015 of the Millennium Development Goals relating to these issues which are vital for the future of the Continent, with the slogan that “No woman should die while giving life”.
4. The following pages of this report present a detailed overview of the activities carried out with respect to the four pillars of the Strategic Plan as hereinabove mentioned:
Peace and Security; Integration, Development and Cooperation; Shared Values;
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 2 Institution and Capacity Building.
Peace and Security
5. During the period covered by this report, the Commission continued to deploy efforts to speed up the process of operationalization of the Continental Peace and Security Architecture, the strengthening of the initiatives designed to resolve existing conflicts and consolidate peace where it has been achieved, continued initiatives for structural prevention of conflicts, and on anti-terrorism, disarmament, reform of the security sector, protection of civilians in peace operations, and maritime security and safety.
6. Pursuant to the Decision adopted by the Assembly in Tripoli on 31 August 2009 at the Special Session on the Consideration and Resolution of Conflicts in Africa, the Commission organized many activities on the Year of Peace and Security in Africa. One of the flagship moments of the Year of Peace and Security will be 21 September 2010, the International Day of Peace. Proclaimed by a resolution of the United Nations, the Day of Peace offers our Continent a unique rallying point to demonstrate that peace is achievable. The Year of Peace and Security calls for the active involvement of all Member States which should take ownership of this initiative and mobilize all available resources in that direction.
7. Regarding the Continental Peace and Security Architecture, the Commission has continued to carry out its activities designed to enhance the connectivity between the Early Warning Systems of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the AU Situation Room through the AU VSAT. Six (6) RECs and one coordination mechanism have, thus far, assigned liaison officers to the Commission, and they are already working closely with the latter. For its part, the Peace and Security Council, the new members of which took office on 1 April 2010 has continued to deploy efforts to find solutions to the various conflicts and crises in the Continent. As regards the Panel of the Wise, proposals on the appointment of new members as well as on the ways and means to enhance the capacity of the Panel have been laid before the Assembly. Regarding the African Stand-by Force, an AU Senior Mission Leadership Course was conducted to provide standardized peacekeeping leadership training for senior civilian, police and military mission leaders as part of preparations for troop deployment to conflict areas.
8. With respect to peace support activities, the Commission has continued with its endeavours in the Member States concerned. In The Comoros, an Agreement for Management of the Interim Period was signed in Moroni on 16 June 2010 under the mediation of my Special Envoy; and the conclusion of the electoral process leading to the election of the new President, native of the Island of Moheli, is slated for mid-January 2011.
9. Efforts at reaching an agreement on a consensual and inclusive transition in Madagascar could not yield the expected results and this poses a real challenge to Africa and our Organization, the objective of which is to ensure the return to constitutional legality in this sister country.
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10. In Somalia, part of the priorities of AMISOM mission and other members of the International Community is to support the reconstruction of the institutions of the security sector. With the fresh deployment of additional troops from Uganda, the current strength of AMISOM currently stands at 6,600 military personnel.
11. This report also gives account of the relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia, in which there has been no movement in past months. It further dwells on the relations between Djibouti and Eritrea which saw positive developments with the signing of an agreement on 6 June 2010 by which the two countries mandated the Emir of Qatar to undertake mediation aimed at resolving the border dispute between them. I take this opportunity to commend His Royal Highness Hamed Ben Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar for his commitment and his endeavours to achieve peace in this part of Africa.
12. Regarding the situation in The Sudan, the report focuses on developments in the situation marked by the April 2010 general elections to which the African Union sent observers. It also dwells on the activities of the High-Level Panel on The Sudan which, thanks to its mediation, succeeded in getting the Sudanese parties to adopt a code of conduct for the March 2010 elections. Moreover, this Panel initiated consultations with the relevant Sudanese parties on issues relating to the referendum and the post-referendum period in Mekele, Ethiopia, on 21 June 2010. With regard to Darfur, the initiatives are geared to facilitate establishment of an inclusive political process involving all stakeholders, including the armed belligerents, political parties, the civil society, internally displaced persons, traditional leaders and other concerned social groups. The report gives an account of the consolidation of the normalized relations between Chad and the Sudan.
13. The report also addresses the unfolding situation in the Central African Republic, the start of the activities of the African Union Liaison Office in that country and the status of MINURCAT, the strength of which currently stands 3,300 military officers, and withdrawal of which will be gradual, with completion expected by 31 December 2010.
14. The report further gives an account of the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo with the renewal of the mandate of MONUC, title of which changed to United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) with effect from 1 July 2010.
15. The report mentions the continued electoral process in Burundi which saw the withdrawal from the presidential race of a large number of opposition parties contesting the outcome of the communal elections held on 24 May 2010. In the circumstance, I appealed to all the political stakeholders in that country to adopt legal means to resolve the disputes arising from the communal elections, and to participate in the legislative elections.
16. The situation in Guinea and Niger claimed the special attention of the Commission, with prospects of presidential election taking place on 27 June 2010 in Guinea, and similar election scheduled for 26 December 2010 in Niger. Both elections are expected to culminate in the restoration of constitutional legality and, hence, the lifting of the
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 4 suspension of these two sister countries, thus enabling them to retake their place in the African family.
17. The report also discusses the situations in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania and Western Sahara.
18. It also gives an account of the activities undertaken in diverse areas such as: Implementation of the AU Border Programmes, Prevention and Combating of Terrorism, preparations for the First Conference of States Parties to the Pelindaba Treaty scheduled for October 2010, development of a Continental Strategy on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), Security Sector Reform, Protection of Civilians in Peace Operations as well as Maritime Security and Safety.
Integration, Development and Cooperation
19. Under this Pillar which has three dimensions - Integration, Development and Cooperation - major initiatives were deployed by the Commission to develop the human capital in the development process, of which education and culture constitute essential dimensions. In that regard, the Commission pursued actions inherent in the Plan of Action of the Second Decade of Education for Africa (2006-2015), including the programmes for harmonization of higher education in Africa and the flagship Pan-African University project which saw remarkable developments following the recommendations of the Bureau of the Conference of African Ministers of Education (COMIDAF IV) that proposed, among other things, the distribution of the 5 faculties retained for the Pan-African University among the 5 regions. This project which focuses on science education at the service of development, continues to attract increasing interest on the part of Member States and all our partners. We are confident that the University will take off within a reasonable timeframe for the benefit of our Continent and our youth, and that it will open up to Africa and the world at large. With respect to Science and Technology in particular, the competent Ministers (AMCOST) at their recent meeting in March 2010 expressed the need for the launch of an African Union Decade of Science and Technology (2011-2020).
20. The Commission’s endeavours in Health and Sanitation sectors focused in particular on continued Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA). As a result of this campaign, 13 Member States have already launched similar campaign at the national level and 8 others have indicated that they would be able to kick off the campaign before the end of 2010. I encourage all Member States to join in these initiatives to ensure that everyone takes ownership of the CARMMA programme, as the tangible outcome of the debate which we expect to be very rich at this Summit, the theme of which is Maternal, Infant and Child Health, and Development in Africa.
21. The report in addition outlines the measures taken to promote the welfare of the most vulnerable groups such as old people and persons with disability, as part of implementation of the Social Policy Framework adopted in Windhoek in October 2008 by the competent Ministers , as well as the relevant decisions on drug control and cross border crime prevention, promotion of labour and employment policies, migration and on combating human trafficking.
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22. Moreover, the report gives an overview of the activities undertaken to implement the instruments on protection of the rights and welfare of the child and youth development, particularly the conclusions of the Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth held at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, in April this year. With regard to sports, we are proud of the excellent organisation by South Africa of the first ever World Cup in the African Continent. It was a veritable continental festival, as this country we hold so dear demonstrated all its skills and know-how in terms of hospitality and provided all the infrastructure facilities needed for this world event. It is worth highlighting also the mobilisation shown by several countries to celebrate Africa Day on 25 May 2010 on the chosen theme “Building and Maintaining Peace through Sports in Africa”. May I more especially mention Ghana and South Africa which celebrated this Day with great pomp and pageantry. I take this opportunity to encourage the other Member States to celebrate this historic Day, while I commend Mozambique for the arrangements it is making to host the 10th All Africa Games in September 2011.
23. During the period under evaluation, the Commission, motivated by the Assembly Bureau’s guidelines on the identified priorities of priorities, redoubled its efforts to promote continent-wide interconnectivity, particularly of transport and energy infrastructures, pursuant to the Declaration adopted by the AU Assembly in Addis Ababa in February 2009 following a debate on the theme “Infrastructure Development”. I would like to point out in this regard that the first phase of the Institutional Architecture for Infrastructure Development in Africa (IAIDA) was completed during the period under review, with the diagnosis of institutional arrangements for the existing infrastructure, focus on the search for a common position on infrastructure priorities and robust mobilisation of relevant resources so as to build a sound foundation for implementation of PIDA. This search for consensus covers not only road, rail, maritime and air transport but also feasibility studies for the already identified transport corridors such as the missing links on the Dakar- N’Djamena-Djibouti corridor.
24. As regards energy, follow-up activities were undertaken, focusing on the project for establishment of an African Petroleum Fund whic the AfDB is intending host and manage on behalf of all the Member States as soon as the decision is taken by the Assembly as to the modalities of its establishment, and the sources and mode of its funding. The other project that claimed the Commission’s attention is the “Africa Hydropower 2020 Initiative” which aims to promote the exploitation and development of the hydroelectric potential of the major river basins in Africa, such as the Inga Project which is a priority for the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter has welcomed the technical assistance from the Commission to facilitate access to financing from the relevant resources of the 10th EDF. The report dwells on the negotiations undertaken within the framework of the Africa-European Union Partnership on Energy which could be concluded during the forthcoming Africa-EU Ministerial Conference on Energy due to take place in Vienna in September 2010. Other noteworthy initiatives are the Africa-EU- Brazil Initiative on Sustainable Development of Bio-Energy in Africa and the Geothermal Regional Programme for East Africa.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 6 25. With regard to Telecommunications, Posts and ICT, the Commission continued to deploy effort to assist with the harmonisation of policies and regulations in this field, following up on the Pan-African e-Network Project for Tele-medicine and Tele-education as well as diplomatic communications services involving all Member States. I take this opportunity to once again express our gratitude to India which offered to fund the project with an estimated budget of US$110 million over a period of 5 years. To date, 47 Member States have signed the agreement to participate in the project and 116 sites /centres have been commissioned and/or integrated in the e-network by the implementing company. Moreover, consultants have been hired to undertake a study for the creation of an African Space Agency, and the Commission has provided support to the Pan-African Postal Union and RASCOM for implementation of an e-post project.
26. The report discusses the integration and development of financial markets and assets. Similarly, it recounts the progress made in the implementation of the Joint Africa- EU Strategy, outlining the opportunities and constraints, and highlighting the need to make Africa a single partner in the eyes of other partners by rejecting the North/South Sahara subdivisions and focussing instead on continental integration programmes involving all Member States.
27. The report discusses the G8 and G12 Summits held in Canada in which the Commission participated. The AU needs to closely follow up on the commitments made at these meetings and see to it that they do not remain pious wishes recycled at subsequent sessions of these organs. The report outlines the position expressed by Africa’s representatives at both forums and the conclusions of the two Summits.
28. With regard to agriculture and the environment and as the Report points out, whereas the sector saw a net growth at continental and regional levels, the fact remains that in 2008, only 9 African countries met the CAADP 6% annual agricultural growth target. I have the pleasure to mention that during the last 9 months, 18 Member States have signed their CAADP Compacts, 12 in ECOWAS and 6 in COMESA. The RECs together with the Commission are playing an important role in mobilising the States to sign up to this programme. I take this opportunity to encourage all Member States to sign up so as to obtain the financial facilities for agricultural projects, through the various instruments put in place by our development partners. The agro-industrial sector was given in-depth consideration by the High-Level Conference on the Development of Agribusiness and Agro-Industries in Africa held in Abuja in March 2010, the conclusions of which are contained in this Report.
29. The Report points out that the PATTEC Programme is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. It deserves our commendations on this occasion. The Programme has indeed made it possible for adequate resources and means to be mobilized, with the assistance of our partners, to effectively combat Tsetse fly in the Continent. Some countries have succeeded in eradicating this scourge.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 7 30. Other vital activities also undertaken include market access capacity building, the Commission’s participation in the Shanghai Expo 2010, the establishment of a Task Force on Commodities, the first meeting of which was held in April 2010, as well as a Working Group on the Harmonisation of Rules of Origin - all instruments aimed at boosting intra- African trade, a prerequisite for successful integration.
31. With regard to multilateral negotiations, the Commission has in the past months actively monitored the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and the WTO negotiations. As regards EPAs, a coordination meeting with RECs and other partners was held in Abuja in May 2010. That meeting reiterated the need for EPAs to build upon and not undermine existing regional integration initiatives.
32. The TICAD IV process is also mentioned in the Report which highlights the conclusions of the Ministerial Conference that was held in Arusha in May 2010. During the meeting, Japan made the commitment to integrate the African Union into the TICAD IV process and expressed the hope to see the AU open a Liaison Office in Tokyo to further strengthen cooperation between the two parties.
33. With respect to civil society organisations and the Diaspora, the Commission continued to engage with all these players with a view to strengthening its regional integration programme, through consultation initiatives with various faith-based groups, the AU Diaspora Initiative, general participation of civil society organisations both in the programmes of the Union and in joint interaction with the other partners of the Continent, for instance, in the Joint Africa-EU Strategy implementation process.
34. As regards partnerships in general, the Commission continued to deploy effort to strengthen existing partnership ties with the rest of the world, pursuant to the relevant decisions of the Assembly. A separate report presented to the policy organs and this report also, contain a full account of the status of these partnerships including recommendations on how best to strengthen them. The said recommendations cover the follow-up on the Africa-India Forum, the conclusions of the Second Africa-South America Summit held in September 2009, the Africa-Turkey Partnership, Relationship with the Organization of Islamic Conference, the Organisation of American States and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
35. Furthermore, the report discusses the relations initiated between the Commission and the United States, and the outcomes of my visit to that country in May 2010 on the invitation of the American authorities. The report also provides an account of the status of the Commission’s contacts with Australia and prospects for cooperation between the two parties.
Shared Values
36. During the period under review, the Commission continued to devote attention to promoting the Union’s architecture on democratic governance. In that connection and as the report indicates, measures were taken to promote the signing and ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance in Member States and in RECs
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 8 as well as with other stakeholders in the drive to obtain the requisite number of ratifications for its entry into force with effect from January 2011. I call on all Member States to take appropriate steps in this direction. The Commission has also continued to promote the Draft Public Service Charter which highlights the Principles and Values of Public Service and Administration. Other important activities carried out under the “Shared Values” Pillar include electoral process monitoring in several Member States. During the period under review, several election observation and assessment missions were deployed in Member States. Assessment missions were fielded in Burundi, Ethiopia and the Central African Republic. With regard to election observation, observer missions were deployed in The Sudan, Togo, Mauritius, Guinea and Burundi. The emphasis was on strengthening and assisting national election management institutions. This report outlines the salient elements of the various elections observed. The Commission will, as usual, continue to provide the required assistance by observing and monitoring presidential and/or parliamentary elections.
37. Orientation courses were organised for African Union election observers, starting with the West Africa Region. Similar courses will be organised for the other regions in Africa.
38. The Commission pursued action in support of efforts by national human rights protection institutions, in close coordination with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Commission also worked with other partners, including the European Union with which it organised human rights promotion workshops. Also noteworthy is the workshop organised in Brazzaville on Human Rights Education, with focus on women’s rights education in Africa.
39. In that connection, a Validation Workshop was organised in May by the Commission to examine and approve a Draft Manual for Peacekeepers.
40. With regard to promotion of culture, the Commission is devoting attention to the activities relating to a Campaign launched in Accra, on the sidelines of Africa Day celebration on 25 May 2010 and of the Centenary of the birth of Kwame NKrumah, the great Pan-Africanist. This campaign seeks to promote African cultural renaissance as well as active involvement of all segments of the African society in this continent-wide action.
41. The Commission continues to closely monitor the humanitarian crises which bedevil the Continent, giving cause for serious concern. In the bid to assess the situation on the ground, members of the PRC Sub-Committee on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons visited Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Republic of the Congo.
42. To consolidate Shared Values in day-to-day practice, it is needful for all our Member States to sign, ratify and actually implement the Union Treaties adopted by the Assembly. I once again urge all our States to honour these commitments by transforming words into action and, thereby, contribute to harmonising our legal arsenal which will underpin our continental integration, the ultimate goal of our Union.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 9 Strengthening the Institutions of the Union
43. The point has to be made that, without strong and mission-ready institutions with adequate means, none of the above-mentioned initiatives and programmes can be satisfactorily accomplished. The Commission’s approach was, and continues to be, to introduce institutional transformation, with focus on the relevant recommendations of the High-Level Panel on the Audit of the Union carried out in 2007, as well as those emanating from the various institutional assessment exercises undertaken in 2009 and 2010. This report recounts the measures taken to implement the recommendations in diverse areas, such as strategic planning and budgeting, human resource management, structural reform, financial management and budget performance, as well as for improved conference services.
44. All these activities are intended to promote good governance within the organisation, through management mechanisms and tools that guarantee transparency and accountability, especially with regard to human resource and financial management, and through implementation of the Decisions of the Supreme Organs of the Union. The Commission continues to review, on regular basis, the implementation status of the programmes and activities undertaken by the Union at its weekly Tuesday meetings. On such occasions, the Commission issues directives, as appropriate, to its internal structures on the way forward.
45. Reforms under the management and audit systems improvement programmes, such as IMIS and AMERT projects, continue and will help in the assessment of the output of the various structures, and thus reassure the Union’s partners so that they may ultimately be able to provide direct budget support to our programmes rather than the current one-off contributions to projects or specific activities. In that regard, we expect a lot from the Partners’ Pooled Fund Arrangement which, we hope, can be concluded soon between the partners and the Commission. I take this opportunity to once again, express our most profound gratitude to all Member States and our partners who have accompanied us in the execution of several programmes, thus contributing to the harmonious and coherent implementation of the Strategic Plan. On our part, we commit to transparent and efficient management of the funds made available to us.
46. I am pleased with progress in the construction of the New Conference Centre and Office Complex Project, completion of which is slated for December 2011. May I also mention the Peace and Security building project generously financed by the German Government which will soon start in the Commission headquarters. I seize this opportunity to once again express our profound gratitude to the German Government. I would also like to report that the Five-Star Hotel project on the site is at excavation stage.
47. I am also glad to express, once more, our gratitude to the Ethiopian Government which has given us land for the construction, in the near future, of residential houses for the Elected Officials of the Commission and for the Africa Cultural Village, where all Member States would be able to display their works of art and cultural items to project a collective image of the Continent.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 10 48. Lastly, the report gives an update on the advanced stage of the programme for integration of NEPAD into structures and processes of the African Union. It also highlights the thorny issue of the search for alternative sources of financing for the Union. I again invite Member States to give serious consideration to this issue so as to find credible and sustainable resources for our Organisation whose activities have grown tenfold at least since the African Union was launched in Durban in 2002.
II. PEACE AND SECURITY
1. INTRODUCTION
49. The Assembly will recall that, at its Special Session held in Tripoli on 31 August 2009 on the Consideration and Resolution of Conflicts in Africa, it proclaimed the Year 2010 “The Year of Peace and Security in Africa”. By that action, a new impetus was infused into the peace initiatives in the Continent. That decision was taken in a context characterised by the persistence of the scourge of conflicts, despite the tremendous progress made in recent years, thanks to the efforts deployed by the leaders and institutions of the Continent with the support of international partners.
50. The past six months have indeed been marked by intensified endeavours on the part of the Commission for promotion of peace, security and stability. More specifically, the measures taken by the Commission embraced the following areas: speeding up the process of operationalization of the Continental Peace and Security Architecture, strengthening the initiatives designed to resolve existing conflicts and consolidate peace where it has been achieved, continued initiatives for structural prevention of conflicts, anti- terrorism, disarmament, reform of the security sector, protection of civilians in the context of peace operations and maritime security and safety.
51. The paragraphs hereunder provide an overview of the progress made during the past six months, the challenges that have to be addressed and action expected from the various stakeholders.
2. YEAR OF PEACE AND SECURITY
52. Pursuant to the Tripoli Declaration and Plan of Action and the Decision adopted by the Assembly of the Union at its last Ordinary Session, the Commission devoted its attention to giving full effect to the Year of Peace and Security and its slogan: “Make Peace Happen”. The activities undertaken were designed not only to achieve better communication and sensitise the concerned players, but also to produce tangible results on the ground through implementation of relevant AU instruments and renewed efforts to resolve conflicts and consolidate peace.
53. One of the key moments in the Year of Peace and Security will be 21 September 2010, the International Year of Peace. This Year of Peace proclaimed by United Nations Resolution offers our continent a unique rallying point to demonstrate that peace is achievable. This involves ensuring that on 21 September, there would be neither violence,
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 11 conflict nor combat in the continent – all Africans will embrace peace individually and collectively. The cessation of hostilities on that Day will enable the peoples of Africa, especially those in conflict areas to receive humanitarian assistance of which they are in dire need. Achievement of this objective and, more generally, the objectives of the Year of Peace and Security calls for the active involvement of all Member States, which should take ownership of this initiative and mobilise all available resources in that direction. An Interim Report on the implementation of the Year of Peace and Security in Africa is hereby submitted to the Assembly of the Union.
3. AFRICAN PEACE AND SECURITY ARCHITECTURE
54. Efforts at establishing a functional Continental Peace and Security Architecture continued during the period under review. Apart from the support given to the Peace and Security Council and the Panel of the Wise in the execution of their respective mandates, the Commission’s endeavours were also directed at the Continental Early Warning System, the African Stand-by Force and implementation of the Protocol Agreement on Cooperation between the AU and the Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution.
a) Continental Early Warning System (CEWS)
55. During the period under review, the Commission pursued its efforts towards the implementation of the December 2006 Framework for the Operationalization of the CEWS. The Commission finalized the development of templates, as well as the deployment of the Africa Reporter software in all AU Field Missions and Liaison Offices, to facilitate the submission of situation and incident reports. Efforts have also been made to refine and integrate existing tools. In order to enhance connectivity between the early warning systems of the RECs and the AU Situation Room, through the AU VSAT, the Commission is finalizing arrangements to acquire the necessary equipment. The Commission is also in the process of finalizing the recruitment of analysts, to enhance its analytical capacity. Capacity building activities have been ongoing and include the provision of training to relevant staff of the AU and the RECs. Finally, as part of efforts to enhance coordination and collaboration with stakeholders, the Commission convened the 5th Quarterly Technical meeting with the RECs, from 20 to 22 April 2010, in Libreville. The meeting was hosted by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
b) Peace and Security Council (PSC)
56. At its last session, the Assembly elected new members to the Peace and Security Council. In accordance with the conclusions of the PSC Retreat held in Dakar, in July 2007, the new members of the Council took office on 1 April 2010. The activities of the Council are reflected in a separate report submitted to the Assembly.
c) African Standby Force (ASF)
57. Progress has continued to be made in the development of the various components of the African Standby Force (ASF). The implementation of the ASF Roadmap II, adopted
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 12 in July 2008, will end in December 2010. At the continental level, a series of workshops and meetings have been held, in conformity with the ASF Roadmap II. They have made it possible to produce the ASF Training Plan for the period 2010 - 2011, a Revised ASF Police Middle Managers Course Curriculum, a Draft ASF Logistics and Health Support Manual. They have also enabled the Commission to finalize the Police Logistics Manual, harmonize the ASF Rapid Deployment Capability Concept and the Strategic Lift Capability, as well as produce an Initial Work Plan for the European Union Support for African Training Institutions. In addition to the above, an AU Senior Mission Leadership Course was conducted to provide standardized peacekeeping leadership training for senior civilian, police and military mission leaders, to prepare them for possible mission deployment in future AU peace support operations.
58. One of the outcomes of the ASF Roadmap II is the conduct of the continental Command Post-Exercise, named Amani Africa. The objective will be to evaluate AU procedures for mandate development and the capacity of the Commission to plan, deploy and manage multidimensional Peace Support Operations (PSOs); evaluate the ASF Doctrine to determine its consistency with current PSO challenges, as well as the capacity of the Commission to prepare and deploy a mission HQ and exercise the deployment of a multidimensional ASF; and to increase awareness of the ASF capabilities, procedures and requirements within the senior personnel of the Commission and Member States. The Amani Africa Exercise will be held at the end of October 2010, and will be followed by the meeting of the Specialized Technical Committee on Defence, Safety and Security.
59. Finally, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) Standby Forces conducted Field Training Exercises in May and June 2010, respectively, in preparation for Amani Africa. It is to be recalled that SADC and the Eastern Africa Regional Standby Brigade Coordinating Mechanism (EASBRICOM) conducted their exercises last year.
d) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the AU and the RECs
60. Progress has continued to be made in the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the area of Peace and Security between the AU, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (RMs), signed in Addis Ababa on 28 January 2008. As Council is aware, the MoU provides for the establishment of Liaison Offices to facilitate coordination and cooperation between the parties. So far, six RECs and one coordinating Mechanism, namely COMESA, EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD, SADC and EASBRICOM, have appointed Liaison Officers to the AU. On its part, the Commission has launched a study to inform the establishment of AU Offices within the RECs and RMs. The experts hired by the Commission to undertake this exercise begun their work in May 2010 and are expected to complete it by the end of July 2010.
61. During the consultative meeting held in Akosombo, Ghana, on 10 and 11 December 2009, between the AU, RECs, RMs and the European Union, it was agreed that the AU and the RECs/RMs will conduct an assessment of progress achieved in the operationalization of APSA and the challenges ahead, with a view to identifying further
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 13 APSA-related priorities and capacity needs. The assessment is underway, and it is expected that the same would be finalized and validated before the forthcoming AU-EU Summit to be held in November 2010. The outcome would inform future EU support to the AU in the area of peace and security within the framework of the Africa Peace Facility, and may also be used by other partners.
e) Panel of the Wise
62. The Panel of the Wise, whose mandate is to support the efforts of the PSC and those of the Chairperson of the Commission, particularly in the area of conflict prevention, convened its 8th meeting in Kinshasa on 21st May 2010. The Panel has also pursued its thematic reflections on issues relevant to conflict prevention, specifically on “Impunity, Justice and National Reconciliation” and on “Women and Children in Armed Conflicts”. As the mandate of the members of the Panel is coming to an end in December 2010, I have made proposals on the appointment of new members and the enhancement of the capacity of the Panel. A separate report is submitted to the Assembly on this subject matter.
4. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SITUATIONS ON THE GROUND
63. The following paragraphs present an account of the developments in the various situations on the ground and the efforts deployed by the African Union to help resolve the situations or consolidate peace where it has been restored.
a) The Comoros
64. In January this year, I briefed Council on the developments in the Comoros in terms of implementation of the institutional reforms introduced by the new Constitution of the Union adopted by referendum on 17 May 2009. It is recalled at this juncture that the Referendum Act of 17 May 2009 provided for 4-5 years extension of the mandate of the President of the Union of the Comoros and conferred on the Assembly of the Union of the Comoros and the Councils of the Autonomous Islands, meeting in Congress, the constitutional power to set the date for harmonisation for the election of the Governors of the Autonomous Islands and that of the President of the Union of the Comoros.
65. In accordance with the aforementioned Referendum Act, the Congress of the Comoros on 1 March 2010 enacted a law harmonising, with effect from 27 November 2011, the mandates of the President of the Union and of the Governors of the Islands. That law which was adopted by 60 votes out of the 84 members of Congress, albeit boycotted by a section of the opposition, had the effect, among other things, of extending by 18 months the tenure of the President of the Union (which recently expired on 26 May 2010) and postponing for that same period the exercise of the rotating presidency of the Union by the Island of Mohéli, after Grande Comore and Anjouan.
66. At a meeting of the National Convergence for Rotation in 2010 (Convergence nationale pour la tournante en 2010), which brings together the opposition political parties of the Comoros, held on 3 March 2010, the opposition reiterated its rejection of the afore-
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 14 mentioned decision. That decision also generated high-pitch tension in Mohéli. In a Press Release dated 3 March 2010, I called on the Comorian parties to refrain from eroding the principles, mechanisms and balance underlying the reconciliation process, particularly the rotating presidency of the Union.
67. Following an unconstitutionality petition filed by the Comorian opposition, the Constitutional Court of the Union of the Comoros, on 8 May 2010, made a ruling which, inter alia, declared unconstitutional and annulled the provisions of Article 2 of the 1 March 2010 law setting the date of election for the President of the Union and the Governors of the Islands. The Court declared that the interim period would commence with effect from 26 May 2010, a period during which the President and the Vice-Presidents of the Union shall exercise their powers consensually, until the new President of the Union and the elected Governors take office.
68. For my part, I dispatched my Special Envoy, Minister Francisco Madeira, to the Comoros, to assist the parties in overcoming the difficulties they faced in the implementation of the constitutional reform of May 2009. The Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ramtane Lamamra, also visited the archipelago on two occasions in April and May 2010. These initiatives, backed by the representatives of the international community helped to reactivate the dialogue among the parties. More specifically, the initiatives culminated in an Agreement for Management of the Interim Period, which was signed in Moroni on 16 June 2010 by the President of the Union and the Governors of the Autonomous Islands of Anjouan and Ngazidja; and on 18 June 2010 in Fomboni, by the Governor of the Autonomous Island of Mohéli. That Agreement, among other things, provided for the conclusion of the electoral process leading to the election of a new President native of the Island of Mohéli, not later than mid-January 2011. Handover of power between the newly elected President and the out-going President will take place between 13 January and 26 May 2011, on a date to be agreed by these two personalities.
69. I hereby call upon the Comorian parties to exhibit a sense of responsibility and implement their commitments in good faith. It would be incomprehensible for both the people of the Comoros who have for so long borne the brunt of the instability and crisis in their country and the African Union which has spared no effort to preserve the unity of the archipelago, if the gains so far achieved were to be sacrificed on the altar of partisan and short-term considerations. I urge Member States and the international community to provide the financial and technical assistance required for speedy implementation of the Agreement on Management of the Interim Period, particularly the holding of elections.
b) Madagascar
70. During the reporting period, no progress was made in terms of the process of restoration of constitutional order in Madagascar. As part of implementation of the decision of the 14th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, I despatched to Maputo, from 10 to 14 February 2010, the Commissioner for Peace and Security with the mission to strengthen the coordination between AU and SADC. In the course of that mission, Commissioner Lamamra, among other things, held talks with President Armando Emilio Guebuza, chair of SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, former President
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 15 Joaquim Chissano, head of the SADC mediation team and Dr. Tomaz A. Salomão, Executive Secretary of SADC.
71. The Assembly will recall that on 21 January 2010, I submitted to the Malagasy parties compromise proposals designed to facilitate implementation of the August 2009 Maputo Agreement and the November 2009 Addis Ababa Additional Act. Whereas the other political movements generally accepted these proposals, the Rajoelina Movement provided an answer that was deemed unsatisfactory. It was against this backdrop that the PSC, at its 216th Meeting on 19 February 2010, decided in light of relevant AU instruments, to impose sanctions on members of the Rajoelina Movement and all other individuals contributing to the maintenance of the unconstitutional status quo, if by 17 March 2010, this Movement did not accept the crisis exit proposals that I laid before them. In the absence of a positive response, the PSC decided on 17 March 2010, that the sanctions decision taken on 19 February 2010 should enter into force. The recommendations regarding the sanctions and the identity of the individuals targeted were elaborated at a joint meeting of the Commission and SADC held in Addis Ababa on 15 March 2010. Subsequently, a team from the Commission was in Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa from 23 March to 3 April 2010 for consultation with SADC and the regional role players with a view to identifying the measures most appropriate to ensure effectiveness of the sanctions imposed by the PSC.
72. As part of the resumed efforts at exiting from the crisis and promoting the restoration of constitutional legality in Madagascar, President Chissano, with the support of South Africa and France and in consultation with SADC and AU, convened a meeting of the leaders of the Malagasy political movements in Pretoria, from 28 April to 1 May 2010. I participated in that meeting which unfortunately did not yield the expected outcomes. The mediator is presently continuing with his efforts to arrive at an agreement on a consensual and inclusive transition in Madagascar. However, this initiative has continued to come up against the will of the Rajoelina Regime to proceed with the elections in disregard of the spirit and letter of the Maputo and Addis Ababa Agreements.
73. The situation in Madagascar constitutes a real challenge for Africa and our Organisation. No effort should be spared to achieve a return to constitutional legality. Attainment of the set objectives calls for the commitment of all Member States and the unwavering support of our international partners including the United Nations Security Council which should throw all its weight behind this process.
c) Somalia
74. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) celebrated its first anniversary on 30 January 2010. At a ceremony in Mogadishu to mark the occasion, President Sharif Ahmed reassured the people of Somalia and the international community of his unwavering commitment to implementing the Djibouti Agreement. The President highlighted the achievements made by the TFG in implementing its mandate consistent with the Transitional Federal Charter (TFC) and the Djibouti Agreement, including drafting of bills on the management of the transition and forwarding the same to the Parliament, preparing
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 16 a national budget for 2010, working with partners in restructuring the Somali security forces, and beginning the process of drafting a new Constitution based on Islamic law.
75. The TFG, with support of the international community, has made notable efforts in widening the scope of reconciliation and dialogue among the Somali people. On 15 March 2010, the TFG signed a Framework of Cooperation Agreement with Ahlu Sunna wal Jama’a (ASWJ) in Addis Ababa, at the AU Headquarters. The Agreement provides for the merger of TFG and ASWJ forces and the inclusion of ASWJ members in the Cabinet as part of a power-sharing arrangement. To this end, the TFG and ASWJ have since announced the establishment of three Joint Committees for the implementation of the Agreement. Also the TFG President is expected, in the coming weeks, to appoint a new, leaner and more effective Cabinet, with some Ministers from ASWJ.
76. In a further effort to reach out to other Somali stakeholders, the TFG signed, on 12 April 2010, a new Agreement with the semi-autonomous state of Puntland. This Agreement calls for the strengthening of law and order in the mainland and at sea, the re- establishment and maintenance of the Somali Navy, the creation of employment opportunities, the cleaning of toxic waste along Somalia’s coastline, and the sensitization of the public against the dangers of piracy, with the view of ending this menace.
77. Despite the recent progress achieved in dialogue and reconciliation, the work of the TFG unfortunately has been hampered by various internal factors, including some rifts within the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs). On 17 May 2010, the Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP), Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur Madoobe, announced his resignation after months of wrangling in the TFP as some lawmakers demanded the Speaker’s removal on grounds that his tenure had expired. The rifts later on assumed clan dimensions and drew in members of the Cabinet, thus stalling the work of the TFIs. Mr. Sharif Hassen Sheikh Adan, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, has now been elected as the new Speaker of Parliament.
78. The Commission remains engaged with the TFG leadership at all levels and continues to provide advice and support to the Government in the implementation of the Djibouti Agreement. On 25 January, the Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ramtane Lamamra, accompanied by my Special Representative, Ambassador Boubacar Gaoussou Diarra, and UN Special Representative Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, travelled to Mogadishu, where they held talks with the President, Prime Minister and other senior officials. I also would like to stress that, in recent months, there has been further demonstration of commitment by the international community to support the Djibouti Process. In this regard, the United Nations, in collaboration with the Government of Turkey, convened a Reconstruction and Development Conference for Somalia, in Istanbul from 21 to 23 May 2010. I attended this Conference. Recent developments in Somalia were also reviewed at the Consultative Meeting between the AU, the Ministers of Defense of AMISOM Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) and Partners, held in Addis Ababa, on 2 June 2010. On its part, IGAD, at the 36th Ordinary Session of its Council of Ministers, held in Addis Ababa on 15 June 2010, reviewed the situation in Somalia, emphasizing the need to give a new impetus to the efforts to stabilize the country. In this respect, the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government is due to convene an Extraordinary Summit in the first week of
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 17 July 2010. Political disputes within the TFIs are of grave concern to the AU and IGAD and feature on the agenda of these meetings.
79. In further support to the TFG, AMISOM and other members of the international community are prioritizing the rebuilding of the Somali security sector institutions, particularly the Somali security forces. In this regard, AMISOM and the international community, notably the USA and the EU training Mission for Somalia, are continuing their support to the TFG at bilateral and multilateral levels through training projects in Mogadishu and Uganda, respectively.
80. The security situation in Somalia remains unstable. In Mogadishu, Al Shabaab and other armed opposition groups (AOGs) have continued to attack AMISOM and TFG positions. Other regions of the South continue to experience violence between different armed groups, with Al Shabaab and Hisbul Islaam continuing their campaign of terror. Despite the security challenges in Mogadishu, AMISOM troops continue to protect the TFIs through deployment at strategic locations in Mogadishu, including State House, the airport and the seaport and provision of strategic and operational level support to TFG military forces. With the recent deployment of additional troops from Uganda, the current troop strength of AMISOM now stands at 6,100. AMISOM has also increased its presence on the ground in Mogadishu, with the deployment of seven (7) police officers to Mogadishu, to support the monitoring, training and mentoring of the Somali Police Force (SPF).
