Au weekly may 18th 2015

AU WEEKLY ...keeping you updated May 18th, 2015

HIGHLIGHTS General Events 

China’s Permanent Mission to the AU

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AU-RECS-UNECA-AfDB to Implement Africa’s Agenda 2063

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$3M USD Grant for AU from ACBF

Governance 

AUC dispatches Delegation to Burundi

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AUC Statement on South Sudan

Understanding the AU 

Department of Trade and Industry

Upcoming Events 

25th African Union Summit

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Third International Conference on Financing for Development

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AfDB Annual Meeting

Social Justice 

Liberia Certified as Ebola-Free

Follow us on: Facebook - Oxfam International Liaison Office with the African Union: OI-AU Twitter - twitter@oxfam_AU Disclaimer: Views or articles presented in this publication are solely those of the media source and do not represent Oxfam’s views

AU-Weekly Published by Oxfam Liaison Office to the AU 1

AU Weekly

General Events AU-RECS-UNECA-AfDB to Implement Africa’s Agenda 2063

Ambassador Kuang Weilin

Credited: CRI.ENGLISH

China’s Permanent Mission to the AU China officially opened its permanent mission to the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa on May 7th 2015.

The mission will have political, economic, cultural, peace and security departments, to reinforce cooperation between China and the AU. It will also strengthen China’s diplomatic relations with African countries.

China is the first country to have a fully dedicated official mission to the African Union Commission (AUC). The mission will be led by the newly appointed veteran diplomat, Kuang Weilin, as the first Head of Mission.

The AUC Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma praised the People's Republic of China for opening their mission. According to the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Ming, the mission will enable China to better coordinate its major projects on the continent and enhance its diplomatic activities.

Further reading: http://cpauc.au.int/en/content/aucommission-chairperson-congratulates-chinaopening-dedicated-mission-african-union or http:// english.cri.cn/12394/2015/05/08/3745s877793.htm

The AU-RECS-UNECA-AfDB Coordination Committee met on May 11th 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to discuss the implementation of Africa’s Agenda 2063. Participants reviewed the strategy and progress to date towards these organizations’ common mission to further development of the continent. Their review included the first Ten Year Plan of Agenda 2063, allocation of roles and responsibilities between the AUC and RECs in implementing Agenda 2063, assessment of risks, the Agenda’s flagship projects, and the way forward.

During the meeting, AUC Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma called for a more dynamic relationship between the African Union Commission and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in the implementation of Africa’s Agenda 2063.

Further reading: http://www.au.int/en/ content/au-recs-uneca-afdb-coordinationcommittee-convenes-implementationafrica%E2%80%99s-agend a-2063

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AU Weekly

General Events

Credited: AUC

3$M USD Grant for AU from ACBF The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) has extended a $3M USD grant to the African Union (AU) in support of its 3-year (2015-2017) capacity building program, to build and enhance capacity within its Commission for the implementation of the continent’s development programs.

The program aims to strengthen institutional capacity and promote partnerships and collaboration between the Commission and AU organs such as the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency, Pan African Parliament (PAP) and strategic partners.

AUC Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma expressed appreciation to the ACBF for their support, and acknowledged their commitment to the continent and for providing additional capacity for the discussions on the implementation of Agenda 2063.

Further reading: http://www.au.int/en/content/signing-us-3m-grant-agreement-acbf

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AU Weekly

Governance AUC dispatches Delegation to Burundi

AUC Statement on South Sudan

On May 9th 2015 AUC Chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, dispatched a high-level delegation to Bujumbura, as part of the AU’s support to regional efforts, through the East African Community (EAC), to end the current crisis. The delegation was created under the African Peace and Security Architecture.

The delegation will meet relevant Burundian authorities, as well as other stakeholders including political parties, civil society organizations, religious leaders and representatives of the international community in Bujumbura. They will work closely with the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Said Djinnit, within the spirit of the AU-UN’s partnership to ensure African peace and security.

Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma also attended the East African Community (EAC) summit convened in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, on May 13th 2015, where they discussed the situation in Burundi.

AUC Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma made a statement on May 12 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, noting the situation in South Sudan remains extremely fragile and volatile. There has been sustained fighting between the Government of South Sudan and the SPLM (in opposition) across the greater Upper Nile region.

Since early May 2015, this fighting south of Bentiu, Unity State, has forced over 100,000 people to flee their homes, adding to the over 1.5 million people who have already been displaced by the conflict since 2013. More than 2.5 million others are at risk of hunger and disease, and violations of human rights and destruction of property continue.

The African Union has renewed its commitment to continue to work with IGAD leadership who are trying to end the present conflict.

Further reading: http://cpauc.au.int/en/content/ chairperson%E2%80%99s-statement-southsudan

Further reading: http://www.au.int/en/content/ african-union-dispatches-high-level-delegationburundi

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AU Weekly

Governance Liberia Certified as Ebola-Free Liberia was certified by the World Health Organisation as Ebola-free, a victory for the people and Government of Liberia, and a victory of all Africans and the international community who rallied in solidarity to support them in their fight to control the epidemic.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, in acknowledgement of this success, expressed her gratitude and praised the Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the government and the people of Liberia.

Further reading: http://pages.au.int/ebola/ news/african-union-commission-congratulatesliberia-its-ebola-free-victory

Credited: AUC

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AU Weekly

Understanding the African Union Department of Trade and Industry Mandate The Department’s mandate is to support the AU in boosting intra-African trade, to fast-track establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) and to ensure Africa’s competitiveness in the global economy. It supports Africa’s transformation by promoting diversification and manufacturing innovation.

Core Functions a. To coordinate the formulation and implementation of trade policies with the RECs, and to promote inter and intra African trade including reform and growth; b. To harmonise policies on industry, trade, tariffs and non-tariff barriers and immigration across the RECs; c. To network with non-governmental entities such as the chambers of commerce at regional level, industrial associations, exporters, importers and NGOs in order to ensure fair trade; d.

To provide backstopping support for AU Member States in global trade negotiations;

e. To monitor global trends in trade and analyse their impact on Africa; f.

To organise, develop and maintain a trade policy database and documents on common positions taken by RECs with the aim of harmonising these positions at the continental level;

g. To develop and harmonise policies and instruments for the free movement of persons within the Union and work towards a common African Union citizenship and residency status among Member States; h. To encourage and support the participation of civil society organisations in trade and industrial activities; i.

To promote inter and intra African trade.

The Department is also responsible for implementing initiatives such as Accelerating Industrialisation of Africa (AIDA) and the Africa Mining Vision (AMV), which promote transparency, social responsibility and tax compliance in the extractive industry.

The Department has three divisions: Trade; Industry; and Customs Cooperation.

Commissioner: Fatima Haram Acyl Director: Treasure Thembisile Maphanga 6

AU Weekly

Upcoming Events May

25-29

Event:

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) 2015 Annual Meeting

Venue: Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire Contact: Selina Peters: Secretariat of the Annual Meetings Tel: +225 20 26 35 81/Email: annualmeetings@afdb.org

June

07-15 July

13-16

Event:

25th African Union Summit

Venue: Pretoria and Johannesburg S.A Contact: http://summits.au.int/en/25thsummit/accreditation

Event: Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) Venue: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Contact: FfD Secretariat http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/consultations/index.htm

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AU-Weekly Published by Oxfam Liaison Office to the AU 7