FIRST SENIOR OFFICIAL'S MEETING OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR THE FOURTH AFRICA-ARAB SUMMIT (MALABO- NOVEMBER 2016) CAIRO, EGYPT 28 FEBRUARY 2016 REPORT Introduction 1. In line with the different recommendations of the Coordination Committee to start the preparations of the 4th Africa-Arab Summit (Malabo - Equatorial Guinea), and the recommendations of the Concept Note, the League of Arab States and the African Union Commission called for convening the First Senior Official's meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the fourth Africa- Arab summit (Malabo - November 2016) at the Headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo, Egypt, on 28 February 2016. 2. The meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Amb. Mr. Rashed Al Hajiri, Ambassador of the State of Kuwait in Addis Ababa, representing the Arab side and H.E. Amb. Awad Ahmed Sakine, Ambassador of the Republic of Chad and Chairperson of the Permanent Representative Committee of the African Union, representing the African side. 3. The meeting was attended by Senior Officials from Arab Republic of Egypt, Kingdom of Morocco, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, State of Kuwait, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,, Republic of Zimbabwe and Republic of Chad. Egypt was on both the African and the Arab sides in its capacities as both the Chair of the Sub-committee on Multilateral Cooperation (on the African side) and Chair of the Arab Summit (on the Arab side). The meeting was also attended by the Director of the Africa Arab Cultural Institute and the representative of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA). 4. Deliberations and conclusions: Agenda Item 1: Opening of the meeting 5. The meeting was officially opened by Mr. Rashed Al Hajiri, Ambassador of Kuwait in Addis Ababa, and Chairperson of the Preparatory Committee, representing the Arab side. In his opening statement, Ambassador Hajiri welcomed the Senior Officials and expressed gratitude and appreciation to all those who made the meeting possible. He noted the importance of this meeting especially that it is taking place in a crucial time, only eight months before the next Summit due to be held in November 2016. He highlighted his full trust that Equatorial Guinea, the Host Country, will be able to fulfill the different logistical conditions for convening a successful Summit. He 1 expressed the full readiness of his country to share the lessons learned in the process of convening the previous Summit in Kuwait. He marked the need of both African and Arab sides for further answers from the Host Country pertaining to logistical concerns, as well as substantive matters related to the Summit 6. H.E. Amb. Awad Ahmed Sakine, Ambassador of the Republic of Chad and Chairperson of the Permanent Representative Committee of the African Union, Co-Chair on the African side also welcomed participants, thanked the League of Arab States for hosting the meeting, and associated himself with the statement of Ambassador Al Hajiri. He said that the preparations of the next Summit should benefit from precedent experiences and especially the successful preparations of the Kuwait summit. In this regard, Chad was looking forward to a successful 4th Africa-Arab Summit in Equatorial Guinea in November 2016 that can fulfill aspirations of African and Arab peoples. Agenda Item 2: Adoption of the Agenda 7. The meeting adopted the following Agenda items as follows: 1. Opening 2. Adoption of the Agenda. 3. Date of the 4th Africa Arab Summit- Malabo- Equatorial Guinea November 2016. 4. Discussion on the theme of the 4th Africa Arab Summit - November 2016. 5. Review the details of the Logo of the 4th Africa Arab Summit. 6. Discussion on sideline events on the 4th Africa Arab summit, Africa Arab Youth Forum. Africa Arab Book Fair. Any other events. 7. Establishment of the joint drafting committee. 8. Date & Venue of the of 2nd Meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the 4th Africa Arab Summit, 2016 9. Any other Business. 10. Closing. AGENDA ITEM 3: Date of the 4th Africa Arab Summit- Malabo- Equatorial Guinea November 2016. 8. H.E the Representative of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, the Host Country of the 4th Africa Arab Summit informed the meeting that the 2 concerned authorities in his country have put a tentative date for the Summit, namely, the period from 18-23 November 2016. 