81. As a direct result of the unfavorable security conditions, the humanitarian situation in Somalia remains precarious, with thousands of civilians at risk of violence and in need of assistance, while access by humanitarian agencies is extremely limited. In implementing its limited mandate of facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance, AMISOM continues to coordinate and cooperate with the UN, humanitarian agencies and NGOs operating in Somalia, as well as with the relevant Somali authorities. Beyond facilitating humanitarian assistance, AMISOM field hospitals and medical personnel continue to provide free medical services and potable water to the civilian population.
d) Peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia
82. There has been no movement in the peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia during the period under review. Against this background, the need for more sustained and coordinated efforts to help the parties overcome the current stalemate and normalize their relations cannot be over-emphasized, given the negative impact of the current situation.
e) Relations between Djibouti and Eritrea
83. In January, I provided an update on the evolution of the relations between Djibouti and Eritrea. In particular, I indicated that, on 23 December 2009, the Security Council adopted resolution 1907(2009), in which it, inter alia, reiterated its serious concern at the refusal of Eritrea to engage in dialogue with Djibouti, or to accept bilateral contacts, mediation and facilitation efforts by sub-regional or regional organizations or to respond positively to the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General, and decided, on that ground and other considerations related to Somalia, to impose an arms embargo on that
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 18 country, in addition to travel restrictions and a freeze on the assets of its political and military leaders.
84. It is against this background that, on 6 June 2010, Djibouti and Eritrea signed an Agreement, by which the two countries mandated the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Hamed Ben Khalifa Al Thani, to undertake a mediation aimed at resolving the border dispute between them and, to that end, to make a proposal of settlement, which the two parties committed themselves to accept. I welcomed this positive development, expressing the AU’s support to the Emir of Qatar, as well as the hope that this endeavor would have a positive impact on the overall situation in the Horn of Africa. It should also be noted that both the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council, in statements issued on 8 and 11 June 2010, respectively, have welcomed the Agreement and expressed their support to the efforts of the Emir of the State of Qatar.
f) Burundi
85. In Burundi, the period under review was devoted mainly to preparations for the electoral process which will take place within four months approximately. Five elections have been slated for this period. 21 May saw the organisation of communal council elections followed by presidential elections on 28 June; to be followed by parliamentary elections on 23 July; senatorial elections on 28 July; and the Conseils de collines ou de quartiers (Hill areas and ward) elections, on 7 September 2010. The African Union Mission in Burundi (AMIB) has been mobilised, just as other Burundi partners, to bring their contribution to bear on this electoral process including through observation of the various elections. An assessment mission for the electoral process was also fielded to Burundi; and besides, the AU provided financial assistance towards organisation of the various elections scheduled.
86. The provisional results of the communal council elections published on 28 May 2010, confirmed the landslide victory of the ruling party - the National Council for Defence of Democracy/Forces for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD/FDD), with 64.03% of the vote. The nation-wide turnout was estimated at 90.67%. These results were promptly rejected by eight opposition parties which denounced alleged irregularities and what they described as “massive fraud”, calling for annulment of the election. The Electoral Commission refuted these accusations. Some of these very opposition parties which had previously filed their candidatures for the elections decided on 31 May 2010 to withdraw from the presidential race, leaving the two other candidates in the running, namely: the outgoing President, Pierre Nkurunziza, and Yves Sahinguvu, the current First Vice- President of Burundi, candidate of the Uprona Party, who also subsequently withdrew from the race. Given this situation, the international community, including the African Union, rallied to help unlock the situation.
87. The situation prevailing in Burundi on the eve of the presidential elections was indeed quite worrying. It in this context that, in a Press Release dated 24 June 2010, I made an urgent appeal to all the political players to refrain from any action likely to erode the political and democratic gains of these past years. In this regard, I urged all the member parties of the Alliance of Democrats for Change (l’Alliance des Démocrates pour
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 19 le Changement) comprising the political groupings contesting the results of the communal elections to resort to only legal means to resolve the disputes arising from the communal elections. I urged all the political role players in Burundi to draw lessons from the communal elections and join hands to promote and protect the democratic process in the country by participating in the legislative elections, for which INEC duly decided to postpone the date for candidates’ registration.
88. Moreover, pursuant to the relevant decisions of the PSC and the Tripoli Plan of Action, the Commission fielded a multi-disciplinary mission to Burundi from 13 to 22 February 2010. The mission led by former Prime Minister of Mali, Soumana Sako, comprised a number African experts, as well as representatives of ECCAS, COMESA, ECA and AfDB. The objective was to assess the situation in Burundi and identify the measures that AU and its Member States could take to support the post-conflict reconstruction and development process in the country. The conclusions and recommendations of the mission were submitted to the 230th Meeting of the PSC held on 27 and 31 May 2010. At the time of finalisation of this Report, the Commission was engaged in conducting the required follow-up on the process, particularly through the organisation of an African Solidarity Conference, consolidating its presence on the ground so as to more effectively coordinate and facilitate implementation of a post-conflict support programme and for greater mobilisation of Member States and the international community to provide the expertise and resources required for peace consolidation in Burundi.
g) Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
89. In the DRC, the period under review was marked by continued implementation of the Agreements signed in 2008 and 2009, and by the consolidation of relations of cooperation with neighbouring countries. All this was taking place against the backdrop of persistent “residual” insecurity in the Kivus (particularly as a result of the reprisal attacks by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) against civilian populations) and in the Eastern Province as a result of the activities of the Lord’s Resistance Army - LRA), all at a time when the Congolese Authorities are actively engaged in managing the security and humanitarian consequences of the events that occurred earlier in the year in Equateur Province. It is also noteworthy that the Governments of DRC and Republic of Congo and the HCR, on 10 June 2010, signed a Tripartite Agreement for repatriation of Congolese refugees and on practical measures for implementation of this agreement.
90. The operations of the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC), backed by units of the United Nations Mission in the Congo (MONUC) against foreign armed groups (FDLR and LRA), enabled the Government to widen its control of the national territory and neutralise a substantial number of the elements of the negative forces. The operations also paved the way for the repatriation of nearly FDLR 2,000 elements and their families as part of the DDRRR process facilitated by MONUC. At the same time, with the assistance of African and foreign partners, the Congolese Government came up with a programme for reform of the army and security services, and for building their operational capacities.
91. As part of preparations for general elections in 2011 and thereafter, the Congolese Authorities set up a Steering Committee. The two Houses of Parliament enacted a law on
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 20 establishment, organization and functioning of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). At its first meeting held on 11 May 2010, the President of INEC presented a draft budget for the forthcoming elections, amounting to US$781,580,189, as well as a draft electoral calendar setting the date for the first round of presidential election at 4 September 2011.
92. One other major event in the period under review concerns renewal of MONUC mandate, with the request presented by the Congolese Government for adoption of a withdrawal plan for the Mission. The AU was actively involved in the consultations initiated in this regard, including through my visit to Kinshasa from 9 to 11 May 2010, during which I held discussions with President Joseph Kabila. On 28 May 2010, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1925 on the situation in the DRC providing, inter alia, for reduction of MONUC military personnel, change of its title to United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) with effect from 1 July 2010, and redefinition of its mandate.
93. Moreover, as part of implementation of the relevant decisions of the PSC and the Tripoli Plan of Action, I dispatched a multidisciplinary mission to DRC from 21 January to 13 February 2010, to assess the post-conflict reconstruction and development needs of the country. That mission came up with vital recommendations which the PSC considered at its 230th Meeting held from 27 to 31 May 2010. At the time of finalisation of this Report, the Commission was engaged in the required follow-up on the process, particularly through the organisation of an African Solidarity Conference, consolidation of its presence on the ground to more effectively coordinate and facilitate implementation of a post-conflict support programme, and greater mobilisation of Member States and the International Community to provide the expertise and resources required for peace consolidation in DRC. Additionally, I dispatched a humanitarian mission to the country from 19 to 25 February 2010 in the aftermath of the events in the Equateur Province. Furthermore, preparations are underway for the convening of a meeting of the countries, organisations and communities concerned by the issue of Mbororo nomadic herdsmen. An AU mission was in Kinshasa to discuss with the Congolese Authorities the ways and means to organize this meeting pursuant to previous visits to DRC and other concerned countries.
94. The Panel of the Wise also held its 8th Meeting in DRC. The Commission was represented by the Commissioner for Peace and Security. The meeting was preceded on 19-20 May, by an experts’ workshop on the issue of women and children in conflict situations, in which the Commission was represented by the Commissioner for Social Affairs. I would like to thank the Congolese Authorities for their support towards the holding of these two events.
h) Sudan
95. One of the highlights of the period under review was the convening, at the initiative of the Commission of the inaugural meeting of the Sudan Consultative Forum in Addis Ababa, on 8 May 2010. This meeting took place within the context of the follow-up of the decision of the 207th meeting of the PSC held in Abuja on 29 October 2009, which endorsed the report of the AU High-Level Panel on Darfur (AUPD) and the
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 21 recommendations contained therein. The Forum, which brought together the major international actors working on the Sudan, provided an opportunity to review the situation in the aftermath of the April general elections and in light of the progress made and challenges encountered in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), as well as in the search for peace, security, justice and reconciliation in Darfur. The meeting pledged its support to the AU/UN partnership and to the work being done on the ground by the AU High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), UNMIS, UNAMID and the Joint Chief Mediator, with the assistance of the Government of Qatar. It also emphasized that all would work together in support of an inclusive political process in Darfur. The Consultative Forum will meet at least every two months to provide a coordinated and harmonized guidance for international engagement, based on Sudanese ownership and Africa’s primary leadership.
96. The Consultative Forum was preceded, on 7 May 2010, by a Strategic Review Meeting bringing together the AU Commission and the UN Secretariat. This Review was necessitated by the need for the two organizations to adjust their strategies and strengthen their partnership, in light of the evolution of the situation, in particular with the holding of the April general elections, the commencement of the final year of the CPA implementation, and the continued challenges in achieving a political solution in Darfur.
i. Southern Sudan/Comprehensive Peace Agreement /Democratic Transformation
97. The major event of the reporting period has been the holding of general elections in the Sudan, as provided for by the CPA, within the broader context of the democratic transformation of the Sudan. In the period preceding the elections, the AUHIP, chaired by former President Thabo Mbeki and comprising former Presidents Abdulsalami Abubakar and Pierre Buyoya, worked with the parties in a bid to create a conducive environment for their holding. The AUHIP produced an Electoral Code of Conduct which, on 1 March 2010, was signed by the SPLM and other fifteen (15) Southern Sudanese political parties and independent candidates in Juba, Southern Sudan. On 8 March 2010, the National Congress Party (NCP) also signed this document. On 16 March, the Code was further signed by 10 other political parties in Northern Sudan. Ultimately, the AUHIP officially deposited the Code of Conduct with the NEC, on 17 March 2010.
98. On 31 March 2010, following an extraordinary meeting of its politburo in Juba, the SPLM announced that it was withdrawing its presidential candidate, Mr. Yasir Arman, from the race. It also announced that it was withdrawing its candidates in Darfur owing to the restrictive environment in that region, but insisted that, throughout the rest of the North, SPLM candidates would contest the elections at all levels. The following day, several other parties decided to boycott the polls.
99. The elections took place from 11 to 15 April 2010. At the end of the polling period, I commended the Sudanese people's participation in the election, despite numerous challenges. On 19 April, the AU Election Observer Mission, led by former President John Kufuor, acclaimed and congratulated the people of the Sudan, the political parties and the candidates, for the peaceful 2010 executive and legislative elections. The Mission stated
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 22 that, taking into consideration the fact that the country had not had a multi-party-election in almost a generation, what happened was a historical event and a great achievement for the Sudanese people. It should, however, be pointed out that, during and after the election period, the security situation in South Sudan was of concern. Tensions were most prevalent in some States where the SPLM-nominated Governors faced considerable competition by independent candidates. There were also reports, especially by civil society organizations, of incidents of intimidation and harassment of opposition parties and independent candidates by the NCP and state apparatus in the North.
100. On 26 April 2010, in Khartoum, the National Elections Commission (NEC) declared Omar Hassan Al Bashir, the ruling NCP presidential candidate, winner with 68.2% of the vote. Despite the withdrawal of the SPLM candidate, Yasir Arman, the latter was declared second with 21.7%. In the South, SPLM Chairman Salva Kiir won the election, with 93% of the votes. In the legislative, as well as in the gubernatorial elections, the NCP, in the North, and the SPLM, in the South, emerged as the overwhelming winners. On 21 May and 27 May 2010, respectively, Mr. Salva Kiir Mayardit and Mr. Omar Hassan Al Bashir were inaugurated as President of the Government of South Sudan and of the Republic of the Sudan, respectively. On 29 May 2010, Mr. Salva Kiir and Mr. Ali Osman Taha were sworn in as First Vice President and Vice President of Sudan, respectively. On 16 June 2010, the members of the new Cabinet took oath before President Al Bashir; similar to its predecessor, this new Government is comprised of members of the NCP, SPLM and other national parties. The Government of South Sudan was announced on 22 June 2010, two portfolios being set aside to be filled by NCP appointed Ministers.
101. There still exist a number of outstanding issues that require the CPA parties’ immediate attention and action as the implementation process approaches the referenda scheduled to be held in South Sudan and Abyei, on 9 January 2011. Key amongst these are the holding of bi-elections in constituencies where elections were either not conducted or were cancelled, the setting up of the Referenda Commissions for southern Sudan and Abyei, the modalities for the organization of popular consultations in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan States, and the completion of the demarcation of the North-South border as it stood on 1 January 1956. It should be noted that, by early May 2010, the Sudanese authorities reported that 80% of the border demarcation process had been completed. Of particular importance is the need to ensure the implementation of the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on Abyei and the determination of the eligibility criteria for the voters in the Abyei referendum.
102. The CPA directs that, in preparation for the referenda that are scheduled to take place in January 2011, the parties must conclude agreements on a number of issues related to their post-referendum relationship, regardless of the outcome of that exercise. These issues include nationality and ownership, currency, public service, position of Joint Integrated Units, national security and intelligence, international agreements and conventions, assets and debts, oil fields, production, transport and export of oil, contracts and environment in oil fields and water. I am pleased to report that, at the time of concluding this report, the AU, through the AUHIP, was actively engaging the parties on the post referendum issues, including by convening “talks about talks”, the first session of which took place in Mekelle (Ethiopia), on 21 June 2010, in preparation for formal
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 23 negotiation on the post-referendum arrangements. To this end, the Panel prepared a Framework Document to guide the talks. The successful conclusion of the negotiations on post-referendum arrangements is of utmost importance to the future of Sudan and the region as a whole.
ii. Darfur
103. The AU has continued to monitor the situation in Darfur and has remained actively involved in the efforts aimed at facilitating a lasting solution to the crisis. Very significant progress has been made in the deployment of UNAMID: 16 out of the 18 infantry battalions are deployed, with advance components for the Thailand infantry battalion, bringing the deployment of troops to 87.80% of the authorized strength. With regard to the police component, 13 of the 19 Formed Police Units (FPUs) have been deployed, along with 2,984 Individual Police Officers (IPOs), bringing the deployment rate to 79.10% .
104. The period under review was also marked by the convening in Addis Ababa, on 10 May 2010, of the 8th meeting of the Tripartite Coordination Mechanism, involving the Government of Sudan, the African Union and the United Nations. As agreed in Khartoum in November 2009, the Addis Ababa meeting focused its deliberations on ways and means to optimize the “employment” of UNAMID assets and resources, in order to further enhance security, recovery and development in Darfur.
105. The reporting period witnessed outbreak of active hostilities between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), in West Darfur, which caused a sharp rise in the number of fatalities. Also worth noting is the resurgence of inter- ethnic conflicts that led to clashes between the two main Arab tribes in Darfur, the Rezeigat and the Misseriya. These clashes heavily affected the populations in the villages around the areas concerned, leading to further displacement, with the consequent humanitarian problems. However, despite this state of affairs, the humanitarian organizations continued to provide food and non-food assistance to the affected populations in accessible areas. Another area of concern relates to the recurrent attacks targeting UNAMID, as illustrated, among others, by the cowardly attack that targeted a UNAMID logistics escort in South Darfur, on 7 May, which left two Egyptian peacekeepers dead and three seriously injured, and that of 20 June 2010, which left three Rwandan peacekeepers dead. Banditry activities, including kidnapping and carjacking, have also been a source of concern for UNAMID and humanitarian agencies. On 11 April, four police advisers from South Africa were kidnapped by unknown armed groups; they were fortunately released safe two weeks later.
106. The peace process continues to face major challenges. On 23 February 2010, in Doha, the Government of the Sudan and JEM signed a Framework Agreement to Resolve the Conflict in Darfur. This Agreement was negotiated and initialed in N’djamena, on 20 February, under the auspices of President Idriss Déby Itno, to whom I would like to pay tribute for his efforts. I attended the signing ceremony in Doha. However, this process has since been seriously undermined, with the parties failing to agree on a ceasefire implementation Protocol or a final Agreement by the deadline of 15 March 2010, followed in May by an outbreak of fighting between the parties in various locations in Darfur, and
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 24 JEM’s announcement that it was withdrawing from the peace process. I am, however, pleased to report the progress made in the unification of the armed movements, as demonstrated by the creation, on 23 February 2010, of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), which merged members of the Tripoli and Addis Ababa Groups into a single new movement under the leadership of Mr. Eltigani Seise. On 18 March 2010, the LJM and the Government of the Sudan signed a Framework Agreement to resolve the Conflict of Darfur, as well as a Ceasefire Agreement. The Commissioner for Peace and Security attended the signing ceremony in Doha. Discussions between the Government of the Sudan and the LJM have resumed in Doha on 7 June 2010, and different committees have been setup to deal with substantive issues. The Mediation is taking steps to bring in representatives of IDPs and refugees for consultations; it is also planning to organize the second meeting of the Civil Society Forum. On its part, the SLA-Abdul Wahid’s group continues to date to refuse to take part in the peace talks, insisting on security for IDPs and full disarmament of government militias as preconditions to its participation.
107. In line with the report and recommendations of the AUPD, as endorsed by the PSC in Abuja and the Assembly in January, the policy of the AU is that there should be an inclusive political process in Darfur, involving all stakeholders, including the armed belligerents, political parties, internally displaced persons, refugees, traditional leaders, native administration, pastoralist groups and civil society, in negotiations. The agenda of such negotiations should include all relevant issues. To this end, the AUHIP and UNAMID are working together to convene, within Darfur, a Darfur-Darfur Conference, at a date shortly to be determined. The Government of the Sudan has indicated its willingness to facilitate this Consultation, as part of the overall efforts to domesticate the peace process and make it more inclusive.
iii. Activities of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP)
108. During the period under review, the AU High-Level Implementation Panel(AUHIP) has pursued its efforts, maintaining close consultations with the Sudanese parties to assist them both in the implementation of the CPA and in the search for peace, justice and reconciliation in Darfur, on the basis of the decision of the PSC Abuja meeting of 29 October 2009.
109. In order to carry forward its mandate, as determined in Abuja and subsequently endorsed by the Assembly in January 2010, the Panel elaborated a Programme of Action (PoA) revolving around the following areas: helping to accelerate the process towards the resolution of the conflict in Darfur; helping to ensure the implementation of the CPA; assisting the parties to address the post-referendum issues; working with the parties to develop a national consensus about the challenges facing their country; working with the Southern Sudan political parties to develop a consensus about the challenges facing Southern Sudan; working with the GoSS and others to address the issue of ethnic conflict in Southern Sudan; helping to ensure that the April 2010 General Elections are free and fair; helping to ensure that Sudan’s neighbours support Sudan’s conflict-resolution processes; and helping to coordinate international action on Sudan.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 25 110. In pursuance of this PoA, the Panel visited Sudan five times, between February and June 2010, meeting with President Omar Hassan Al Bashir, 1st Vice-President Salva Kiir, Vice-President Ali Osman Taha and other government officials, representatives of political parties and civil society, as well as members of the international community, including the Heads of UNAMID and UNMIS. In March 2010, the AUHIP received a response from the Government of National Unity on the PoA, which reiterated the latter’s commitment to cooperate with the Panel, including unilateral steps to be taken by the Government to help improve security. Steps are also underway to engage the Government on the practical steps to be taken to address justice and reconciliation issues in Darfur. The Government has just appointed a team to initiate consultations with the AUHIP, with the view to agreeing on the best way forward.
111. As indicated above, in anticipation of the April general elections, the Panel facilitated the conclusion of a Code of Conduct and the adoption of a Declaration of Common Commitments relating to the implementation of the CPA and the achievement of peace in Darfur. The Panel successfully facilitated the convening of a Summit of Political Parties in Juba, in early March – a similar event was supposed to be held in Khartoum for national parties, but was eventually cancelled as a result of differences among the actors concerned. With regard to the CPA implementation, the Panel is following up on key issues, including the completion of the delimitation and demarcation of the North-South border, the setting up of the Referenda Commissions for Southern Sudan and Abyei, and other outstanding issues. It is also actively engaging the parties on the post-referendum arrangements. The parties have requested the AUHIP to assist in these negotiations.
112. From February to April 2010, the Panel consulted with the neighbouring countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Egypt, Chad, and Eritrea, meeting with all the Heads of State and Government concerned. While in Cairo, the Panel also consulted with the Secretary-General of the Arab League. On 9 March 2010, the Panel participated in the IGAD Summit in Nairobi, and consulted with the Ethiopian Deputy Foreign Minister to discuss coordination between IGAD and the AUHIP. On 21 March, the AUHIP attended the International Donors' Conference for the Development and Reconstruction of Darfur, in Cairo. On 22 March, the Panel travelled to Norway for consultations with Norwegian officials. On 23 and 24 March, the Panel visited Brussels to meet with the European Union (EU) officials, in particular the Baroness Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, the EU Peace and Security Committee, the European Parliament and other officials, including EU Special Envoy Torben Brylle. In mid-June, the Panel travelled to New York, for consultations with the UN, including the Security Council. It subsequently visited Washington, where it met with a number of US officials, including President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, National Security Advisor James Jones and US Special Envoy for Sudan Scott Gration.
113. Sudan, this microcosm of Africa, is entering one of the most critical phases of its history. For the region and the African continent, the successful completion of the ongoing processes is of utmost importance. The AU is confident that, with genuine support from the international community, the Sudanese people have the capacity to seize this historic opportunity to overcome the challenges facing them.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 26
i) Relations between The Sudan and Chad
114. The normalisation of relations between Chad and The Sudan continued and was consolidated, thanks to the political will shown by the leaders of both countries. Council will recall that meetings between experts of the two countries, one in Khartoum in December 2009 and another in N’djamena in January 2010, led to the signing, on 15 January 2010, of the “N’djamena Agreement on the normalisation of relations between Chad and the Sudan”, as well as an “Additional Protocol on the Securing of their Border”. The latter details the composition of the Joint Force which the two countries decided to deploy along their common border. The period under review saw the continued implementation of the Protocol on the securing of the border, especially with the commencement of joint patrols along the common border.
115. In a highly significant gesture, President Idriss Déby Itno paid an official visit to Khartoum on 8 February 2010, where he held talks with his Sudanese counterpart, Omar Hassan Al Bashir. In a Communiqué published on the same day, I commended President Idriss Déby Itno for this courageous initiative and again encouraged both countries to persevere on the path of dialogue and consultation. On 26 May 2010, President Idriss Déby Itno again travelled to Khartoum to attend President Al Bashir’s swearing-in ceremony.
116. In the spirit of the N’djamena Agreement, negotiations were set in motion between JEM (Justice and Equality Movement) and the Sudanese Government under the auspices of the Chadian facilitation. As indicated earlier, these talks resulted in a Framework Agreement endorsed in N’djamena on 20 February 2010 and officially signed in Doha on 23 February 2010. The Sudan, for its part, took measures to facilitate a meeting between Chad and its “armed groups”. In this regard, from 1 to 4 April 2010, a Chadian Government delegation led by the Mediator of the Republic, Abderahmane Moussa, held talks with certain Chadian armed groups in Khartoum.
117. I would like, once again, to commend Presidents Idriss Deby Itno and Omar Al Bashir for their courageous political decision to normalise relations between their two countries, and again encourage them to persevere on the path of dialogue and consultation, the only way to promote relations of good neighbourliness and cooperation on sustainable and mutually beneficial basis. Thus, the developments in their relations square perfectly with the Tripoli Plan of Action, which set forth a number of measures for normalising relations between the two countries.
j) United Nations Mission in Chad and the Central African Republic (MINURCAT)
118. On 15 January 2010, Chad requested the withdrawal of the United Nations Mission in Chad and the Central African Republic (MINURCAT) at the end of its mandate on 15 March 2010. This request triggered a process of consultations and negotiations between Chad and the United Nations, held between 15 January and 23 April 2010, when an agreement was concluded between the two parties. On the basis of that agreement, the
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 27 Security Council, on 25 May 2010, adopted Resolution 1923 (2010) extending the mandate of MINURCAT to 31 December 2010, thereby allowing for an orderly withdrawal of the Mission.
119. The withdrawal will be effected in two stages up to 31 December 2010. Thus, the military component of MINURCAT currently composed of 3,300 soldiers, will be reduced to 2,200 (1,900 in Chad and 300 in the Central African Republic) by 15 July 2010. As from 15 October, the remaining forces and the civilian component of the Mission will be gradually withdrawn until 31 December. It is noteworthy that responsibility for protecting civilians now devolves on the Chadian Government.
k) Central African Republic (CAR)
120. During the period under review, the Commission saw to the start of the activities of the AU Liaison Office in CAR, with the assumption of duty on 17 March 2010, of my Special Representative, Mrs. Hawa Ahmed Youssouf. On 30 May 2010, my Representative was received in audience by President François Bozizé and the Prime Minister Faustin Archange Touadera. She also held several working sessions with members of the Government of the Central African Republic, as well as with representatives of the international community in CAR.
121. As indicated in my report to Council last January, one of the major issues that arose in Central African Republic during the period under review was that of compliance with the constitutional deadline set for elections, that is, April-May 2009. During this period, the political and electoral process saw several deadlocks and controversies, which nearly plunged the country into a major political and institutional crisis, thereby almost eroding the gains emanating from the All-Inclusive Political Dialogue of December 2008. In January 2010, political parties both of the democratic opposition and of the political/military movements which later came together to form a Collectif des Forces du changement (Rally of Forces for Change - RFC ), cast a slur on the functioning of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and its Local Committees (outreach branches of IEC), and decided to quit the Commission, which then was paralysed for a month. The IEC was only able to resume its activities in the aftermath of the agreement signed on 13 February 2010.
122. It was against this backdrop that the President of the Republic signed a decree, on 25 February 2010, informing the electorate of the first round of presidential and legislative elections on 25 April 2010. On 27 February 2010, the CFC rejected that decree on the grounds that the security and material conditions for the conduct of credible, transparent and inclusive elections had not been met. The Elections Steering Committee made up of most international partners, suggested to the IEC to review the tasks to be accomplished and work out a new calendar. As a matter of fact, the IEC was faced with particularly serious challenges and appeared to lack the capacity and means to carry out its missions. On 29 April 2010, the IEC acknowledged that it was unable to organize the elections on 16 May 2010 as scheduled.
123. This situation brought to focus the issue of possible institutional vacuum from 11 June 2010, when the term of office of the President of the Republic would come to an end.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 28 As the Constitution has no provision to resolve this issue, it became necessary to adopt special provisions to ensure the continuity of the State. The CFC indicated that it had no intention of questioning the legitimacy of the President of the Republic beyond 11 June 2010 and proposed, in lieu, that a political agreement be reached as a solution to the institutional vacuum. However, the presidential camp opted for amendment of certain provisions of the Constitution. Thus, on 10 May 2010, after several consultations with various socio-professional groups in the country, the National Assembly enacted a law amending the provisions of Articles 24 and 50 of the Constitution, thereby allowing for extension of the term of office of the President of the Republic and Members of Parliament till the next presidential and legislative elections. Since that law was promulgated, the tension has clearly reduced, but some discontent remains perceptible within the ranks of the opposition.
124. The Independent Electoral Commission, on its part, embarked on drawing up a new calendar, and has set new dates for the legislative and presidential elections for 24 October and 19 December 2010, for the first and second rounds, respectively. However, the IEC still lacks the financial resources to carry out its mission. For its part, the AU Commission fielded a pre-electoral assessment mission to Bangui from 27 April to 3 May 2010, to examine the situation and come up with recommendations on assistance that AU could provide. I am pleased to inform Council that the AU will provide financial assistance towards the elections. Furthermore, from 20 to 22 June 2010, my Special Envoy to CAR, Mr. Saddok Fayala, travelled to Bangui for consultations with the Government of the Central African Republic and the other relevant role players to discuss the situation, as well as the ways and means to facilitate the proper conduct of the elections.
125. The DDR programme launched in February 2009 pursuant to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in Libreville on 21 June 2008, saw considerable delay, owing to difficulties relating to the practical implementation of the programme, insecurity in some areas of the country, financing modalities and inadequate resources. The implementation calendar has been reviewed several times. As for the DDR Steering Committee, it has just concluded the second awareness-building campaign and the installation of local DDR committees, except in Kabo where the move met with objection on the part of the Front démocratique du peuple centrafricain (Central African People’s Democratic Front - FDPC); and is preparing to deploy military observers to launch disarmament and demobilization operations. It is hardly necessary to emphasize that disarming former fighters is of crucial importance in creating the security conditions required for proper conduct of the electoral process. Despite the ongoing DDR programme, political/military movements still maintain roadblocks and continue to hamper the free movement of persons and the regular exercise of government authority in certain parts of the country. Mention should also be made of the several cases of exactions and attacks by elements of Joseph Koni’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), which have been on the increase since February 2010. This situation highlights the need for joint action to put a definitive stop to LRA activity, as underscored by the Tripoli Plan of Action.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 29 l) Côte d’Ivoire
126. The crisis exit process in Côte d’Ivoire has been mired in a deadlock since January and February 2010, due to deficient functioning of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), a situation denounced by the Office of the President of the Republic. This situation culminated in the dissolution of both the IEC and the Government, followed by protest marches by opposition youth in several localities of the country, with attendant loss of human lives, injuries and destruction of public and private property.
127. During his visit to Abidjan on 22 February 2010, President Blaise Compaoré, Facilitator of the Inter-Ivorian Dialogue, helped the Ivorian parties to reach agreement on measures to reactivate the electoral process, in particular, the installation of an Independent Electoral Commission run by a new management team, formation of a new Government, resumed consideration of petitions regarding the voters’ register from 1 to 21 March, and elaboration of an election calendar, paving the way for the first round of the presidential election to be held at late April/early May 2010. The new IEC was indeed installed on 25 February and the new Government fully constituted on 4 March 2010. However, fresh obstacles emerged, slowing down resumption of consideration of petitions regarding the voters’ register, and the election calendar is yet to be determined. In fact, there is a lively and open debate among Ivorian parties on how best to deal with the petitions, the question of disarmament of former fighters and reunification of the country prior to the elections.
128. Following the various consultations conducted by the IEC, preliminary consideration of petitions to identify the Ivorians on the so-called grey list (1,033,000 petitioners whose identity is subject to verification) was held from 17 to 31 May 2010. Those whose nationality was established, in addition to 5,300,000 others on the so-called white list, will constitute the provisional electoral roll, which will be subject to further consideration.
129. President Laurent Gbagbo’s initiative to visit Henri Konan Bédié, President of PDCI- RDA, and Alassane Dramane Ouattara, President of RDR on 10 and 17 May, respectively, to discuss how best to revive the peace process in Côte d’Ivoire deserves to be commended. The discussions helped to restore a peaceful political climate, paving the way for organisation in serene conditions of the Annual Meetings of the AfDB from 27 to 28 May 2010. The three political leaders expressed optimism for the success of the upcoming elections.
130. The Peace and Security Council met on 5 March and 30 May, respectively, to consider the unfolding situation in Côte d’Ivoire. PSC called on the Ivorian parties to spare no effort to rapidly bring the crisis exit process to conclusion and to promote an enabling environment for elections, especially by finding solutions to pending issues in accordance with relevant provisions of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement and its Additional Agreements. PSC also invited the parties to lend the IEC and the Facilitator full support, and to place a premium on consensus in the higher interest of Côte d’Ivoire.
131. On my part, I travelled to Abidjan and Ouagadougou from 23 May 2010, where I held talks, respectively, with Presidents Laurent Gbagbo and Blaise Compaoré, Facilitator
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 30 of the Inter-Ivorian Dialogue. The talks offered an occasion to review the situation and examine the ways and means of speeding up the conclusion of the peace process in Côte d’Ivoire.
m) Liberia
132. The overall security situation in Liberia has remained relatively stable. The various arms of Government continue to function within the rule of law, while the security agencies in the country, with the help of United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), are performing their functions creditably despite capacity and logistical challenges. The Liberian Government has activated the Liberian Coast Guard in February 2010, comprising 40 personnel trained by the United States Government. The Navy has started patrolling the waters of Liberia.
133. The Liberia Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) continues to make steady progress, despite the global financial crisis which affected the flow of funds intended to meet deliverables designed to speed up the PRS process. The Governance and Economic Management Assistance Programme (GEMAP), initiated in 2006 by the Liberian Government, is expected to come to an end in June 2010 when Liberia reaches its HIPC Completion Point. GEMAP has contributed immensely to streamlining Government expenditure, improved its revenue base, enhanced regulations, structures and management systems. It has also contributed immensely to capacity-building in various institutions.
134. As indicated in my earlier report to Council, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has welcomed the final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was issued in December 2009. Every effort should be made to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission in a way that would balance the need to combat impunity with that of sustaining peace and promoting national reconciliation. Furthermore, steps should be taken to ensure the passing of the delayed Threshold Bill to facilitate the holding of successful elections in 2011.
135. In conclusion, I encourage the Government of Liberia to persevere in its efforts aimed at consolidating and sustaining the remarkable progress that has been made over the past years. I urge the international community to continue to provide the support required. On its part, the Commission will pursue the efforts already initiated in support of peace building and post conflict reconstruction, including funding of Quick Impact Projects (QIPs).
n) Republic of Guinea
136. During its previous session, I briefed Council on the unfolding situation in Guinea, at the time marked by the signing, on 15 January 2010, of the Joint Ouagadougou Declaration, paving the way for reactivation of the process of restoration of constitutional legality in Guinea. The AU has since continued to monitor the situation, carrying on with its efforts to backstop the ongoing process, including through the efforts of my Special Envoy to Guinea, Professor Ibrahima Fall, who was Conakry several times, keeping regular
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 31 contact with the Guinean parties and the concerned international role players, particularly ECOWAS and the United Nations, as well as through the action of the International Contact Group co-chaired by AU and ECOWAS.
137. At its 220th meeting held on 11 March 2010, the PSC encouraged the Guinean parties to maintain the consensus prevailing in the political class, the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) and all components of the Guinean society, and urged the players of the transition process to work towards speedy and full implementation of the Ouagadougou Joint Declaration. In this respect, mention needs to be made of the signing of the basic texts indispensable for the organisation and holding of presidential elections, particularly the edict conferring on the National Transition Council (CNT) the powers of a legislative body, the decree promulgating the Constitution adopted by the CNT on 19 April 2010, the decree calling for presidential elections for 27 June 2010, the decree setting the start of electioneering campaign for 17 June 2010, and the decree setting the amount of the deposit payable to stand for the presidential elections of 27 June 2010. This legal arsenal, as well as Guinean Government’s disbursement of the totality of its financial contribution towards the electoral process, paved the way for the presidential and other elections that should conclude transition in Guinea. As at the time of finalising the present Report, the Commission was putting final touches to the deployment of an election observer mission to be headed by Mr. Edem Kodjo, former OAU Secretary General, to monitor the presidential elections. By the time of the Assembly meets, Guinea is expected to have completed the process of return to constitutional order thanks to the election of the first President of the Republic in an open multiparty race.
138. Furthermore, pursuant the PSC Decision, which, at its 220th Meeting held on 11 March 2010, appealed for support to the institutional reforms designed to consolidate democracy, national reconciliation and economic development, the AU, alongside ECOWAS and the United Nations, participated in the mission to evaluate security sector reform (SSR) in Guinea. The assessment report prepared on that occasion was officially handed to the Guinean Authorities on 4 May 2010, in the presence of my Special Envoy.
139. I take this opportunity to appeal to Guinea’s bilateral and multilateral partners to bring their support to bear on the realisation of the SSR, identified as a priority for the authorities that will emerge from the presidential elections. Just as important is providing Guinea with substantial financial and economic assistance to facilitate the country’s socio- economic recovery and consolidate the advances so far made. In this regard, the Commission has formally approached the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to contribute towards the mobilisation of the necessary resources and support.
o) Guinea Bissau
140. The Commission continued to monitor the situation in Guinea Bissau. In this regard, an AU/United Nations joint mission made up of the Commissioner for Peace and Security and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for West Africa, visited Guinea Bissau on 23 February 2010. The mission held talks with the President of Guinea Bissau and other senior government officials and the head of the United Nations Integrated Peace-Building Office in Guinea Bissau.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 32
141. The situation in Guinea Bissau remains fragile. On 1 April 2010, elements of the Armed Forces of Guinea Bissau moved against government officials and the country’s institutions, resulting in the temporary detention of the Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Jr. followed by the arrest and subsequent imprisonment of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Rear-Admiral Jose Zamora Induta. In a Press Release, I called on all the concerned parties of the Armed Forces of Guinea Bissau to exhibit republican discipline. I also urged them to refrain from any action likely to destabilise the normal functioning of the democratically elected institutions. Subsequently, I proceeded to Guinea Bissau to assure the country’s Authorities of AU support and exchange views with the stakeholders, including the military chiefs.
