Please find attached His Excellency President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma’s speech as Coordinator of the Committee of Ten (C-10) Heads of State on the United Nations Security Council Reforms which he delivered to the 20th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa on 28th January, 2013. After President Koroma presented the C- 10 Report he received an exceptional standing ovation from majority of the Heads of State present at the meeting. The delegations from South Africa, Egypt and Lesotho among other delegations supported the adoption of the C-10 Report which was presented before the Assembly of the African Union by President Koroma.
Addis Ababa: The Assembly, (1) takes note of the Supplement to the last Report of His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Coordinator of the Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government on the Reform of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, and further takes note of recent developments on UN Security Council reform since the last Report; (2)commends the efforts of the African Permanent Representatives to the UN in promoting and defending the continent's interest in the UN Security Council Reform, and of the African Permanent Representatives of the Committee of Ten to the UN for the commitment and determination in carrying out their mandate in participating in the Intergovernmental Negotiations on UN Security Council reform;
Abuja; President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), Hon. Bethel Amadi of Nigeria, was at the just-concluded 20th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to encourage African leaders to strengthen the parliament. He spoke with Leon Usigbe on the benefit of PAP to Nigeria. Excerpts:
Addis Ababa: The Executive Council, (1) takes note of the Report of the AU Joint Conference of Ministers of Agriculture and Ministers of Trade held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 26 to 30 November 2012, and the declarations contained therein, and urges all concerned parties to take necessary measures for their implementation; (2) also takes note of the offer made by the Arab Republic of Egypt to provide agricultural training and expertise to the Member States;
Addis Ababa: The Executive Council, takes note of the Report and its recommendations and commends the African Court for the efforts invested in 2012 to strengthen its operations; underscores the need to accelerate procedures and processes towards extending the competence of the Court to judge crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, on the African continent;
Addis Ababa: The Executive Council, takes note of the Report of the Permanent Representatives Committee on the issue of the Supplementary Budget, endores the recommendations contained therein and requests the Commission to implement them; approves a Supplementary Budget amounting to US$ 11,498,829.49 of which US$ 3,886,373.89 is for operating expenses and US$ 7,612,455.60 for Programmes;
Addis Ababa: The Executive Council, 1. takes note of the Report of the Sub-Committee of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) on its activities relating to Multilateral Cooperation and on Africa’s strategic partnerships; 2. Also takes note of the progress made in the preparations for the various meetings and Summits scheduled to be held in 2013;
Addis Ababa: The Assembly, TAKES NOTE of the proposal submitted by the Republic of Senegal on the Establishment of a Supreme Council of Local Communities within the framework of the African Union; COMMENDS the Republic of Senegal for its commitment to an integrated Africa driven by its own citizens as well as its contribution to the entrenchment of shared values of democratic representation and participation within African Union structures;
Addis Ababa: The Assembly, TAKES NOTE of the Progress Report of the Commission on the Transformation of the African Union Commission into the African Union Authority; REAFFIRMS its conviction that the ultimate objective of the African Union is the political and economic integration of the Continent with the establishment of the United States of African, as envisaged by the founding fathers of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and stated in the Accra Declaration adopted by the Ninth Ordinary Session of the Assembly devoted to the theme «Grand Debate on the Union Government» held in July 2007 in Accra, Ghana;
Believing that: 1. The ANC in pursuit of its international relations objectives as directed by the Freedom Charter which states that “there shall be peace and friendship”. Therefore, International Relations is utilised by the ANC to form friendships and to work towards peace in the continent and in the world, whilst pursuing South Africa’s national interest.
