Events

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

The African Institute for Remittances (AIR) will be fully operational in 2015. The AU Executive Councilselected the Republic of Kenya to host the AIR Secretariat.

Addis Ababa January 31, 2014; The African Union Executive Council, in its 24th Ordinary Session on 27 – 28 January 2014 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, accepted the offer from the Republic of Kenya to host the African Institute for Remittances (AIR). The Councilrequested the African Union Commission (AUC) to conclude the Host Agreement with the Republic of Kenya so as to ensure the formal take-off of the Institute in 2014. It also requested the World Bank and other development partners to support the Institute. The Institute is expected to be fully operational by the year 2015.
“I am delighted that the Executive Council has decided that the Republic of Kenya will host the AIR. The establishment of AIR, the first of its kind in the world,is a cornerstone in harnessing Diaspora resourcesfor social and economic development in Africa” said Dr. Mustapha S. Kaloko, Commissioner of Social Affairs of the African Union Commission. He also called upon development partners to continue supporting the Institute.
AIR project partners – AUC, World Bank, European Commission (EC), African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) - agreed to the need for sustained collaboration and coordination ofefforts in support of the Institute to achieve the planned improvement inthe market for remittances and to leverage their impact on development in the continent.
Background
The decision to create AIR was taken by the AUC in the framework of the Africa-EU partnership on Migration, Mobility and Employment, for the purpose of leveraging the untapped development potential of remittance flows to the African continent. The magnitude of remittances to Africa has grown remarkably in recent years, gaining the attention of the international development community due to their positive impact on the living standards of beneficiaries. However, their precise volume is unknown and presumed undercounted, their transfer cost remains unacceptably high by international standards and their full potential for economic and social development is largely unexploited.
Thus the AIR Project was launched in 2010 with funding from the EC, execution by the World Bank in collaboration with AfDB and the IOM),with the primary objective of facilitating the AU Member States and the African Union Commission in establishing AIR.

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For more information, please Contact;
Ambassador Olawale I. Maiyegun, Director of Social Affairs Department: MaiyegunO@africa-union.org
Ms. Soheyla Mahmoudi, Senior Operations Officer, World Bank: Smahmoudi@worldbank.org
Mr. Ron Hendrix, Program Manager, EU Delegation to AU: Ron.HENDRIX@eeas.europa.eu
Ms. Bernadette Dia Kamgnia, African Development Bank: B.KAMGNIA@AFDB.ORG
Mr. Josiah Ogina, Head of Mission to Ethiopia and Rep to AU/ECA/IGAD, IOM: jogina@iom.int

PR NO.25/22ND AU SUMMIT

President Abdel Aziz of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania elected African Union Chairperson

Addis Ababa, 30 January 2014- At the opening ceremony of the African Union’s Assembly of Heads of States and Government, the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was elected as the new Chairperson of the Union. He replaces the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Mr Hailemariam Dessalegn. The Chairpersonship of the African Union rotates annually.

In his acceptance speech, President Abdel Aziz thanked the Ethiopian government for hosting him and other dignitaries with great warmth and hospitality and commended this as being in the true spirit of African co-operation and development. He emphasised the need for Africa to continue to stand united in its pursuit of development and pointed specifically to the co-operative use of natural resources as a source of strength on the continent.

President Abdel Aziz highlighted the urgency of integrated environmental protection and food security measures. He hailed 2014, the Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, as the opportune time to continue work towards sustainable environmental and agricultural practices. He pointed to the harnessing of the Senegal River’s hydroelectric capacity to generate power across the Senegalese, Malian and Mauritanian borders as an example of the success of inter-governmental development efforts and encouraged nations across the continent to strive to work together for sustainable development. Through the co-operative use of water and land resources specifically, he said, Africa can increase the size and yield of its cultivated land and tackle the issues of food insecurity and hunger.

Effective and innovative development of the energy and agricultural sectors, he said, had the capacity to radically improve the lives of Africa’s diverse citizenry in a number of ways. Transforming the rural economy through modernised irrigation practices as well as transforming the livestock sector will significantly impact economic growth and reduce poverty on the continent. This will, in turn, combat the spread of diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS and improve the general health of Africa’s citizens.

