Africa
25 November 2007
Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad will attend the African Union Committee
of 10 Meeting to discuss the political and economic integration of the
Continent scheduled for Tuesday to Wednesday, 27 to 28 November 2007, in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia. Deputy Minister Pahad will depart from South Africa on Monday,
26 November 2007.
Deputy Minister Pahad will participate in this meeting within the context of
South Africa's priority to support the regional and continental integration
agenda with a view to confronting the challenges of underdevelopment,
instability and marginalisation facing the region and the continent.
In this regard, the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Summit
agreed in July 2007 to establish a Ministerial Committee, consisting of South
Africa, Botswana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt and Libya chaired
by Ghana as current Chair of the AU, with a mandate to examine the
following:
* the contents of the Union Government concept and its relations with
national governments
* domains of competence and the impact of the establishment of the Union
Government on the sovereignty of member states
* definition of the relationship between the Union Government and the Regional
Economic Communities (RECs)
* elaboration of the road map together with timeframes for establishing the
Union Government
* identification of additional sources of financing the activities of the
Union.
The recommendations from the Committee of 10 will be presented to the
Executive Council of Foreign Ministers who will present a report to the next
Heads of State and Government Summit in January 2008.
On Thursday, 29 November 2007, Deputy Minister Pahad will represent South
Africa on the Ministerial Panel, consisting of South Africa, Angola, Djibouti,
Kenya, Benin, Ghana, Egypt, Libya, Congo and Gabon, for the Election of
Commissioners of the African Union.
In this regard, the Executive Council at its Ninth Ordinary Session in
Banjul, the Gambia in 2006 decided:
* to establish, in conformity with Article 14 of the Statues of the
Commission, a Ministerial Panel composed of two Member States per region
assisted by a team of consultants to be appointed with the Chairperson of the
Commission
* mandated the Panel to work out the modalities and procedures for the
pre-selection, selection and elections of the Members of the Commission and to
submit a report and appropriate recommendation thereon to the next Ordinary
Session of the Executive Council in January 2007.
Accordingly, this Panel is expected to finalise the modalities and
procedures for candidates to be nominated as Commissioners of the African
Union.
Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
25 November 2007
