Union (AU) hold third bureau meeting
1 April 2007
The Pan-African Ministers of Public/Civil Service of the African Union (AU)
held their third bureau meeting on Saturday, 31 March 2007 in Rosebank,
Johannesburg, to discuss, among other things, their collective work on
anti-corruption, post-conflict reconstruction, All-Africa Public Sector
Innovation Awards, African Management Development Institutes Network (AMDIN)
and the celebration of the annual Africa Public Service Day.
Present at the meeting were Public Service and Administration Minister
Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi (who chairs the forum of ministers), Deputy Prime
Minister of Namibia, Dr Libertina Amathila, AU Commissioner for Political
Affairs, Ms Julia Joiner, and ministers of public/civil service and
administration from across the African continent.
With regard to All-Africa Public Sector Innovation Awards, an area which the
ministers described as critical for the creation of a responsive African public
service, it was decided that the deadline for nominations be extended to 15
June 2007. The awards ceremony will coincide with the sixth conference of the
Pan-African Ministers of Public/Civil Service on a date still to be
decided.
The idea of the All-Africa Public Sector Innovation Awards came out of the
Fifth Pan-African Conference of Ministers of Public/Civil Service, which took
place in Ethiopia in December 2005. The awards seek to recognise and award
homegrown innovative ways of the delivery of public services to communities.
Those interested in nominating others should visit the website of the Centre
for Public Service Innovation at http://www.cpsi.gov.za.
The ministers decided that the annual Africa Public Service Day celebrations
should proceed as planned on 23 June 2007. However, a continental celebration,
linking up the different regions of the continent via satellite, will take
place in September 2007. The Africa Public Service Day is set aside to honour
the value and virtue of public servants to societies.
With regard to AMDIN, it was noted that the organisation will host its
inaugural conference in August 2007. The conference is expected to attract
about 200 delegates from governments and public sector institutions across the
African continent.
The meeting noted the resolutions of the recent Africa Forum on Fighting
Corruption, held from 28 March to 2 April 2007 in Ekurhuleni, in line with the
collective work they are already doing in fighting corruption and committed
themselves to further co-operation in creating an African public service based
on integrity.
The ministers will also take part in the Global Forum V on Fighting
Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity, starting on Monday, 2 to Thursday, 5
April 2007 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Gauteng.
Enquiries:
Lewis Rabkin
Cell: 082 497 3220
Issued by: Department of Public Service and Administration
1 April 2007
