SA to host AU Summit

The AU on Monday said the summit will be held under the theme "Year of Women's Empowerment and Development towards Africa's Agenda 2063".

On Sunday, the summit will officially start with the 30th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) which will end on Monday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pretoria.

The AU said the PRC will discuss items on the agenda in preparation for the 25th AU Summit to be submitted to the Executive Council for adoption.

"The opening session of the PRC will include among others, a speech by the Chair of the PRC, Ambassador Albert R. Chimbindi, and a welcome remark by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, followed by a group photo of Ambassadors with Commission Members," the AU said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the AU said the 27th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council will be held from 10 to 12 June at the Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg.

It is envisaged that the opening ceremony of the ministerial meeting will include welcome remarks and opening statement by the Chairperson of the Executive Council, a statement by the Chairperson of the AU Commission, a statement by the United Nations under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UNECA, and a group photo of the Ministers.

"Later, the Ministers of External Affairs and other ministers or authorities designated by the governments of AU Member States will deliberate on the different reports of the ministerial meetings organised by the AU Commission during the last six months," said the AU.

The AU said the 25th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union is scheduled to take place on 14 and 15 June at the Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg.

It said the opening session of the Summit will feature welcome remarks by President Robert Mugabe of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Chairperson of the African Union, African Union Commission Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, South African President Jacob Zuma, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, and State of Palestine President and Chairman of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, Mahmoud Abbas. The newly elected Heads of State and Government will also make statements which will be followed by a group photo.

"The Heads of State and Government will later consider the report of the Commission on the Ebola Crisis, the report of the Ministerial Retreat on the First Ten-Year implementation plan of the Agenda 2063 and modalities for implementation of the Alternative Sources of Financing the African Union, the report of the Peace and Security Council on its activities and the state of peace and security in Africa, and progress report of the Commission on Maternal, New Born and Child Health (MNCH)."

Discussions on Report of Activity

The AU said the Heads of State and Government will exchange views on:

• the report of the Republic of Senegal and Chairperson of NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC) President Macky Sall;
  
• the report of the Republic of Ghana President and High Level African Trade Committee (HATC) Chairperson John Dramane Mahama
  
• the report of the Arab Republic of Egypt President and Coordinator of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) Abdel Fattah El Sissi;
  
• the report of the Republic of Sierra Leone President and Chairperson of the Committee of Ten on the UN Reforms Ernest Bai Koroma; and
  
• the report of Republic of Liberia President and Chairperson of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

"The Summit will further consider the report of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Chairperson of the AIDS Watch Africa (AWA) Heads of State and Government Action Committee, before proceeding to the appointment of some elected officials including six members of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), and three members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR).

"A joint press conference addressed by the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) and the Chairperson of the AU Commission will crown the event," said the AU