International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will lead the South African delegation to the 16th Ordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council scheduled for 28 to 29 January 2010, ahead of the 14th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit scheduled to take place from 31 January 2010 to 2 February 2010 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
South Africa participates in the 16th Ordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council within the context of our stated foreign policy objective of consolidating the African agenda that seeks to promote peace and security on the continent, strengthen the pursuit of governance and democracy, deepen regional integration, deal with challenges relating to good governance, develop skills and build capacity constraints within the organs of the African Union and advance Africa’s development agenda.
As a build up to the summit that convenes under the theme “Information and Communication Technologies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for the Future”, the 16th ordinary session of the executive council will closely consider the following item:
* Report of the ministerial meeting on information communication technologies (ICT) following the Extra–Ordinary Conference of African Ministers in Charge of Communications and Information Technologies (CIT) held on 2 to 5 November 2009 in Kempton Park, South Africa under the theme “Information and Communication Technologies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Development”.
Accordingly the executive council will deliberate on four broad themes which are:
* Enabling Environment for ICT Growth
* ICT Infrastructure Development
* Africa in the Economics of the Internet
* ICT Capacity Building, Research and Development and come up with concrete recommendations pertaining to ICT
In addition, the ordinary session is expected to deliberate on and adopt, among others, the following reports:
* Report of the seventh Ordinary Session of the African Union Labour and Social Affairs Commission, following a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 28 September to 2 October 2009
* Report of the second African Union conference of ministers responsible for maritime transport, following a meeting in Durban, South Africa, 12 to 16 October 2009
* Report of the third conference of African Ministers of Sports (CAMS3), following a meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, 15 and 16 October 2009
* Report of the third conference of African Ministers of Sports (CAMS3), Abuja, Nigeria, 15 and 16 October 2009
* Report of the Commission on the seventh Ordinary Session of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) following a meeting held in Midrand, South Africa, 9 to 13 November 2009
* Report of the commission on the 13th session of the Standing Commission for the Afro and Arab Cooperation, following a meeting in Tripoli, Libya, 10 to 12 October 2009
* Report of the second conference of African Union ministers in charge of hydrocarbons (oil and gas), following a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 9 to 11 December 2009
* Consideration of the report of the commission on the situation in the Middle East and Palestine and
* Consideration of the report of the chairperson of the conference of African Ministers of Integration (COMAI).
Furthermore, Minister Maite Nkoana Mashabane is also expected to chair the meeting of the African Union Ministerial Committee on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development in the Sudan.
Upon conclusion of the 16th Ordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council, Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will provide support to President Jacob Zuma who will lead the South African delegation to the 14th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit from 31 January 2010 to 2 February 2010.
For more information contact:
Saul Kgomotso Molobi
Cell: 082 940 1647
Issued by: Department of International Relations and Cooperation
23 January 2010
