Confidential update note prior the 8th Ordinary summit of the AU, Addis 22–30 January 2007

Please note that these comments are informal and un-attributable but offer an overview of some of the key issues to be discussed during the Summit. Most of it’s content does not reflect official decisions by the African Union Commission
This update: 2 January2007

Schedule:
22-23 January 2007: Ordinary Session of the PRC (Ambassadors)
25-26 January 2007: Ordinary Session of the Executive Council (Ministers F. Affairs)
29-30 January 2007: Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly (Heads of States)

CSOs and women Pre-Summit off
Please note that the AU Commission has decided not to organized CSOs and women pre-summit this time. Although in 2005 and 2006, there were plans to have CSO and Women’s pre-Summit meetings at each of the Summits (complications arising from host Governments prevented this in Libya and Sudan), it is now being argued that there will be pre-meetings every other summit. It is notable that up to December, both CIDO and the Women’s Directorate were planning these meetings for January 2007. If true, this means that there will be no CSO pre summit in the Addis summits. Linked to the instructions to state owned hotels to only accept reservations from embassies for the period 20 – 30 January, the space for CSO engagement seems to be bleak! This has not prevented NGOs from organizing their own activities and in the next update, we will share a calendar of activities in Addis.

Themes of the summit
1- Science, Technology and Scientific Research
2- Climate Change

The Summit aims at focusing on the role that Science and Technology and innovation could play towards Africa’s socio-economic development. Key issues for consideration are Africa’s capacity to use S&T for socio-economic development; Africa human capacity in S&T and funding for S&T. The AU Department of Human Resources Science and Technology and the UNECA will be organizing an exhibition on innovative African projects that can highlight the return on investment in Science and Technology and innovation in Africa The exhibition will run in parallel with the Summit. The aim of the second theme recently added is not really clear yet. The Summit will acknowledge Africa as one of the most affected regions by the climate change

There will be presentations to Heads of States followed by debate on the 2 themes of the summit. Heads of States are expected to recommend actions to promote and facilitate emergence and development of Science and Technology in African countries. Three experts will be invited by the AU to make these presentations on the themes of the summit: They are:
- Professor Calestous Juma, (Kenya), Director of Science and Technology, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University, USA
- Dr. Mohamed El Baradei (Egypt) Director General of the International Agency for Atomic Energy
- M. Koichiro Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO

The new UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has officially announced he will attend the Addis summit.

Key issues to be discussed during the summit

Modalities for the election of Members of the AU Commission (Executive Council and the Assembly)
Previously, the Assembly directly elected by Commissioners. This gave member-states power over proposing and supporting individual candidates and more importantly, it has been argued by some, led to weak lines of accountability to the Chairperson and poor cohesion within the AU Commission during the past 4 years. The Addis Assembly will adopt new rules to nominate/elect Commissioners. Two options are being considered: 1) Elect all Commissioners without any title/attribution and let the AUC Chairperson to give them a specific title/Commission or 2) let the Chairperson nominate/suggest the commissioners and request the Assembly approve them. New Commissioners will be elected during the Accra Summit in July 2007.

The African Charter on Democracy, Governance and Elections (PRC and Executive Council)
This item was been on the Banjul Agenda in July 2006. Some countries (including Uganda and Gabon) had expresses serious concerns about the draft document. The official reason for the postponement of its consideration last year was that the draft text had no legal form and need to be revised. It was clear that opposition continues to come from current powerful Heads of States have been badly elected or came on power through coup d’ etats. In December 2006, a committee of experts has revised the text and recommended its consideration by Executive Committee and adoption during the upcoming summit.

African Union Government (Assembly)
Following the decision taken in January 2006, a committee of 7 Heads of States and Governments was requested to submit a consolidated document for the creation of the African Union Government (“Study on an African Union Government towards the United State of Africa”). A draft document was submitted to the Banjul Summit in July 2006. It was sent back to the Executive Council for closer re-examination taking in consideration concerns that some states have made on the implications for national sovereignty. The proposed road-map is divided into 3 phases of equal timeframe;

x Initial phase (2007 – 2009) will commence immediately after the adoption of the document by the Assembly and will be devoted to the establishment of the Union Government.
x Second phase (2009 – 2012) will be devoted to making the Union Government fully operational and to laying the constitutional ground of the United State of Africa.
x Third and final phase (2012 – 2015) will aim at the facilitation of all required structures of the United State of Africa at the level of the States, the regions and the continent.

Conflict – Peace and Security Council
The PSC will present a report on the conflict situation in Africa. A presidential level PSC meeting on Darfur and/or Somalia is unconfirmed but expected. The Abuja Decision on the AU – UN Hybrid force implentation and the whole humanitarian situation in the region will be an issue of discussion. The Summit (Executive Council) will elect 5 new PSC members. The following countries’ mandate have expired but they are eligible for re-election; Algeria, Ethiopia, Gabon, Nigeria, and South Africa. New elected members will take office from March 2007. Ethiopia is the Chair of the PSC for January 2007. It will be followed by Gabon (February), Ghana (March) and Malawi (April).

Chairperson of the African Union
The current Chair Person of The AU Assembly is the Congolese President Denis Sassou N’guesso. It appears unlikely that Sudan will be made Chairperson. Most diplomats re-iterate that the promise made to Bashir in January 2006 was a recommendation not a decision, and was contingent on progress in Darfur. Despite the Summit being three weeks away, nobody is raising the issue openly. While events on the ground have seriously deteriorated, the recent positive development on the Hybrid Force issues in Darfur through Sudan acceptance may be a strategy for Bashir to please his peers may be used to seek legitimacy for the promise to be fulfilled. One of the existing options is to maintain Congo Brazzaville for another year. This is unlikely as the current President is unwell and may not be very enthusiastic to have another term. One of the reasons why the recent PSC meeting at the presidential level was held in Abuja, instead of Brazzaville was that Sassou was admitted in a French hospital. There are no other options being discussed yet.

Chairperson of the African Union Commission
Following his announcement not to renew his four year tenure, President Konare will be leaving the AU Commission after the Accra Summit in July 2007. His successor will not be officially discussed during the upcoming summit but there will be “negotiations” in the corridors about it. Former President Joachim Chissano seems to be one of the candidates being considered. In any case, it seems that the next Chairperson may come from the Southern Africa.

Integration of NEPAD into the AU Structures and Process – by the Assembly
The July 2006 Summit set up a committee to finalize a proposal on the integration of NEPAD into the AU structures and processes. The Committee will report to the Assembly. The report is expected to evaluate the NEPAD at it current stage.

Consideration of the proposed amendments to the rules of procedures of the Assembly, the Executive Council, the PRC and the Statutes of the Commission– by the PRC

Key Financial Matters
Consideration and adoption of the budget 2007
Consideration of the Audit Report on the First Conference of intellectuals of Africa and Diaspora – PRC

Other issues to be discussed during the summit
- Situation of Refugees, Returnees and IDPs (PRC)
- Harmonization of Custom Procedures in Africa (PRC)
- Strategic partnership between Africa and emerging countries of the South : China, India and South America (PRC)
- Implementation of the AU Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (PRC)
- Launch of 2007 as International year of the African Football (Assembly)

All the 3 sessions (PRC, EC, and Assembly) will consider reports of various AU organs and agencies including the Commission, the Pan African parliament, ECOSSOC, the African Commission on Human and People Rights, the Human Rights Court as well as reports of various ministerial meetings and conferences throughout the year.

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