PRESS RELEASE N. 98/2014

First Session of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) holds at the AU headquarters

Addis Ababa, 09 May 2014: The first session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs (former conference of ministers of justice/attorneys from member states including ministers responsible for issues such as human rights, constitutionalism and rule of law) opened on 6 May 2014 at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Prof. Vincent O. Nmehielle, Director of Legal Counsel of the African Union on behalf of the Chairperson H.E. Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in his opening address presented the program of the different issues to be discussed during the session. These include: the draft Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights; the draft Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union relating to the Pan-African Parliament; the draft African Union Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation (Niamey Convention); the draft African Union Cyber-Security Convention; the draft African Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralisation, Local Governance and Local Development; the draft Protocol on the Establishment of the African Monetary Fund; the draft Rules of Procedure of the STC on Justice and Legal Affairs; and the draft African Model Law on Biosafety. (See full speech of the Legal Counsel on the AU website: www.au.int )

The bureau which is composed according to the geographic distribution criteria of the 5 regions of Africa was elected as follows: Chair, Cameroon - Central region; First vice Chair, Namibia – Southern; Second vice chair, Mali – West; Third vice chair, Saharawi Republic – North and Rapporteur, Kenya – East.

The Meeting of Government Legal Experts of the STC on Justice and Legal Affairs ends tomorrow, 14 May 2014 followed by the Meeting of STC of Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General, Ministers responsible for Issues such as Human Rights, Constitutionalism and Rule of Law, scheduled to take place on the 15 and 16 May 2014. The report of the experts will be submitted to the ministerial meeting for adopting.

OS/ EAT

Media Contact:
Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou, Senior Editorial Officer, Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission, e-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org / esthertankou@yahoo.com , Tel: +251 911 3611 85.
CONTACT PERSONS

( Prof. Vincent O. Nmehielle, Legal Counsel/Director for Legal Affairs, Office of the Legal Counsel; e-mail: nmehiellev@africa-union.org; Tel:0115182308

Mr. Fafre CAMARA, Legal Officer, Office of the Legal Counsel, e-mail: camaraf@Africa-union.org, Tel: 0912151578)

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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