142. For its part, the PSC, at its 222nd Meeting held on 29 March 2010, requested the Commission to speed up the process of opening an AU Liaison Office in Guinea Bissau, in the lead up to the deployment of an AU/ECOWAS Civilian Mission to consolidate peace and stability and provide support towards post-conflict reconstruction in the country in keeping with the Plan of Action of the Special Session of the Assembly of the Union held in Tripoli on 31 August 2009. In this connection, the Commission is working towards early convening of an AU/ ECOWAS joint meeting, broadened to include the UN and the European Union to discuss the modalities for deployment of this mission. In the meantime, I would like to reiterate my appeal to all the stakeholders in Guinea Bissau to contribute, each in his/her own area of competence, to the promotion of peace and security and consolidation of the democratic institutions. I also appealed to Guinea Bissau partners to bring their contribution to bear on the implementation of security sector reform as well as economic and social development of the country.
p) Niger
143. An account of the unfolding situation in Niger had been presented in the PSC Report on its activities and the status of peace and security in Africa for the period January-July 2010. The situation was particularly marked by political stalemate arising from the decision of President Mamadou Tandja to revise the country’s constitution, in violation of the provisions of the county’s basic law and its commitments to ECOWAS. The mediation efforts initiated by ECOWAS with the support of AU, designed to overcome the stalemate were unsuccessful given that the former Government of Niger rejected the draft peace agreement presented on 8 February 2010 by the ECOWAS Mediator, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, whereas the Niger opposition accepted this document with a few amendments. It is worth emphasizing at this juncture that, at the meeting held in Abuja on 29 October 2009, the PSC expressed its full support for ECOWAS initiatives and decisions on Niger.
144. It was against the backdrop of deadlock and mounting tension that the Armed Forces of Niger overthrew the Government of President Mamadou Tandja on 18 February 2010, and set up a Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD). In accordance with relevant AU instruments which systematically condemn unconstitutional change of government, I condemned this seizure of power by force in a Press Release published the same day. I also called for speedy restoration to constitutional legality and
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 33 underscored availability of AU to facilitate such a process working closely with ECOWAS. At its Meeting held on 19 February 2010, the PSC endorsed my Press Release and, pursuant to relevant AU instruments, decided to suspend Niger from participating in the activities of the AU until restoration of constitutional order. My Press Release and that of the PSC emphasized the importance and relevance of the Decision of the 14th ordinary session of the Assembly of the Union on the prevention of unconstitutional changes of Government and the strengthening of AU capacity to address the problem which reposes on zero tolerance not only of coups d’état, but also of violation of democratic standards, the persistence and recurrence of which could lead to unconstitutional changes of government.
145. Immediately after the coup, a joint mission comprising the Commissioner for Peace and Security, the President of the ECOWAS Commission and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in West Africa, proceeded to Niamey to meet with the new authorities in a bid to obtain from them a firm commitment to speedy return to constitutional legality. On 3 March 2010, as a follow-up to the situation and in pursuance of the Decision of the Extraordinary ECOWAS Summit of 16 February 2010, I appointed Professor Albert Tevoedjre, Mediator of the Republic of Benin, my Special Envoy to Niger, so as to accompany the transition process in collaboration with ECOWAS Mediator. Since his appointment, the Special Envoy has undertaken several missions to Niger, enabling him to hold in-depth consultations with the de facto authorities and other relevant stakeholders. He also visited some countries in the region and the European Union in Brussels to facilitate coordination of efforts designed to backstop the process of return to constitutional order.
146. On 11 March 2010, General Salou Djibo, President of the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy(CSRD), signed a decree by which members of the CSRD and the transition Government undertook not to stand in the presidential election. In the same vein, on 7 April 2010, the de facto authorities set up a National Advisory Council with responsibility to organize the transition. This Council has established a one-year transition programme which provides, among other things, for organization of a constitutional referendum, municipal and legislative elections, and presidential election scheduled for 26 December 2010.The swearing-in ceremony of the President elect was set for 1 March 2011.
147. At its 232th meeting held on 17 June 2010, the PSC expressed satisfaction at the detailed transition programme prepared by the de facto authorities in Niger and reiterated its appeal to all the role players concerned to place the higher interest of Niger above partisan considerations which could delay or compromise the transition. The PSC also expressed concern at the food shortage facing Niger and appealed to Member States and development partners to provide the necessary assistance. I fully share the concerns expressed and the appeal made by the PSC.
q) Mauritania
148. In its decision on the PSC Report on its activities and the status of peace and security in Africa, adopted at its 14th ordinary session, the Assembly expressed
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 34 satisfaction at the restoration of constitutional order in Mauritania, and the role played by the Mediator, President Abdoulaye Wade, with the support of the international community, through the International Contact Group on Mauritania, under the auspices of the African Union. The Assembly encouraged the holding of a meeting with bilateral and multilateral partners with a view to mobilizing financial and economic support for Mauritania. It further encouraged the Mauritanian parties to fully implement the Dakar Agreement.
149. The Commission has continued to monitor developments in the situation and will enter into consultations with the Mauritanian authorities and other relevant players to provide the support required to consolidate the progress made following the conclusion of the Dakar Agreement, including promotion of political dialogue and mobilization of the necessary resources towards the country’s socio-economic development. The Commission welcomes the Round Table of Mauritania’s Development Partners held in Brussels on 14 and 15 June 2010 under the auspices of the European Union, and expresses the hope that commitments for assistance would be quickly honoured.
r) Western Sahara
150. The protracted impasse in the peace process for Western Sahara continues to show no signs of yielding, in spite of the efforts being made by the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Ambassador Christopher Ross. From 10 to 11 February 2010, the Personal Envoy convened a second informal meeting between Morocco and Frente POLISARIO in Westchester County, in New York. These talks did not result in any progress. The Personal Envoy also visited the region in March 2010 to solicit the parties’ ideas on how to move beyond the present impasse.
151. In his report on the situation concerning Western Sahara, the UN Secretary-General stated that “neither party is prepared to accept the proposal of the other as the sole basis of future negotiations and that nothing in their relations or in the regional or international environment is likely to occur to change this for the foreseeable future.” On its part, the UN Security Council, on 30 April 2010, adopted resolution 1920, which, among other things, welcomed the parties’ commitment to continue the process of holding small, informal talks in preparation for a fifth round of negotiation, and called upon them to continue negotiations under the auspices of the Secretary-General without pre-conditions, to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. It also extended MINURSO’s mandate by an additional year, until 30 April 2011.
152. The AU will continue to support the efforts aimed at resolving the dispute on Western Sahara on the basis of relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, as well as the Tripoli Plan of Action, which reiterated Africa’s commitment to the holding of a referendum of self-determination that would allow the people of Western Sahara to choose between the independence of the Territory and its integration within the Kingdom of Morocco. The AU will continue to consult with the UN Secretariat and other stakeholders on the basis of the guidelines contained in the Tripoli Plan of Action.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 35 5. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AU BORDER PROGRAMME
153. Implementation of AU Border Programme is in progress. The key event of the period under review was the 2nd meeting of African Ministers in charge of Border Issues in held in Addis Ababa on 25 March 2010. A separate report on the issue has been submitted to Council.
6. PREVENTION AND COMBATING OF TERRORISM
154. As part of the implementation of the AU’s Plan of Action on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism (2002), the Commission has pursued its efforts to finalize the African Model Law on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism. The final draft will be presented to experts from Member States, for subsequent consideration by the Executive Council.
155. Furthermore, the 4th meeting of national and regional Focal Points of the African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) took place in Algiers, from 13 to 15 June 2010. The meeting, which was attended by the Commissioner for Peace and Security, provided an opportunity to review the implementation of the ACSRT Strategic Plan of Activities for the period 2010-2013, adopted during the 3rd meeting of Focal Points in June 2009, including the operationalization of the Centre’s Information System. The meeting also discussed the establishment of an African list of terrorist groups and individuals; it was decided to set up a Working Group to further considered the matter and report to the 5th meeting of Focal Points in 2011.
156. The follow-up to the decision adopted by the Assembly on the criminalization of the payment of ransom to terrorist groups, adopted by the Assembly at its Ordinary Session held in Sirte, in July 2009, featured prominently on the deliberations of the meeting. The participants called on Member States to continue to urge AU partners to fully and unreservedly support the decision by adopting specific legal instruments to consider the payment of ransom to terrorist groups as a crime and to prohibit the release of terrorist detainees in exchange for the freeing of hostages. In that respect, it is worth noting that the Commission is working with the African Group in New York, for the United Nations General Assembly to include this issue on its agenda, with the view of paving the way to the elaboration of a legal instrument. The meeting also stressed the need to ensure that, whenever there is a hostage situation involving non African nationals, the AU is kept informed by the concerned Member State of the process of their release and of the ways it was secured. Furthermore, the meeting requested that the African Model Law being prepared by the Commission includes provisions prohibiting the payment of ransom to terrorist groups. The Commission has included the issue of payment of ransom to terrorist groups in its continued dialogue with international partners, with a view to garnering support for the implementation of the AU decision on the issue.
157. In the context of its continued collaboration and partnership with the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the ACSRT facilitated a number of capacity building programs for the benefit of AU Member States. Furthermore, in June 2010, the Centre was invited to brief the Security Council Counter-
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 36 Terrorism Committee (CTC) on the AU counter-terrorism regime, its activities and its evolving partnership with the CTC. The meeting encouraged UN organs to continue strengthening their relationship with the Centre and to ensure a more efficient coordination of the counter-terrorism technical assistance programs provided to AU Member States.
7. PELINDABA TREATY
158. As Council is aware, the African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty (Pelindaba Treaty) entered into force on 15 July 2009. In conformity with Article 12 of the Treaty, for the purpose of ensuring compliance with their undertakings under the Treaty, the Parties agree to establish the African Commission on Nuclear Energy. Article 14 of the Treaty further states that a Conference of all Parties to the Treaty shall be convened by the Depositary as soon as possible after the entry into force of the Treaty to, inter alia, elect the members of the Commission and determine its headquarters.
159. Accordingly, the Commission is working towards the holding of the First Conference of the State Parties to the Treaty. This Conference, which was scheduled to take place in April 2010, will now be convened in October of this year, to allow the Commission to complete the preparatory work. In this regard, the Commission organized a technical consultation involving the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and African experts, in Addis Ababa, from 31 March to 1 April 2010, to facilitate an exchange of ideas on the modalities and parameters for the establishment of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy, drawing from the experience of the IAEA. This was followed, on 18 May 2010, by a consultative meeting bringing together African delegates to the Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which took place throughout the month of May 2010, in New York. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on the preparations towards the convening of the First Conference of the State Parties to the Pelindaba Treaty.
8. SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS
160. The Commission has continued to make progress towards the development of a continental Strategy on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) as mandated by the AU- Regions Steering Committee on SALW. During the December 2009 meeting of the Steering Committee, the draft AU Strategy was discussed. The revised version will be discussed during the third meeting of the AU-Regions Steering Committee scheduled to take place in the third quarter of 2010, before submission to the Executive Council.
161. The Commission is also collaborating with the Regional Centre on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa and Bordering States (RECSA) on a project entitled “The Fight Against the Illicit Accumulation and Trafficking of Firearms in Africa”. This is a continent-wide project funded by the EU and managed by a Project Steering Committee comprising the AU-Regions Steering Committee on SALW and the Chair of the Regional Police Chiefs Organizations. It is meant to, among others, support the Africa-EU Strategic partnership in the fight against illicit accumulation and trafficking of firearms and explosive materials through enhanced implementing capacity, raise the awareness and knowledge of relevant actors on the legislative and institutional aspects of the fight against illicit accumulation and trafficking of firearms. The Project kickoff seminar took place in
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 37 March 2010, in Nairobi. Regional seminars will be conducted in the various regions of the continent to elicit the small arms issues to be addressed through the project.
9. SECURITY SECTOR REFORM
162. Council will recall that, in January 2008, the Assembly of the Union adopted a decision in which it encouraged the Commission to develop a comprehensive AU Policy Framework on Security Sector Reform (SSR), within the context of the Policy Framework on Post-conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) adopted by the Executive Council in Banjul, in June 2006. As a follow up to this decision, the Commission prepared a Draft AU Policy on Security Sector Reform. From 17 to 19 May 2010, the Commission, in collaboration with the UN Security Sector Reform Unit, held a meeting in Addis Ababa for SSR experts to review the Draft Policy on SSR.
163. Furthermore, during the period under review, the Commission participated in a number of meetings relating to SSR. These include the UNOWA/ECOWAS Regional SSR experts meeting, which took place in Dakar from 17 to 19 February 2010, to develop an ECOWAS approach to security sector reform and security sector governance, as well as the Forum on African Perspectives on SSR, which was held in New York from 13 to 14 May 2010 and jointly organized by the South African and Nigerian Permanent Observer Missions to the United Nations.
10. PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN PEACE OPERATIONS
164. Over the past few years, increased attention has been given to the protection of civilians in multi-dimensional peace operations. This development came as a result of failures by international operations to prevent or adequately respond to widespread and systematic abuses, including genocide, unfolding around there. Both the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly’s Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations have been active in ensuring that peace-keeping operations effectively address the protection of civilians and that peace building initiatives include this issue as a cross- cutting one.
165. It is against this backdrop, and in view of the increasing involvement of the AU in peace-keeping operations, as exemplified by the Missions deployed in Darfur (AMIS), from 2004 to 2007, and in Somalia (AMISOM), since 2007, that the Commission, with the support of the Australian Government and the Asia-Pacific Civil-Military Centre of Excellence, convened an International Symposium on the Protection of Civilians in Conflict Zones, in Addis Ababa, from 3 to 5 March 2010. The Symposium was addressed by the Commissioner for Peace and Security and chaired by Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, former OAU Secretary General and member of the AU Panel of the Wise. It was attended by 150 participants from countries contributing to current AU operations, personnel from UNAMID and AMISOM, as well as by AU partners, including the United Nations and its agencies, the EU, NATO, ICRC and the US. The Australian Government was represented by a high- level delegation. I would like to express the Commission’s appreciation of the support provided by Australia and its commitment to strengthen its cooperation with the AU in the area of peace and security.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 38
166. The Symposium made it possible to review the African Union Draft Guidelines for the Protection of Civilians in Peace Support Missions. The Guidelines aim to provide a framework for developing a consistent and effective strategy to implement protection tasks, in coordination with the host country and local communities. The Commission intends to use this document to provide guidance to AU missions on the ground and inform the elaboration of mandates to be authorized by the Peace and Security Council. In this respect, the Commission, in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Civil-Military Centre of Excellence, is planning a number of follow up activities, including sensitisation workshops for relevant staff and structures. Steps will also be taken to facilitate discussions with Member States and the ASF regional brigades, to mainstream the protection of civilians into all activities relating to peace-keeping operations. In this respect, the Guidelines will be brought to the attention of the 4th meeting of the Specialized Technical Committee on Defence, Safety and Security due to be held in Addis Ababa in October 2010. It should also be mentioned that the Commission participated in the International Forum for the Challenges of Peace Operations, devoted this year to the challenges of protecting civilians in multidimensional peace operations, held in Canberra, from 26 to 29 April 2010.
11. MARITIME SECURITY AND SAFETY
167. Council will recall that, at its 13th Ordinary Session, held in Sirte from 1 to 3 July 2009, the Assembly, in the decision on the Report of the Peace and Security Council on its Activities and the State of Peace and Security in Africa, expressed serious concern at the mounting insecurity in the maritime spaces around Africa and Somalia, in particular; strongly condemned all illegal activities in these regions; and welcomed the initiatives undertaken by the Commission to develop a comprehensive and coherent strategy to combat these scourges.
168. As a follow-up to this decision, the Commission convened a Workshop on Maritime Security and Safety in Addis Ababa, from 6 to 7 April 2010. The Workshop, which was attended by AU Member States, RECs and other AU institutions, as well as by the UN and other multilateral and bilateral partners, was also convened within the framework of other relevant AU instruments, including the Africa Maritime Transport Charter (AMTC). The Workshop provided an opportunity to review the challenges facing Africa in terms of maritime security and safety. In this respect, emphasis was placed on issues relating to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU Fishing), dumping of toxic wastes, arms and drugs trafficking, human trafficking, oil bunkering, piracy and armed robbery at sea, etc.
169. The Workshop stressed the urgent need for renewed efforts at national, regional and continental levels to promote maritime security and safety and ensure that Africa takes responsibility and full advantage of its maritime domain, as part of the overall efforts towards the development of the continent. As a follow-up, the Commission is planning to undertake a series of other activities aimed at raising awareness among the key stakeholders of the continent, mobilizing the indispensable political will, enhancing capacity at all levels, securing the required resources, as well as building partnerships.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 39 Another experts-level meeting will be held before the end of 2010, to review the steps taken towards the promotion of maritime security and safety.
170. It is to be recalled that the Tripoli Plan of Action requested the convening of an international conference to discuss the adoption of an international convention on the phenomenon of maritime piracy and its underlying causes, as well as the promotion of effective international cooperation. The Plan of Action stressed that, in conformity with the Convention on the Law of the Sea, such efforts should ensure the freedom of maritime navigation and preserve the right of States on their Exclusive Economic Zone and their territorial waters, as well as that of local populations to benefit from the resources therein. It is against this backdrop that the AU, through the Commissioner for Peace and Security, participated in the informal meeting on international maritime piracy convened by the President of the UN General Assembly, Dr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, in New York, on 14 May 2010. The participants, who focused their interventions on the problem of maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia, strongly condemned this scourge. At the same time, the meeting acknowledged that any effort to address this problem in isolation from its wider context would not produce the desired result. Indeed, piracy off the coast of Somalia is but a symptom of the complex political, security and humanitarian situation in Somalia, including the enduring climate of lawlessness, poverty, youth unemployment and collapse of state institutions. Illegal fishing and dumping of toxic waste off the coast of Somalia were also key contributing factors to the emergence of this phenomenon. As rightly pointed out by the above-mentioned Workshop on Maritime Security and Safety, there is need to promote holistic approaches to address the issue of piracy, which would involve both security measures at sea and efforts to promote land-based initiatives, i.e. enhancement structures of governance and protection of the livelihoods of coastal populations.
171. The AU is actively involved in a number of efforts to address the issue of piracy, particularly within the framework of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, which was established to act as point of contact between and among concerned States, regional and international organizations. The AU also participated in the Regional Ministerial Conference held in Victoria, Seychelles, on 31st May 2010. In all these fora, the AU is advocating a holistic approach to the scourge of piracy, especially in the context of Somalia. The AU also looks forward to the outcomes of the July 2010 International Symposium on Piracy, scheduled to be held in Mahe, Seychelles.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 40
III. REGIONAL INTEGRATION, DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION
III.1 INTEGRATION AND HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT
1. EDUCATION
172. A new development in the education programme is the establishment of an Education Cluster that brings together agencies working on education in Africa, that will ensure more efficient education development on the continent, under the leadership of the Commission.
a) Higher Education
173. The higher education programme activities are being aligned to focus on the Pan African University project, which epitomizes the revitalization of higher education on the continent and facilitates more coherent resource mobilization for this sub-sector.
174. The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) has requested the Commission to host its Working Group in Higher Education, which will provide additional human resource and technical support to its Education Division. The Association of African Universities (AAU) under the MOA signed in 2007 is continuing with work to produce the AU Compendium of African Institutions of Higher Education.
175. An independent expert is being hired to analyse responses to the African Union Quality Rating Mechanism for Higher Education by institutions of higher education and research. The report will facilitate perfection of the instrument and will be published in the Compendium for African Higher Education Institutions.
(i) The Pan African University (PAU)
176. The Pan African University Project has generated much excitement among African Member States eager to host its central and satellite campuses. It has also attracted much interest and commitment for support from international partners. The COMEDAF IV Bureau members are to be commended for the lead role they have taken to facilitate regional discussions for the identification of host countries for the PAU institutions.
177. Regarding the allocation of the thematic areas, it should be noted that the Bureau of COMEDAF IV met in Addis Ababa from 16 to 18 June 2010 and proposed the following that the following distribution among the geographical regions :
i) Central Region: Governance, humanities and Social Sciences; to be hosted by Cameroon ii) East Africa: Basic Sciences, technology and Innovation; to be hosted by Kenya; iii) West Africa: Earth and Life Sciences; to be hosted by Nigeria;
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 41 iv) For the Northern and Southern regions, the Bureau requested the two regions to consult further and come up with a final choice of the host country in their respective regions for the allocated thematic area by end of August 2010, i.e. Water and Energy and Climate Change for the Northern region and Space sciences for the Southern region.
178. Furthermore, the Bureau of COMEDAF IV requested the Commission to finalise the Statutes of the Pan African University and other relevant documents such as Hosting Agreements and to submit them to the next COMEDAF Bureau scheduled to take place in October/November 2010. UNESCO has continued its active support in this project.
(ii) Mwalimu Nyerere African Union Scholarship Scheme (MNAUSS)
179. One of the First Tranche undergraduate students has graduated. The Second Call, which will cover graduate studies in the areas of Water and Energy Sciences, Climate Change and Education Planning has been posted for the 2010/2011 academic year. The Commission is also managing the Africa-India Capacity Building Scholarship, whereby 75 Africans have been shortlisted to study Agricultural sciences in Indian Universities. Under this Scheme, the Government of India has offered to the African Union 300 scholarships over the next four years.
180. Capacity building is underway to handle the proposed 40 million Euro from the EC to support intra-African academic mobility, including PAU students and staff.
181. The Commission is working with UNESCO to appoint prominent African Historians to the Scientific Review Committee of the History of African project, to facilitate the production of the History of Africa Volumes into school text books.
b) Education Management and Information System (EMIS)
182. The Pan African Institute of Education for Development (IPED), in collaboration with ADEA, has produced the first volume of the African Education Report: “AU Outlook on Education” in February 2010. IPED continues to collaborate successfully with Regional Economic Communities (RECs) who have domesticated the AU Plan of Action; and with key partners such as ADEA, UNESCO and UNICEF. The International Centre for the Education of Girls and Women in Africa (CIEFFA) held a workshop to build capacity for generating and managing statistics on girls’ education.
183. Meanwhile, with support from UNESCO and UNICEF, Statutes are being developed, to bring together IPED and CIEFFA into one Continental Education Observatory.
c) Teacher Development
184. Following successful co-hosting of the UNESCO Education For All Conference in February 2010, the Commission is collaborating with the Global Teachers Task Force to harmonise teacher development initiatives on the continent. A draft continental Teacher Mobility Protocol and Situational Analysis on teacher availability has been produced, and
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 42 the Pan African Teachers’ Centre is contracted to carry out studies towards identification of regional training centres for the enhancement of Science and Mathematics education; and developing an inventory of open source teaching and learning materials for teacher development through Open and Distant Learning.
d) Challenges
185. There’s need to establish a Scholarship Fund to ensure continuity of support throughout the duration of study programmes. Secondly, Member States have shown interest in seconding senior officers to the Commission, which should be encouraged with appropriate expeditious mechanism for receiving and housing such staff.
2. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND ICT
a) African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology
186. The Commission held the fourth ordinary session of the African Ministers Conference on Science and Technology (AMCOST) in Cairo, Egypt from 7 to 10 March 2010. Among the key recommendations are (1) the need to launch an African Union Decade of Science and Technology (2011-2020); (2) the call to Member States, and Development Partners to support the Republic of South Africa bid to host the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project. A full report is presented to the Executive Council.
b) Implementation of Partnership 8 on Science, Information Society and Space
187. The Commission has worked with the European Union through the Joint Task Force and Joint Experts Group (JEG8), and achieved the following:
i. Information Society
188. Africa Connect is envisaged to be financed with € 11.8 million from the EDF and the African Internet Exchange System, € 3 million from the Infrastructure Trust Fund. The African Leadership ICT Programme will receive € 3 million; the African Virtual Campus for Sub-Saharan Africa (€ 10.5 million) and Harnessing Information & Knowledge for Youth Development, € 2.2 million, championed by Finland, Spain and Egypt respectively. In addition, the HIPSSA project on regional harmonization of ICT policy and regulatory frameworks is funded through a €6 million under 9th EDF intra-ACP grant agreement.
ii. Science
189. The AU Research Grant is supported with €15 million to strengthen Africa’s science and technology capacities. The Commission through the European Commission (EC) Exchange Programmes is developing appropriate procedures for grants to be awarded to support Calls for all Proposals covering African Union policies. The first calls for proposal for scientific research will be launched during the EU-Africa November 2010 Summit. The EC launched a € 63 million FP7 Special Call for Africa that covered the project Water and Food Security in Africa of the book of lighthouse projects, with a budgetary contribution of
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 43 €6,5 million to projects on Food and € 17,5 million for environmental component including water management. The rest of the budget will go to projects on Health.
iii. Space
190. The EU and AU Commissions have prepared a draft zero of the Action Plan for the Global Monitoring for Environment Security (GMES) and are planning to hold African consultative and validation workshops.
c) Launch of AU Scientific Awards
191. Awards for the AU Scientific Award Programme will be given in Life and Earth Sciences and Basic Science, Technology and Innovation sectors. At regional level, US$ 20,000 each was given to five women in each of the three RECs.
192. At national level, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Malawi, the Republic of Zimbabwe, and Republic of Egypt received cash awards of its US$ 5,000.00 each for their selected national young researchers. At the Continental level, the Commission granted cash awards of US$ 100,000.00 to each of the two African Scientists selected in January 2010.
d) AU Summit Theme on “Information and Communication Technologies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects For Development”
193. The Fourteenth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union meeting in Addis Ababa from 31st January to 2nd February 2010 issued an Addis Ababa Declaration on Information and Communication Technologies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Development [Doc. Assembly/AU/11(XIV)]. The Commission is currently implementing this Declaration.
e) Biosafety
194. The Commission has published five issues paper on biosafety, and will dispatch them to Member States to support the National Focal Points in the implementation of biosafety. The Commission is preparing for the African regional training course on risk assessment and risk management of genetically modified organisms, and the preparatory meeting for African Delegates to the Third Meeting of the Group of Friends of the Co- Chairs on Liability and Redress in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The course will be held from 9 to 14 August 2010 for Eastern and Southern Africa, and from 13 to 18 September 2010 for Northern, Central and Western Africa. The concept note with content of the training course is produced, as well as a shortlist of lecturers.
195. An important meeting is planned for African Delegates in February 2010. Sustainability of Biosafety issues within the Commission is challenged, as the current project phase ends in December 2010. It is necessary to ensure greater visibility of
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 44 Biosafety within the Commission structures, so as to ensure that the major progress and work done so far in not lost.
3. HEALTH AND SANITATION
a) Health, Nutrition and Population
196. During the period under consideration, the Commission conducted a comprehensive assessment of the progress made in the implementation of the Maputo Plan of Action (2007-2010) on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Africa. More than 43 Member States submitted their respective reports using the Progress Assessment Tool (PAT) developed by the Commission and from which the continental progress report was compiled. The latter was examined and discussed at the AU Experts Conference organized by the Commission in Addis Ababa from 19 to 21 April 2010. The theme of the Conference was “Achieving the MDGs through the reduction of maternal and child mortality in Africa”. The Conference was attended by experts representatives from more than 42 countries, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as well as international organizations and CSOs. The Conference commended the efforts made by the Commission, Member States and other stakeholders in the implementation of the Maputo Plan of Action and recommended the extension of the period to 2015 with the view to further consolidate the gains and experiences of the past five years. The outcomes of the Conference have been considered and adopted by the Special Session of the Conference of Ministers of Health which took place on 15th May 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland, on the margin of the General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO).
197. Another very important activity undertaken during this period is the national launch of the AU Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA) which began in May 2009 at continental level. So far, CARMMA has been launched in 13 Member States and another 8 Member States will join this programme before the end of 2010. Apart from raising increased public awareness, CARMMA has created the opportunity for the AU to directly work with Member States and partner agencies in the reduction of maternal mortality and improvement of maternal, infant and child health on the continent. It has helped to mobilize support from a wide-range of policy decision-makers at different levels. In all the countries where CARMMA was launched so far, its champions include Presidents, Prime Ministers, First Ladies, eminent personalities, including traditional and religious leaders. It has also encouraged Member States to put in place appropriate mechanisms for the prevention of maternal, infant and child mortality.
4. HUMAN AND SOCIAL WELFARE
a) Implementing the AU Policy Framework and Plan of Action on Ageing
198. The Steering Committee on Ageing was formed within the framework of the AU Policy Framework and Plan of Action adopted in 2002, and in line with the recommendation of the 1st Session of AU Conference of Ministers in charge of Social Development that took place in October 2008. The Steering Committee has so far held two
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 45 meetings, the first one having been held in May 2009 and adopted a work plan consisting of the following: a) Linking the AU Policy Framework and Plan of Action of Ageing to the Social Policy Framework; b) Drafting Modalities for the establishment of the Advisory Council; c) Advocacy, lobbying and communication strategy.
199. The second meeting of the Steering Committee was held from 23-25 March 2010, during which the Members drew up a draft proposal of strategies for the creation of the Advisory Council on Ageing. The proposal details were the following for the Advisory Council: i) purpose for establishment of the Advisory Council; ii) its mandate (functions); iii) membership; iv) structure; v) nomination of candidates and their terms of office; vi) the Secretariat for the Council; vii) frequency of meetings of the Council; viii) Financial implications.
200. A final meeting of the Steering Committee is planned for later this year in order for the Committee members to finalize the final report for the establishment of the Advisory Council to be presented to the 2nd Session of AU Conference of Ministers in Charge of Social Development scheduled for 21 to 25 November 2010, in Khartoum, Sudan.
b) Promoting the Welfare of Persons with Disability - African Decade of Disabled Persons
i. The African Decade of Disabled Persons
201. In July 1999, the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government proclaimed 1999-2009 as the African Decade of Disabled Persons and subsequently a Declaration and Plan of Action were adopted to implement the Decade’s objectives. The Decade ended in 2009. Prior to this, the 1st Session of the AU Conference of Ministers in Charge of Social Development in 2008 requested the AU Commission to conduct an evaluation of the progress made and challenges faced by Member States in implementing the Plan of Action and to assess if there was a need to renew the Decade for another 10 years.
202. Pursuant to this request, the Commission sent out a Questionnaire to Member States on the implementation of the Plan of Action of the African Decade of Disabled Persons. Responses from Member States are currently being compiled and developed into a report to be presented at the 2nd Session of AU Conference of Ministers in Charge of Social Development in November 2010.
ii. Restructuring of the African Rehabilitation Institute (ARI)
203. The need to restructure and revitalise the ARI emanated from the 13th Session of the ARI Governing Board and subsequent sessions. In particular, the 17th Session of the ARI Governing Board requested the Commission to assist in the restructuring exercise. A consultant was contracted to carry out the study, which was produced and considered by the 20th Meeting of the Governing Board of the ARI in Windhoek, Namibia, from 4 to 6 March 2010.
204. The Governing Board has requested the Commission to prepare a proposal for restructuring of ARI along with an audit exercise on the ARI accounts to be submitted to the Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the Governing Board which will take place on the margins of
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 46 the 2nd Session of AU Conference of Ministers in charge of Social Development in November 2010. The AUC was also requested to translate the report in all AU languages and be sent to the ARI Member States, as well as the carrying out of financial records. In this regard, the proposal has been drafted and is under discussion.
c) Accelerating the implementation of the Social Policy Framework
205. The Social Policy Framework is a comprehensive policy document that was adopted by the 1st Session of AU Conference of Ministers in charge of Social Development in October 2008 and subsequently endorsed by the Executive Council and the Assembly in February 2009. The Commission is currently preparing strategies for implementation of the Social Policy Framework (SPF) so that Member States can adapt the SPF to put in place implementation mechanisms at national level. The strategies are essential for operationalising the SPF and they will be reviewed by experts before being presented to the Conference of Ministers in charge of Social Development in November 2010.
d) Drug Control and Crime Prevention
206. Drug control and crime prevention have been on the main agenda of the Assembly for two consecutive years, both in January 2008 and January 2009. In January 2008, the AU Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (2007-2012) was adopted by the Assembly. In addition, in January 2009, the Assembly took a decision to alert AU Member States regarding the threat of drug trafficking and associated security threats, and urged the Commission to intensify the fight against drug trafficking in collaboration with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the international community.
207. Since January 2010, the capacity of the Commission has been significantly strengthened to implement the AU Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (2007-2012). A Senior Drug Control Officer was appointed in the Department of Social Affairs, as well as a Project Manager and project management unit staff to implement the Plan of Action in a dedicated project with the UNODC as technical cooperation partner. In March 2010, the Commission conducted a successful regional capacity building workshop for RECs alongside the ECOWAS Commission and international partners on the implementation of the Ouagadougou Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, especially Women and Children.
208. Consistent with the 2010 AU theme of “Peace and Security in Africa”, the Commission shall focus its efforts on inter-departmental cooperation and mainstreaming of drugs and crime prevention measures in the latter half of 2010, in the service of promoting peace and security on the Continent.
e) Labour, Employment and Migration
i. Labour and Employment
209. In the framework of the Africa-EU Partnership on Migration, Mobility and Employment (MME), the Commission held meetings in Brussels in March 2010 with the
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 47 EC on the review of progress on MME partnership. The meetings reviewed progress on the basis of the MME Roadmap (version October 2009), in particular on the following action points:
(i) Remittances (action 6 of the EU-AUC Roadmap): The preparatory phase leading to the establishment of an African Remittances Institute will be supported by one project only and will involve both a consultative and a technical process. The technical inputs will mainly be provided by the World Bank in the framework of the contract awarded by the European Commission, which will also examine; on the basis of the AUC estimates, how to address the likely funding gap to support the extensive consultations and additional capacity building that will be needed in the framework of this project. The project has formally taken off in June 2010.
(ii) Employment (action 28-33 of EU-AUC Roadmap): EC and AUC jointly presented the preparations for the Workshop on Employment, Decent Work and Social Protection which was initially scheduled to be held in Nairobi from 28 to 30 April 2010, but due to technical constraints, the workshop has been postponed to 30 June to 02 July 2010 in Dakar. Experts from AU and EU Member States, international organisations, social partners and civil society are expected to exchange experience and best practices on decent work issues. This workshop is considered an example of the excellent cooperation between the two Commissions.
(iii) Migration issue: Assessment of feasibility of establishment of 'Tripoli Fund' (action 10 of the roadmap). The EC has provided its feasibility assessment in writing in April 2009. The Commission is consulting Member States on this issue, which process is expected to be finalized soon.
(iv) €3 Million Euro Project to Support the Africa-EU Partnership on Migration, Mobility and Employment: The objective of the project which formally took off in April 2010 is to support the implementation of the Africa-EU Partnership on Migration, Mobility and Employment as a strategic policy by providing the partners with an open framework for consultations and capacity building on a flexible thematic and geographic basis. It will focus on the progress made so far in terms of implementing the Tripoli Declaration. The project will facilitate the implementation of the Continental Policy Framework on Migration, particularly the Regional Consultative Process, which is expected to take place in 2010 and 2011.
ii. Human Trafficking
210. The AU.COMMIT campaign was launched in the ECOWAS region in March 2010 to raise awareness of the continued commitment of the African Union towards tackling the problem of trafficking in human beings throughout the Continent. The launch was aimed at communicating the overall objectives and messages of the African Union Commission Campaign Initiative against Trafficking (AU.COMMIT) through media and press coverage.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 48 The AU.COMMIT campaign is aimed at galvanising activities undertaken by the Commission, including global, regional and national initiatives towards more synergized and coordinated action to combat trafficking in persons in Africa. Subsequently, a consultative workshop was held to sensitize the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and ECOWAS Member States on the operationalization of the Ouagadougou Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, Especially Women and Children and to foster effective ways of networking, cooperation and coordination among the REC’s, ECOWAS Member States, and partners to address trafficking in persons in Africa in a more strategic and pragmatic manner.
211. The Workshop also laid the basis for cooperation between the Commission and the RECs in the development of a common and effective monitoring and evaluation mechanism for the implementation of the Ouagadougou Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking.
5. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND SPORT
a) Implementation of the Call for Accelerated Action towards Africa Fit for Children
212. As a follow up to the Call for Accelerated Action on the Implementation of the Plan of Action towards Africa for Children, the Commission is currently developing strategies and benchmarks to assist Member States to implement the commitments made under the priority areas of the Plan of Action on Africa Fit for Children and the Call for Accelerated Action. In addition, the Commission is developing a monitoring and evaluation framework that is comprehensive and also user friendly for Member States to use for reporting their progress in implementing the Call for Accelerated Action. This framework will also be very useful for reporting on all children related activities such as on the Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
213. The Commission is finalising the State of Africa’s Children report. The report focused on and highlighted the priority areas of the Plan of Action towards Africa Fit for Children, and would provide current data from Member States on the situation of children. It is envisaged that the State of Africa’s Children report shall be produced every two years.
b) Implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
214. The Commission notes the progress made in the ratification of the Charter and the submission of Reports on its implementation by States parties, Indeed, 45 Member States have ratified the Charter and 12 submitted their Reports to the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) during the past two years, namely; Nigeria, Egypt, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Togo, Libya and Cameroon. The ACERWC has already considered seven Reports. The Commission strongly appeals to those Member States who have not yet ratified the Charter to do so, and those who have not yet submitted their Reports to accelerate the
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 49 process pursuant to obligations under the Charter and their commitment on the promotion and protection of children’s rights.
