MEDIA ADVISORY / 20th AU SUMMIT

THE TWENTIETH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE AFRICAN UNION OPENS ON SUNDAY 27 JANUARY

Dates: 27 - 28 January 2013
WHO: Heads of State and Government of the African Union
Venue: Plenary hall of the New African Union Conference Center (AUCC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Time: 10.00 - 12.15 hrs

Theme: The Heads of State will exchange views on the theme of the 20th AU Summit: “Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance”.

Proceedings: According to the agenda of the AU Heads of State and Government will consider the recommendations of the Executive Council on the report of the Commission on the implementation of previous Decisions of the Executive Council and the Assembly; the report of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) on its activities and the state of peace and security in Africa, including the activities of the Panel of the Wise.

The African Presidents will further consider the report of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC). They will deliberate on the report of Mr. Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Chairperson of the Committee of Ten on the UN Reforms as well as the report of the Coordinator of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) on the Climate Change Negotiations at the 18th Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (COP 18).

The Presidents and Heads of Delegations will also be briefed by Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia and Co-Chair of the United Nations High-Level Panel (HLP) on the post 2015 development agenda on the ongoing consultative process regarding the work of the Panel and another briefing from Mr. Jacob Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa, on the hosting by South Africa of the 5th BRICS Summit in March 2013.

On the other hand, the African Leaders will exchange views on the progress report of the Commission on the Transformation of the African Union Commission into t he African Union Authority as well as the report of the High Level African Trade Committee (HATC) on “Boosting Intra-African Trade and the Establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area”.

For more information, consult the African Union website: www.au.int and visit the 20th Summit web page of the AU at the following link: http://summits.au.int/en/20thsummit/

Journalists are invited to cover the official opening and closing ceremonies of the 20th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union 27 and 28 January 2013.
Journalists wishing to interview the leadership of the AU Commission during the Summit should submit their requests to Mrs Esther Azaa Tankou E-mail: YambouE@africa-union.org / esthertankou@yahoo.com