Speaking on issues of peace and security, the new Chairperson congratulated the Democratic Republic of Congo on the signing of a cease fire agreement and was encouraged by the continuing progress towards peace and stability in Tunisia, and the Central African Republic, which recently elected its interim president. President Abdel Aziz underscored the need for African nations to stand in aid of one another during times of conflict and to strengthen Africa’s role and strength in international matters.

Chairperson Abdel Aziz re-iterated that Africa needs continental solutions to continental issues. He affirmed that with the continent’s vast human and natural resources, Africa has the capacity for rapid and sustainable development which can see it become a world leader in environmental innovation and sustainable growth.
LFM/wzm

For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dinfo@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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30 January, 2014 Contact: Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Saleemah@alma2015.org
+251 939 643 193
SEVEN AFRICAN COUNTRIES LEAD THE CONTINENT IN MALARIA CONTROL
Annual awards – bestowed at the AU – highlight how Africa’s future
is inextricably tied to progress in defeating malaria
Today during the official opening of the African Union Summit of heads of state, H.E. Armando Guebuza, President of Mozambique, conferred the 2014 African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) Awards for Excellence in Vector Control to Cape Verde, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe,and Swaziland. Each country has demonstrated exemplary leadership in maintaining at least 95% coverage year round of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) and/or Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) interventions, the most important tools in preventing malaria.
Malaria is a leading cause of child deaths and kills 627,000 people every year, most in Africa. The continent has made tremendous progress in the delivery and use of life-saving tools in the fight against malaria, including LLINs, IRS, rapid diagnostic tests, and effective treatments, including preventative care during pregnancy.

Yet malaria continues to wreak a huge toll on Africa. It burdens already fragile health systems; it is a leading cause of absenteeism in schools; it negatively impacts agricultural productivity and businesses large and small when employees and entrepreneurs are kept from their work; and it robs African countries of at least USD $12billion every year in economic potential.
“We cannot lose ground in our struggle to end preventable deaths and suffering from malaria” said President Guebuza, who serves as Chair of ALMA. “Our people and our communities are counting on us to continue to scale proveninterventions to insure that no African loses their livelihood or life to this ancient disease.”
Last month, the World Malaria Report declared that as a result of significant scaling-up of malaria control interventions, an estimated 3.1 million lives have been saved in Africa since 2000, reducing malaria mortality rates by 49%. And while funding challenges remain, resources for malaria prevention globally have grown from $100 million in 2000 to an estimated $1.9 billion in 2013. ALMA’s current Chair, H. E. President Guebuza of Mozambique, has rallied his peers and partners to increase malaria funding so that we sustain these impressive gains.

ALMA was founded by H.E. President Jakaya Kikwete of the United Republic of Tanzania to create a platform for Africa’s presidents and prime ministers to accelerate action on malaria prevention and control. ALMA’s second chair, H.E. President Ellen Sirleaf of Liberia, continued to promote performance and accountability through the innovative ALMA Scorecard for Accountability and Action. Winners of ALMA’s Awards for Excellence are selected by an independent committee representing the World Health Organization (WHO), Roll Back Malaria (RBM), the private sector, civil society and academia. For more information about ALMA and for a profile of the progress shown by the seven winning countries, please visit www.alma2015.org.

PRESS RELEASE No. 23 / 22nd AU SUMMIT

Email from the Future, Election of New Chairperson and Awards to Prominent Africans Mark Opening Session of African Union Assembly Meeting

Addis Ababa, 30 January 2014- An “email from the future” delivered by African Union Commission Chairperson Dr NkosazanaDlaminiZuma has served to encourage Africa to continue its fifty year development agenda (Agenda 2063), with the confidence that it is possible for the continent to achieve prosperity, integration and peace within that time, or less.

Delivered during the opening of the 22nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, the email is written to a hypothetical “Kwame Nkrom” by “Nkosazana”.