215. Pursuant to Decision EX.CL/Dec.489 (XV) adopted by the Fifteenth Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, requesting the Commission to assist the Committee in developing its Action Plan 2010 - 2014. A Consultant was hired to develop a draft Strategic Plan 2010-2014 and to evaluate the mandate and tasks of the Committee and to make proposals to strengthen its capacity. The Report on the Evaluation and the Draft Strategic Plan 2010-2014 have been submitted to the ACERWC Members who adopted them during their fifteenth session in March 2010. A Five-Year draft Action of Plan, covering the same period is being finalized by the Secretariat of the Committee and will be submitted for adoption at its next session.
c) Youth Policy- Decade for youth development and its plan of action
216. The Commission has developed a Plan of Action for Youth Development in Africa, to implement the Decade for Youth Development in Africa adopted through Decision EX.CL/Dec. 468(XIV) in January 2009. The third session of the Conference of African Ministers responsible for Youth adopted this Plan of Action in Harare in April 2010.
i. African Youth Charter and related activities
217. The African Youth Charter entered into force in August 2009 and as at April 2010, 19 countries had ratified the African Youth Charter and deposited relevant instruments at the Commission. 36 Countries have signed the Charter and are at various stages of its popularization and ratification process. A call is made to all Member States that have not yet ratified the Charter to do so.
ii. Youth Participation and the Youth Volunteerism
218. The Commission worked towards the establishment of the African Youth Volunteer Corps in 2010. The Commission has prepared all the necessary operations, rule of procedure, project preparations and documents, amongst others for the establishment of the African Youth volunteer Corps The AU-YVC has been approved during the 3rd Conference of Ministers of Youth held in April 2010.
d) Institutional Capacity Building through the Revitalization of the Pan African Youth Union
219. The Commission has developed training programmes and trained the nominated leaders . The following areas were covered: i) Youth development instruments; ii) institutions and approaches; iii) Communication skills; iv) Strategic planning; v) Policy Advocacy; vi) Leadership and organizational management skills; vii) Conflict management.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 50 e) Youth Empowerment through Non-formal and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
i. Post-conflict countries and non formal TVET
220. The TVET pilot projects in Liberia, Congo and Burundi are proceeding with trainees currently undergoing the internship process, which will be followed by evaluation of the experience. The Commission is expected to fulfil its commitment in financial support, for example disbursement of the second financial tranche.
ii. AU-India cooperation on TVET
221. Under the Africa-India collaboration, the Government of India will support establishment of 10 TVET centres in Africa, by providing technical support, equipment, and paying salaries of trainers during three years; while the African counterpart contribution will be to provide the land and premises. Programmes offered by the centres will include skills training, entrepreneurship and business management; financial and human resource management; and other relevant skills needed for successful entrepreneurship in micro and small business. Member States need to expedite selection of two host countries per each region, after which feasibility studies will be carried out to facilitate implementation of the projects.
iii. Way Forward / Challenges
222. Efforts are needed towards transfer of PYU Headquarters and the establishment of a Liaison Office. Further efforts are needed to:
establish a trust fund for youth development; reinforce the collaboration with partners to ensure sufficient resources mobilization; improve inter-departmental collaboration towards the shared issues and targets; elaborate a strategy to reinforce communication; and develop a mechanism for monitoring, evaluation and reporting on progress.
f) Sport
223. Sport and physical activity is rapidly gaining recognition as a low-cost, but high impact and effective means of achieving development goals. Hence, the need has arisen to reposition the management and administration of sport in Africa to ensure a harmonized and coordinated implementation of sport policies and activities for sustainable development. Subsequently, for three consecutive years, (July 2007, January 2009 and January 2010); the AU policy organs have considered measures to promote the development of sport on the continent effectively. These measures included the adoption of a Policy Framework for the Sustainable Development of Sport (2008-2018) and the consideration of a future architecture for African Sport. Further to the January 2010 Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec.543 (XVI) declaring the AU theme for 2010 as, “Building and Maintaining Peace through Sports in Africa”, the Commission
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 51 conducted a series of inter-departmental deliberations and engaged with the Republic of South Africa, to promote the theme through the celebration of Africa Day in South Africa, as a curtain raising event, two weeks before the kick-off of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
224. A meeting of the Bureau of Ministers and Experts of the 3rd AU Conference of Ministers of Sport (CAMS3) was convened by its Chair, the Honourable Minister of Sport of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on 12 May 2010. The Bureau provided leadership regarding the implementation of the mentioned Council Decision of January 2010, in particular concerning the proposed new architecture for African Sport and integration of the functions of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa (SCSA) into the Commission. During the latter half of 2010, the Commission will assist in coordinating the preparations for the upcoming 10th All Africa Games to take place in September 2011, in the Republic of Mozambique.
III.2 INTEGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF INTERCONNECTIVITY
225. The period under evaluation was particularly marked by the launching of the Technical Assistance provided by the European Union (EU) to the Commission. The Technical Assistance which was long overdue is an important contribution to the work of the Commission as it seeks to build the AUC capacity in the formulation and implementation of flagship infrastructure projects supported by the EU Euro 10 million (Port Moresby Agreement) funds. It is expected that this input would lead to significant achievements in the implementation of concrete infrastructure projects of the Union within the framework of the Africa-EU Infrastructure Partnership.
226. The Commission has also accomplished the first phase of the Institutional Architecture for Infrastructure Development in Africa (IAIDA) which focused on diagnosis of the existing institutional arrangements for infrastructure. As indicated in the previous report, the main aim of this undertaking is to bring about coherence, avoid duplication of efforts and wastage of resources and, hence, maximise the inherent synergies for accelerating infrastructure development in the continent. It is also intended to enhance Africa’s credibility internationally by ensuring that the continent speaks with one voice on its infrastructure priorities and their implementation, including resource mobilisation endeavours. It would, in that regard, provide the necessary platform for efficient implementation of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA).
227. The following parts outline the progress made in the implementation of sector- specific activities in the field of infrastructure and Energy.
1. TRANSPORT
a) Air Transport
228. Preparatory work for the operationalisation of the Executing Agency whose functions have been entrusted to the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) in the
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 52 course of implementing the Yamoussoukro Decision on the Liberalisation of Air Transport Markets in Africa has been initiated with the EU Technical Assistance to the Commission.
229. Another major activity of this period is the initiation of the drafting of the Common African Civil Aviation Policy (AFCAP) which involves the Commission and major African partners in matters of civil aviation. Also, the process of dissemination and distribution of the Guidelines for the Negotiation of Air Service Agreements between African Union Member States and the European Commission (EC) and/or European Union (EU) States to Stakeholders concerned has been completed.
230. The Commission is pursuing its consultation with Member States and other African aviation Stakeholders aimed at conclusion of the negotiation and signing of the AU-EU Joint Statement and Common Framework and Plan of Action on aviation cooperation.
b) Railway Transport
231. The Commission, in collaboration with the Union of African Railways (UAR), which is the Specialised Agency of the African Union in railway matters, has initiated studies on evaluation of the privatisation of African railways, creation of a Railway Development Fund for Africa and harmonisation of training programmes.
232. Three teams of consultants have been formed with the relevant competencies for conducting those studies for periods ranging between three and four months. Following completion of all the studies and production of draft reports, a workshop will be organised to validate the study reports. Thereafter, the final study reports will be made ready for submission to the Second session of the Conference of African Ministers of Transport envisaged in 2011.
c) Transport Corridors
233. The pre-feasibility study of the missing links on the Dakar-N’djamena-Djibouti which began in January 2010 is ongoing under the consultancy firm, STUDI Group. Regarding the Djibouti-Libreville transport corridor, the tender process for procurement of consultancy services has been completed. The awarded consultancy firm SNC-LAVALIN (Canada) has started the pre-feasibility study of this Corridor in June 2010.
d) Maritime Transport
234. Arrangements have been made to submit the African Maritime Transport Charter adopted by the Second African Union Conference of Ministers responsible for Maritime Transport to the 15th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union for adoption as a Treaty of the Union. Moreover, the Commission continues to work extensively with key international partners to monitor and develop strategies and actions to enhance Maritime Safety and Security and combat piracy and armed robbery at sea particularly in the Gulf of Aden as part of the implementation of the Durban Declaration on Maritime Safety, Maritime Security and Protection of the Marine Environment and the Plan of Action on Maritime Transport .
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 53 2. ENERGY
a) Establishment of the African Petroleum Fund
235. Following the Second African Union Conference of Ministers in charge of hydrocarbons (oil and gas) held on 11 December 2009 in Addis Ababa the Commission undertook the activities below:
Preparation of advocacy documents for the mobilization of the necessary resources for the take-off of the Fund;
Presentation on the African Petroleum Fund at the 27th Ordinary Session of the APPA Council of Ministers and to the 4th African Petroleum Congress and Exhibition (CAPE IV) held respectively on 23 and 24-27 March 2010 in Kinshasa, DRC. The APPA Council of Ministers authorized APPA Secretariat and APPA Fund to engage into technical cooperation with the Commission on the operationalization of the African Petroleum Fund;
Preparation of regional training workshops of the AU Member States experts and the AUC staff on the use of “the simulation model” on the impact of oil prices on African economies (financial resources estimated to USD 626,000 still to be provided for the training).
236. By Decision Assembly/AU/8(VI) Add.6, the 6th Assembly of the African Union requested the African Union Commission to convene a meeting of experts to examine the proposal on the establishment of an African Petroleum Fund to mitigate the effects of the increase in oil prices on African countries.
237. The studies and validation process were finalized in December 2009 during the 2nd African Union Conference of Ministers responsible for Hydrocarbons (oil and gas), which adopted a Declaration and a Plan of Action on the operationalisation of the African Petroleum Fund. These were endorsed by the Executive Council of the African Union by Decision EX.CL/563(XVI).
238. In their Declaration of 11 December 2009, Ministers responsible for Hydrocarbons recommended that all African Union Member States and international oil companies doing business in Africa should pay annual contributions to the APF. They requested the Assembly of the African Union to decide whether such contributions should be voluntary or mandatory.
239. Concerning the nature of contributions to APF resources, joint AU/AfDB studies recommended that the minimum contribution should be equivalent to 0.01% of the previous year’s GDP for AU Member States and to 0.05% of the previous year’s profit for oil companies doing business in Africa. International companies are considered according to their continental operations and not by specific country. A sum of two hundred and sixty million US dollars (US$260M) is the minimum required for launching the Fund’s operations.
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240. Although the African Petroleum Fund is a Solidarity Fund, it will require greater commitment on the part of Member States, which should translate into the adoption of an annual mandatory contribution in order to guarantee its viability.
241. Since Member State contributions will be based on GDP, and not only on income from oil and gas, countries with high incomes from other resources or those with strong economies will contribute more to the Fund.
242. For these reasons, the Commission particularly recommends that contributions to APF resources should be mandatory for Member States and for international oil companies doing business in Africa.
243. The Commission requests the Assembly of the African Union to consider the mode of contribution and to decide whether annual contributions of Member States and international oil companies doing business in Africa would be voluntary or mandatory.
244. The Commission also requests the Assembly of the African Union to decide on the establishment and operationalisation of the African Petroleum Fund and recommends that this Fund be lodged at, and managed by, the African Development Bank, as earlier recommended by the First African Union Conference of Ministers responsible for Hydrocarbons and later endorsed by African Union organs in January 2007.
245. Lastly, the Assembly of the African Union is requested to appeal to Member States to take all necessary steps, in particular, to financially support the operationalisation of the APF. b) Hydropower 2020 Initiative Project
246. The Initiative named “Africa Hydropower 2020” aims to promote the exploitation and development of hydroelectric potential of the major river basins in Africa. Following activities are on-going:
(a) Reviewing hydropower policies of AU Member States with the view to analysing all Member States hydropower policies in order to have a global view of the African situation;
(b) Preparing a global strategy for hydropower development based on reviewed hydropower policies, a strategy will have to be drafted considering the existing “Hydropower 2020 Initiative”;
(c) Elaborating an updated status of large hydropower projects in Africa focusing on major hydropower dams associated to various transmission lines projects: Inga III and Grand Inga in DRC, OMVG in West Africa, Mphanda Nkuwa in Mozambique, Gilgel Gibe III in Ethiopia and Kufue Gorge Lower in Zambia;
(d) Supporting the promotion of large regional hydropower projects.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 55 247. Various tasks are planned including, among others:
Sites visits and enhance the database and information system; Conduct meetings with the Governments of stakeholders; Prepare appropriate documents for stakeholders’ information. These documents are those that demonstrate the short, medium and long term actions of the projects; Assess need for training on power purchase agreement implementation as well as operation agreement and if necessary arrange for training on the above issues; Organize meetings of donors to secure financing for each project; Provide information on new financing mechanisms for renewable energy following from the Kyoto and Copenhagen meetings ; Follow up project implementation.
248. A delegation of the Commission led by the Commissioner, Infrastructure and Energy, met on 23 March 2010 with the Minister of Energy of the Democratic Republic of Congo and discussed the AUC’s perspective on the continent energy access and need to develop continent energy resources, specially the renewable sources of energy including hydropower. The AUC delegation visited the Inga hydropower site on 26March 2010. On this occasion, the Commission expressed its readiness to assist countries like DRC to develop their own resources in order to meet the national needs and continental needs.
249. The Minister has manifested that his government is committed to the development of the energy sector and that the INGA project is one of the government’s priorities and welcomed the assistance of the AUC to promote Inga site projects through Euro 10 Million Port Moresby Funds. Exchange of letters between DRC and the Commission took place last March to materialize their commitments. Other similar visits were carried out to Mozambique, to Zambia, to COMESA and to SADC.
c) Africa-EU Energy Partnership
250. Since the launching of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership in Addis Ababa in September 2008, meetings held by the Joint African and European Experts Group has facilitated the elaboration of objectives to be achieved by 2020. Thus, during the coming decade, the parties will combine efforts to :
Provide access to modern energy services for an additional 100 million persons;
Double the capacity of cross-border interconnections, the use of natural gas and of gas exports to Europe;
Set up new production facilities for renewable energies: 10,000 MW of hydroelectricity, 5,000 MW of wind energy, 500 MW of solar energy and triple the capacities for the other forms of renewable energies;
Improve energy efficiency at all levels, starting with the electricity sector;
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 56
Launch a cooperation programme in the area of renewable energy.
251. These objectives are contained in a Draft Declaration to be submitted to the forthcoming Africa-EU Ministerial Conference scheduled in Vienna, Austria, in September 2010.
d) Africa-EU-Brazil Initiative on Sustainable Development of Bio- Energy in Africa
252. Following the recommendation of the Second AU Conference of Ministers Responsible for Hydrocarbons (oil and gas) held in Addis Ababa on 11 December 2009 on the AU/EU/Brazil Initiative for Sustainable Development of Bio-Energy, the Commission consulted Member States by sending them again the Draft Joint Statement in January and March 2010 for comments and inputs. Very few countries sent their comments. The Joint statement is envisaged to be signed in September 2010 in Vienna, Austria, during the High Level Ministerial Meeting of the Africa-EU energy Partnership. Comments are still welcome.
e) Geothermal Regional Programme for the East African Rift System (EARS) Countries
253. The Commission successfully conducted a “three-day” Regional Geothermal Stakeholders’ Workshop, held from 15 to 17 March 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya, in collaboration with the Government of Kenya and German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR). The workshop focused on the eleven countries of the East African Rift System (EARS).
254. The main objectives of the Workshop were to: (i) identify the operational gaps in the EARS countries to develop the geothermal resource in each country; (ii) avoid the duplication of efforts and create complementarities and synergy among the various geothermal support programmes on ground.
255. After completion of the workshop, the Commission took various initiatives to implement some of the tasks of the Action Plan adopted by the meeting. These include: (i) creation of awareness by publishing all the information related to the workshop on the AUC website; (ii) preparation of project concepts with an estimated budget of about US$ 23.6 million on capacity building in the EARS for US$ 4.8 Million and two small scale geothermal energy development projects: Sisali in Kenya for US$ 10 Million and Tindaho in Ethiopia for US$ 8.8 Million.
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3. TELECOMMUNICATIONS, POSTS AND ICT
a) Telecommunications /ICT
i. Harmonization of policies and regulations in the field of Telecommunication and ICT in Africa
256. As part of the implementation of the conclusions of the ICT Ministers, the Commission has carried out the following activities emanating from the Plan of Action:
i) Implementation of the Reference Framework for the Harmonization of policies and regulations in the field of Telecommunication and ICT in Africa: Cooperation with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) within the framework of a project known as “Harmonization of the ICT Policies in Sub- Sahara Africa (HIPSSA)”, which involves 43 countries in Africa and aims at implementing certain activities in line with the Framework, particularly the formulation of regional model guidelines for Telecommunications and ICT regulations and laws.
ii) So far, the major achievement is the finalization and presentation of the comparative study of existing regional policy, legal and regulatory frameworks in Africa.
ii. Pan-African e-Network Project for Tele-Medicine and Tele-Education
257. The Pan-African e-Network project is an initiative of the Government of India, with the main objective of establishing a Pan-African telecommunications network by satellite and fibre optics to provide Tele-medicine and Tele-education and diplomatic communications services to the 53 Member States of the African Union.
258. India offered to fund the project with an estimated budget of US$ 116 million, to be used for the implementation of the network as well as for its operation and maintenance for a period of five (5) years. In addition, India will support the payment of fees to the Indian Universities that will offer courses to 10,000 students, 500 doctors and 1,000 nurses of Member States.
259. As of 10 May 2010, agreement to participate in the project had been signed by 47 Member States of the Union and 116 sites/centres have been commissioned and or integrated to the Network by TCIL the implementing company. A telemedicine center has been installed in the African Union commission HQ.
260. With regards to the usages of the network: (i) 120 Medical Consultations have been conducted, 238 CME Sessions had been held from Indian Super Specialty Hospitals (ii) 698 African students have got enrolled under various courses and 154 live sessions have been completed successfully
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 58 261. The 7th meeting of the Steering Committee held on 19 20 May 2010, in Addis Ababa, agreed on action to undertake on the management and large use of the network.
iii. Creation of African Space Agency
262. Consultants have been hired to undertake the study for the creation of this agency. The report is being analyzed within the Commission and shall be submitted for approval to the 3rd Conference of Ministers in Charge of Communications and Information Technologies to be held in August 2010.
b) Postal Sector
263. As part of the implementation of the conclusions of the Conference of African Ministers in charge of Communication and Information Technologies, the Commission has carried out the following activities emanating from the Plan of Action: (i) Support to PAPU and RASCOM for the implementation of an e-post project; (ii) Preparing projects to be implemented with Universal Postal Union in the areas of courier transportation and money transfer; (iii) Support to the implementation of money transfer in the Eastern Africa; (iv) Follow up of the development of the sector within the Continent through an annual questionnaire; (v) Extension of the field of cooperation to the World Savings Banks Institute (WSBI) with regard to the development of Postal Financial Services in the Continent.
4. PROGRAMME FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA (PIDA)
264. In order to have a more effective framework particularly for the medium and long term development of infrastructure in Africa, key stakeholders including the Commission, the NEPAD Programme, AfDB, RECs, Specialised Institutions and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) have agreed to formulate a single comprehensive continental infrastructure programme known as the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA). This will constitute the overall policy and strategic framework as well as a prioritised and phased infrastructure programme for the development of transport, energy, telecommunications/ICT and water sectors. The programme is to cover a time horizon extending to the year 2030. Elaboration of PIDA is being carried out by a Consortium of consulting firms at a total cost of about Euros 7.781 Million and for duration of 18 months.
265. Funding for the study was completed and the main activities achieved during the period under consideration are: (i) organization of a consultative meeting of PIDA Sponsors (AfDB, AUC, NEPAD) was held on 21 January to consider the ongoing negotiation with the Consortium for the study, the preparation of PIDA official launching event, the selection of the Panel of Experts, the update of PIDA Governance and the overall planning of PIFDA workshops and meetings; (ii) finalization of various legal and administrative documents for the grants and contract for the study (iii) organization of a workshop on PIDA with European Union and the PIDA Second Steering Committee Meeting respectively on 8 April and 9 April 2010 in Tunis.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 59
5. INSTITUTIONAL ARCHITECTURE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA (IAIDA)
266. The implementation of continental wide infrastructure programmes requires strong and institutional mechanisms which are not catered for within the AUC institutional set up. To fill this gap, the Commission has initiated a process to establish an institutional architecture to enable the effective and timely implementation of PIDA with a financial support by the German Cooperation through the GTZ. The model will focus on building strong cross institutional ties and articulations from national to continental level passing by the regional level and from the political decision making level to the implementation level passing by the operational level.
267. The development of the institutional architecture will be done through three (3) components: (i) Institutional, legal, regulatory frameworks; (ii) Resources mobilization and management; (iii) Management and networking.
268. The implementation process will be divided in two sub phases: (i) a quick implementation process sub-phase (9 months) that will lay down needed processes to enable the AUC start immediately pilot infrastructure projects; (ii) a complete sub phase that will operationalize all enabling mechanisms.
6. EUROPEAN UNION-AFRICA INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIP
a) Technical Assistance from the European Union
269. After several procedural attempts, the kick-off of the Technical Assistance occured on 11 February 2010. The Mobilisation of Consultant team as well as the Support to Steering Committee of EU-Africa Infrastructure Partnership is planned. The Inception Report has been submitted to the Commission on 25 March 2010.
b) Organization of the 3rd Meeting of the Partnership Steering Committee (PSC)
270. The 3rd Meeting took place on 7 April 20010 in Tunis. In the Joint Statement adopted, the members of the Partnership Steering Committee (PSC) underlined the need to actively pursue the development and implementation of Infrastructure priorities which are in line with overall regional and continental plans supported by Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and AU-NEPAD and in accordance with Action Plan.
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III.3 INTEGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF FINANCIAL MARKET AND ASSETS
1. THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRISIS: HAVE G20 COMMITMENTS TO AFRICA BEEN HONOURED?
271. More than a year after the London G20 meeting set a precedent in the domain of international cooperation by involving the African Union in its deliberations, to what extent have the decisions of successive G20 meetings been implemented to date?
272. The G20 helped to coordinate macro-economic recovery policies amounting to US$5,000 billion. However, it is hard to assess the magnitude of the impact of these support measures put in place in favour of Africa on global request.
273. The G20 made available to IMF additional resources specifically meant for “the most fragile countries”: increase in member countries’ cumulative reserves in the form of 21.5 billion SDRs in September 2009 and sale of 404.3 tonnes of gold. The IMF was thus able to boost its interventions in favour of the Low Income Countries (LICs) by signing new financing agreements and upscaling the resources of existing agreements. Non- concessional lending to LICs shot up to US$4 billion, in addition to the US$1.5 billion concessional loans (out of the US$6 billion additional resources set aside). In July 2009, the IMF announced an additional increase of loans at very low rate for the LICs, but intended for social protection and rather than for recovery policy. Furthermore, in March 2009, African Ministers of Finance and Governors of African Central Banks observed that US$50 billion had been loaned to Middle-Income Countries, as against barely US$450 million for LICs, which include 20 African countries. Finally, in the absence of a reform of the quota system, any new generalised issuance of SDRs as decided in August 2009 will not benefit Africa, given its immense needs.
274. G20 commitments to development banks have been exceeded: lendings to LICs are expected to hit US$130 billion this year (over 2009-2012), US$70 billion of which will be granted by the World Bank. Loans are expected to peak at US$ 305 billion by 2012.
275. As regards Official Development Assistance (ODA), G20 member countries had undertaken to allocate 0.1% of the recovery plans to Official Development Assistance. However, whereas ODA reached a record level of US$119.8 billion in 2008, the objective of 0.7% Gross National Income by 2015 set by the MDGs is still a long way from being achieved. The UN is of the view that there is still a shortfall of US$35 billion per annum of donor contribution and US$20 billion of Aid for Africa1.
276. The G20 decided to review the debt sustainability framework of the most vulnerable countries. To this end, the Paris Club reinforced the HIPC Initiative and raised to 40 the number of countries eligible for this assistance in January 2010, most of which are African countries. The Paris Club creditors also granted debt cancellation to a number of African
1 In April 2010, Oxfam also revealed that for 2009-2010, the economic crisis reportedly created a shortfall of US$65 billion in 56 countries, only 13% of which have been filled by donations.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 61 countries in 2009. However, the HIPC Initiative eligibility criteria are very restrictive, and the risk of debt crisis remains high in many African countries.
277. As regards transparency, G20 took a clear stand to combat tax havens and to tackle banking secrets. This fight is absolutely essential given the fact that an estimated US$1,800 billion worth of capital escaped from African treasuries between 1970 and 20082. To date, there are no more havens on the black list, and the grey list decreased from 42 tax havens in April 2009 to 20 a year later. States have signed 12 conventions for bilateral tax information exchange and on tax havens, which should discourage tax fraud and money laundering. Having said that, the types of sanction imposable on financial operators working in these tax havens still need to be determined, or at least harmonised world-wide, and it is necessary for the international community to agree on common definitions, particularly on the difference between “tax fraud” and “tax evasion”.
278. In terms of surveillance, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) which succeeds the IMF’s Financial Stability Forum with more members, strengthened mandates and wider missions, and more influence, is a significant step forward. Nevertheless, there remain several uncertainties as to the way to regulate the financial system, the nature of the regulator and the type of incentives to be instituted to tackle the systemic risks and ensure the stability of the system without focusing solely on surveillance of the big businesses. Today, the financial system has again started to function almost as before, and the situation does not seem about to change.
279. In conclusion, with regard to the general reform of global governance, task forces have been set up but no concrete progress has really been made. If the signing of new financial agreements testifies to the IMF’s opening to the Less Developed Countries (LDCs), no modification of the voting system which all the same puts Africa at a disadvantage, is being considered at the present time. At the World Bank, an agreement on the reform of Member States’ representation, concluding the second phase of the “World Bank Voice Reform”, is expected to be signed during the first half of 2010. Even if the G20 now associates the African Union with its meetings, it does not seem to have taken the urgent and vital steps required to effect concrete and visible change to the way the world is governed.
280. Overall, fulfillment of G20 commitments on global recovery and financial system reform seem to be relatively on track, even though the establishment of a more regulated capitalism is expected to take some time. On the other hand, the G20 has not shown a real capability to cushion the impact of the crisis for vulnerable countries and for Africa. This disappointing and alarming state of affairs are a consequent of both lack of political will (promises made have not all been kept yet) and of actual means (the G20 promises to Africa are, in any case, not commensurate with the continent’s problems).
2 According to a study by Dev Kar and Devon Cartwright-Smith, experts at the Global Financial Integrity (GFI), March 2010
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III.4 INTEGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF PRODUCTION CAPACITIES
1. AGRICULTURE (CAADP, FOOD CRISIS)
281. This is a progress report on the support of the Commission to Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development program (CAADP) Implementation in African Union (AU) Member States. It is a contribution to a bi-annual AUC Chairperson’s report covering the period November 2009 to June 2010, which would be used as a contribution to a broader AU Commission report which, on a regular 5 month basis, provides an update on the implementation of programs and projects in pursuit of the objectives and mandate of the AUC as contained in the AUC Strategic Plan 2009-2012.
282. This report gives an account on the agricultural performance on the continent seen from the broader performance of key CAADP targets and milestones of agricultural spending and growth performance. It also gives a presentation of progress along the key CAADP implementation milestones in pursuit of the broader targets of a hunger free Africa, eradication of malnutrition and overall poverty alleviation. The report builds from the previous report in pursuance of the outcome of the theme “Investing in Agriculture for Economic Growth and Food Security”, debated by the Assembly in Sirte in July 2009.
a) Performance in relation to achieving agricultural spending and growth as well as MDG 1 Targets.
283. Specifically, agriculture performance continues to register some progress when looked at trends in line with key performance targets of budgetary allocation to agriculture, growth and poverty reduction.
284. Government spending on agriculture remains a challenge in Member States. However, since the 2003 Maputo Declaration, many African governments have increased their budgetary allocations to the agriculture sector although they have not reached the set targets. Information available indicates that in 2008 and part of 2009, only eight countries - Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Malawi, Niger and Senegal - have reached or surpassed 10% target. Only nine countries are spending between 5 and 10% and 28 countries have devoted less than 5% of their total budgets to agriculture. More importantly, the share of agricultural expenditures has gone up in the large majority of countries since the Maputo Declaration. However, it should be noted that although there has been some progress, Members States should, through CAADP, emphasize spending in key growth drivers so as to enable Africa achieve the intended outcomes as was envisaged in Maputo.
285. Agricultural growth performance varies within and across African countries. Recent trends indicate that there has been an increase in agricultural GDP growth at the continental and regional levels. Agriculture GDP growth rate in Africa in general increased from an annual average of approximately 3% in the 1990s and 2000s to 5.3% in 2008. A similar trend can be observed at the regional level. Even in aggregate terms, this performance is still less that the agreed 6% annual growth per country. By 2008, and as indicated in the previous report, only nine countries have met the CAADP 6% annual
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 63 agricultural growth target. These include Angola, Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal and Tanzania.
286. In terms of poverty and hunger reduction on the continent, Member States are still struggling to achieve Millennium Development Goal number one of halving hunger and poverty by 2015. Estimates from the CAADP monitoring report for 2009 indicate that the continent as whole is not on track towards halving poverty by 2015. The continent’s estimated poverty rate for 2009 stands at 38.6%, which is 9% points above where the continent should be in 2009 to be on track towards meeting the 2015 target. The report shows that while many countries are on track to halving either poverty or hunger by 2015, only Ghana is on track to halving both and achieving MDG1 target.
287. It should be noted that there are still challenges of linking the current levels of agricultural spending to current agricultural patterns and poverty, hunger and malnutrition patterns. The Commission is working with relevant institutions in support of Member States in strengthen the quality of statistics and reporting. This will not only help to strengthen the linkages between the indicators, it will also help in identifying areas where a lot of emphasis is required to achieve the broader medium and long term targets. The fact that Africa, as a whole, is not on track to achieve MDG1, this adds to the sense of urgency towards the speedy and effective implementation of CAADP by Member states.
b) Progress on CAADP Implementation
288. Africa is still facing challenges of hunger, malnutrition and poverty. Although performance in pursuit of the Maputo targets has been less than optimal, recent developments in Member States demonstrate serious commitments and soon, many countries, if not all, will be on track towards reducing and/or eliminating both hunger and poverty.
289. The Commission, working with the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), has been able to mobilize Member States, Civil Society and Private sector including farmers, in the implementation of CAADP. This is why there is rapid appreciation and signing of CAADP Compacts that demonstrate commitments by all national stakeholders in identification of right policies, strategies and programs sufficient for transforming agriculture in Member States. From one country before July 2009, the number of countries that have signed their national CAADP compacts has risen to eighteen, (6 in COMESA and 12 in ECOWAS) within the last 9 months. These include: Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Malawi, Mali, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. Economic Commission for Central African States (ECCAS) countries are progressively embracing the CAADP: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have taken noticeable initiatives to align their respective agricultural and food security strategies to CAADP.
290. In Rwanda, the first country to have signed a compact, has also been the first to complete its post-compact process, with a business meeting in December 2009, followed
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 64 by adoption of its financing plan. As of April 2010, US$250 million, as new money, has been secured out of a total funding gap of US$325 million. Countries such as Malawi and Uganda have finalized their investment plans while Senegal, Togo and Sierra Leone are planning to finalize their Investment Plan Design and present the plans at stakeholders’ meetings which were scheduled to take place on 17th of June 2010. The Commission, NPCA and RECS are mobilizing resources to finance the gaps identified in these investment plans.
291. At regional level, ECOWAs signed a regional Compact signaling commitment of all stakeholders at regional level to key policies, strategies and programs for transforming agriculture in line with CAADP. COMESA is finalizing her regional Compact while ECCAS and SADC have embarked on designing their regional compacts in line with compacts emerging from Member States.
292. The Commission, working with NPCA and RECs, has also made progress in mobilization of, and working with, the Development Partner community towards coordination, harmonization and alignment of development assistance to African Agriculture through CAADP and in line with Paris Declaration on Aid effectiveness and Accra Agenda for Action. As part of this, Africa institutions are being supported bilaterally and through the Multi-Donor Trust Fund in support of CAADP process implementation. Moreover, progress is being made in realization of 2009 G-8 and G-20 pledges in establishment of Global Food Security Initiative and putting in place a Trust Fund, the Global Agriculture Food Security Program (GAFSP), to finance the initiative for Africa on the National Agriculture Investment Plans. Considering the 2009 G-8 and G-20 commitments to the initiative along the CAADP agenda, Africa is keen to participate in the management and implementation of GAFSP within the principles of CAADP.
293. In support of the vision of a food secure Africa within five years articulated by H.E. Prof. Bingu wa Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi and Chairperson of the African Union, in his acceptance speech at the Summit in January this year, the Commission assembled a high level task force of RECs, experts and partner organizations to draft an implementation plan that included several “quick wins.” An important element of this plan is enhanced risk management to protect our investments in agricultural productivity. The Commission, with the technical assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP), is leading the effort to create the African Risk Capacity (ARC). This is a Pan-African Disaster Risk Pool for participating Member States to draw upon for immediate cash in the event of an extreme drought, flood or cyclone. Because extreme droughts do not happen in the same year all across the continent, pan-African solidarity in the creation of a disaster risk pool is financially effective. Preliminary findings indicate a 50% savings from diversification of drought-related losses across Africa. The resources that would be available through the ARC to Member States affected by extreme weather events could not only decrease reliance on the international community in times of crises, but also gives governments the option of purchasing needed supplies in unaffected, producing regions of the continent.
294. The Conference of African Finance Ministers gathered on 29 and 30 March 2010 in Lilongwe endorsed this concept in which Ministers resolve to “support efforts towards
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 65 enhancing national and regional capacities to mitigate exposure to disaster risk through institutionalizing effective financial and other instruments such as strategic grain reserves, budgeted contingency funds as well as through sharing risk across regions.” The Commission looks forward to continuing the collaboration with WFP and other partners to explore the feasibility of continental financial risk pooling in working towards the creation of an African-owned, pan-African Disaster Risk Pool for Food Security.
c) Ten years of progress in the implementation of PATTEC
295. Assembly decision AHG/Dec.156 (XXXVI), which was adopted by the African Heads of State and Government during the Summit in Lome, in July 2000, urged Member States to concertedly embark on a Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign (PATTEC). Within the framework of this decision, the Commission was assigned the task of coordinating activities aimed at implementing the decision, including reminding Member States and mobilizing the necessary action. To fulfil the obligations of this assignment, the Commission established the PATTEC Coordination Office and in collaboration and consultation with the affected countries and various partners, prepared a Plan of Action to guide the implementation of PATTEC, which was subsequently adopted by all affected countries; engaged efforts to increase awareness about the necessity for and feasibility of achieving the objectives of PATTEC; prepared and disseminated publicity and public information materials featuring themes on PATTEC and its objectives; conducted training courses to develop the cadres and technical capacity required to carry out various tasks in the PATTEC initiative; prepared tsetse eradication project proposals for specific areas to guide governments and partners on the identified requirements; was involved in efforts to mobilize resources to support PATTEC activities, including discussions with decision makers and interested partners and organization of partners’ conferences; actively monitored progress in the execution of PATTEC projects; organized technical planning workshops for senior policy officials and national experts to review progress; and convened regional meetings to coordinate and harmonize plans and activities in affected countries.
296. The most effective approach to eliminate trypanosomiasis is through the eradication of the tsetse fly vector. The PATTEC programme is being executed in phased project operations, each aimed at achieving tsetse eradication in a defined area. In recognition of the trans-boundary nature of the tsetse and trypanosomiasis problem, reflecting the need for international cooperation and concerted action where tsetse infestation spans political boundaries, the Commission provides the framework of mediation and coordination under which neighbouring countries that share a common tsetse belt can discuss and agree on modalities of cooperation. Wherever the cooperation of neighbouring countries is foreseen or required, the necessary discussion is arranged under the auspices of the African Union, within the framework of the PATTEC initiative, to agree on the modalities of cooperation in the execution of each joint project.
297. The process of implementing PATTEC has started in several countries and is gathering speed. Following the activities initiated and coordinated by the Commission, a previously neglected disease has been turned into one that is currently attracting attention and receiving support. Most countries have developed plans and strategies for the
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 66 implementation of PATTEC. Several countries have initiated action on the ground aimed at eradicating tsetse and trypanosomiasis. Resources mobilised from Africa’s development partners, notably the African Development Bank, or provided by affected countries, have enabled a number of countries to initiate action. Two (2) countries, Botswana and Namibia, have recently been rendered tsetse and trypanosomiasis – free.
