UNION AFRICAINE

UNIÃO AFRICANA

Addis Ababa, P. O. Box 3243 Téléphone : 5517 700 Fax : 5511299 website : www. africa-union.org

PRESS RELEASE N0. 110 / 2011

Mr. , former Secretary General of the OAU appointed as the fourth Member of the High Level Panel on Alternative Sources of Financing the African Union Addis Ababa, 16 September 2011 - In another significant development in the ongoing quest for Alternative Sources of Financing the African Union (AU), the Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Dr. Maxwell M. Mkwezalamba, met with Mr. Edem Kodjo, former Secretary General of the OAU in Lome, , on Monday, 12 September 2011, to deliver his letter of appointment as a member of the High Level Panel on Alternative Sources of Financing the African Union from Dr. , Chairperson of the AU Commission. The two exchanged views on a range of subjects pertinent to the ongoing development and integration agenda of the African Continent. They discussed the current development challenges facing the Continent and agreed that addressing the financing constraints was crucial in the ongoing efforts to pursue the dream of a united, strong and integrated Africa in a rapidly globalizing world.

Commissioner Mkwezalamba briefed Mr. Kodjo on the studies conducted by the Commission on Alternative Sources of Financing and the related Executive Council and Assembly Decisions which requested the Commission to set up the High Level Panel to assist in undertaking consultations with Member States at the highest level. In accepting the appointment, Mr. Kodjo expressed appreciation for the confidence the Chairperson of the Commission has bestowed d in him and pledged his full support.

It will be recalled that earlier this year, the Commissioner travelled to , and Mozambique as special envoy of the Chairperson of the Commission to present appointment letters to Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, former Secretary General of the OAU, and Dr. Luisa Diogo, former Prime Minister of Mozambique. All of them accepted the appointments. H.E. Mr. Obasanjo will chair the Panel and the other three will serve as members. Consultations are ongoing to identify a fifth member, in order to ensure adequate representation.. Dr. Ruben Maye Nsue Mangue, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea to the AU and Chairperson of the Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC), in his capacity as representative of the Chairperson of the Union, will work closely with the Panel.

It is also worthy of mention that the Panel held its inaugural meeting in Addis Ababa on 15 August 2011 where the members, among others, reviewed the proposed financing options and modalities for their operationalization, agreed on a strategy to undertake the consultations and adopted a schedule for the consultations. The Panel is expected to undertake the first phase of consultations between September and November 2011and present an interim report to the Assembly in January/February 2012. It will undertake the remaining consultations in early 2012 with a view to finalizing its work prior to presenting a final report with a set of recommendations to the Ordinary Session of the Assembly, scheduled to take place in Lilongwe, Malawi, in June/July 2012.

Significant steps have been taken by the Commission to implement the aforementioned Executive Council and Assembly Decisions. Judging from the commitment demonstrated by Panel members so far, there is great optimism that progress will be achieved in this very important subject matter following nearly a decade of effort at all levels. The Commission wishes to appeal to Member States, Regional Economic Communities and all other stakeholders to support the ongoing efforts, as financial self sufficiency is critical if the AU is to remain relevant and effective in the 21st century.

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