Speaking from the year 2063, after the full implementation of Africa’s Agenda 2063, the email lauds the progress achieved in initiatives that are, at present, being pursued by Africa. These include programmes on achieving an integrated Africa,developing industry and manufacturing, advanced use of information and communication technologies, mastery over the oceans and their wealth, beneficiation of minerals and natural resources, intra African trade, and sufficient infrastructure. In her message to “Kwame”, “Nkosazana” talks about an Africa that has turned itself from an importer of food to a major exporter.
“My friend, Africa has indeed transformed herself from an exporter of raw materials with a declining manufacturing sector in 2013, to become a major food exporter, a global manufacturing hub, a knowledge centre,” the email reads.

The Africa of 2063, according to the email, isno longer a dark continent but rather one which islit up using hydro, solar, wind, and geo-thermal energy, in addition to fossil fuels. It isan Africa at peace with itself after having tackled the root causes of conflict. The email compliments the continent’s commitment to invest in its people, especially in the empowerment of young people and women, as being key issues that made peace happen. It mentions the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the formation of Organisation of African Unity held in May 2013 as having been the start of a major paradigm shift: a point where Africa took charge of its own narrative.

After reading her “email from the future”, the Chairperson sent a word of encouragement to all of Africa, that the contents of the email can be a reality. “It is impossible until it is done,” she concluded.

In the meantime, Dr Dlamini-Zuma announced the appointment of Mrs BintaDiop as Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security, “to ensure that the voices of women and the vulnerable are heard much more clearly in peace-building and in conflict resolution”.

The opening session of the Assembly was also addressed by the Under Secretary General of the United Nations, who spoke about how the African Union and the United Nations can work together to address pressing crises and to build on Africa’s progress, announcing that “The United Nations is your unwavering partner” in the quest for advancement and growth.

The meeting, which elected President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania as the Chairperson of the African Union for the coming one year and Zimbabwe as the first Vice Chairperson, also heard from the newly elected President of the Republic of Madagascar Mr RajonarimamnianinaRakotoarimanana who paid tribute to his country men and women for making the choice for the restoration of constitutional order and going to the ballot box to elect their leaders. He proclaimed a new dawn for development, peace and security in his country but also added the urgent need for vital assistance for the country to realize its full potential.

President Jacob Zuma of South Africa took the floor to express his country’s appreciation for Africa’s support during the death and burial of its former President Mr Nelson Mandela last year. He paid homage to other African countries for having supported and harboured not just the leadership of the struggle against apartheid, but also many other South African liberation fighters and activists.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Haiti, Mr. Laurent Salvador Lamothe took to the stage to deliver the message of Haitian solidarity with Africa on behalf of the country’s President, Mr. Michel Joseph Martelly.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Mr HaileMarianDesalegn gave his final address as Chairperson of the African Union before handing over to President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. A press release on the Prime Minister’s statement as well as the statement itself is available at www.au.int

The opening ceremony also saw the presentation of US$100 000 prizes under the Kwame Nkurumah Scientific Awards to two prominent African scientists; awards to Heads of State and Governments who have successfully championed the fights against malaria, launch of 2014 as the Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa and an acceptance statement by the incoming Chairperson of the African Union, President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. Press releases on all the events are also available at www.au.int as is the full list of the new bureau of the African Union.
WZM

For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dinfo@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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PRESS BRIEFING OF THE AFRICAN COURT AND AFRICAN COMMISSION
Within the frame work of the 22nd AU Summit, African Court and African Commission, will on Thursday, 30 January 2014 at16:30 hold a briefing on the following issue:
- Relationship between the two institutions
- Development since the last summit
- The recent cases handled by the court
During the press conference the following panelists will address the media:
- Hon. Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo, President of the Court
- Hon. Justice Bernard M Ngoepe, Vice President of the Court
- Hon. Justice Ben Kioko, Member of the Court
- Hon. Commissioner Zainabou Sylvie Kayitesi
The briefing will be held in Briefing room 1, at the new AU Conference Center, in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Journalist are invited to take part in the press briefing
Media Contact
Mr. Molalet Tsedeke
Media Center Coordinator
Directorate of Information and Communication AU Commission
Tel: +251911630631
E-mail: molalett@africa-union.org
For further information contact
Directorate of information and communication /African union commission/ E- mail:dinfo@africa- union.org/Web site: www.au.int/ Addis Ababa / Ethiopia
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Learn more at:
http://summits.au.int/en/22ndsummit
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