298. The Commission has, in collaboration with the African Development Bank, been involved in efforts to create an enduring framework through which countries engaged in the implementation of PATTEC can receive support. In this connection, the African Development Fund approved the sum of US$70 million to support tsetse and trypanosomiasis eradication activities in 6 countries (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Uganda) in the first phase of the AfDB-supported PATTTEC Programme. The Bank has pledged to provide US$75 million to support tsetse eradication projects in the second phase of AfDB-funded PATTEC programme, involving 12 countries, which are expected to begin in 2011.
299. The Commission continues to drum up action and ensure that the activities necessary for the elimination of tsetse and trypanosomiasis are engaged and sustained. Efforts are underway to mobilize action among affected Member States and engage partners seeking to intensify the implementation of PATTEC. To consolidate the achievements made so far within the PATTEC initiative and enhance the plans and efforts currently devoted to the war against trypanosomiasis, affected countries and partners are urged to urgently respond to the demands of the tsetse eradication campaign and include the obligations of eliminating trypanosomiasis among their development priorities.
300. It is expected that the successful eradication of trypanosomiasis will greatly enhance each country’s efforts and plans aimed at improving human health and food security; eradicating poverty at household, national and continental levels; and increasing agricultural and livestock production in areas presently affected by the threat and prevalence of trypanosomiasis.
2. INDUSTRIAL AND MINING DEVELOPMENT
a) High-Level Conference on the Development of Agribusiness and Agro-industries in Africa
301. The High-level Conference on the development of Agribusiness and Agro-industries in Africa was held in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria, from 8-10 March 2010. The objective of the Conference was to bring African leaders together to consider and endorse specific commitments that will enhance the role of agri-business and agro-industries in promoting food security, employment generation and sustainable economic growth in Africa. The Conference discussed the commitments of African countries in meeting the goals of income growth, increased food security and improvement of social well being. It observed that for Africa to cope with its developmental challenges, it needs to consider innovations that prioritize the development of food security and social inclusiveness. The need to promote economic growth and Africa’s integration into regional and global markets that would lead to sustainable poverty reduction was also highlighted. In addition, it was
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 67 recognized that agriculture would remain an important source of livelihood in Africa. Recommendations made following this debate were unanimously adopted by the Heads of State and Government present. In this regard, appropriate a separate report and a draft decision are tabled to the Assembly for consideration.
III.5 INTEGRATION AND TRADE CAPACITY BUILDING
1. INSTRUMENTS FOR INTRA-AFRICAN TRADE
a) Establishment of a Task Force on Commodities
302. Within the framework of the implementation of the Arusha Declaration and Plan of Action on Commodities, the Commission convened, on 20 and 21 April, 2010 at its Headquarters, a meeting of RECs, Associations of African Producers and Exporters, Representatives of African Commodity Exchanges and UN agencies involved in commodities, with a view to establishing a Task Force on Commodities. After the formal establishment of the Task Force, the latter adopted its terms of reference and elected a Bureau that will work with the Commission which is the Secretariat of the Task Force. the tenure of substantive Bureaux shall be for a period of two years.
303. The main role of the Task Force is to review developments at the national and international level in the field of commodities and act as a “Think Tank” for the effective implementation of the Arusha Plan of Action on Commodities and ensure that African commodities do not serve solely as cheap raw materials to developed countries but contribute to the economic development of Africa in an organised manner and hence reduce poverty on the continent.
304. The Task Force further discussed the implications of the global economic crisis on commodities and recommended the following:
To rethink and reform the functioning of the whole production chain from producers to the market by addressing the various gaps therein so as to increase competitiveness; To address trade financing and investment in commodities to boost production and value addition by providing security, and institutional structures to the sector; To establish mechanisms of stabilizing prices at the global level through global financial market regulation; To build capacity for the whole production chain on such issues as Commodity standards and norms; and, To address the elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers in both inter and intra African trade in commodities.
305. The Task Force also reflected on the implementation of the Arusha Plan of Action and agreed that the Task Force should in its first year focus on the following areas of the Arusha Plan of Action on African Commodities:
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(i) Improving the commodity situation by,
(a) Bringing the importance of the Commodity sector and its crucial role for the development of Africa to the attention of the international community on all possible occasions;
(b) Working in the context of regional and sub-regional organizations to ensure coherence in government policies, to reinforce measures taken at national level and to generate synergies.
(ii) Improving the participation of African producers and business in international supply chains by:
(a) Providing and facilitating the provision of timely, comprehensive, accurate and user friendly information and analysis on all aspects of the commodity production and trade, particularly to small scale farmers
(iii) Commodity exchanges by:
(a) Co-organizing with interest groups, including the private sector, regional and national workshops and conferences on commodity exchange issues and provide support to such events;
(b) Sponsoring the writing of technical papers on practicalities of commodity exchange development in the African context , including a set of best practices and guidelines with respect to areas such as currency controls, intra regional trade, ownership rights and taxation of commodity exchange transactions.
306. The Task Force further agreed on a work programme for future activities as well as on the theme for the next meeting which should revolve around strategic thinking with regard to Africa’s commodities, taking into account the activities identified for implementation in the short term.
b) Fourth Technical Working Group workshop on the Harmonization of Rules of Origin
307. The Fourth Technical Working Group workshop on the Harmonization of Rules of Origin was held from 5 to 6 May 2010 in Cotonou, Benin. The objective of the meeting was to pursue the groundwork already initiated within the framework of the establishment of the Continental Customs Union as envisaged by the Abuja Treaty. In carrying out this task, due account was taken of the developments in the Tripartite Negotiations between COMESA, EAC and SADC and other harmonization efforts being done by other RECs. The workshop has agreed on a first draft of the Continental Rules of Origin but however, certain provisions were bracketed pending consultations at regional and national levels. The workshop also unanimously agreed that its findings and conclusions will be of great
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 69 assistance in regard to the pursuit of the work at the Tripartite level and similar forthcoming initiatives in other regions of Africa.
2. MULTILATERAL TRADE RULES NEGOTIATIONS (EPA, WTO)
a) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Coordination Meeting
308. In accordance with Council Decision Ex. CL. 509 (XV) Rev 1, the Commission continued to coordinate positions of African EPA negotiating groups. In this regard, it organised a coordination meeting with the RECs and other partners on 20 and 21 May 2010 in Abuja, Nigeria. It is evident that no African country or region will be in a position to conclude a full and comprehensive EPA soon because of some issues of concern that still need to be clarified with the EU. The coordination meeting reiterated the need for EPAs to build upon and not undermine the regional initiatives that are in place. In addition, no country should be pressurized to sign EPAs that go against their development interests but rather alternatives to EPAs should be sought.
III.6 ROLE OF ALL ACTORS IN STRENGTHENING THE INTEGRATION PROCESS (PUBLIC SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR, CIVIL SOCIETY, DIASPORA)
309. The activities of the Commission with respect to African Citizens and Diaspora focused on the following areas: Interfaith Dialogue, Advancement of AU Diaspora Initiative, CSO participation and support for the Africa-EU Strategy for Africa’s Development, capacity support for ECOSOCC and a Training Workshop for CSOs on Understanding the African Union.
a) The Interfaith Dialogue
310. In the area of shared values, the Commission continued with preparations towards the convening of the First Interfaith ((Ecumenical) Dialogue. A meeting of the Steering Committee of the Interfaith Groups formed at the inaugural meeting all faith-based groups convened by the AU in 2009 met, as agreed, in Abuja from 11 to 12 March 2010. The purpose was to discuss issues pertaining to the convening of the main Interfaith Dialogue later in 2010. In this regard, the Committee deliberated and took decisions on the purpose and objectives of the Interfaith Dialogue Forum, its role and inputs as a Committee, the precise timing and dates of the dialogue, the scope and size of participants, the criteria for the choice of these participants, invited guests and observers, participation of the host government, expected outcomes, the work programme and other related preparatory measures.
311. The Committee decided that, amongst others, the objectives of the main Interfaith Dialogue would be to: develop an inclusive, practical and sustainable working relationship between the AU and faith-based organizations capitalizing on their shared values and mutual interests and agreed that the theme of the Dialogue should be “Advancing Justice, Peace, Security and Development: Harnessing the Power of Religious Communities in Africa”.
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312. Further to these, preparations and arrangements have been finalized for holding the interfaith Dialogue in Abuja, Nigeria from 14 to 16 June 2010. The meeting intended to bring together about 100 representatives of religious groupings in the continent and expected to attract official representation of the Nigerian Government at the highest level. The meeting is to conclude a Political Declaration including an institutional framework and Plan of Action that will engender active collaboration between the AU and continental faith- based organizations in support of the peace, security and development agenda of the Union.
b) Advancement of the Diaspora Initiative
313. As part of the Commission’s efforts to promote shared values that will support the peace, security and development agenda of the continent, it has intensified efforts to implement the AU’s Diaspora initiative. It is continuing negotiations with the World Bank and other relevant national and international bodies to harness support for this programme. As part of this process, the Commission participated vigorously in the World Bank Diaspora Day on 25 February 2010. In addition, the US mission to the AU, in cooperation with the Global African Diaspora Union organized a Diaspora Talks Forum on the margins of the 1st Annual US-African Union High Level meeting in Washington DC on 22 April 2010 at which a comprehensive vision for a more effective partnership between the AU and the Diaspora and role and obligations of youths in this context was discussed. The Open Forum which involved the Pan-African Youth Union provided an opportunity for close interaction with the African Diaspora as well as a platform for reviewing its objectives and programmes. It also provided a context for establishing the guiding principles that should guide the interactive encounter of this process as well as key institutions that would need to play vital roles in ensuring its success.
314. Within the African Union itself, the Commission continues to develop and consolidate global programmes that would assist the realisation of AU objectives in this regard. The Commission continues to collaborate with the Government of South Africa with a view to organising the Global Diaspora Summit in the near future. Work is also continuing apace on the establishment of regional Diaspora networks where they do not exist such as Europe, South and Central America and the Middle East while existing networks in the Caribbean and elsewhere are being further consolidated. The Diaspora consultation processes are continuing in New York in late October 2010 while a Middle East Consultation is being planned for November/December 2010. Discussions are also being held with a view to establishing a pilot project for a Diaspora Volunteer Corps.
c) CSO Participation in the Joint Africa-EU Strategy for Africa’s Development
315. Involvement of civil society in all the phases of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy is a key component of the joint strategy. Consequently, the Commission has facilitated the involvement of African CSOs in all the phases the Joint Strategy has undergone to date. It was in furtherance of this that it convened the third annual AU-CSOs Consultation on the AU-EU Joint Strategy in Abuja, Nigeria from 15 to 17 March 2010 on a back to back format
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 71 with the Interfaith Dialogue. The purpose of the Consultation was to review the state of play of the Africa-EU partnership, including its implementation strategy, situate and assess the role and relevance of civil society participation in this context, work out modalities for an intercontinental CSO dialogue that would strengthen and consolidate the framework of civil society involvement in this process, explore ways and means of promoting greater interface among all relevant actors including States Parliaments, civil society, research institutions and to feed all these interconnected issues into the framework of preparations for the next Africa-EU Summit scheduled to take place in Tripoli in November 2010. The Consultation was attended by a broad spectrum of African CSOs consisting of CSO Steering Committee established specifically for the Africa-EU Joint strategy and representatives of other groups such as the Trade Union, academia, youth and the media.
316. The meeting reviewed the state of play with regard to the partnership and came to the conclusion that the Partnership has been more satisfactory to the Europeans than to Africans. This they attributed to differences in expectations. The focus of the Europeans is on the political dimension with a view to promoting dialogue while the African side has focused more on seeking concrete impact at the development level. There is thus a need to have an implementation strategy that is more balanced and integrative that blends the attitude/expectations of the two continental partners. It acknowledged the progress that has been made with regard to involving more stakeholders like the civil society and Parliaments in both continents but argued that much more needed to be done in this regard. As such, civil society participation in the process should be expanded and it should be organized at four levels: local/grassroots, regional, continental and intercontinental levels.
317. The Consultation also welcomed the idea of an intercontinental CSOs meeting between African CSOs and their European counterpart but agreed that for the intercontinental Forum to achieve its objectives, it must be guided by a sense of realism and incorporate the value of equality on partnership as enshrined in the Lisbon Declaration. Both the African CSOs and European CSOs share certain values but also diverge in their adherence to certain principles based on the demands of their various environments. The intercontinental Forum should therefore be prepared with these points in mind.
318. The result of the Consultation informed the outcome of the Joint AUC–EU Task Force meeting held in Brussels from 17 to 18 March 2010 between representatives of the African Steering Group under ECOSOCC leadership and the European Steering Group. The two sides agreed on the need for a preparatory meeting to jointly develop the agenda and work programme and an intercontinental CSO Forum thereafter. The Joint Task Force endorsed the agreement with an assurance that the two Commissions will do whatever they can to support the process. Since that meeting, further discussions have taken place between the African and European Steering Group and a preparatory meeting was envisaged in late June 2010 in order to set the pace for an intercontinental CSO Forum in September or October 2010. In addition, the two sides are planning an intercontinental pre-summit meeting prior to the upcoming AU-EU Summit in November 2010.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 72 d) Capacity Support for the Operationalization of ECOSOCC
319. In the period under review, the Commission, assuming the Secretariat to ECOSOCC through CIDO Directorate, continued to provide capacity support for the effective operationalization of the organ. Towards this end, it facilitated the holding of two meetings of ECOSOCC. One was the meeting of the Secretariat with the Presiding Officer of ECOSOCC to draw up an agenda and work programme for ECOSOCC in 2010 and the other was the Credentials Committee meeting. The meeting with the Presiding Officer agreed on a draft work porgramme that places emphasis on completion of outstanding elections and commencement of preparations for the next cycle of elections for the General Assembly in 2012, the operationalization of the clusters and ECOSOCC interaction with the other organs of the AU and Departments of the AUC. All of these were to be considered by the Standing Committee that was scheduled to take place in Yaounde, Cameroon from 4 to 5 June 2010.
320. The meeting of the Credentials Committee was also held in Cairo, Egypt in mid April 2010 and key decisions were taken on elections, media and communications strategy and revision of the ECOSOCC Statutes pending the approval of the Standing Committee in June 2010.
e) Understanding the African Union: Training Workshop for CSOs
321. As part of its mandate to ensure effective participation of civil society in the activities of the African Union, the Commission commenced a programme of training/familiarizing civil society organizations across Africa with various African Union Organs, Institutions and processes in order to enhance their ability to interact with it. The first of such training workshops was held in Kampala, Uganda from 5 to 7 April 2010 in conjunction with Oxfam International, Addis Ababa Office. The training featured about 40 CSOs representing the broad spectrum of African civil society and spread across the continent. The training featured lessons on African Union Commission, ECOSOCC, the PRC, Executive Council and the African Court. On the whole, the inaugural training of CSOs was a huge success based on written assessment and informal communication of participants. Indeed the wider CSO community has requested for more of such training sessions in view of its invaluable contribution to a better understanding of the AU, its organs and decision-making processes. Accordingly, the Commission intends to increase the number of such training courses within the framework of the approved programme budget for 2011.
III.7 PARTNERSHIPS AND RELATIONS WITH THE WORLD
1. ON-GOING PARTNERSHIPS
322. In accordance with Decision EX.CL/Dec.512 (XV), the Commission undertook a number of steps towards actualizing the overarching objectives and benefits of Africa’s partnerships in relation to Africa’s development agenda. Accordingly, the Commission has faithfully implemented this directive in developing relations with different international Partners in different regions of the world, particularly with India; Countries of South
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 73 America, the European Union; Turkey; League of Arab States; the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). Organization of American States (OAS); Australia and USA.
a) Africa - India Forum Summit
323. The Delhi Declaration of 9 April 2008 mandated Africa and India to jointly develop a Joint Plan of Action and an appropriate follow-up mechanism. The draft harmonized and comprehensive framework was considered and adopted by the Multilateral Cooperation Sub-Committee and the Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC). It was subsequently discussed and agreed upon by both African and Indian Officials in May 2009. This Africa-India Plan of Action aims at reinforcing the cooperation in a wide range of fields as support to the already existing bilateral cooperation between the two sides.
324. The Plan of Action was launched in New Delhi, India, on 10 March 2010, during which the African and Indian sides used the opportunity to renew their commitments to fully implement the Joint Plan of Action in order to record substantial deliverables in the count-down to the Second Forum Summit scheduled for 2011.
325. Council will recall that under the adopted Joint Plan of Action of the Framework for Cooperation, the Indian Government has proposed to provide support to Africa in a number of areas, including the establishment of four (4) Institutes and ten (10) Vocational Training Centers, as well as the setting up of a Pan-African Stock Exchanges in Africa.
326. It is worth pointing out that Africa is yet to arrive at a decision with respect to the location of the five institutions and ten vocational training centers (VTCs) that India has offered to establish in Africa. The Commission is waiting for the African side to conclude the process of selecting the locations for the institutions and the VTCs.
327. In the meantime, there is need for a sustained popularization of the Africa-India cooperation framework in terms of the inherent opportunities therein, in order for peoples of both sides to access the programmes and activities for their maximum benefits.
328. Finally, a significant achievement was recorded during the first half of 2010, which is the successful selection of candidates to benefit from the Indian government offer of scholarships in the field of agriculture to 25 Doctoral students and 50 Masters Degree students in Indian universities in the coming academic year.
b) Follow-Up to the Second Africa - South America (ASA) Summit
329. It would be recalled that the Second Africa-South America (ASA) Summit was held in Margarita Island, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, from 22 to 27 September 2009. The Summit adopted the Nueva Esparta Declaration and mandated the Senior Officials of the two sides to harmonize their different texts and come up with an agreed Implementation Programme within six months from the end of the Summit for consideration and adoption by Ministers of Foreign Affairs of both sides, on the margins of the next UN General Assembly in New York in September this year. With respect to the Harmonization of the Implementation Programme, in accordance with the Summit decision, the South American
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 74 side conveyed to the Commission a merged Implementation Programme, which is still being considered by the African side through the eight Working Groups. It is hoped that the harmonized Implementation Plan will be considered by the Senior Officials in order for the ASA Foreign Ministers to consider and adopt it on the margins of the next United Nations General Assembly Session in New York in September as directed.
330. Venezuela invited the African Union to participate in the Inauguration Ceremony of the Presidential Strategic Working Group and the ASA Permanent Secretariat in Venezuela, firstly on March 16 and 17 and, subsequently on 8 or 14 April 2010, and submitted the draft Statutes of the two proposed ASA institutions. The two drafts were referred to the Sub-Committee on Multilateral Cooperation of the PRC in early April 2010 which recommended that the Policy Organs should provide the necessary political guidance on the matter before any further necessary action could be taken, especially because of the financial implications involved.
331. With respect to the meeting of the Coordination Mechanism, the Commission has proposed that the meeting should take place in order to consider a number of outstanding issues, including the Joint Implementation Plan, exchange of views on the draft Statutes which could facilitate decision making by the AU Policy Organs, modalities for holding a Summit meeting and its organization; ASA calendar of meetings; strategies for improving the Coordination Mechanism; and the role of Africa’s representatives in South America in the ASA process, among others. Venezuela has proposed to consult all concerned parties with a view to securing their concurrence for her to host the meeting within the first half of this year.
332. It should also be noted that a meeting took place in Caracas, Venezuela, on 19 April 2010, between the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister for Africa, where all the issues above- mentioned were discussed.
333. In view of the foregoing, the Council is kindly invited to consider the South American proposal to establish the Presidential Strategic Working Group and the ASA Permanent Secretariat, and to pronounce itself on them.
c) Africa - European Union Partnership
334. The Tenth meeting of the Africa-EU Joint Task Force (JTF) was held from 18 to 19 March 2010 in Brussels, Belgium. The meeting highlighted the progress in the traditional AUC-EC dialogue and cooperation and in the implementation of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy. It also renewed prospects and expressed concerns that many activities contained in the current Action Plan have not recorded sufficient progress.
335. The meeting identified some critical challenges of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy that require urgent attention, including the need to improve the JEGs' functioning; the problem of resources; inadequate involvement of stakeholders; and poor communication. For an evaluation of the effectiveness of the actions undertaken, the meeting also highlighted the importance of viable statistics.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 75
336. Furthermore and within the framework of the Africa-EU Dialogue, the 14th Ministerial Meeting took place in Luxembourg on 26 April 2010. The exchanges of views focused on the Implementation of the Joint Strategy and preparation for the 3rd EU Africa Summit, Peace and Security issues of common concern, Development challenges which include: Climate Change, Energy and infrastructure, MDGs, Agriculture and food security as well as Economic and financial crisis.
337. The First College-to-College meeting between the two Commissions since the new European Commission was installed took place in Addis Ababa on 8 June 2010. The meeting was attended by the Chairperson of the AUC, the Deputy Chairperson and all the eight Commissioners on the African side, while participation on the EC side included the President of the Commission, a Vice President and nine other Commissioners. The meeting afforded the two Commissions the opportunity to exchange views on the partnership between them, and between Africa and the EU, as well as preparation for the forthcoming Africa-EU Summit.
338. With regard to the institutional cooperation between the two Commissions, significant achievements have been recorded in the area of administrative cooperation and, more particularly, in the areas such as capacity-building, training visits, staff exchanges and linguistic cooperation.
d) Africa – Turkey Partnership Summit
339. It is to be recalled that the First Africa – Turkey Summit that was held in Istanbul, Turkey, in August 2008, mandated the Senior Officials of the two sides to finalize an implementation Plan within one-year from the end of the Summit. In this regard, the Sub- Committee and the Commission have since considered the original draft text received from the Turkish side, which did not adequately emphasize the continental dimension of the partnership and did not highlight concrete projects and programmes that would benefit the peoples of Africa and Turkey. The Sub-Committee and the Commission are still working to improve the document and will meet the Turkish Authorities to finalize the text.
e) Afro-Arab Cooperation
340. The activities of the Commission in relation to Afro-Arab Cooperation were focused more on the preparations for the 2nd Afro-Arab Summit planned to be held in Tripoli, Libya, towards the 2nd half of October 2010. The 2nd Summit, which is to be held after a long interval of more than 33 years, is expected to give Afro-Arab Cooperation a new strategic direction and endorse Joint Action Plans in selected priority areas such as Agricultural Development and Food Security and Promotion of Investment Exchanges. Cooperation in the areas of Peace and Security, Environment and Human Resource Development as well as social and cultural programs will also be among the priority issues to be considered by the Summit.
341. In this connection, it is worthy to note that the Commission is making every effort to ensure that the Preparatory Committee of the Summit, composed of Senior Officials from
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 76 eight African and Arab Countries as well as the AU Commission and the League of Arab States, discharges its task successfully.
342. Accordingly, the Preparatory Committee has held three meetings, namely: at the Headquarters of the League of Arab Stats in Cairo, Egypt on 17 January 2010, Addis Ababa on 27 February 2010., and Tripoli, Libya, from 26 to 27 April 2010. It has so far agreed to submit to the Summit for consideration, documents on Joint Action Plan on Agricultural Development and Food Security; Joint Action Plan on Investment; Water Development; Energy; Oil and Gas; Infrastructure; Human Resources Development, as well as Trade and Economic Development.
343. The Preparatory Committee has endorsed the logo of the Summit proposed by the League of Arab States. It has also agreed to prepare draft declarations and resolutions to be adopted by the Summit.
344. The 14th Session of the Standing Commission for Afro-Arab Cooperation was also held at the Headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo, Egypt, on 4 March 2010. It took note of the preparatory Committee’s Reports and highlighted major issues that required attention.
345. At its 3rd meeting held in Tripoli. Libya in April 2010, the Preparatory Committee endorsed the proposal by the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) to organize a High-Level Forum on Investment and Trade in Tripoli, Libya in September 2010. The Forum is intended to bring together, heads of African and Arab National and Regional Financial Institutions, Funds and the private sector to discuss trade and investment prospects in the two regions. Studies on Afro-Arab Cooperation in the areas of Investment, Trade, Agriculture and Food Security, Water Development, Infrastructure, Energy, Oil and Gas and Human Resources Development will be discussed during the Forum. The Forum will also be used to mobilize resources for priority projects. The Report and Recommendations of the Forum will be considered by the 2nd Afro-Arab Summit.
346. The Commission, in collaboration with the League of Arab States, also facilitated the development of two Joint Afro-Arab Action Plans in the areas of Agricultural Development and Food Security and Investment Promotion and Exchange.
347. The Joint Action Plan on Agricultural Development and Food Security was endorsed by the Joint Afro-Arab Ministerial Meeting on Agricultural Development and Food Security held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt from 14 to 16 February 2010. This meeting discussed the agricultural and food security situations in the two regions, focusing on issues such as water shortage, climate change, gender and land management and use. The report on the Joint Ministerial Meeting is submitted in detail under a separate document.
348. At the end of its deliberation, the Ministerial meeting adopted a Joint Action Plan (JAP), composed of four core initiatives namely Agricultural Intensification (food supply shifters), Emergency and Strategic Food Reserve, Infrastructure and Trade and Agricultural Research Development and Technology Transfer Initiative. JAP also includes two cross cutting issues namely Climate Change and Capacity Building. Under each initiative, focus areas of cooperation are identified and specific activities are elaborated.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 77
349. The Sharm El Sheikh meeting also endorsed the establishment of a Facilitation Unit to coordinate and follow up implementation of the Joint Action Plan and called upon the African and Arab financial institutions to consider financing it. The Commission and the League of Arab States are currently undertaking a follow up action with the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, based in Khartoum, Sudan, to formulate a detailed proposal on the structure, mandate and financing mechanism of the facilitation Unit.
350. The second Joint Action Plan on Afro-Arab Investment Promotion and Exchanges was developed by a High Level Experts meeting on Prospects of Investment in Africa and the Arab regions convened in Cairo, Egypt from 19 to 21 April 2010. Representatives of Regional Economic Communities, African and Arab Financial Institutions, National and Regional Funds and Investment Promotion Intermediaries as well as relevant experts from the Commission and the League of Arab States participated at the meeting. The meeting was co-sponsored by the African Development Bank and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).
351. The High Level Experts meeting critically examined the report of the consultants on opportunities, challenges and prospects of investment in the two regions and endorsed a Joint Action Plan aimed at facilitating investment promotion and exchanges between the two regions. The Action Plan concentrated on provision of information, monitoring of the investment environment, addressing financing difficulties faced by investors and improving and harmonizing investment policies of the two regions.
352. The Joint Action Plan on Agricultural Development and Food Security and the Joint Action Plan on Afro-Arab Investment Promotion and Exchanges will be presented for the consideration and endorsement of the 2nd Afro-Arab Summit.
353. With regard to the Afro-Arab Policy Organ and Inter-Secretariat coordination meetings, in the past six months, the Commission in collaboration with the League of Arab States, convened 14th and 15th Ordinary Sessions of the Standing Commission for Afro- Arab Cooperation (SCAAC) and held the 5th African Union/League of Arab States Annual General Cooperation Meeting in Cairo, Egypt. A report on this meeting is submitted separately for consideration.
354. Furthermore, the 5th AU/LAS Annual General Cooperation Meeting, which was held in Cairo, Egypt on 17 January 2010, reviewed progress of on-going joint projects and examined and endorsed new proposals for cooperation for 2010 and beyond. The new areas of cooperation include climate change, peace and security and establishment of joint Afro-Arab Chamber of Trade and Industry.
f) Relationship between the African Union Commission and the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Conference
355. It will be recalled that a two-member delegation from the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) met with officials of the AU Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 78 22 to 23 October 2008. All the Departments and Units of the Commission participated in that meeting. One of the conclusions of the meeting was an agreement to revise the draft Memorandum of understanding (MoU) that had been concluded between the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Secretary and the OIC in 2000, but which was never signed.
356. I am delighted to indicate that the Commission has revised the 2000 Agreement and the OIC in turn has made some comments on the draft of the Commission. Both Organizations are waiting for finalization of the draft for signature by the AUC Chairperson and the OIC General Secretary.
357. It should be noted that the OIC is made up of 57 members out of which 26 are AU members and 22 are members of the League of Arab States (LAS). It also has 21 affiliated organizations and agencies, including the Islamic Development Bank, all of which would be brought into the partnership between the AU and OIC, partnership which is expected to generate mutual benefits for the two Organizations.
g) Relationship between the Commission of the African Union and the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS)
358. It will be recalled that the African Union Commission and the Organization of American States (OAS) have signed a MoU in Washington DC on 1st October 2009. It was agreed at that time to finalize a draft Plan of Action that would be developed by both Organizations.
359. In this respect, Ms Sherry Stephenson, Head of Institutional Relations, Department of International Affairs, Organization of American States (OAS) has visited the African Union Commission Headquarters (AUC) between 31st March and 2nd April 2010. During the visit, she has had substantive exchanges with the Office of the Chairperson as well as with various Departments of the Commission.
360. A follow up meeting between the African Union Commission and the Organization of American States (OAS) General Secretariat was held at the OAS Headquarters, on the margins of the AUC visit to Washington, DC, for the first AU-USA High Level Bilateral Meetings. The aim of the programmatic exchange was for the two Organizations to better understand ongoing work of each organization in specific areas, as well as to discuss ideas for strengthening ongoing and future additional collaboration.
361. During substantive exchanges, the OAS staff and the AUC delegates put forward ideas for furthering mutual cooperation between the two organizations in the areas of democracy, electoral observation, human rights and social development. Additionally, suggestions were made for undertaking new cooperation in areas centering on the promotion of Women’s rights, outreach to Civil Society and conflict resolution, among others. Agreement was reached on the holding of the second “Democracy and Human Rights Forum”, tentatively planned to take place in Addis Ababa in early 2011, as agreed at the first “Democracy Bridge Forum” held in 2007.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 79 h) Cooperation between the Commission of the AU and the Commonwealth Secretariat
362. It is recalled that in order to formalize the cooperation taking place between the Commission of the African Union (AUC) and the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, UK, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), was signed in Addis Ababa on 31 October 2009. That MoU replaced the one signed with the OAU General Secretarial several years earlier and spells out the areas of cooperation the two organizations would like to engage in. Until recently, not much was done to implement the MoU. However, the first major step to do this was taken in December 2009, when an AUC delegation met with Officials of the Commonwealth Secretariat. That meeting prepared the ground for a follow-up meeting in Addis Ababa which took place on 4 February 2010, where a Commonwealth Secretariat delegation had wide ranging discussions with a wide spectrum of Departments and Units of the Secretariat.
363. Among other things, the two organizations identified the broad areas of cooperation the AUC and the Commonwealth Secretariat would engage in. However, it was agreed that action would first focus on areas where cooperation already exists. These include election monitoring and observation, governance and related matters, trade issues and capacity building. Additional exchanges have taken place since the February 4 meeting and there are great prospects for an extremely mutually beneficial relationship between the AUC and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
i) AUC – AUSTRALIA Relations
364. During the period under review, the Deputy Chairperson of the Commission, Mr. Erastus Mwencha, undertook a mission to Australia from 15 to 18 March 2010 at the invitation of the Australian Government. While in Australia, the Deputy Chairperson met with a wide spectrum of sector representatives, ranging from senior government Officials to the private sector and academia. His discussions focused on issues relating to Peace, Security and Humanitarian Assistance; Investments; Food Security; Water and Sanitation, Education, Maternal and Child Health, initiatives aimed at improving Africa’s efforts to achieve the MDGs, as well as Australia’s support to Africa on the Doha Round Trade negotiations.
365. The Deputy Chairperson’s mission to Australia achieved its objectives of enhancing relations between the AUC and Member States on one hand and Australia on the other, as the Australian Government committed itself to broadening and deepening engagement with Africa bilaterally and continentally.
366. A framework of cooperation is being developed between the AUC and the Australian Government, which shows the renewed interest of the Australian Government to upscale its support to Africa in diverse ways.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 80 j) AUC – USA Relations
367. At the invitation of the USA Government, the First Annual African Union-USA High Level Bilateral Meeting took place in Washington DC from 21 to 23 April 2010. The African Union (AU) delegation was led by Mr. Jean Ping, Chairperson of the AU Commission, while the USA delegation was led by Mr. Jacob Lew, Deputy Secretary of State.
368. The AUC delegation met Senior Officials of the USA Administration and discussed a wide range of issues that ranged from Peace and Security; Infrastructure Development; Regional and Continental Integration; Food Security, Climate Change and Agriculture; Energy Security; Diversification of the Economy and Industrial Development to Social Sectors such as Health and Human Capital Development.
369. It is to be noted that even though the USA and Africa have had a long history of Cooperation and are bound together by strong economic, social and cultural ties, such cooperation has been mainly at the bilateral level. Given Africa’s aspiration for Continental integration and Unity, it became necessary to give more emphasis to the Regional and Continental dimensions of our cooperation, with the African Union Commission playing the central coordinating role.
370. This development has been made possible by the new “American Diplomacy” that recognizes the changing nature of the world and upholds the principles of mutual respect, mutual interest, shared responsibilities and shared challenges in a world which is increasingly becoming inter-dependent and multi-polar in nature.
371. The historic First Annual AU – USA High Level Bilateral Meeting has laid a solid foundation for a Strategic Partnership that provides a framework for follow-up interactions between the two sides in addressing issues not only of concern to African and USA, but also issues of a global nature as well.
372. The visit to Washington also afforded the AUC delegation the opportunity to engage the Africa Diaspora, which is considered as the “Sixth Region” of the African Union; The Chamber of Commerce, the Black American Caucus and the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States.
k) TICAD
373. The TICAD IV Second Ministerial Follow-Up Meeting on the Yokohama Action Plan was held in Arusha, Tanzania, from 2 to 3 May 2010. It emerged from the outcomes presented by the co-organizers and beneficiary African States that Japan had honored its commitments under the Action Plan, to the great satisfaction of Member States. The Meeting discussed issues bearing on the efforts that Africa needed to deploy to mitigate the effects of the economic and financial crises, attainment of the MDGs and on climate change. The objective was to forge a common position for Japan to take to international summit-level meetings, the G20, COP16 and the United Nations Summit on MDG, to draw attention to Africa’s concerns. The meeting was wrapped up with a final communiqué
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 81 summarizing in clear terms Africa’s expectations from the international community in terms of support to its development endeavours.
374. Cooperation with Japan has continued to be very promising. On this score, Japan expressed the desire to see the AU open a Permanent Mission in Tokyo. The policy organs of the Union may therefore wish to study this proposal. Besides, the Commission intends to further formalize its working relations with the Group of African Ambassadors based in Tokyo for more systematic follow-up of cooperation with Japan. This cooperation which is very rich at bilateral level, needs to be fostered at multilateral level for greater involvement of the Commission, thus enabling it to more effectively play its coordination role. l) Africa-Europe Dialogue: Level of Implementation of the Joint Strategy
375. The Africa-Europe Dialogue, symbol of a new partnership between Africa and Europe, was instituted in Cairo, Egypt, in 2000. A decade after the advent of this new partnership framework that generated much hope, what assessment can we make of it?
376. Firstly, it is noteworthy that this new partnership framework saw only one Heads of State and Government Summit, that of Lisbon, Portugal, in December 2007, whereas according to the Declaration unanimously adopted at the Cairo Summit, the Heads of State and Government are supposed to meet every three years. Organisation of the second Summit was delayed for reasons arising partly from the bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. The next Summit is supposed to be held in Libya in November 2010. Africa is actively getting ready to host it.
377. It is recalled, besides, that the Cairo Declaration provided, as follow-up mechanisms, apart from the Heads of State and Government Summit, for bi-regional ministerial meetings to be preceded by senior officials’ meetings. But since 2002, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where the last bi-regional ministerial meeting was held, this meeting was transformed into a “Ministerial Troïka” preceded by an experts’ meeting (proposed by Africa) and a senior officials’ meeting. Since 2003, this “Troïka” formula has been the only strategic framework for monitoring the implementation of programmes contained in the Africa-Europe Dialogue. The successive Troïkas served as framework for preparation of the Lisbon Summit which unanimously adopted the Africa-Europe Joint strategy and its first implementation Plan of Action. According to these new arrangements, the joint strategy constitutes a long-term partnership framework, while the Plan of Action covers a period of three years. The Plans of Action are to be laid before the Heads of State and Government for evaluation at their three-yearly Summit.
378. At present, the first Plan of Action is in its implementation stage. Four months away from its evaluation by the Heads of State and Government in the Summit slated for Libya in November 2010, what can we learn from the state of implementation of this first Plan of Action? In other words, what assessment can be made of the implementation of the Lisbon Plan of Action?
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 82 379. While there is unanimous recognition of the quality and relevance of the programmes and projects contained in the first Plan of Action of the joint strategy, the unanimity disappears when it boils down to assessing the outcomes of its implementation. It should be acknowledged that since 2007, the “Troïka” meetings managed to establish informal joint experts’ groups around the eight partnerships that make up the Plan of Action. Each joint experts’ group managed to meet several times and draw up the road map enabling it to translate into practical measures the consensual projects and programmes it had identified. After this relative success, however, the deliberations of the joint experts’ groups are not advancing at the pace expected. A closer look at the issue shows that lack of financial means is at the root of this situation.
