SIXTEENTH (16th) ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE UNION
30 - 31 January 2011
Venue : UNCC-ECA

DAY ONE: Sunday 30 January 2011

09.30 – 10.00 hrs I. CLOSED SESSION for Heads of State and Government and Heads of Delegations plus one (1) member of their respective delegations proceed to Committee Room 1 at UNECA for consultations on the composition of the Bureau and Drafting Committee

10.00 - 11.30 hrs
II. OPENING CEREMONY

• H.E. Prof. Bingu Wa Mutharika requests the Assembly to stand for the AU Anthem
• AU Anthem
• Welcome remark by the Chairperson of the Union
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Jean Ping, Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Amr Moussa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States;
• Statement by the H.E. Mr. Mohamud Abbas, President of Palestine National Authority (PNA) and Chairman of Palestine Liberation Organisation Executive Committee (PLO)
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Joseph Deiss, President of the United Nations General Assembly
• Statement by the Guest of Honour, H.E. Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the Republic of France
• Opening Statement by H.E. Prof. Bingu Wa Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi and Chairman of the African Union
• Election of the members of the Bureau and the Drafting Committee
• Acceptance Statement by the Incoming Chairperson of the Union
• Continental Scientific Award Ceremony for two (2) successful African Scientists
• End of the official Opening Ceremony

12:00-12:30 hrs
11.30 – 11.45 hrs • H.E. the incoming Chairperson of the Union requests the Heads of State and Government to proceed to the Lobby for a Group Photo

11.45-12.15 hrs • Adoption of the Agenda and the work-programme (CLOSED SESSION)

12.15-15.00 hrs LUNCH BREAK

15.00-15.10 hrs III. THEME OF THE SUMMIT: “Towards Greater Unity and Integration through Shared Values” (PUBLIC SESSION)

a) The Incoming Chairperson of the African Union declares the Debate on the theme open

15.10 – 16.30 hrs b) Presentation and Discussion of the Theme of the Summit

 Introduction of the Overall Thrust by Mrs. Julia Dolly Joiner, Commissioner for Political Affairs (15 min)

 Presentation of the Theme by H.E. Mr. John Atta-Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana (15 min)

 Respondents:

• H.E. Mr. Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo (10 min)
• H.E. Mr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania (10 min)
• H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdelazez, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (10 min)
• H.E. Mr. Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of the Republic of Namibia (10 min)
• H.E. Mrs. Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, President of the Republic of Liberia (10 min)

16.30 – 18.30 hrs c) Debate on the Theme (1 hr and 30 min)

d) Adoption of the Declaration of the Assembly on the theme of the Summit (30 min)

END OF THE DEBATE ON THE THEME

20.00 hrs BANQUET OFFERED BY H.E. ATO MELES ZENAWI, PRIME MINISTER OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA

DAY TWO: Monday 31 January 2011 (CLOSED SESSION)

09.00 – 09.30 hrs Consideration of the Report of the Commission on the Year of Peace and Security in Africa (presented in a Public Session in the presence of the Press) (Item VII. 3 on the agenda) (30 minutes)

09.30 – 13.00 hrs IV. ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET FOR 2011 FINANCIAL YEAR
V. APPOINTMENT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY BOARD ON CORRUPTION

VI. APPOINTMENT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE AFRICAN COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF THE CHILD (ACERWC)

VII. REPORTS
1. Consideration of 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

2. Consideration of the Report of the Peace and Security Council on its activities and the State of Peace and Security in Africa

3. Consideration of the Report of the Chairperson of NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC)

4. Consideration of the Report of the Chairperson of the Committee of Ten on the UN Reforms

5. Consideration of the Progress Report of the Commission on the Hissene Habre Case (in implementation of Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.272 (XIV))

13.00 - 15.00 hrs LUNCH BREAK

15.00 – 16.30 hrs 6. Consideration of the Progress Report of the Commission on the Implementation of Assembly Decision on the Transformation of the African Union Commission into the African Union Authority

7. Consideration of the Report of the Committee of Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC)

8. Consideration of the Report of the Commission on the 2nd Africa-Arab Summit, Sirte, Libya, 6-10 October 2010

9. Consideration of the Report of the Commission on the 3rdAfrica-EU Summit, Tripoli, Libya, 29-30 November 2010

10. Consideration of the Report of the Outgoing Chairperson of the Union on the Outcome of the G20 Summit held in Seoul, Korea, 11-12 November 2010

15.00 – 16.30 hrs VIII. ITEMS PROPOSED BY MEMBER STATES
1. Reconsideration of Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.263(XIII) on the Transformation of the African Union Commission into the African Union Authority (Item proposed by the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya)

2. Convening of mid-year sessions of the ASSEMBLY OF THE UNION (July Sessions) (Item proposed by the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) *

3. Offer of the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to host the 21st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union in June/July 2013 (Item proposed by the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya)

4. Establishment of an African Union Center for Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development (AUCPCRD) (Item proposed by the Arab Republic of Egypt)

5. Briefing on African participation in the International Conference on Biodiversity, October 2011 in Nagoya (Japan) (Item proposed by the Gabonese Republic)

6. The African National Congress (ANC) Centenary Celebrations (Item proposed by the Republic of South Africa)

7. The African Diaspora Consultative Process (Item proposed by the Republic of South Africa)

8. Women as a Resource in Sustainable Development and Economic Growth in Africa (Item proposed by the Republic of South Africa)

9. The mandatory application of the principle of geographical representation in all African Union organs which have elected members. (Item proposed by the Republic of Chad)

10. The Establishment of Regional Programmes to valorize African Liberation heritage (Item proposed by the United Republic of Tanzania)

11. Decision on AU “decision-making process, lack of implementation of decisions, and the need to uphold and respect the integrity of Summit decisions by all Member States of the Union (Item proposed by the Republic of Namibia and co-sponsored by the Republic of Angola, Republic of Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Kingdom of Lesotho, the Republic of Malawi, the Republic of Mauritius, the Republic of Mozambique, the Republic of South Africa, the Kingdom of Swaziland, the United Republic of Tanzania, the Republic of Zambia and the Republic of Zimbabwe)

12. Proposed Holding of African Union Summits on Integration (Item proposed by the Republic of Malawi)

13. The Yaounde International Conference « Africa 21 » : Global Partnership for the Development of Africa (Item proposed by the Republic of Cameroon)

16.30 - 20.00 hrs IX. ADOPTION OF DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 18TH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

X. ADOPTION OF DECISIONS AND DECLARATIONS OF THE 16TH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE UNION

XI. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
XII. DATE AND VENUE OF THE 17TH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE UNION

(OPEN SESSION)

XIII. CLOSING CEREMONY
XIV. PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE UNION AND THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMISSION