Press conference of the secretary to the AU Commission

(AU Monitor)-- Ambassador Jean Mfasoni, Secretary to the African Union (AU) Commission, held a press conference on Monday, 25 January 2010, at the headquarters of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in which he highlighted major activities that will take place in the 14th ordinary session of the assembly of the AU that officially began today with the 19th ordinary session of the meeting of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC).

‘Thank you all for being fully involved in this event, you are our natural partners and I want to ensure you that we are open to provide you with all the information, facilities and requirements that you need to perform your duties’, said ambassador Mfasoni while addressing journalists. ‘There have been a number of security challenges, but we will closely work with the host country to take all the necessary measures’, he added.

Important activities that will take place during the summit include the launching of the new AU flag as was decided in Sirte, the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, in June 2009. There will as well be the handing over of the flame of peace to each head of state or government as a manifestation of the peace and security year. Two outstanding African scientists will be given prizes in recognition of their contribution to technologies of information and communication in Africa.

Prior to the actual summit of the heads of State and government, there will be three mini summits on 30/01/2010 at the level of the heads of State and government: the NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) implementation committee that will be chaired by the prime minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi, the committee of Ten heads of State on the United Nations reforms that will be chaired by the president of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma and the APRM (African Peer Review Mechanism) that will also be chaired by the prime minister of Ethiopia.

The official opening ceremony of the 14th will take place on 31 January and will have the prime minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, as the guest of honour. Other special guests will include the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the World Bank president Robert Zoellick and the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa. The AU has also invited other personalities to the summit that include delegates from 53 non African states such as Japan, China, India, Serbia and others who show a keen interest in the AU and all heads of United Nations agencies and special rapporteurs.

After the official opening, there will be another public session on discussions about the summit theme: ‘Information and Communication Technologies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Development’. This session will have three main speakers: President Paul Kagame of Rwanda who will present the theme and Presidents Abdoulaye Wade and Jacob Zuma of Senegal and South Africa respectively who will respond to the theme and give time to other heads of State and government to respond as well. The 1st and 2nd of February will be closed and full of intensive discussions and deliberations.

Journalists who were present hailed the AU initiative of briefing them on the summit activities and asked that there be such regular updates. The AU director of the Division of communication and information, Habiba Mejri-Cheikh, assured them that there would be daily press releases and press conferences to update them on the programmes of different events.

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