380. To find a sustainable solution to the problem of financing the Plan of Action, African Heads of State and Government mandated the Commission to organise, in close cooperation with European partners, a meeting to find an effective and sustainable remedy to this funding problem. That meeting indeed took place, resulting in a simple declaration that is not binding on the two parties. As the funding issue thus remains unresolved, scepticism is mounting as to the actual ability, and indeed the political will of the two parties to translate the content of the joint strategy into concrete action.
381. As a solution to the funding problem, Africa has many a time drawn the European partners’ attention to the need to establish a Pan-African fund in the same vein as the “Peace Facility” to be financed jointly by the two parties. However, this request seems to come up against the persistent refusal of our partners. The idea is to establish this fund from the 11th EDF on the occasion of its negotiation with African countries during its programming stage. For example, by agreement between African beneficiaries and the European Union, a given percentage of National Indicative Programmes (NIP) and Regional Indicative Programmes (RIP) should be allocated to the Pan-African fund to finance the regional and continental projects identified in the joint strategy’s Plan of Action. The percentages deducted from the NIPs and PIRs would represent European Union’s contribution to the Pan-African fund which could be called “Africa’s Integration Facility”. As for Africa, its contribution could be made by it setting aside a percentage of AU budget as it presently does for the “Peace Facility” Fund.
382. The other major problem lies in the position of EU. It has so far not been able to align its existing policy instruments to the imperatives of the joint strategy which requires that EU stop dividing Africa using three (3) different instruments:
i) North Africa, which has the MEDA (Mediterranean Economic Development Area) financial instrument, succeeded by the ENP (European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument) as far back as 2007;
ii) Africa South of the Sahara (except for South Africa) endowed financial instruments emanating from the Cotonou Agreement;
iii) South Africa, which has the ATDC (Agreement on Trade, Development and Cooperation), alongside Asia and Latin America.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 83 383. EU refusal to create the Pan-African fund partly stems from this inflexibility in aligning its interventions with the joint strategy, despite the fact that this strategy was adopted in Lisbon in 2007.
384. While Africa prepares to host the Tripoli Summit, implementation of the joint strategy is having a rough run. Responses are yet to be found to several issues, particularly those relating to funding and aligning the existing instruments to the joint strategy. The next Summit would have to find appropriate answers to this issue without which it runs the risk of reaching outcomes that will be difficult to implement. This means finding a mutually acceptable solution to the following substantive issues:
i) effective adaptation of existing financial instruments; ii) establishment of the Pan-African fund; iii) treating Africa as one whole.
385. For the Africa-Europe Dialogue to really take off, the Commission may wish to propose that the following recommendations be discussed at the next joint Summit in Tripoli:
i) Take a political decision to initiate and accelerate the process of aligning the existing instruments to the joint strategy;
ii) Also take a political decision to establish a Pan-African fund or “Africa’s Integration Facility” Fund;
iii) Make political commitment to implement a shared project that is promising and visible in each of the five (5) regions of Africa. For Central Africa, for example, the Inga dam could be built within the framework of the joint strategy. Such a project will have the advantage of making the Africa-Europe partnership more visible;
iv) Facilitate the issuance of entry visas to Europe, especially for African researchers, members of the academia and students;
v) Devise a strategy for adoption of common positions on such key issues as Reform of the United Nations, Climate Change, environmental protection and health;
vi) Find a solution to ensure the sustainability of Africa’s external debt;
vii) Set up an Africa-Europe crisis management mechanism.
m) Establishment of the Unit for Coordination and Management of Partnerships
386. It will be recalled that at its June/July 2009 session in Sirte, Libya, Council approved the establishment of the Unit for the Coordination and Management of Africa’s Strategic
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 84 Partnerships, within the Office of the Chairperson of the Commission as an effective management structure to handle Africa’s partnerships.
387. As a follow up, the Commission has developed a draft Structure for the Unit which is presently being considered within the comprehensive review of Structures in the Commission. It is hoped that the Unit will formally be established in due course.
388. I note with satisfaction the fact that the Multilateral Cooperation Sub-Committee and the African Union Commission have worked very closely in promoting all of Africa’s Partnerships that I have reported upon above. By extension, the Commission and the PRC have also worked closely together, which has been responsible for the excellent results achieved in our partnership process. It is my hope that this excellent working relationship will continue in the future, so that Africa will obtain maximum benefit from its collective engagement with its Partners.
2. REPRESENTATIONAL OFFICES
(1) NEW YORK OFFICE
a) Peace and Security Issues
389. The Office continued to monitor and work closely with the United Nations Security Security Council (UNSC) and various components of the UN on peace and security issues of concern to Africa. The UNSC devoted some 30 out of the 63 formal meetings held during this reporting period to situations in Africa. It adopted 7 resolutions pertaining to the situations in Somalia; Chad, the Central African Republic and the sub-region; the Cote d’Ivoire; the Sudan; Western Sahara and Somalia. Furthermore, two of the seven Presidential Statements (PRST) issued by the Council pertained to Africa-specific situations, namely the Central Africa Region and the consolidation of peace and security in West Africa. This reporting period was therefore one of the continued engagement, and reflected the growing cooperation between the Peace and Security Council of the Africa Union and the UNSC. The African Union (AU) must however continue to engage the UN on pending crucial questions such as the need for the transition from AMISOM to a UN peacekeeping operation in Somalia, and comprehensive actions towards addressing not only the symptoms, but the root causes of piracy in the Gulf of Aden, bearing in mind the fact that Transitional Federal Government has indicated its readiness to tackle and eliminate this disturbing phenomenon, if provided necessary support in a meaningful.
390. The Office also monitored and participated in the consideration of various peace and security thematic issues of concern to Africa, which gained increased focus at the UN during the reporting period. These included the debate organized by the President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on piracy on 18 May 2010, and consideration of the impact of illicit trafficking of small arms on peace and security in the Central African region, and on conflict prevention as a more effective approach to lasting peace and security, (which both received a new impetus during the Gabonese presidency of the Council in March 2010); security sector reform, post-conflict peacebuilding and the review of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC). The Office also continued to monitor and participate in
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 85 the PBC activities pertaining to the four African countries under its consideration, namely Sierra Leone, Burundi, Guinea Bissau, and the Central Africa Republic. The importance of strengthening the regional approaches to lasting recovery, has been a recurrent observation, which underscores the importance of accelerating implementation of the AU PRCD Framework.
391. The New York Office continued to facilitate cooperation between the AU and the UN for the continued deployment of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), and participated in the leadership selection and renewal processes for the mission in both the military and police components of the Mission. The Office noticed the concern expressed over the processing of logistic and human resource deployments with respect to the issuance of visas, and observed importance of the Tripartite framework between the AU Commission, the UN Secretariat and GoS which continued to be a highly useful framework for facilitating solutions to such problems. It should therefore be strengthened, and greater popularization on the outcomes of meetings could go a long way in reassuring various parties and promoting confidence-building and greater commitment to the success of UNAMID. The Office also noted the continued commitment of informal frameworks such as the Friends of UNAMID, and its quest to re-define itself in the post-deployment phase of UNAMID. This process of internal re-definition provides an opportunity for the AU to communicate possible areas in which the Friends could be useful in efforts towards promoting the utmost success of UNAMID. It is therefore recommended that the Commission undertake informal engagement with the Friends in this light. Finally, the New York Office continued to monitor developments on the question of Palestine and the Middle East, and noted the repeated calls for the immediate resumption of the proximity talks with the aim to the move to negotiations in order to achieve a final settlement between the Israeli and Palestinian sides. The Office also monitored activities of the Committee on the Exercise of the inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
b) Political Matters
392. The Office continued to closely monitor the ongoing intergovernmental negotiations in the General Assembly on various clusters of UN Security Council Reform. Pursuant to the Assembly decision /AU/dec.285 (XIV), and the Office continued to coordinate the activities of Permanent Representatives of the Committee of Ten in New York on UN Reform, working in consultation with the African Group, engaged in the intergovernmental negotiations, as mandated by the Summit, towards achieving Africa’s goals as articulated in the Ezulwini Consensus. It would be noted that the Committee took necessary steps for the full reflection of the Ezulwini consensus in the all-encompassing text generated by the Chair of the negotiations on the basis of the positions and proposals submitted by member States and concerned groupings.
393. The Office also monitored consultations in the African Group of Experts of the UNGA Sixth Committee, with respect to preparations for the ICC review Conference of the Rome Statute on the International Criminal Court, to be held in Kampala, Uganda, in June 2010, and meeting of States Parties held in New York. In this process, the Office observed the importance of strengthening coordination between Addis Ababa and New York with respect to the activities of African membership and participation in various treaty bodies as
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 86 a whole. The Office continued to facilitate the engagement of the African Group on the issue of the scope and application of the principle of Universal Jurisdiction, pursuant to Assembly Dec.243(XIII). It would be noted that the efforts of the African Group crucial to the UN Secretary General UNGA Resolution A/RES/64/117, which amongst other things requests the Secretary-General “to invite Member States to submit, before 30 April 2010, information and observations on the scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction, including information on the relevant applicable international treaties, their domestic legal rules and at its sixty-fifth session, a report based on such information and observations judicial practice, and to prepare and submit to the General Assembly”. It is the intention of the African Group to continue coordinating the African position with those of other regional groups as it prepares for the consideration of this item during the 65th session. It is strongly recommended that resources be provided to enable the Group undertake this engagement, including through the organization of events to enable the necessary exchange of views with other interlocutors.
394. The issue of the payment of Ransom to Terrorist Groups gained renewed attention. The Office provided all necessary support to the African Group regarding implementation of the Assembly Decision (Assembly/AU/Dec. 256 (XIV). In launching action on this issue at the level of the Security Council, the Group reviewed existing resolutions containing related provisions, notably resolution 1373(2001); resolution 1904(2009) ; the Report of the 1267 Committee to the Security Council ( S/2010/125, and the tenth Report of the Monitoring Team of the 1267 Committee ( S/2009/205, resolution 1897 (2009). While noting the encouraging progress contained in these instruments, it was observed that Security Council still had not declared the payment of ransom illegal activities, and there was indeed room for the matter to be brought before the Council. At the level of the General Assembly, it is also noted that the Security Council Counterrorism Committee established by Resolution 1373 and the Ad Hoc Committee established pursuant to Resolution 51/210 were adequate frameworks through which consideration of the matter could be introduced. The Group is currently establishing an action strategy which would involve strong leadership from the African Members of the Security Council in conducting informal consultations within the Security Council, and the organization of an informal meeting at the UN to allow States, relevant civil society think-tanks and others to exchange views on the question.
395. On disarmament and non-proliferation, the New York Office monitored the 2010 substantive session of the UN Disarmament Commission, the 2010 NPT Review Conference and continued to work closely with the African Group in advocating the African position on the right of states to development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and calling for a world free of Nuclear weapons. Following the entry into force of the Pelindaba Treaty in July 2009, the Office represented the AU in the second Conference of Nuclear Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZ) and Mongolia held on 30 April 2010 on the margins of the NPT Review Conference, the Outcome document of which welcomed the entry into force of the Pelindaba Treaty, and the steps being taken to promote ratification of the Treaty and its Protocols by remaining States, and for the establishment of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy. The Office also hosted a side consultative meeting of African States on 18 May 2010, within the context of preparations for the first Conference of States Parties of the Pelindaba Treaty.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 87
396. On the occasion of the Special Commemoration of Africa Day on 25 May 2010, the Mission facilitated the organization of a panel discussion followed by a cultural event in New York, both couched within the overall slogan of year 2010 as the Year of Peace and security in Africa “Make Peace Happen.
c) Post conflict reconstruction and development
397. The Office continued to monitor and participate in the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) activities pertaining to the four African countries under its consideration, namely Sierra Leone, Burundi, Guinea Bissau, and the Central Africa Republic. The efforts of the Commission contributing to the resource mobilization for the elections in Central African Republic were commendable. The Commission re-iterated the importance of security sector reform in Guinea Bissau in a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs dated 6 May 2010, and again re-stated its readiness to continue to work with the AU and other parties to help Guinea Bissau attain lasting peace and security, and achieve its full economic potential. Within the context of on-going context of the review of the Peacebuilding Commission, the Office continued to advocate for the need to strengthen the regional approach to post conflict reconstruction and development, within the context of the PCRD. Major aspects stressed within the context the Peacebuilding Commission review include the need for greater field presence of the Commission in the countries under consideration; the need to avoid the transposition of bilateral donor conditionalities to the Peacebuilding funding approcah, and the need for a seamless interface between peacebuiding and peacekeeping.
d) Candidatures in the international System
398. The Office facilitated the successful coordination of the African Group process related elections in 2010, in the light of Decision EX.CL/Dec.554(XVI) on African Candidatures in the International System, adopted by the Executive Council of the African Union at its 16th Ordinary Session held from 25-29 January 2010, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Office also facilitated the successful conduct of African Group candidatures process to fill vacancies in 19 subsidiary Bodies of the UN ECOSOC, as well as the election of four African countries for membership of the Human Rights Council. In conducting its candidatures programme during this period, the African Group re-stated the importance for the UN to take candidates endorsed by the African Union into utmost consideration, as a positive and significant step towards achieving the adequate representation of Africa at working and leadership levels of the organization. However, the underrepresentation of Africa at various levels of United Nations system remains a persisting observation. The African Group thus reaffirmed its determination to devise a mechanism through which it would strengthen and maintain constant contact. However, in order to address the issue in a comprehensive manner, it is proposed that a candidatures support process be created within the purview of the Ministerial Committee on Candidatures. This would enable the Committee to not only consider the endorsement of candidates, but would also provide overall guidance toward addressing this question of underrepresentation of Africa at the UN
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 88 e) Social Matters
399. The 64th Session of the UN General Assembly discussions on Social Affairs completed on December 18, 2009 adopted a number of African resolutions notably, Assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa (A/RES/64/129) calling for African States to sign and ratify the African Union (Kampala) Convention in order to ensure its early entry into force and implementation, and on the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, particularly in Africa (A/RES/64/79), requesting the Secretary General to provide during the 65th session, an evaluation of the implementation of the first Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries. The Office also monitored Resolutions on various issues deriving from Reports and Instruments such as the Report of the Human Rights Council, the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, the United Nations Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and Their Property. the International Year for People of African Descent the right to development The Office also monitored the 48th session of The Commission for Social Development held from 3rd to 12th February, 2010, which adopted the Secretary General’s report on Social Dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), E/CN.5/2010/3 and the resolution on Social Dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (E/CN.5/2010/L.4/Rev.1).
400. Furthermore, The New York Office also facilitated for the participation of the AUC Delegation to the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) from 1 to 12 March 2010, which concluded with the adoption of the Declaration in cognizance of the fifteenth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of seven (7) resolutions. The Mission hosted the Planning Meeting for African Gender Ministers on the African Women’s Decade on March 6, 2010,. The two institutions agreed to collaborate on the establishment of internal financial controls for PAU and the development of a trustee governance system with other institutions involved, for instance, the World Bank and the consortium of Heads of Education in the US, and agreed to hold further discussions on these issues in June 2010, in the United States.
f) Economic Matters
401. The Office monitored the 18th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-18) held from 3-14 May. The session reviewed progress in the implementation of sustainable development commitments on the thematic areas of transport, chemicals, waste management, mining and the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns. The AUC delegation contributed to the regional interactive panel discussion on Africa, and provided AUC leadership role in shaping the continent’s political and socio-economic development agenda. The session called for a shift from ideas to focused actions in order to meet the world’s responsibility towards future generations and to implement commitments already made in poverty eradication. The Office also monitored the 41st Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) held on February 23-26, 2010 in New York. which addressed many issues including agricultural statistics, international trade statistics,
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 89 environmental accounting, development indicators, geographic information management, national accounts and world statistics day.
402. Furthemore, the Office also monitored the day-long High-Level Interactive Dialogue on Water – International Decade for Action “Water for Life: 2005-2015” which also marked the midpoint of the “Water for Life” Decade. Meeting in three separate panels, the Assembly examined the issues of water and the Millennium Development Goals; water, climate change and disasters; and water and peace and security.The office also monitored the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development held on 23-24 March 2010. The Dialogue's overall theme was “The Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development: status of implementation and tasks ahead”. The Dialogue resulted with a summary by the President of the UNGA as an input to the preparation of the High-level Plenary Meeting of the UNGA on MDGs to be held in New York, from 20-22 September 2010.
g) Support for the African Group and Multilateral Engagement and interaction
403. The Office continued to provide its support to the African Group and to ensure the coordination of the Group’s activities. In all, about 15 meetings were held by the African Group at Ambassadorial, and 20 at Experts levels. The group was briefed by various heads of UN institutions, notably UNAIDS, UNODC, UNIDO, UNCCD, UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the Office of the Special Adviser of the Secretary General on Africa; and by the President of the UN General Assembly. The Mission noted that the high number of requests for meetings with the AU Observer Mission translates the increasing role of the African Union in the international arena as most of them were devoted to cooperation with the AU in a wide range of areas.
(2) WASHINGTON OFFICE
404. During this period the AU Permanent Mission implemented various programs as follows:
a) Peace and Security Matters
405. The AU Mission to the US commemorated the year of the Peace and Security for Africa, at the occasion of the commemoration of Africa Day, organized two activities in two U.S. States:
i) Participated in commemorating events in Atlanta with other African Ambassadors. A Goodwill message was sent to the African Diaspora of Atlanta (Georgia), USA, by urging them, to strongly and with tangible actions, support Africa in the quest to achieve permanent peace and security to enable an accelerated economic development. It was emphasized the importance of the African Diaspora to cultivate the climate of peace and cooperation among Africans and the Diaspora;
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 90 ii) Participated to the Consular Corps of Houston (Texas) Monthly Luncheon, where the AU Commission message for the commemoration of the Africa Day was delivered. The Consular Corps of Houston were invited to advocate for increased business cooperation between Africa and the State of Texas.
b) Social Matters
406. The Permanent Mission, continued to advocate for a coordinated response to health, education, science and technology needs in Africa, through AU policies and programs and facilitated various missions from Headquarters to promote cooperation with US and other partners in the various areas of interest to Africa as follows:.
i. Promoting Pan African University (PAU) Initiative (in close collaboration with HRST Department):
ii. Advocacy for Maternal and Child Health in Africa:
407. In preparation for the Fifteenth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union of July 2010, the Permanent Mission facilitated the AU Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality (CARMMA) and the Maputo Plan of Action on Sexual and Reproductive Health.
iii. African Diaspora Health Initiative (ADHI):
408. ADHI has been launched by the AU Mission in September 2008, with the purpose of linking specific health expertise within the African Diaspora with specific health need in specific geographical locations in Africa. In pursuing of ADHI goals, a retreat comprised of representatives from the AU Mission to the US, the Steering Committee and the NGO, US Doctors for Africa (USDFA) was convened in January 2010. The African Union Standards and Certification Training Program (AUSCTP) concept was the result of this gathering. The AUSCTP has been sent to the AU Commission for Social Affairs for endorsement, and is working hard to seek technical and financial support in the US, to begin the implementation of the initiative by 2011.
iv. Tourism:
409. In the area of Tourism being the most important sector for African development if it is given the due priority. The Mission completed the signing of the MOU for Tourism cooperation between the AU Commission and the African Travel Association. This is a land mark agreement because it will enable Africa to be market as one destination as long term strategy in the future to increase the number of tourists and income.
c) Partnerships and relations with the World
410. During the period under review, the AU Mission coordinated the First Annual U.S. - African Union High Level Bilateral Meetings, which took place from 21 to 23April 2010 in Washington DC. The AUC delegation, led by the Chairperson,discussed the full range of
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 91 U.S./Africa priority areas for cooperation. It met with high level US Administration officials, Cabinet level officials such as Attorney General Eric Holder, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk and Senior Officials from the White House and other Departments.
411. It was a historic meeting and gave opportunity for the first time for the US Administration to have a framework of cooperation with Africa. The conclusion of that meeting was to create a framework for future of cooperation with bilateral annual discussion with the African Union Commission rotating between Washington and Addis Ababa Ethiopia. Issues discussed included: promotion and strengthening of governance and democratic institutions in Africa; strengthening peace and security institutions, enhancing peace keeping capabilities in Africa, supporting Africa in building capability to look into complex transnational issues such as climate change, narcotics trafficking and terrorism, support for improving health conditions and attaining food security and agriculture development through CADAAP initiative.
d) Administrative Matters
i. Purchase of Property in Washington DC
412. The Office has worked tirelessly to implement the Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec.392 (XII) of January 2008 to purchase property for Washington DC Office. The processes are underway to finalize the purchase of the identified property.
e) Major setbacks for the implementation of the mandate of the Mission
413. The Office has had a major setback in 2010, in that the 2010 Project Proposals were not approved. The planned activities of the Office have had to be put on hold due to lack of funding. The progress made in popularizing the African Union’s strategies in the USA has been slow due to lack of adequate human and financial resources.
414. In spite of the limited resources, the Office intends to pursue efforts to ensure that African Union’s strategies are known better throughout the USA, with strong relations with the US Government, the Organization of American States (OAS), the Diaspora as well the Diplomatic Corps.
(3) GENEVA OFFICE
a) Peace and Security : 2010 Year of Peace and Security in Africa
415. Pursuant to the Decision of the Heads of State and Government to proclaim 2010 the Year of Peace and Security in Africa, the Permanent Mission in Geneva deployed every effort to make 25 May 2010 a great day of celebration for Africa in Geneva International Square. The event was marked by a number of activities, the nerve center of which was the high-level session on the theme: “Peace and Security for Sustainable
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 92 Development in Africa”. That lecture-discussion was indeed the second edition of the “African Forum for Dialogue” instituted by the Mission in 2009.
416. In attendance at the event were about 400 persons from all the regions of the world and from different walks of life, including Ministers, parliamentarians, members of the diplomatic corps, executives of international organizations, representatives of the private sector, the academia, the civil society, NGOs and the media. The objective achieved was to further project Africa’s voice in the new and emerging economic and governance structures, through the creation and consolidation of partnerships at global level.
b) Political and Human Rights Issues
i) Right to Development
417. Since the adoption in 1986 of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development, no concrete measure for actualization of this Right has ever been put in place. The traditional differences between the North and the South have remained evident despite wide agreement on the need to achieve the Right to Development. Most countries of the South including African countries have rightly underscored the negative impact of the manifold global crises on the efforts deployed to achieve sustainable development. As per the United Nations Declaration of 1986, the Right to Development should reflect the necessary balance between national and international responsibilities and, to this end, fresh measures would have to be taken at inter-governmental level; the ultimate aim being the adoption of a legally binding international instrument on the Right to Development.
418. As part of the preparations for the 11th Session of the Working Group on the Right to Development held in Geneva from 26 to 30 April 2010, the Permanent Mission organized a seminar on operationalization of the Right to Development to which representatives of other Regional Groups and relevant partner institutions were invited. The conclusions of the seminar served as guide for the African Group during the deliberations and meetings of the Working Group. The African Group may wish to engage the inter-governmental process with a common position, while in particular emphasizing the need to strengthen international cooperation and systematic mainstreaming of the Right to Development.
419. It is needful to mention, in this regard, that in 2011, the international community will celebrate the 25th anniversary of United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development. To this end, many Member States and the High Commissioner for Human Rights have proposed that the African Union Commission organize in 2011 awareness-building events on the Right to Development and work with other regional groupings and donors to reach consensual agreement on the concrete measures that need to be taken to make the Right to Development operational.
ii) People of African descent
420. In its Resolution 64/169, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2011 International Year of People of African Descent. The Human Rights Council Experts’
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 93 Working Group on People of African Descent was tasked to come up with proposals on the events and activities to be organized in the context of the International Year. Member States made substantial inputs in this regard, particularly in terms of concrete measures, including the establishment of a special fund to facilitate the participation of the NGOs involved in issues concerning people of African descent, the celebration of the International Year by the entire United Nations system and the organization of seminars to enlist information on the situation of people of African descent. On this score, the Commission would need to come up with a comprehensive programme of activities to be undertaken in 2011 to raise international community awareness on the situation of people of African descent and embark upon measures with other regional groupings and donors to provide the best possible conditions for the take-off of the process of implementing all the recommendations emanating from the HRC Working Group.
iii) Sessions of the Human Rights Council
421. The 13th Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) held in Geneva from 1 to 28 March 2010 was regarded as a key session in which a High-Level Segment was set aside for dignitaries of States and Inter-Governmental organizations. At that session, 68 dignitaries, 13 of whom were African, were given the floor to address the Council on a series of human rights issues, including institutional matters and HRC work methods and procedures.
422. Representing the Commission was the Commissioner for Political Affairs who presented to the international community an update on Africa’s gains and accomplishments in the area of human rights promotion and on the projects that were in the pipeline in the African Union in the field of good governance, democracy and peoples’ rights.
423. In a wider context, the HRC is gearing up to evaluate its work methods. This exercise is expected to end in 2011. Several countries have taken the initiative to organize informal brainstorming days to kick start exploration of the themes to assess the functioning of the Council, the objective being to generate common understanding of the assessment. Three brainstorming days have so far been organized, namely, in Mexico, Algeria and Switzerland. The general idea emerging from these retreats is that consideration of the functioning of HRC should not seek to reinvent the Council which operates on the basis of a delicate balance that the community would do well to consolidate by infusing therein a new spirit of international cooperation and solidarity to protect and promote human rights in the world, in an equitable and impartial manner. It was for this reason that the Working Group was established. It will hold its first session in October 2010.
424. Africa can take pride in the scores it obtained at the recent elections organized in New York in May for re-appointment of members of the Human Rights Council, at the end of which Libya, Mauritania and Uganda became members of the Council and Angola’s mandate was renewed.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 94 iv) Programme to combat racism
425. It is regrettable that in the domain of combating racism, no meaningful change has occurred since the Durban Review Conference held in Geneva in May 2010. Quite on the contrary, the resistance of Western countries has deepened. The Western Group questions the raison d’être for the process of developing complementary international standards to combat the new forms of contemporary racism, maintaining that if there are shortcomings in this issue, these would be contained through implementation of the existing standards.
426. As part of preparations for the next session of the Ad Hoc Committee for elaboration of complementary standards, a workshop was organized by the Permanent Mission to consider and fine-tune the draft protocol on complementary standards prepared by two African experts in 2009 and financed thanks to contribution from the Commission, and the Governments of Algeria and South Africa. In this regard, the African Group has devised an approach that will make it possible to have a draft protocol on the negotiation table after the next review of the text. The Ad Hoc Committee is expected to start preparing the draft complementary standards, in accordance with paragraph 199 of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, and pursuant to relevant resolutions of HRC.
v) Humanitarian Affairs
427. On the occasion of the 47th session of the HCR Standing Committee from 2 to 4 March 2010, the international community welcomed the adoption by the African Union of the Convention for Protection and Assistance to Displaced Persons in Africa. The HCR expressed its will to strengthen its partnership with AU and the Regional Economic Communities with a view to promoting the new instrument and working towards its early entry into force
428. As regards the global programmes and partnerships, the HCR intends to encourage Governments to allow refugees access to national programmes, such as programmes to combat malaria, HIV/AIDS and other diseases, as well as educational programmes. Furthermore, the HCR has indicated that the software for registration of refugees and asylum seekers called “Progress” is currently being used in over 75 countries as a tool for issuance of individual identity documents to refugees.
429. With respect to the HCR Executive Committee, its deliberations will this year focus on the theme of “protection of disabled persons”. As was demonstrated by the High Commissioner’s Dialogue on the theme “Challenges for persons under the purview of HCR in the urban areas” which was held in December last year, the growing phenomenon of refugees in urban areas has stretched to the limit the infrastructure and facilities that are already inadequate in the cities. The HCR has, in this regard, embarked upon a review of its urban refugee policy and has selected “pilot” cities where it will strive to create partnerships for implementation of this policy. Of the 7 cities so selected, two are in Africa (Cairo and Nairobi) and the other five in other regions (San José, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow. Saint Petersburg and Dushanbe).
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 95 c) Economic and Trade Issues
430. In the area of Intellectual Property, the Permanent Mission provided substantial technical support to the African Group and to African countries which are negotiating in various Committees of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Three workshops were organized: first, to map out the strategy of the Group to face up to the deliberations in the various negotiation committees; and the second, to prepare the work of the Development and Intellectual Property Committee (DIPC). The workshop helped devise African common positions for WIPO Inter-Governmental Committee negotiations on genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore (IGC).
431. At the workshop on DIPC, members of the African Group for the first time initiated projects that could be financed within the framework of this mechanism established in 2007, which is expected to contribute to the development of intellectual property in developing countries. The workshop on IGC which received WIPO support and was attended by many Africa-based experts, contributed to the formulation of draft international legal instruments for more effective protection of traditional knowledge and folklore and for balanced sharing of genetic resources. The draft texts have several objectives, in particular to sustain discussions in the IGC, support African countries which plan to develop such instruments and serve as reference for preparation of texts of continental coverage.
432. To enhance Africa’s negotiation capacities and defend our interest in the sphere of intellectual property, it would be opportune to organize consultation for Ministers responsible for intellectual property and speedily operationalize the Pan-African Intellectual Property Organization established in 2007 to take up the challenge of creativity, technology and protection of our assets, source of wealth for the Continent.
433. As regards telecommunication, the cooperation between ITU and the Commission is growing from strength to strength thanks to exchange of visits between their executives and participation in the activities and meetings organized by the two Organizations. The AUC has membership status in all ITU sectors. A delegation of the Commission actively participated in the ITU World Forum held in 2010
434. It is needful to point out that, for the ITU, 2010 marks a turning point, as its Plenipotentiary Conference will be held on Mexico in October to elect the leadership of the Organization and approve its work programme. The African Group hosted Mr. Hamadoun TOURE on his campaign trail for re-election to the helm of ITU, and assured him of the Group’s support.
435. On this score, the Mission organized meetings between members of the African Group and ITU top executives for interactive views sharing on technical issues as well as on matters of great importance under discussion in ITU, such as cyber security and role ITU role vis-à-vis international politics, to avoid the potential use of satellite images for criminal and/or terrorist purposes.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 96 436. With respect to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), our Continent is lagging behind in terms of production and use of meteorological facilities and the role played by such facilities in disaster prevention and climate change. It is befitting to commend the WMO and AUC for organizing the first Conference of Ministers responsible for Meteorology in Nairobi, Kenya, in April 2010.
d) Trade Issues
437. As regards the World Trade Organization, the start of 2010 was marked by the convening of the Stock Taking Meeting at senior officials’ level from 22 to 26 March 2010, pursuant to the Decision of the WTO Ministerial Meeting held in Geneva from 30 November to 2 December 2009.
438. In this regard, the Mission on 20 March 2010 organized a Workshop to prepare this important meeting. The African Group reiterated its position on the importance of the “development” dimension which has continued to be a key element of the Doha agenda. Market access, development of rules and other outcomes of the PDD should be viewed from the perspective of their “impact on development”, in accordance with the initial mandate of WTO Ministerial Conference. The Doha Round should adequately meet the expectations of the developing countries and their development concerns, and this, through the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals as well as through rapid and sustainable economic growth in Africa.
439. At the end of the stocking taking meeting, the chairperson of the Trade Negotiation Committee (TNC) highlighted a number of principles to guide the next stages, emphasizing that the development dimension should always be central in the outcomes of the Round. Like other Regional Groups, the African Group brought its input to bear on the initiative advocated by the chairperson of the TNC. However, it stressed the importance of transparency of the consultation process which, he said, should be inclusive and conducted through the chairpersons of the trade negotiation committees.
440. The WTO has still not succeeded in wrapping up the Round of negotiations which is extremely complicated. Despite the political signals received at the beginning of the year expressing the will to conclude the Doha Development Round in 2010, this objective has proved difficult to achieve. However, the African Group has continued with its engagement for conclusion of Doha Round of Trade Negotiations.
441. As regards the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the global economic and financial crisis which hit the world triggered global recession and general slowdown in international trade in 2009, eroding the progress achieved in the actualization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In the circonstances, UNCTAD redoubled its efforts to meet the needs of developing and the least developed countries (LDCs) in all departments of the mandate entrusted to it under the Accra Agreement
442. In furtherance of the Protocol Agreement signed on 3 April 2008 between the Commission and UNCTAD, the two parties have agreed to strength their cooperation in
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 97 that crisis period and to discuss innovative trade and development strategies to boost resilience to future global economic shocks, usher in sustainable economic growth in the Continent and improve the dissemination of the policies and recommendations emanating from the studies conducted by UNCTAD in favor of Africa. Additionally and pursuant to Abuja Treaty, UNCTAD is working with the Commission on a road map to speed up the process of continental integration, with the ultimate goal of establishing a common market.
e) Social Issue
443. On the occasion of the 63rd Session of the World Health Assembly, the AUC organized an Extraordinary Session of the Conference of Health Ministers in Geneva on 15 May 2010, ahead of preparations for the 15th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, on the theme “Maternal, Infant and Child Health in Africa”. The outcomes of that Extraordinary Session are contained in a separate report submitted for the attention of the Executive Council.
444. Regarding the World Health Organization, the major theme of the 63rd Session of the World Health Assembly focuses on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This theme assumes special importance in the lead up to the High-Level Meeting to assess the progress achieved with respect to the MDGs at the United Nations General Assembly slated for September this year.
445. On this score, the 63rd World Health Assembly adopted a resolution on monitoring accomplishment of health related MDGs. That resolution which is supported by the Africa Region, calls for an integrated approach to strengthen health systems to enhance the wellbeing of individuals based on the principle of combating inequalities and fostering universal access. Universal access is also a key issue in the current year 2010, the year for attainment of MDG No. 6 (Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases), especially Target 2 on universal access to health services.
446. As regards the International Labor Organization, the 307th Session of the Governing Body was held in March 2010. The African Group proposed that an item on resumption of the campaign for ratification of the 1986 instrument amending the ILO Constitution be placed on the Agenda of the 307th session of the Governing Body. The 1986 instrument abolishes all permanent seats on the Governing Body and seeks to achieve geographical equity in the Body’s regional representation.
447. The African Group also participated actively in the deliberations of the ILO Working Group on the functioning of the Governing Body and of the International Labor Conference (ILC). The ILO being a tripartite organization comprising representatives of governments, workers and employers, the African Group proposed the establishment of secretariat for Governments in ILO, in the same vein as the already existing secretariats for workers and employers. The role of the secretariat would be to help governments to bridge knowledge gaps through research and information dissemination.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 98
(4) BRUSSELS OFFICE
448. During the period under consideration, the Permanent Mission of the African Union in Brussels continued implementing its Programme of Activities 2009. The activities carried out focused on the implementation of the cooperation instruments between Africa and the European Union, namely: the Joint Africa-EU Strategy and the ACP-EU Cotonou Agreement. This is in addition to the activities of the African Group of Ambassadors in Brussels, the follow up on the regular working relations with the EU Institutions within the general framework of the AU-EU cooperation and representational activities. representation.
a) Implementation of the Africa-EU Joint Strategy
i. 14th Ministerial Meeting of the EU-Africa Troïka
449. The Mission participated in the 14th Ministerial Meeting of the EU-Africa Troïka, held on 26 April 2010 in Luxembourg as well as in the preparatory meetings of Experts and Senior Officials which preceded it. The outcomes of these meetings are presented in a separate report to the Executive Council.
ii. The 10th Meeting of the Africa-EU Task Force
450. The Mission Participated in the 10th Session of the Africa-EU Task Force which convened on 18 and 19 March 2010 in Brussels. The Co-Chairmen of the Joint Experts Groups, the Representatives of the Pan-African Parliament and the European Parliament as well as of the Civil Society participated in the meeting. During that 10th Meeting of the Task Force, the two parties discussed the progress made in the implementation of the Joint Strategy and the preparation of the 3rd Africa-EU Summit in Tripoli.
iii. Preparation of the 3rd Africa-EU Summit
451. The Mission participated in the consultation meetings between the EU-AU Commissions held on 8 January and 15 February 2010 respectively in Brussels and Las Palmas, Spain. The two meetings also focused on the preparation of the 14th Ministerial Meeting of the Africa-EU Troïka mentioned above.
iv. 6th Session of the AU-EU Dialogue on Human Rights
452. The Mission hosted the 6th Session of the AU-EU Dialogue on Human Rights held in Brussels on 7 May 2010. It was a particularly important session with the high-level participation of key AU institutions, such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the issues relating to the problem of human rights in the two Continents on which there were fruitful exchange of views between the two parties. Similarly, it was an opportunity to take stock of the progress made in the area of human rights protection in the Continent thanks particularly to AU follow up action in that regard.
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b) Implementation of the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement
i. The 2nd Revision enhances the role of the AU in the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement
453. On the occasion of the 2nd Revision of the ACP-EU Cotonou Agreement, the Mission carried out an important work of sensitization with the African group of Ambassadors and the EU institutions for the role of the AU to be formalized and strengthened in the said Agreement. The advocacy proved to be effective and convincing. Consequently, during the negotiations, the signatory parties to the Revised Agreement formally enacted the enhancement of the role of the AU in the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement. In concrete terms, this means that, henceforth:
a) The AU is fully associated in the dialogue on general policies aimed at promoting peace and stability in the ACP countries;
b) The political dialogue is elevated to regional and continental levels rather than confined to the national level as was previously the case ;
c) The AU is eligible to the financial instruments of the Agreement such as the EDF.
