AU Commission Chairperson briefs partners’ group on summit outcomes
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, February 21, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Dr Jean Ping today briefed the African Union partners group (AUPG) on the outcomes of the 18th meeting of the Assembly of the African Union, which was held in January this year.
Dr Ping was accompanied at the briefing by the Deputy Chairperson of the Commission Mr Erastus Mwencha and the Commissioner for Peace and Security Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra. The Chief of Staff Ambassador John Shinkaiye also attended.
Dr Ping informed the partners that the Heads of State and Government who make up the Assembly of the AU had made 25 decisions, and 3 declarations. They passed 1 resolution. In addition the Assembly endorsed a further 28 decisions that had been adopted by the Executive Council.
The Chairperson made special mention of the decision on boosting intra African trade, which was the theme of the summit. In this regard, he pointed out the significance of the free trade area between the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC), while recommending that other Regional Economic Communities should use it as a best practice in the general African framework to create a continental free trade area. He also highlighted that 10 countries, 2 from each of the five regions of Africa, had been nominated for the Peace and Security Council.
Dr Ping also announced that the next summit of the AU will be held in Malawi in the middle of the year. The Commission has already started making preparations for the summit, he said.
The Chairperson informed the partners that the African Union is looking forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity in 2013.
Speaking at the same occasion, Deputy Chairperson Erastus Mwencha addressed the issue of the 2012 budget. He thanked those partners who have paid their contributions and appealed to the others to do the same. He also briefly discussed plans for finalisation of the 2013 budget.
SOURCE
African Union Commission (AUC)
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