9. The meeting thanked the Host Country for fixing a tentative date. However, the meeting requested : a. Republic of Equatorial Guinea/ the host country of the fourth Summit to communicate formally to the two organisations (League of Arab States (LAS) and African Union Commission (AUC) as soon as possible with an additional tentative date in November. b. The two organizations ( (LAS) and (AUC), after receiving the tentative dates from Republic of Equatorial Guinea, to quickly consult with each other and with member States to confirm the convenience of a date. 10. The Chair of the meeting on the Arab side briefed the committee about an early meeting between the Arab Ambassadors with H.E. the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic Equatorial Guinea, at the margins of the AU Summit in Malabo, which focused on the preparations of the next fourth Africa Arab Summit and the ongoing constructions of premises and facilities made in Malabo to host the Summit. In his turn, H.E the Representative of Equatorial Guinea gave further information on logistical readiness in his country for hosting the high-level gathering. 11. The meeting was informed about previous procedures that were followed to host the third Africa Arab Summit in Kuwait, including the different visits to Kuwait's premises and facilities by a preparatory Committee composed of (the Chair of African Union - the Host Country- the African Union commission - the League of Arab states) as well as the periodic evaluation reports that were presented to the Coordination Committee in this regard. 12. Therefore, the meeting stressed on the importance of getting a similar evaluation report on the different preparations, and requested the Host Country to invite a Committee with the same composition as in the above- mentioned para, to visit, as soon as possible and preferably not late than next April, the different concerned premises and facilities in Malabo and present an evaluation report about the ongoing preparations. AGENDA ITEM 4 and 5: Discussion on the Theme of the 4th Africa Arab Summit - November 2016 and Review the details of the Logo of the 4th Africa Arab Summit 3 13. In line with previous recommendations in this regard suggesting "Financing For Development" or "Migration" as possible themes for the 4th Summit, and after lengthy discussions, the meeting recommended the following : a. The selection of the Theme should allow the implementation of tangible projects as the case of the Third Africa Arab Summit in Kuwait, where the outcomes of the summit reflected the theme. b. The theme should reflect the priorities of the two African and Arab groups and avoid any sort of conflict of interests. c. The theme must not be vague, should be more specific and focused, and in line with the spirit of partnership previously adopted by the Summits. d. The theme should emanate from and be linked with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030. e. In light of the above criteria, AUC and LAS should consult among themselves, about the most appropriate themes, and provide the next preparatoty committe, due to be held in Malabo in April, with a joint suggestion. AGENDA ITEM 6: Discussion on sideline events on the 4th Africa Arab summit: "Africa Arab Youth Forum - Africa Arab Book Fair -Any other events" 14. The Representative of the State of Kuwait informed the meeting that: f. the Annual Prizes of one Million US Dollar, allocated by the State of Kuwait, in implementation of the initiative of H.H. the Amir of Kuwait, in the memory of the late Dr. Abdurahman AL-SUMET, for development research in Africa, under the auspices of the Kuwait Scientific Development Institutions, will to be awarded during the 4th Africa-Arab Summit in Equatorial Guinea in 2016, for the years 2015 on health and 2016 on food security. 15. The meeting added the theme concerning the allocation of the above- mentioned Prizes to the sideline events 16. The meeting discussed the importance of Resolution no 7 of the Kuwait Summit, which called for the convening of the sessions of the Africa Arab Economic Forum regularly prior to Africa Arab Summit. The meeting agreed that convening such Forum is a matter that AUC, LAS and BADEA should discuss primarily with the Host Country since it is the one to decide about its readiness for hosting the Forum and providing the necessary facilities for its success. 4 17. The Director of the Africa Arab Institute Cultural informed the meeting about the different preparations that he has made, in line with the meetings of the interim executive council of the Institute in December 2015 and February 2016, for convening an Africa Arab Book Fair as well as a Musical Folkloric Festival at the sideline of the Summit. The meeting commended the ongoing efforts by the institute and requested it to discuss the preparations with the Host Country together with the AUC and LAS, and to make sure that the process goes through formal channels of the member states. AGENDA ITEM 7: Establishment of the joint drafting committee 18. The meeting stressed that the working and final documents of the 4th Summit will be jointly drafted by a Technical Drafting Team composed of officers from AUC and LAS –GS. The Team will hold its meetings in Cairo and Addis Ababa. 19. All working documents should be translated into all working languages of the AU and LAS and dispatched to all member states of the two organisations at least one month and a half prior to the date of the Summit.