454. The enhancement of AU status in the Cotonou Agreement constitutes value added to the cooperation with the EU. It helps introduce greater coherence in the instruments governing the cooperation between the European Union and the Regions and countries of Africa. The signing of the Revised Agreement is scheduled for 21 and 22 June 2010 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso at a Session of the ACP-EU Council of Ministers.
ii. The ACP-EU Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) Negotiations
455. The Mission continued to monitor Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) negotiations by working with the African Group of Ambassadors in Brussels to help them harmonize the positions of the African negotiators, in conformity with the decisions adopted by the AU on the matter, particularly Declaration 2 (X) of the 10th Session of AU Assembly. In that connection, as was the case in previous meetings on the issue, the Mission, in close consultation with AUC Department of Trade and Industry, worked towards the active participation of the representatives of the African Group of Ambassadors in Brussels in the coordination meeting on EPA negotiations which that Department organized in Abuja on 20 and 21 May. The Mission thus focuses on sound coordination of EPAs negotiations initiated by Africa’s Regions pursuant to the AU Strategy for development-oriented African integration.
iii. ACP and ACP-EU Parliamentary Assemblies
456. The Mission participated in the 19th Session of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly held in Brussels from 25 to 28 January 2010. It also participated in the 20th Session of the
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 100 ACP Parliamentary Assembly and the 19th Session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly held in Tenerife, Spain, from 24 March to 1 April 2010. The Mission seized the opportunity offered by those parliamentary sessions to help harmonize the positions of the African Member States of those bodies with AU positions, particularly on political matters and on Economic Partnership Agreements negotiations.
c) African Group and representational activities
i. Organization of a Conference on the Lisbon Treaty and Africa
457. The Mission organized in Brussels on 16 April 2010 for the African Group of Ambassadors, a Conference on the Lisbon Treaty and its implications on Africa-European Union cooperation. The purpose of the Conference was to enable the African Group of Ambassadors to better understand:
a) the institutional, political and economic changes introduced in the Lisbon Treaty; and
b) the implications of those changes on Africa-EU cooperation.
458. In addition to the African Ambassadors in Brussels, senior European officials and members of the African Diaspora participated in the Conference. A fruitful and constructive dialogue was thus established on the Lisbon Treaty, highlighting such important issues as the Cotonou Agreement, the Africa-EU Partnership through the Africa-EU Joint Strategy, the functioning of the European External Action Service (EEAS), etc.
ii. Establishment of an Afro-Arab Committee in Brussels
459. Pursuant to implementation of relevant AU-LAS Joint Decision, the Mission coordinated the establishment of an Afro-Arab Committee in Brussels composed of members appointed by the African Group of Ambassadors in Brussels and the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brussels. In conformity with the above-mentioned AU-LAS Joint Decision, the objective of the Committee was to enable the two parties to hold consultations and, if possible, adopt common positions on issues of mutual interest addressed by the EU, particularly within the framework of its cooperation with Africa and the Arab World. That action aims to help establish a partnership pact between Africa and the Arab world.
iii. Meeting with the Working Group-Africa of the European Council
460. In conformity with a well established tradition since the Czech Presidency of the EU, the Bureau of the African Group of Ambassadors held its 3rd meeting with the Working Group-Africa of the European Council (COAFR) in Brussels on 17 February 2010, under the Spanish Presidency of the EU. That 3rd meeting was particularly important because it was held at the level of COAFR- Capitals which brought together the Directors of Africa Desk in EU Member States’ Foreign Ministries. It thus made exchange of views possible in the following areas:
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 101 a) Briefing on the conclusions of the 14th Session of the Assembly of the African Union (by AU Permanent Representative); b) The 3rd Africa-EU Summit scheduled to be held in Libya in November 2010. 461. The Mission coordinated a working visit of the African Ambassadors in Brussels with concurrent accreditation to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in December 2009 at the invitation of Hon. Jean Asselborn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of that country. The Ambassadors of some 48 countries or their Representatives as well as the Permanent Representative of the African Union participated in that working visit. It led to exchange of views on political issues of common interest and consideration of the possibility of strengthening the bilateral ties between Luxembourg and the African Union and its Member States.members
iv. Meeting with the African High-Level Panel on Darfur
462. The Mission took advantage of the working visit of the AU High-Level Panel on Darfur on 22 and 23 March to the EU, to organize a meeting between the Panel and the Bureau of the African Group. That meeting provided opportunity to brief the African Group on the mandate of the Panel and the objective of its working visit to the EU. The purpose of that exchange of views was to get the African Group in Brussels to be fully conversant with AU initiatives to restore peace and stability in Darfur so as to better promote such initiatives with the EU.
v. EU-ECOWAS Political Dialogue
463. The Mission participated, in its capacity as Observer, in a session of EU-ECOWAS Political Dialogue devoted to combating drug trafficking, held in Brussels on 20 May 2010. UN agencies also participated in that session alongside other concerned institutions.
464. At that session, the EU presented its Plan of Action 2009-2012 on Drugs focusing on the European Strategy to fight the scourge. The Plan comprises 24 objectives and 72 specific actions to be undertaken mainly in West Africa, a region that is EU’s priority zone of action. ECOWAS, on its part, presented the various initiatives taken under its “Praia Plan of Action” and expressed concern over the worsening situation in a context of generalized poverty. It therefore stressed the need for speedy disbursement of the ten million Euros pledged by EU to support the Plan of Action.
465. An appeal was made to enhance the exchange of information, support the intelligence services and coordinate efforts and resources against drug trafficking and the usually related money laundering
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IV. SHARED VALUES
IV.1 DEMOCRACY, ELECTIONS AND GOVERNANCE
1. DEMOCRACY, ELECTIONS AND GOVERNANCE
a) African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance
466. As a follow-up to the promotion of the AU Charter and to facilitate its ratification, the Commission held a meeting with RECs, Organs and Stakeholders in Banjul, The Gambia, from the 18 to 19 March 2010. The meeting concluded that attention should be focused on securing the minimum number of ratifications for the Charter to enter into effect by the 16th Ordinary Session of the African Union in January/February 2011. In addition, specific recommendations were made on further popularising the Charter with Governments, Parliaments and Civil Society Organisations, as a basis for speeding up the ratification process.
467. In line with the recommendations from the meeting in Banjul, the Commission has written to all Member States to inquire about the progress with respect to signature and ratification. A report on this will be compiled for submission to the 16th Ordinary Summit of the African Union. The Commission is also in process of implementing the recommendations in partnership with other Organs and Stakeholders active in popularising the Charter. Within this framework, a Meeting of African Member States of International IDEA will be held in Accra, Ghana, in the coming months to facilitate ratification by IDEA African Member States and to encourage other Member States to speed up ratification.
468. The ratification of the Charter remains an important priority of the Union and the Commission continues to work towards sensitising Member States and encouraging ratification. In addition to promoting ratification before the 16th Summit, the Commission will continue to bring together all stakeholders in the overall effort to popularise the Charter as a central feature of African Integration and the Shared Values agenda of the Union.
b) African Architecture on Governance
469. The Commission has been mandated to promote and facilitate the establishment of an appropriate architecture for the promotion of good governance. The basis for a more coherent, integrated and elaborated Architecture on Governance is also highlighted by the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
470. In pursuance of this mandate, the Commission embarked on a process of consensus building with regards to the nature, structure, mandate and framework of the governance architecture. The consultative process has resulted in an emerging consensus that as the overall political and institutional framework for the promotion of governance in Africa, the African Governance Architecture (AGA) is an “evolving process” consisting of three pillars: (i) a vision/shared values supported by a governance agenda and norms; (ii) a set of governance institutions and actors/institutional framework; and (iii) concrete
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 103 processes to promote synergies, common agendas and greater impact, including the need to establish an African Platform on Governance as the motor to the African Governance Architecture. As an important mechanism of the AGA, the Platform is envisaged as the coordinating arm of the overall AGA.
471. The Commission is currently in the process of finalising the operationalisation of the African Platform on Governance. Though the Platform is an interaction mechanism which serves to enhance coordination, its strategic objective is beyond the need for coordinated and integrated actions in the terrain of governance. Within the context of the Platform, coordination, harmonisation and formalisation of interactions are perceived as a strategic response to address the challenge of implementation of the Governance Agenda, and enhancing the capacity of the institutions that constitute the AGA.
472. As a contribution to the development and integration agenda of the Union, the Architecture has the potential of strengthening the capacity of the Commission to play a catalyst role in the promotion of governance. Most importantly, the Architecture would serve as a mechanism to ensure policy and program convergence on Shared Values.
c) Public Service
473. The Chairperson of the 6th Conference of African Ministers of Public Service (Kenya) continues to take a lead in driving forward the implementation of the Public Service Programme and the decisions of the 6th Conference of Ministers. The Chairperson has held meetings with Ministers of Public Service within ECOWAS to facilitate wider participation. The Minister has also engaged with other regions to ensure that there is active support and participation in the activities directed at enhancing state capability for development.
474. In keeping with the objectives of the Ministerial initiative, a Workshop was held in Namibia, in March 2010, to facilitate the work of the Ministers of Public Service. A further workshop was held in Abuja, Nigeria, from the 14 to 16 May 2010. Collectively, these Workshops were directed at developing Management Guides in specific areas of Public Service. Within the Ministerial initiative, efforts are also underway to promote the next round of the All Africa Public Service Innovation Awards. During the 4th meeting of the Bureau of the 6th Conference, held in Namibia, the Ministers of Public Service decided that the Theme for this year’s Africa Public Service Day, celebrated on the 23rd June, is “Strengthening Leadership and Management for improved Public Service Delivery in Africa”.
475. The work of the Ministers of Public Service continues to unfold positively and is expected to take a step forward with the Draft Charter on the Principles and Values of Public Service and Administration. The Executive Council instructed, through decision Doc. EX.CL/520(XV) that an Experts Meeting be held to finalize the Draft Charter, as approved by the 6th Conference of African Ministers of Public Service. This meeting is planned for the third quarter of this year and it is anticipated that the Charter will be brought to the 16th Summit in January 2011.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 104 d) Strengthening the Resource Centre for Democracy, Governance and Human Rights
476. The Resource Center for Democracy, Governance and Human Rights continues to make progress in the areas of acquisition of relevant publications through purchase and donations, cataloguing and classification of these publications, official visits from potential donors and interested organizations, acquisition of audiovisual materials, access to free Internet facilities.
2. ELECTIONS OBSERVATION AND MONITORING
a) AU Technical Assistance
477. Election Management Bodies (EMBs) are in the forefront of democracy building and have a fundamental role to play in the democracy and governance process. In recognition of this role and the role the AU can play in strengthening capacities of national electoral authorities, the Commission organized a platform for dialogue and exchange for EMBs. This meeting was held in Accra, Ghana in December 2009 to discuss issues of common interest for national EMBs.
478. Discussions and recommendations emanating from the meeting resulted in clarity on common issues affecting EMBs. In the following months, the Commission’s efforts will focus on drawing up best practices on key EMB elements and processes; in creating an interactive mechanism through which EMB experiences can be shared and in building the capacities of electoral commissions.
479. In this regard, over the past months, the Commission has engaged extensively with several national electoral authorities namely Chad, Guinea, Central Africa Republic and Burundi. With each of the Electoral Commissions, the emphasis has been on assisting either the electoral procedures or management structures of a particular Electoral Commission. In the case of Chad and Central Africa Republic for example, experts will be provided to the respective electoral commissions to strengthen the organization and conduct of election processes in preparation of the forthcoming elections.
b) Orientation Courses for AU Election Observers
480. The second Orientation/Training for AU Observers was held from 24 to 26 in February 2010 in Dakar, Senegal. The Course accommodated 33 participants from the West African Region of the AU. Other training courses in the three remaining Regions of the AU will follow. The purpose of the course was to begin the process of training and/or refreshing AU Election Observers in up-to-date best practices in election observation.
481. The training courses encompass all aspects of election observation with the aim of achieving international performing standards. These training sessions have also helped the Commission to review several of the conceptual and practical mechanisms used for election observation to allow for a more structured and systematic observation of elections. The training of observers from all five regions of the AU will not only introduce new “blood” in the election observation system but enable much greater choice continental wide. The
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 105 training of new observers will be backed up by a database of AU Election Observers from which members of observer missions will be drawn in future.
c) Election Assessment Missions
482. The Chairperson of the Commission deployed Assessment Missions to several countries in early 2010. These included Ethiopia, Burundi and Central Africa Republic. The objective of these missions, through discussions with the principal stakeholders, particularly the political parties, prospective candidates and the election management bodies, was to assess the status of preparedness for elections and advise the AUC on the deployment of Election Observers.
d) Elections Observed
483. The Sudan: At the invitation of the Electoral Commission of Sudan and in pursuance to the African Union’s Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, the Chairperson of the Commission, deployed a 70-member multi- disciplinary team of observers to observe the Presidential, Legislative and Gubernatorial elections in Sudan. The Mission’s assessment of Sudan’s General Elections was provided in the context of the country’s challenging history and complex political circumstances.
484. The Observer Report in particular makes mention of the complexity of the electoral system provided for in the National Elections Act of 2008, which produced a combination of several polls being held concomitantly; twelve ballots in the South and eight in the North. Many of the logistical challenges among which the shortage or inaccuracy of election materials and late distribution of some election materials as well as misprinting of party symbols on the ballot papers and administrative difficulties arose from this complexity.
485. Togo: Thirty observers under H. E Mr. Olusejun Obasanjo, Former President of the Republic of Nigeria, were deployed to assess the Election in Togo. In their assessment, the Mission concluded that the presidential elections were well organized. However, the Mission noted some minor weaknesses that must be corrected for future elections in Togo. This is basically related to issues of authentication of voting cards and issues concerning the transmission of results from the local Independent Electoral Commission to the centralized National Independent Electoral Commission.
486. Mauritius: The AU Election Observation Mission to Mauritius made note of a number of positive elements such as high voter turn-out and the proper conduct of the election. The Mission however stressed on improving some aspects of the electoral process such as the authentication of identification of voters in order to avoid electoral fraud and assisting the elderly and handicapped citizens to enable them to express their civil rights freely. The Mission declared the Legislative election of the 5th May free and transparent.
487. Ethiopia, Guinea and Burundi: At the time of submission of this report, elections were being held or anticipated in Ethiopia, Burundi and Guinea.
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IV.2 HUMAN RIGHTS
488. The protection and promotion of Human Rights are keys for sustainable development on the continent and are an integral part of the AU’s core values. The promotion and the protection of human rights has for sometime been a priority for Member States of the African Union and has been articulated as a priority at a number of international and local fora. The principles and objectives of the AU’s Constitutive Act emphasise the need to promote and protect human rights on the continent.
a) Human Rights Strategy for Africa
489. The need for coordinated actions and interventions within the African Union is informed by the imperative of optimising the impact of various initiatives. Within this context, the approved AUC Strategic Plan (2009-2012) calling for enhanced coordinated actions amongst AU Organs, serves as a basis for a deep reflection on how to strengthen coordination amongst AU organs and Institutions with human rights mandate and between other institutions and stakeholders involved with governance.
490. In response, a meeting for AU Organs with human rights mandate took place from 11 to 13 March 2010 in Banjul, The Gambia, in collaboration with the OHCHR and the UNECA. The objective of the meeting was to explore the challenges that necessitate a more focused and strategic orientation to the Human Rights challenges in Africa and engage with approaches that facilitate comprehensiveness in the existing African Union Human Rights Strategy. Developing a Human Rights Strategy is in line with the AU’s decision to establish an African Governance Architecture.
491. In a follow up to the first meeting of Banjul on the Human Rights Strategy for Africa, a second meeting has been organized in collaboration with the AU Organs with human rights mandate and in partnership with OHCHR and UNECA to further discuss modalities for the establishment of the Human Rights Strategy for Africa.
492. The meeting convened under the theme “Making the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Africa a Reality”, adopted the framework of the Human Rights Strategy for Africa. In particular, the meeting incorporated inputs from the AU organs and other experts and stakeholders on the Mapping Document and examined steps taken to implement the Way Forward of the first Meeting on the Strategy.
b) Commemoration of the 16th Anniversary of the Rwanda Genocide
493. The commemoration of the Rwanda Genocide is an annual event of the African Union celebrated following the decision to commemorate 7 April as a day of remembrance of the victims of the genocide and reaffirmation of Africa’s resolve to prevent and fight genocide on the Continent. It is also in accordance with the objectives and principles of the African Union on the promotion of good governance, human rights, rule of law and ending impunity as enshrined in its Constitutive Act.
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494. The purpose of the commemoration as firmly indicated on the declaration adopted by the African Union Permanent Representatives Committee during its special session on the Commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the Genocide in Rwanda, is to continuously awaken greater awareness of the African peoples and the international community about the value of life and humanity, and helps us renew our collective commitment to protect and uphold the fundamental human rights.
c) EU-Africa Partnership on Governance and Human Rights
495. The 3rd iJEG meeting took place on 13 and 14 April 2010 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting was attended by experts from both Africa and Europe and discussed the progress made and adopted Terms of Reference for the Workshop on the Africa-EU joint Platform for Dialogue on Governance and Human Rights related issues.
496. The Workshop will take place on 13 and 14 September 2010 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and will be followed by the 4th DGHR partnership iJEG meeting 15-16 September 2010.
d) African Union – European Union Human Rights Dialogue
497. The sixth successful round of the AU-EU Human Rights Dialogue, which took place on 7th May 2010, showed that the Dialogue has become a valuable and useful part of the AU and EU cooperation in the human rights area, and brings about concrete common conclusions, recommendations and commitments. The open and constructive discussions held demonstrate that the dialogue has reached maturity and allows exchange on a wide range of human rights issues of interest to the two parties.
498. The African and European sides noted that although since the preceding meeting in November 2009 some encouraging developments had taken place both in the EU and Africa, such as the abolition of the death penalty by Burundi and Togo, challenges remained and needed the full attention and cooperation of both parties. Notably, it is necessary to further encourage Member States to ratify international human rights instruments and to increase the efforts to abolish the death penalty in Africa.
e) Workshop on Human Rights Education for Central Africa
499. The Commission jointly with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, in collaboration with the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights organized a Workshop on Human Rights Education for Central Africa, from 10 to 12 June 2010 in Brazzaville, Congo under the theme: “Realizing Women’s Rights Through Human Rights Education”. The aim of the Workshop was to contribute to the implementation of the World Programme for Human Rights in general and the African Union Education Programme in particular.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 108 f) Meeting of National Human Rights Institutions for Central Africa
500. The Commission, in collaboration with the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), organised the first thematic meeting for NHRIs in Central Africa on 10-12 June 2010 in Brazzaville, Congo), in line with the recommendations made by the Third Meeting of NHRIs for Human Rights held from 8 to 10 November 2009 in Banjul, The Gambia.
501. The aim of the meeting was to strengthen the NHRIs in the region with a view to upgrading their status to level A in accordance with the Paris Principles in an attempt to enhance their contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa. The meeting was also an opportunity to review activities of the African NHRIs and facilitate experience sharing in the area of protection and promotion of human rights and develop synergies in the region
IV.3 HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS, REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS
502. The main focus during this period was to initiate the implementation of the outcomes of the Special Summit on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons in Africa which was held in October 2009 in Kampala, Uganda. In this regard and in accordance with Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec.529 (XVI) adopted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 1 February 2010, the Commission elaborated a Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Outcomes of the Special Summit. The final draft of the document which is being presented for adoption to the present Session has been enriched by the relevant Departments of the Commission, Partners, including civil society organizations, the PRC Sub-Committee on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons and by Member States Experts and Ministers in-charge of Forced Displacement Matters.
503. The Commission also coordinated the programmes and activities of the PRC Sub- Committee on Refugees, in particular, with their field assessment missions to Member States affected by the problem of forced displacement. The Sub-Committee visited five countries between January and March 2010, including Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and Chad. The outcomes and recommendations of these missions are being submitted to the Executive Council at this Session.
504. The overall situation of refugees remains virtually unchanged since the last reporting period. However, there have been both improvements and set backs in individual countries. Durable solutions are making a difference in the lives of some refugees in protracted situations while in others new influxes were registered. Inadequate resources continue to hamper the implementation of a sustainable reintegration programs for returnees across the Continent.
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IV.4 GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT
505. During the 223rd Session of the Peace and Security Council held on 30th March 2010, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia the Commission presented a report on women and children in armed conflicts to the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union. The PSC deliberated on the situation of women and children in armed conflicts and came out with the following recommendations among others: deployment of a gender expert in the AU Liaison offices, the appointment of women as Ambassador of Peace, appointment of a Special Representative on violence Against Women and Violence Against Children as well as the involvement of women in peace process.
506. The Commission has developed a draft of AU Gender Training for AU Peacekeepers, which was discussed at a Validation Workshop (3-6 May 2010). This Workshop brought together experts in gender, peace and security and women’s rights from AU Member States, RECs, AU Organs, CSOs, UN Family with the aim to review the Draft Manual intended for use by AU Peacekeepers at all levels. This manual will be targeting the African Stand by Force and other Hybrid Operations as well as Trainers in Training institutions of troop sending countries.
507. The Commission organized a three days pre summit, from 22 to 24 January 2010 at the AU Premises in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Third Pre Summit on Gender focused on using ICT for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) in line with the 14th Ordinary Session of the Assembly Summit theme on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Development.
508. In support of the advocacy and campaign around violence against women and children and on the margins of the last Summit, the Africa UNITE Campaign to end violence against women and girls was launched by the Chairperson of the Commission and the United Nations Secretary General on 30 January 2010. The campaign is the African Regional component of the UNITE Campaign launched by the United Nations Secretary General in February 2008. The campaign aims to create a favorable and supportive environment for Governments in partnership with civil society and experts, to be able to fulfil existing policy commitments as well as to raise public awareness and increase the political will and resources for preventing and responding to all forms of violence against women and girls in Africa.
509. Concerning the implementation of the AU Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SDGEA), the fifth meeting of the African Union Women’s Committee (AUWC) was organized from 13 to 14 May 2010 at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa. During the meeting, the AUWC members were trained on writing the SDGEA Chairperson’s Report and Synthesis from AU Member States. The members of AUWC also reviewed the Reports of the Chairperson of the Commission and those of the Member States on SDGEA.
510. The Commission participated on the 54th Session of CSW on of CSW on Beijing + 15 at 4 levels, namely the Official CSW Programme and parallel events hosted by Member States and other parallel programmes by CSOs around the theme of the Session. During
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 110 the meeting, the Commission briefed the participants on its achievements since the last CSW, which is the establishment of the Fund for African Women’s adopted in January 2010 Summit and the launching of the African Women Decade 2010-2020.
511. The Commission in collaboration with UN- IDEP organized its third and fourth session of the course on "Gender Response Economic Policy Making in Africa" in French and English language, from 8 to 19 February 2010 at the AU Headquarters, Addis Ababa - Ethiopia. The objective of this training course was to reinforce the capacities of officials in charge for the African economic policies, budget planners, development experts.
512. The training course brought together 25 participants during 2 weeks. The countries and RECs that were represented are: Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Comoros, the Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Niger, Senegal, Swaziland, Tanzania, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, CENSAD, ECOWAS.
513. The Commission organized two meetings of the Bureau of the Conference of Ministers in charge of Gender and Women’s Affairs which comprise Swaziland, Uganda, Mauritania and Equatorial Guinea. This meeting discussed the implications of the Assembly Decision relating to the allocation of 1% for 2011 Budget and emphasized the need for voluntary contributions from Member States for 2010 as statutory contributions to the Fund as it would only start in 2011.
514. The first meeting of Experts for the Fund is scheduled to be convened before the July 2010 Assembly, following which the Fund account will be opened. Thereafter, the Commission will embark on a resource mobilization campaign for the Fund in support of the 10 themes selected under the African Women’s Decade.
IV.5 CULTURE
515. The cultural development field is constituted of four main axis of intervention: the development of a new architecture for the promotion of culture in Africa and the harmonization of cultural policies and programmes; the Campaign for the African Cultural Renaissance; the promotion of African Languages and African oral traditions; the promotion of cultural industries; the promotion of the role of culture for social integration and peace building, including the protection of African cultural heritage in war-affected and post-conflict countries.
516. Within the field of the development of a new architecture for the promotion of culture in Africa and the harmonization of cultural policies and programmes, the feasibility study for the establishment of the Pan African Cultural Institute (PACI) that will be the implementation agency and coordinator of the overall cultural development policies, programmes and events at the continental level were initiated during the first quarter of 2010. The outcomes of this study will be considered during the Third Conference of the Ministers of Culture of the AU (CAMC3) scheduled to be held in October 2010 in Abuja, Nigeria. Notable progress was also made regarding the issues of the protection of cultural goods and the return of cultural properties to their countries of origin and the Africa-EU partnership was the relevant framework to advance those issues. The comprehensive
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 111 study for the inventory of on-going Cooperation Activities between the EU and Africa with regard to Cultural Goods was initiated and the results of the study will inform the strengthening of the cooperation between the two continents for the promotion of cultural heritage in general or within the specific area of the protection of cultural goods and the return of cultural properties in their countries of origin.
517. Progress has been made in the implementation of the programmes for the promotion of African Languages and African oral traditions, as well as progress in the capacity building of the African Academy for Languages in Bamako, Mali (ACALAN) and the African Centre for Linguistic and Historical studies by Oral Traditions in Niamey, Niger (CELHTO). ACALAN has managed so far to establish the Language Commissions for Setswana and Cinyanja (Southern Africa) and Fulfulde, Hausa and Mandenkan (West Africa) as cross-border vehicular languages to be promoted. ACALAN carried out regular technical consultations with strategic partners like the RECs and the UNESCO Regional Bureau to develop joint programmes aiming at strengthening the vital linkage between language, culture and education. CELHTO on its part successfully implemented its programmes for the promotion of peace through music and the promotion of oral traditions. A scientific book and a digital video documentary on the Sahel Opera are being finalised.
518. The Campaign for the African Cultural Renaissance, a participatory, people-oriented and engaging theme for the Campaign was adopted in order to give to the Campaign a real continental, pan-africanist and historical dimension: “Promoting together the African Cultural Renaissance”. The first official launch of the Campaign took place in Accra, Ghana during the Africa Day Celebrations from 23 to 26 May 2010 that were also dedicated to the celebration of the Centenary of the Birth of Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Apart from promoting the ratification and accelerating the entry into force of the Charter on the African Cultural Renaissance, the Campaign that will last two years (2010-2011) will promote innovative and social transformation-oriented activities such as exhibitions, networks and competition on the spirit of pan-Africanism or the institutionalisation of an annual cultural week devoted to the promotion of culture, African positive values and identity in all the Member States.
IV.6 LEGAL MATTERS (LEGAL ARCHITECTURE OF THE UNION)
a) Depositary Functions
519. It should be noted that since the submission of the last Report in January 2010, the process of signatures has improved while the process of ratification by Member States has slowed down considerably. During the reporting period, ninety-two (92) new signatures were appended out of which twenty-one (21) were appended to the 2009 Constitution of the African Civil Aviation Commission. Only six (6) additional instruments of ratification/accession were deposited. Council would recall that during the last reporting period of July 2009 to January 2010, forty-six (46) new signatures were appended and twenty-six (26) additional instruments of ratification/accession were deposited.
520. Even though giant efforts have been made to sign and ratify or accede to OAU/AU Treaties, a lot remains to be done. As indicated in the last Report, it is crucial that the
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 112 operationalization of the institutional framework of the Union is completed as soon as possible in order for the African Union to meet its objectives of political and socio- economic integration. In this regard, the attention of Council should be drawn to the fact that the four (4) Member States who were requested to ratify the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community (Abuja Treaty) are yet to ratify the Treaty despite numerous appeals over the last two (2) years. It is opportune to once again reiterate the appeal to the four (4) Member States, which have not yet ratified or acceded to the Abuja Treaty, to do so expeditiously.
521. The Commission registered the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (the Treaty of Pelindaba), which deals with the promotion and cooperation of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy as well as the protection of African States against possible nuclear attacks on their territories, with the United Nations Secretary General after its entry into force on 15 July 2010 upon the deposit of the twenty-eighth (28th) instrument of ratification in accordance with Article 18(2) of the Treaty of Pelindaba.
522. Council will recall that the Constitution for the African Civil Aviation (AFCAC) was revised and adopted by a meeting of Plenipotentiaries in Dakar, Senegal on 16 December, 2009. To date, twenty-one (21) Member States have appended their signatures. Consequently, in accordance with Article 19(4), the Constitution has provisionally entered into force. Council should be reminded that the African Maritime Transport Charter was revised by Experts and Ministers responsible for Maritime Transport and thereafter endorsed by the Executive Council at its Sixteenth Ordinary Session held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia vide Decision EX.CL/Dec. 542 (XVI). The Charter remains to be adopted by the Assembly and this session is expected to adopt a decision in this regard.
523. Member States are invited to sign and ratify the Union’s Treaties expeditiously. Special attention should be drawn to the slow pace of signatures and ratifications of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance; the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights, the Protocol on the African Investment Bank, the African Youth Charter and the Charter on Statistics which address vital issues for the realization of the objectives of our Union.
b) Accreditation of Non-African States to the African Union
524. In accordance with the Criteria for Granting Observer Status and for a system of Accreditation within the African Union (the Criteria), adopted by the Executive Council and endorsed by the Assembly in Sirte, Great Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in July 2005, the Commission continued to receive and consider requests for accreditation from various non-African States and organisations, bearing in mind the supreme interest of the Union. Since the last reporting period, seven (7) non-African States were accredited in line with the provisions of Part II, Section II (3) of the Criteria. The names of the representatives accredited since the last report and their respective States/organizations are listed in the table below:
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 113
NON-AFRICAN STATES
No. Name & Title Country
1 H.E. Mr. Jean-Marc Hoscheit Grand-Duchy Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the of Luxembourg Kingdom of Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg in the Hague, the Netherlands
2 H.E. Mr. Gudrun Graf Austria Permanent Representative of the Republic of Austria to the Commission of the African Union
3 H.E. Mr. Svetlozar Vladislavov Panov Bulgaria Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
4 H.E. Mr. Derhim Abdo Noman Yemen Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Yemen to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
5 H.E. Ms. Maria Gabriella Bonetti Dominican Ambassador of the Dominican Republic in Cairo, Arab Republic Republic of Egypt
6 H.E. Mr. Bhagwant Singh Bishnoi India Ambassador of the Republic of India to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
7 H.E. Mrs. Isabel Cristina de Azevedo Heyvaert Brazil Permanent Representative of Brazil to the Commission of the African Union
8 H.E. Mr. Jens Odlander Sweden Ambassador of Sweden to Ethiopia and Djibouti
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 114 525. The total number of non-African States and international organizations accredited to the Union is now sixty-six (66); i.e. fifty-five (55) non-African States and eleven (11) Regional Integration and International Organizations.
c) The Review of the Protocol to the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community relating to the Pan African Parliament (PAP)
526. Council would recall that pursuant to Decision Assembly/AU/Dec. 223 (XII) adopted by the Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2009 on the Review of the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community relating to the Pan African Parliament (PAP), the Commission had indicated that a consultant was identified by the Commission and that appropriate recommendations will be submitted to Council through the PRC for consideration by this Ordinary Session of the Assembly.
527. It should be noted that the Commission was unable to commence implementation of this activity due to lack of the necessary financial resources. However, following receipt of the financial resources in March this year, the Commission organized a meeting between representatives of PAP, in particular its Rules Committee, the Consultant and relevant departments of the AUC on 10 and 11 May 2010 at the Headquarters of the Union. The meeting agreed on a roadmap for implementation. In this regard, it is expected that the draft legal instrument on the revision of the Protocol Relating to the Pan African Parliament will be finalised by a meeting of Government Experts to be followed by a Conference of Ministers of Justice/Attorneys General and submitted for consideration by the Assembly through the Executive Council in 2011.
d) Implementation of Assembly Decision on Granting Competence to the African Court of Justice and Human Rights to deal with International Crimes
528. It will be recalled that in the last Report, the Commission had informed Council that the funds for carrying out the activities envisaged for the implementation of Decision Assembly/AU/Dec. 213(XII) adopted by the Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January 2009 were secured. It was also indicated that the Commission had finalized the Terms of Reference for a consultancy and identified the Consultant to undertake a comprehensive study of the implications of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights being empowered to try international crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
529. The Consultant submitted the study as well as a draft Protocol on amendments to the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights. These two (2) documents were to be considered by a Validation Workshop to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in June 2010. The relevant AU organs such as the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Pan African Parliament and the African Commission on International Law as well as the existing Courts in the Regional Economic Communities will be invited to take part in the workshop. The outcome of the workshop will then be submitted to a meeting of government experts to be
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 115 followed by a Conference of Ministers of Justice/Attorneys General and thereafter to the Executive Council for consideration by the Assembly in accordance with Decision Assembly/AU/Dec. 213(XII).
e) Implementation of Assembly Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.270 (XIV) on the Second Ministerial Meeting on the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)
530. Through its Decision Assembly/AU/dec.270 (XIV) adopted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in July 2009, the Assembly requested the Commission and the African Group in New York to follow up on the implementation of this Decision and in particular to ensure that the concerns of the Assembly and the Member States are properly addressed with other Regional Groups with a view of finding a durable solution with regard to the following in particular : (i) proposal for amendment to Article 16 of the Rome Statute; (ii) Proposal for retention of Article 13 as is; (iii) Procedural issues: Guidelines for the exercise of prosecutorial discretion by the ICC Prosecutor; (iv) Immunities of Officials whose States are not parties to the Rome Statute: the relationship between articles 27 and 98; and (v) Proposals regarding the crime of aggression.
f) Elections of the Members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR)
531. Council will recall that the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the ACHPR) is established within the Union, in terms of Article 30 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Charter). The main mandate of the Commission is to promote human and Peoples’ rights in the continent and to ensure their protection.
532. One (1) Member of the ACHPR, Commissioner Angela Melo (Mozambique), who was elected in 2007 ceased to exercise the functions of a Member of the ACHPR and therefore one (1) vacancy has arisen in the membership of ACHPR. Accordingly, Council is expected to elect one (1) member for a term of six (6) years during the current Ordinary Session and recommend him/her to the Assembly for appointment for the remainder of the term of office of the outgoing Commissioner.
g) Elections of the Members of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC)
533. Council will recall that the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) is established within the African Union in terms of Article 32 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child to promote and protect the rights and welfare of the African child.
534. The term of office of the six (6) of the Members of the ACERWC elected in July 2005 will expire in July 2010. Consequently, Council is expected to elect six (6) members for a term of five (5) years and recommend them to the Assembly for appointment.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 116 h) Elections of the Judges of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR)
535. Council will recall that the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) is established under Article 1 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to decide on disputes relating to the interpretation and application of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights , the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and any other relevant human rights instruments ratified by Member States.
536. The term of four (4) of the Members of the AfCHPR elected in 2004 will expire in July 2010 and in addition one (1) of the Judges has resigned. Thus, five (5) vacancies have arisen and will be filled during the forthcoming elections. Accordingly, Council is expected to elect five (5) new members for a term of six (6) years and recommend them to the Assembly for appointment.
i) Meeting of the African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL)
537. The African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL) is an independent advisory organ of the Union established under the Statute of the AUCIL. At the 13th Ordinary Session of the Assembly in Sirte, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in July 2009, the Assembly vide Decision Assembly/AU/249(XIII), appointed the eleven members (11) of AUCIL as elected by the 15th Ordinary session of the Executive Council.
538. The AUCIL held its first session from 3 to 6 May 2010 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and, among other things, considered the mandate of AUCIL, elected its Bureau, adopted its rules of procedure, considered the modalities for cooperation with other AU organs and other entities, and exchanged views on the work plan and elaborated proposals for the 2011 AUCIL budget.
539. Council is requested to consider the report and the Rules of Procedure of the AUCIL in accordance with the provisions of the Statute.
j) Registration of the African Union Flag with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
540. Council would recall that vide Decision Assembly/AU/ Dec. 267 (XIII) of the Thirteenth Ordinary Session of the Assembly in Sirte, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the Assembly adopted the new Flag of the African Union and requested the Commission to take the necessary measures for the registration of the flag with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). In the last Report of January 2010, Council was informed of the requirements for the registration of the flag with WIPO and that the Commission will expeditiously register the flag.
541. In this regard, the Commission has initiated the process for the registration of the flag since its launching by the Assembly on 31 January 2010 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Council will be informed regularly on progress made.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 117
542. It has been noted that some Member States are not using the AU paraphernalia adequately and at times are replacing the AU logo with the new flag or are not using the right colors. It should be noted that under Decision Assembly/AU/Dec. 267 (XIII), it is only the AU flag that was changed and not the AU logo. Steps are also being taken to ensure that every Member State is availed a proper recording of the AU Anthem.
543. The Commission strongly believes that the Executive Council should recommend to the Assembly that a decision be taken requesting all Member States to ensure that they display both their respective national flags and the AU flag in all public places as well as to take necessary measures to play the AU Anthem alongside national anthems during official ceremonies and on televisions and radios with a view to popularising the African Union. It should be noted that a decision in this regard was previously adopted in respect of the AU Anthem, but it has been implemented by only a few Member States. In this regard, Council is invited to consider a draft decision and to make appropriate recommendations to the Assembly thereon.
k) Implementation of the Assembly Decision on the Accession to the United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol
544. Council will recall that by Decision Assembly /AU/Dec. 248 (XIII) adopted by the 13th Ordinary Session of the Assembly held in Sirte, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, in July 2009, the Assembly authorized that the African Union should accede to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, and requested the Commission to take all necessary measures to expedite the process of accession.
545. Pursuant to the Decision of the Assembly, the instrument of accession was prepared by the Commission and submitted to the Secretary General of the United Nations. However, the Depositary rejected the AU instrument of accession to that Convention on grounds that the African Union did not establish that its Member States have “transferred competence to it with respect to the subject matter of the Convention including the power to implement required legislation binding on its Member States at the domestic level without further action from their legislatures.”
546. Consequently and on the basis of Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.281 (XIV) adopted by the Fourteenth Ordinary Session of the Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in February 2010, a new instrument of accession showing clearly the competence of the African Union under the Convention was prepared and will soon be submitted to the Secretary General of the United Nations.
547. Once the instrument of accession to UNFCC has been accepted, as per the requirements, the Commission will then take the necessary steps to accede to the Kyoto Protocol.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 118 l) Implementation of the Assembly Decision on the Accession to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
548. It should be noted that the Assembly, by its Decision Assembly/AU/Dec. 255 (XIII) adopted in Sirte, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, in July 2009 decided that the African Union should accede to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
549. Pursuant to this Decision, the instrument of accession has been prepared and will soon be submitted to the Secretary General of the United Nations.
m) Implementation of Decision AHG/OAU/AEC/Dec.1(II) Relating to Waiver of Visas for Persons travelling on OAU Laissez-Passer, adopted in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in June 1998
550. It will be recalled that vide Decision AHG/OAU/AEC/Dec.1 (II) on Free Movement of Persons adopted in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in June 1998, the Assembly mandated the Commission to:
“prepare an appropriate plan that will lead to complete freedom of movement of persons throughout the Community, taking on board various on-going experiences on the Continent. Freedom of movement of persons should, from the onset, be envisaged in two stages, namely: at regional level in the first instance, and then at Continental level. In the interim, and with immediate effect, officials of the RECs and the African Economic Community, holders of the official travel documents of these institutions, should be exempt from visa requirements during travels within Member States.”
551. The Commission has observed that some Member States have not implemented the above Assembly decision, particularly with regard to waiver of requirements of a Visa for officials of AU and RECs. In this regard, the Commission had sent out Note Verbales dated 9 March, 2010 to Member States requesting them to communicate to the Commission all relevant information relating to actions taken in the implementation of the above decision.
552. Since the transmission of the Note Verbales to Member States, the Commission has received responses from two (2) Member States, namely Uganda and Kenya, which indicated that they have implemented this decision in their countries. However, the Commission will continue to appeal to Member States to collaborate with it to ensure that the Assembly Decision on Free Movement is implemented. It is important that this issue be addressed because recent developments have shown that although Member States have made commitments, there tends to be non-respect of some commitments by some of our Member States, in particular with regard to African Union Officials and Staff. I am confident that I will be in a position to report on this matter more comprehensively at the next ordinary session of the policy organs scheduled for January/February 2011.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 119 V. STRENGTHENING THE INSTITUTIONS
V.1 THE COMMISSION
1. INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMME
a) Introduction
553. The fourth Pillar of the 2009-2012 Strategic Plan emphasizes and further defines the AUC Capacity Building Programme which was initiated during the term of the last Commission and is being continued under the current Commission. The programme addresses the key recommendations contained in the report of the audit of the African Union, which was undertaken by a high-level panel of experts in 2007. It is also in response to recommendations emanating from institutional assessment exercises undertaken in 2009 and 2010.
b) Objectives
554. The objectives of the Institutional capacity-building programme are.
a. Strengthen capacity and enhance the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the AUC b. Ensure that there is a clear policy and strategic orientation for the AUC as the central executing and administrative organ of the AU to effectively and efficiently, advocate, and facilitate successful implementation of AU strategic objectives. c. To provide the institutional framework for Africa to play a constructive, meaningful and major role in global affairs.
555. In order to achieve the above it is important to:
i) Ensure that AUC’s core systems for HR, financial and other administrative management, as well as strategic planning and budgeting are established and strengthened in line with international standards. ii) Remove waste and enhance cost effectiveness by rationalizing resource utilization. iii) Ensure that the Human resource capacities are developed and expanded iv) Enhance service delivery and client satisfaction v) Ensure that AUC Resource Mobilization strategies are strengthened to support results based programme approach. vi) Improve stakeholder communication and information management. vii) Promote increased strategic partnership and institutional integration between the AUC, the ECA, AfDB, RECs and other global partners to ensure that Africa’s role in global matters is properly articulated and promoted.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 120 c) Approach
556. The ongoing reforms are structured around five main elements. These are:
i) Support and strategies. Improving the internal environment for efficient and effective policy and strategy development and implementation;
ii) Operational systems. - improving the procedures, processes and information flow for enhanced performance and delivery on AUC mandates;
iii) Institutional structures. Reviewing in accordance with the directives by the Assembly, the way the Commission is structured in order to make it more responsive to its goals and mandates;
iv) Human resource Development. Providing the conditions for staff to develop and align their technical and organizational skills and competencies in order to create the right workforce capable of providing the services required to effectively support the AU;
v) Organizational development. Improving organizational culture and change management capability to deal with a constantly changing internal and external environment.
d) Achievements
557. Since 2008, the reform initiatives have achieved significant successes. These include:
(1) Strategic Planning and Budgeting
558. The planning system has been transformed from an activity-based system into a results oriented planning system and for the first time in 2010 objectives oriented planning framework (Aka log frames) where introduced into the planning process as a basis for results based planning.
559. A clear planning and budgeting cycle has been introduced for the first time providing the way for the commission to introduce a multiyear budgeting approach based on the medium term expenditure framework (MTEF) starting from 2011.
560. Capacities of the respective departments for planning have been strengthened by the appointment of planning officers for each of the departments and finally, the African Monitoring and evaluation tool (AMERT) computerized software developed internally in 2009 for monitoring and evaluation reporting has been revamped and upgraded into a results based M & E tool to facilitate timely, comprehensive and accurate reporting.
561. The Commission continued with the efforts to improve the planning, monitoring and evaluation systems. In 2010, it spearheaded a shift from a purely activity based planning
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 121 and reporting towards focusing on results within the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). The Logical Framework Approach (LFA) has been adopted as the tool for framing the Commission’s departmental plans and programs to 2012, the end of the current Strategic Plan period. All program managers were trained on the application of LFA and used the same when preparing 2010 Program Budget
562. The LFA outlines the goals and outcomes/results expected to be achieved on each program of the 2009-2012 Strategic Plan by 2012. The specific projects for 2010 Program Budget were, therefore, formulated against well defined expected results and indicators of performance, and are monitored through a result-based monitoring, evaluation and reporting computerized tool, the Africa Monitoring and Evaluation Tool (AMERT). It is expected that once the result-oriented MTEF is fully operational, will provide a unified framework for harmonizing financial inflows from both Member States and Development partners. It will also provide a platform for strengthening the overall fiscal discipline within the Commission, in addition to enhancing accountability, and systems and structures improvement, among others. Further, it will provide the medium term perspective to plans and ensure clear linkages between financial inflows with results.
563. The Commission continued to mobilize external resources to support the implementation of the Strategic Plan for 2009-2012. This is in addition to improving relationship with both old and new cooperating partners. It has managed to close a long outstanding grant accounts and subsequently improve further the relationship with the Partners. As a result, the Commission is now getting more involved in the negotiation of grants with the International Partners, a development that will pave the way to centralize all grant negotiations and subsequent actions.
564. With regard to existing AU partners, there have been regular consultations in order to strengthen the partnership as well as identifying better ways of collaboration. Following an agreement reached between the Pooled Fund Partners and the Commission to come up with the second phase of Joint Financing Arrangement (JFA), a team of experts comprising staff from different departments was mobilized to develop a successor JFA proposal. The team has already collected draft proposals to be considered in the next JFA. The team is expected to finalize its task at the end of June 2010.
565. While, the Commission continues to establish stronger links with its cooperating partners, a great deal of new partners too has expressed interest to support the implementation of the 2009-2012 Strategic Plan through the pooled fund arrangement. This demonstrates the trust the partners have developed in the Commission, resulting from an improved financial management system. However, efforts are underway to attract new sources of funding, including from non-traditional donors, the private sector and foundations. It is expected that these donors will form an integral part of the partnership with the AU in the future. The resource mobilization strategy that the Commission has developed will help it to sustain the current flow of alternative funds and attract new partners. It will also serve as a guide to developing successful long-term partnerships with Partners. All partner activities including information on fund commitments and disbursements will be available through the database currently under development
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 122 (2) Human Resource Management
566. PRC and the Council should be able to complete their review of the long-awaited update of the Staff Regulations and Rules at the present session. When adopted, the updated R&R will go a long way towards clarifying staff rights and responsibilities . In line with the results based management approach, a new performance appraisal system has been developed in 2009 and introduced early this year. This will help to track performance from programme level through projects to the individual staff level. When fully operational, this will enhance performance and productivity significantly. The strategic work plan for HR management includes a number of key policy and operational changes in the next few months. The serious challenges in the recruitment process having regard especially to inordinate delays in the filling of vacant positions are being addressed. The backlog is being eliminated and there are plans to handle the expected vacancies in a timely manner with greater transparency at all levels. Results-oriented staff appraisals will be complemented with a comprehensive well-managed competence development and training programme targeting leaders, managers and all categories of staff. The Administration of justice system is also being reviewed for further rationalization. A new framework for staff pension is under consideration.
(3) Structures
567. We are all agreed on the rationale for the urgent need to review and make adjustments to the organizational structure of the Commission. Seven years since the current Maputo structure and its related human and financial resources were put in place new and critical areas of concern to Africa have emerged and gained in importance which the Commission has increasingly been called upon to address without the corresponding requisite resources. The Commission has also progressively become the agenda setter for Africa providing leadership in policy and programme development and advocacy, as well as, in coordinating and supporting Member States forge common positions on an ever expanding international agenda. The adoption of the 2009-2010 Strategic Plan also further underlined the need for the Commission to reorganize itself and rationalize its skills mix and staff capacity to deliver effectively on the new strategic orientations. There is of course the important need for the Commission to position itself to effectively promote and take advantage of the Union principles of complementarity and subsidiarity by rationalizing the division of labour and functional relationships with our strategic partners notably the RECS, and the other organs. All this comes after the Report of the Audit of the African Union by the High Level Panel which among other things called for immediate steps to be taken to adapt and transform the Commission’s structures, processes and procedures for greater efficiencies and effectiveness.
568. In January this year, the PRC considered some preliminary proposals for adjustments to the structure. Those proposals related mainly to some corporate service Departments and a few other offices. At that time, the PRC requested the Commission to undertake a more comprehensive review of the organizational structure including those of the other organs of the Union and present proposals to it by the present Summit.
569. In response to this request, the Commission conducted an in-house inclusive and highly participatory process to review the structures of both the Commission and the
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 123 organs. The review yielded a comprehensive set of proposals which among other things further defined, clarified and rationalized the mandates and functions within and across Departments, Divisions and other Units based on organizational principles especially of relevance; comparative advantage; greater focus; and, enhanced synergy through a better clustering of related programmes and activities. The proposals unavoidably imply additional staff positions to cater for new thematic areas, enhance supervision, and build capacity generally. In order to ease the impact of the proposals on the budget a phased approach and the possible use of alternative funding arrangements are suggested.
570. The PRC Sub-Committee on Structures was not able to complete consideration of the new proposals on the structure before the present meeting of the Executive Council. It is hoped that the Committee will resume is work as soon as possible to allow the proposals to be factored in the 2011 Budget currently under preparation.
(4) Continuous improvement Programme
571. A major initiative in pursuit of operational efficiency and organizational excellence is the Continuous Improvement Programme. The programme consisted in a first phase in the training of 100 Champions of Change chosen from all categories of staff. In a second phase which started in January 2010 and will last for the next several months, these Champions are leading teams in their respective work units to map each and every one of AUC processes, assess the work place for needed improvements, review policies, consider work attitude, and working with all concerned, implement measures for continual improvement that they themselves would recommend. The programme is expected to re- engineer processes and reduce waste in the work place.
(5) Financial management
572. Significant improvements have been made in the accounting and financial reporting systems in line with international standards. Under these improvements, there is an ongoing process to ensure that all financial transactions are reflected within the budget and as a result, for the first time in 2010, the peace and security budget was integrated into the AUC programme budget.
573. Efforts are on course to clean up the backlog of financial transactions involving partner funds and some of which go back as far as 2000. There have been great successes and significant improvement in this area and it is hoped that by end of 2010 the clean up exercise will be complete. There is a greater transparency and openness in our financial dealings and in line with this, a five-pillar assessment has just been concluded with the support of the EU. This has given us clear indicators of areas where additional work needs to be done and we have embraced the challenge.
574. The computerization of our financial system is also under way. The SAP has been introduced successfully. Although there are some teething concerns these have been identified and are being addressed.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 124 (i) Budget performance
575. During the February 2010 Ordinary Session held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Assembly approved a total budget of US$217 million for the financial year 2010. This amount included the IBAR programme budget of US$52 million that is to be used by Member States, leaving US$166 million for the Commission. Out of this total, US$82 million was allotted to operational expenses while US$83 million was allotted to Programmes.
576. By the end of May 2010, a total amount of US$62 million had been received from Member States and US$16 million from Development Partners. It is worth noting that the assessment to Member States was communicated to them only after approval in February2010 and this might have contributed to the slow pace of receipts of contributions both from Member States and our Development Partners.
577. On the expenditure side, the outturn on the operating budget was US$30 million representing 36 % of the budget while that for the Programme budget was US$8 million representing 10% of the 2010 budget. The details of the 2010 budget performance are given under the relevant section this report.
(ii) Reforms
IMIS (Integrated Management Information System)
578. Following the installation of SAP ERP in 2009, the Commission has made remarkable strides towards modernisation of its financial, Human Resource and Material Management operations especially at its Headquarters. Despite the challenges SAP implementation poses to any Organisation, the technical team and other relevant services of the Commission were able to ensure successful implementation of the system. To date, critical services such as accounting, financial management, payroll, travel, procurement and Human Resource Management have been fully automated. The roll out programme for Representational/Regional Offices and Field Missions has kicked off with IBAR and AMISOM both in Nairobi, Kenya, and is expected to cover all Offices by 2011. Concerted effort will be deployed to ensure optimal utilisation of the system, an imperative for ensuring a better managed and more efficient Commission.
Budget
579. The Commission will continue to improve on the quality, content and presentation of the annual budget as was witnessed and commended by Member States during the last budget Session. However, as indicated earlier above, late approval of the budget during the financial year usually results in late receipt of contributions from both Member States and Development Partners which adversely impacts on the smooth operations and prompt implementation of programmes.
580. It is for this reason that we recommend that the appropriate Organs of the Union revisit the budget calendar with a view to synchronizing the approval period with the
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 125 beginning of the financial year. In the same vein, it is recommended to revisit the current annual budgeting regime with a view to adopting the superior multi-year budgeting one. The Commission, as part of its reform programme, is developing concrete proposals for the introduction of multi-year budgeting framework which will fully address these issues.
581. Apart from reducing staff time and associated incidental costs, the multi year budgeting will encourage a more policy-oriented approach, improve implementation of long and medium term strategic plans and strengthen the recently adopted result-based management style.
Partner Funds
582. In the recent past, the Commission has attracted remarkable interest and increase in contributions from our development Partners towards the programme budgets. This is definitely a welcome recognition of our concerted and tireless quest for total improvement in the financial management of funds. However, the increased contributions have also come along with increased demands for prompt reporting and accountability that the current staff structure and strength cannot cope. It should be reported at this point that with the support of our partners, the Peace and Security Department (PSD) Finance Division was established and has already moved in providing improved management and accountability of partner funds. It has also contributed in clearing outstanding partner issues, including audits. Our partners must be further commended for responding to our financial needs by coming together in arranging Joint Financing Arrangement (JFA) of PSD staff salaries.
583. Furthermore, it should be noted that through partner support, the mainstream Department of PBFA is also being strengthened by establishing a Division to specifically handle the Partners funds and it is our hope that in the near future the appropriate Organs will see it appropriate to incorporate the Division into the AUC structures.
AMISOM
584. With regard to AMISOM, a lot of work has been done to improve its financial management on several fronts, e.g. a Head of Finance was appointed and other qualified support staff recruited, SAP was successfully rolled over to replace inadequate Peachtree software and administrative systems, including procurement, have been strengthened. As a result, a welcome improvement has been made and documented in administrative and financial management of AMISOM. Improved quality reports, both financial and narrative, on the utilization of donor contributions are sent regularly as per Fund Agreements. European Commission, our major contributor to AMISOM, has formally commended the Commission in this regard and is now releasing pipeline funding on time.
585. The AMISOM budget for 2010, totalling US$161 million has been prepared and submitted to some of our partners for their support. So far US$70 million has been secured mainly from EC, Italy, Spain and Denmark. The Commission has requested EC for additional fundings in order to fill the gap.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 126 (6) Conference Services
586. We are modernizing our translation and documents processing services through the use of computer-assisted tools. This will ensure advance and timely preparation, translation and distribution of documents, and the dissemination of related reports. It should also improve the planning and management of Summits, conferences and meetings generally.
587. During the reporting period, the Commission serviced a total of 265 meetings/events as per the approved 2010 Calendar of Meetings and translated 8,932 pages of documents, all four working languages combined.
588. In order to modernize its method of work and provide quality service to its clients, the Commission has developed an in-house work flow system for the management and processing of documents and interpretation services. Other benefits deriving from this work flow management tool include document coding, online translation request, tracking of movement of documents, conference room reservation and online document reproduction request.
589. During the same period, staff of the Conference Services Directorate underwent various training courses abroad in their respective areas of competence with a view to up- grading their skills and enhancing their performance. The categories of staff that benefited from the training courses include translators, interpreters, interpretation equipment technician, documentalist, document controller, senior publishing and production officer, desktop publisher, graphic designer and film assembly technician.
590. Moreover, a delegation undertook a working visit to the Headquarters of the European Union (EU), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the “Ecole Supérieure d’Interprètes et de Traducteurs (ESIT) in Belgium and France respectively to explore possible areas of cooperation with these institutions.
(7) Medical Services
591. The AUC Health Center is completing important upgrades in its Radiology, Dental and Laboratory Units. The equipment for telemedicine has been acquired and is being installed. An Integrated Medical Records System (IMRS) is being developed. These developments are accompanied by measures to expand competencies at the Centre through additional training of the Centre’s staff. All this should lead to an important reduction in external referrals and medical evacuations and to the delivery of quality health care to Commission staff and to the diplomatic missions accredited to the AUC.
(8) Other Administrative Services
592. A number of change projects are being implemented in all the other administrative service areas. A lot has been achieved in the recent past to develop ICT connectivity and applications. The intention is to do more planning, more development work, and further
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 127 enhance customer satisfaction by utilizing the full potential of the ICT infrastructure, improve security, and improve efficiencies and synergies, and strengthening linkages to the other AU organs, RECs and Member States. Other change projects in administration are aimed at enhancing asset acquisition and management, travel, and records keeping, and at ensuring a conducive and secure working environment including physical infrastructure and recreational facilities.
(9) Resource Mobilization
593. The external resource mobilization and management has been greatly improved over the last year. A draft Strategy for Resource mobilization has been finalized and will come into operation by the end of the third quarter of 2010.
(10) Building, Equipment and Transportation Services
594. During the period under review, the Commission undertook the following projects/activities in the above sector:
New Projects:
i. AU Conference Centre and Office Complex Projects
595. It will be recalled that the host Government, Ethiopia, has generously given 130,000 sq. meters of land free of charge for the expansion of the AU Headquarters’ premises. On its part, the Government of the People’s Republic of China offered to build the complex as a gift to Africa.
596. The construction of the project started in January 2009 and is scheduled to be completed in December 2011. The complex will have over 600 office spaces, a number of conference halls and committee rooms, a multi-purpose hall, an amphitheatre, a medical centre, among other facilities. The Commission is working closely with the Chinese counterparts in order to ensure successful completion of the project and its quality.
ii. Construction of Residential Houses for the Commission
597. It has been found necessary to build convenient residential houses for the Deputy Chairperson and the Commissioners as the best option to have its own property and reduce the current huge expenses on rent.
598. The Ethiopian Government has given 14,000 sq. meters of land, free of charge, for this purpose. The Commission is now in the process of undertaking a design competition and to study the source of funding for the project.
iii. Africa Cultural Village
599. The idea of creating an Africa Cultural Village has also been initiated with the objective to bring together the African people through the development of a cultural and
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 128 recreational centre capable of demonstrating the cultural heritages of each Member State of the African Union, to enable each Member State to learn from the experiences of others and to promote the process of African cultural integration.
600. The Ethiopian Government gave 200,000 sq. meters of plot for this purpose, and the Commission is in the process of initiating a competition for a master plan design and engaging the PRC in this process.
iv. A 5- Star Hotel Project
601. Due to the existing shortage of high-class hotel accommodation in Addis Ababa, the Commission took the initiative to have a 5- star hotel very close to the new AU Conference Centre Project by a private developer.
602. The Ethiopian Government allocated extra land that was transferred to a private company. The Commission expects that the building of the hotel will be of great benefit to the AU and its Member States by providing reliable services. The construction of the project has started and will be completed by the end of 2012.
v. Peace and Security Building Project
603. The German Government has agreed to build a centre at the headquarters of the AU, Addis Ababa, which will be tailor-made for the Peace and Security Department.
604. The design of the project has now been finalized and approved by both sides and the construction work will start by the end of this year, with a schedule of completion at the end of 2012.
e) Challenges
605. Notwithstanding the successes above, there remain some challenges that have to be resolved.
There are still weaknesses that have identified with our internal and external communications and we are working to improve on these to ensure that the Member States, the Organs and our Partners are effectively informed.
The issue of breaking the silo system in which the current portfolios seem to operate is engaging the attention of the Commission and very soon, proposals will be made on this.
Our recruitment system is still very cumbersome and time consuming and we are exploring ways to improve recruitment efficiency.
The AUC has about 26 Partners and the transaction cost of working with these Partners on bilateral basis is becoming very high. We are therefore
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 129 exploring ways to improve our relationship by introducing a programme-based approach, which we hope should start by 2011.
Finally, we are working to strengthen relations with RECs and other Organs to ensure closer coherence in our programming and to explore ways of making the AUC more meaningful to Member States. In this regard, the Commission has developed some proposals to Member States to explore alternate sources of funding which will enable the AUC contribute more directly to the development and integration agenda of RECs and Member States.
2. AUDIT ACTIVITIES
606. The role of the Office of Internal Audit (OIA) is to provide assurance and advisory services to the management of the Commission. The Office also supports top management in the effective discharge of its responsibilities by furnishing it with analyses, appraisal, counsel and recommendation on the activities reviewed.
607. Since the Addis Ababa Summit in January/February 2010, the audit activities undertaken by the Commission include the review of the following audit projects:
Details Status Washington Office Final report issued Cairo Office Final report issued Pan- African Parliament-DFID and ACBF Project Final report issued AMISOM- Headquarters Final report issued Cash and Cash Management Final report issued AMISOM – Nairobi up to October 2009 Final Report issued ECOSSOC Final Report issued PANVAC Final Report issued African Academy of Languages (ACALAN) Final Report issued EC-Euro 55m Support Program up to November 2009 Final Report issued Pan- African Parliament –Trust Fund Special report issued AU Liaison Office in DRC Special Report issued African Commission on Human and People Right - Banjul Draft Report issued AU Liaison Office in Burundi Draft Report issued AU Liaison Office in Sudan (Juba and Khartoum) Draft Report issued Accounts Receivables and Payables Draft Report issued Budget Execution and Expenditure Control - 2009 Draft Report issued AMISOM – Nairobi up to March 2010 Draft Report issued Pan African Parliament Regular Audit up to October 2009 Draft Report issued Pan- African Parliament-Partners Fund Field work – in progress BETS (Building & Maintenance ) Field work - in progress Investigation – Requested by Department of Peace and Field work - in progress Security AU Liaison Office in Chad Field work – in progress AU Liaison Office in Comoros Field work – in progress
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 130 Details Status AU Liaison Office in Liberia Field work – in progress AU Liaison Office in Cote d’ Ivoire Field work – in progress African Court for Human and Peoples’ Right - Arusha Field work - in progress
608. As a part of capacity building, the Commission undertook programs/activities as summarized below:
a) Audit Software: with effect from January 2010, the Internal Audit Directorate started carrying out all audit activities using two audit softwares namely: SAP Audit Information System (AIS) and MKInsight Audit Management System (AMS). The AIS enables the OIA to improve the audit quality and speed by facilitating analysis of various information and transactions stored at the AUC newly implemented system. On the other hand, AMS is a system that would be used to manage all audit processes in a more efficient and effective manner. The key areas include audit planning, audit scheduling and resource management, performance reporting, recommendation tracking, time recording and risk assessments.
b) Staff Recruitment: five new short term staff members were recruited to assume duty in May and June 2010.
c) Audit Staff Training: Five staff members were trained in the relevant fields of audit.
d) Staff Exchange: with the European Commission which involved three auditors and is scheduled for June 2010.
609. On the basis of Article 70 and 108 of the AU Financial Rules and Regulations, the Commission will engage the PRC to consider the draft Internal Audit Charter. This Charter is aimed at clearly defining the purpose, authority and responsibility of the internal audit activity and setting up of the PRC Sub-Committee on Audit Matters to be in line with the best practices and as recommended by the report of the Board of External Auditors and some Partners’ External Audits including the EC.
3. COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
a) Broaden the scope of freedom of information
610. In this globalized world where the media contribute to shape the way of being, thinking and behaving, the Commission has made the commitment to play its role and lend its contribution to the transformation of the continent in a bid to make it a united continent through universal and fundamental values like the freedom to information and the right to be informed.
611. The African media do not only need to be supported. They also need their own vision which they may share at the continental level. They should portray the correct image
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 131 of Africa to the world, an Africa open to the outside world, away from the simplistic clichés to which they refuse to see her confined. The joint informal Experts’ meeting on the theme « Media and Development », organized at the Headquarters of the African Union by the African Union Commission, in partnership with the European Commission from 23 to 25 March 2010, originates from this requirement. This meeting confirmed the significance of our initiative to associate media professionals with the process of media consultation and development for which the Ouagadougou Forum in September 2008 was a propitious moment and a new starting point with the adoption of a road map for action.
612. The Commission is committed to an approach which involves professionals, different points of view, suggestions and public opinion. A rich and responsible debate took place on the methods for the implementation of the flagship actions of the road map which raised the key issue of support to the African media in the face of current and future challenges and problems.
613. The Addis Ababa meeting which brought together 60 professionals from Africa and elsewhere for three days was the time to share experiences and a new opportunity to exchange views on projects considered to be useful for the promotion of credible, transparent and balanced information on Africa, such as the establishment of a Portal and a Pan-African Media Network which would be used as convergence centres for the key African media actors and partners involved in this sector and also views on the use of modern tools for knowledge, contact and visibility.
614. These two projects in the pipeline promise to finally establish a working structure for the establishment of other projects such as the Pan-African Media Observatory.
b) Assume ownership of communication tools
615. The Commission has recorded significant strides in its quest to assume ownership of its communication tools and build its own capacities to inform its external and internal public and make its messages and achievements known.
616. The new interactive and user-friendly version of the Union’s Web Site : www.africa- union.org, launched on the occasion of Africa Day on 25 May 2010, as well as the production of a documentary (DVD) on the presentation of the African Union, its organs, mission and functions, the first of its kind, constitute two major projects of the work accomplished by the Commission in order to better let the voice of the African Union be heard and broaden its visibility at the national, regional and international levels.
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V.2 THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
1. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS: SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ACHIEVED
617. Since the last session of the Executive Council, significant strides have been made in the process of establishing three financial institutions provided for by Article 19 of the Constitutive Act of the Union. This progress is the fruit of joint efforts of the Commission and Member States designated to host these institutions: Libya for the African Investment Bank, Cameroon for the African Monetary Fund and Nigeria for the African Central Bank.
618. Regarding the African Investment Bank, the Protocol and Statutes of the Bank have been adopted by the Assembly of the Union. Currently, these texts have been submitted to Member States for signature and ratification. The enormous financial needs of Africa underscore the urgent nature of these ratifications. The African Investment Bank, in complementarity with the already established financial institutions, will considerably contribute to ease these financing constraints which almost all African countries experience. If the 15 ratifications were received and the shares subscribed and paid to the African Investment Bank quickly, the Bank could be established in the near future.
619. The basic texts of the African Monetary Fund should be submitted for consideration and adoption by the Assembly at the Summit in January/February 2011. We warmly express our gratitude to the Cameroonian authorities who provided excellent working conditions for the Experts of the Steering Committee for the African Central Bank in Yaoundé. Regarding the work of the ACB established in Abuja, it should take more time: the establishment of a common currency is a more delicate issue, likely to affect the symbol of the sovereignty of States. The experts will, first and foremost, provide theoretical and practical clarifications to the Commission on the optimal path to follow in order to succeed in the creation of a common African currency. The Commission would also like to express its sincere gratitude to the Nigerian authorities for the technical and financial support given to the Steering Committee.
2. ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF FUNDING OF THE AFRICAN UNION: GENERATE ITS OWN FUNDS IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN THE UNION
620. Since its creation on 25 May 1963 at the initiative of the Founding Fathers of contemporary Africa, the Organization of African Unity has been marked by a series of initiatives which represent the political will to achieve the integration of Africa. Confronted with the new realities of international economic relations, African leaders created the African Union in order to provide Africa with all the necessary means to address the challenges of our time. Today, in view of the creation of the United States of Africa, the principle of which had already been ratified at the Accra Summit in 2008, prospects for the transformation of the Commission into an Authority dictate that the Organization be provided with more extensive powers and consequent resources in order to translate the ambitions of the African Union into reality.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 133 621. Since 1963, the continental integration process has been marked by qualitative developments symbolized by major initiatives. However, all these initiatives have not been supported by an increase in the sources of funding. African leaders demonstrate and express real political will to achieve the integration of the continent. In that regard, they should provide the necessary financial resources to the established structures to enable them to succeed in the accomplishment of their mandate.
622. It is therefore disturbing to observe that the African Union, like the OAU which preceded it, is funded by two major sources: Statutory contributions of Member States and contribution of development partners. These two sources are limited and restrictive. The statutory contributions seem to be insufficient. They are not paid in time and they accumulate considerable contribution arrears. Regarding contribution from development partners, one is obliged to observe that it is quite small and unstable. Moreover, it is accompanied by severe constraints which make it almost impossible to obtain. The African Union is therefore dependent on Member States and development partners politically and as far as its budget is concerned. This limits its scope of action designed to implement the multiple planned projects.
623. Among the numerous projects and programmes of the African Union, the following can be cited : the Abuja Treaty, the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa, the Minimum Integration Programme, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the establishment of an Early Warning System for conflicts and their observation and monitoring, the establishment of an African Stand-by Force and Regional Brigades, the African Union Border Programme, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, the creation and strengthening of the following institutions: African Investment Bank, African Monetary Fund, African Central Bank, Pan-African Parliament, African Court of Justice, just to mention a few.
624. In addition to these programmes, Africa has to perpetually face conflict situations and natural, food, oil and health disasters. Moreover, in pursuance of the co-management of international affairs, Africa should show solidarity with the rest of the world when the latter is affected by disasters, like recently in Haiti. All these needs require that Africa is united and shows solidarity, and they clearly indicate that contributions of Member States and partners are too limited and greatly inadequate to address these issues.
625. Faced with the scope of deficits in financial resources experienced by the African Union in a bid to implement its multiple projects, fulfill its role of preventing and maintaining peace and security and assume its role in the world, the only solution resides in the availability of its own stable, substantial and quasi permanent resources. This is why, as soon as the African Union was established in Lusaka in 2001, the Heads of State and Government, in their wisdom, had anticipated this problem and given the interim Secretariat at that time the mandate to undertake a study in order to provide the African Union with mechanisms for generating its own resources. This study was conducted and validated first of all by independent experts and then by experts of Member States and revised several times in order to take into account comments received from States. This study was even completed with an impact study which evaluated the effects of the methods proposed on the economies of African countries. Therefore, all the theoretical as
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 134 well as practical issues concerning the introduction of alternative sources of funding for the African Union have undergone an in-depth study.
626. However, there has always been a certain foot-dragging when it comes to taking the political decision to choose the financial instruments. The Commission has once again been invited to review aspects which were supposed to have been treated during the transition period leading to the establishment of the African Union. The Commission has been requested to integrate into other issues in its study the economic, (already contained in the previous studies) administrative and legal impacts of each instrument proposed. For that purpose, a questionnaire has been elaborated by the Commission and submitted to all Member States for response before the end of June 2010. The summary thereof by the Commission will be considered in detail by the African Ministers of Economy and Finance at their third extraordinary session in November 2010. On this occasion, the Ministers should make recommendations to be submitted for consideration of the Summit in January/February 2011.
627. If it is the wish that the African Union should address the challenges entrusted to it, African leaders should absolutely provide concrete solutions in the spirit of the Lusaka Decision of 2001. In fact, in the absence of its own resources, the Commission cannot successfully carry through its mandate which goes beyond a simple Secretariat responsible for the organization of Summits, Ministerial Conferences, workshops and other seminars.
VI. CONCLUSION
628. Through this report, the Commission has attempted to give an overview of the activities carried out since January 2010. As can be observed, many activities have been undertaken in various domains to implement the relevant decisions of the Executive Council and the Assembly, as well as the programmes contained in the 2009-2012 Strategic Plan.
629. In this respect, the Commission gives priority to the promotion of a results-driven culture, internal good governance and meticulous and transparent management of the Organization’s modest resources, making full use of the high performance tools that ensure transparency and accountability such as the new administrative and financial management rules as contained in IMIS and AMERT, the draft Audit Charter, the Report of the High-Level Panel on the Audit of the Union and other relevant documents.
630. Over the last few months, it is worth underscoring the emphasis placed by the Commission on the priorities of priorities identified by the Bureau of the Assembly last February, namely: agriculture and food self-sufficiency, transport infrastructure, energy, the New Information and Communication Technologies, and the pursuit of efforts geared towards consolidating peace in the Continent. This report largely reflects the special attention focused on these areas which are crucial to Africa’s development and integration.
EX. CL/579(XVII) Page 135 631. In the course of this year which was proclaimed by the Assembly “The Year of Peace and Security in Africa”, it is noteworthy that important events were organized by the Commission, with the highly appreciated collaboration of a good number of Member States and other stakeholders. It is essential that everyone join in these efforts with increased mobilization of all Africans.
632. Furthermore, this report has highlighted the efforts deployed to promote the CAADP - African Union’s common flagship policy - the Compact Project of which is attracting an increasing number of Member States. I encourage all Member States to sign up to the CAADP Compact Programme so as to make the most of the opportunities provided in the context of external financing. In the area of infrastructure and energy, the report underscores the catalyser role of interconnectivity of regional and continental infrastructure for accelerated development and integration of Africa, also making full use of the opportunities offered by ICTs. It is our wish to further focus our efforts on these areas, working closely with Member States, the RECs, the NEPAD Programme and all partners desirous of accompanying us in this highly exciting endeavour.
633. The report also reviews the outcomes of the two Summits - the G8 and the G20 - organized in June this year by Canada in the precincts of Toronto, in which the Chairman of the African Union and the AU Commission participated alongside invited Member States. Africa should draw all lessons possible from these Summits, continue to press for the realization of the commitments made and insist on its equitable representation in the management of world affairs. In this same context, Africa should prepare adequately for the Summit on Climate Change scheduled to be held in Cancún, Mexico, at the end of this year, by attending with a common position and making the most of the experience and lessons learnt at the Copenhagen Conference in December 2009.
634. Lastly, I wish to reiterate the determination of the Commission, which is always attentive to the views of Member States and the relevant Organs of the Union, to pursue actions aimed at achieving an ever-increasing visibility for Africa in its drive to build a fair, balanced and equitable international relations for the benefit of all peoples of the world, without exception.
635. The report highlights the activities undertaken under each of the four Pillars in the above-mentioned Strategic Plan. The Commission hopes that Member States will consider the report in-depth, thus leading to appropriate decisions on all key issues of interest to the Continent. Armed with such directives, the Commission will introduce all the needed improvements in the implementation of its programmes and activities, and report back on regular basis on the progress made in this endeavour.
“We are determined to deal once and for all with the scourge of conflicts and violence on our continent, acknowledging our shortcomings and errors, committing our resources and our best people, and missing no opportunity to push forward the agenda of conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction. We, as leaders, simply cannot bequeath the burden of conflicts to the next generation of Africans.” (Paragraph 9 of the Tripoli Declaration of 31 August 2009).