Events

JOINT MEDIA ADVISORY

FRIDAYS OF THE COMMISSION

“TOWARD CLIMATE JUSTICE FOR AFRICA”

What: Conference-Debate of the “Fridays of the Commission”

Theme: “Toward Climate Justice for Africa”

Who: Department of Economic Affairs, AUC in partnership with OXFAM, Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and Act Alliance.

When: Friday 6 November 2015

Time: From 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Where: Small Conference Room 2 of the AUC New Conference Building

Objectives: In the framework of the preparation of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) to be held in November 31st to December 11th, 2015 in Paris, France, this special session will:

· Share perspectives on the essential elements of a new climate change agreement, and concrete proposals on climate adaptation financing

· Bring forward evidence and voices from frontline communities facing climate change across Africa

Expected Outcomes:

The expected outcomes of the meeting are as follows:

· Further the understanding of African priorities for climate change action and financing for adaptation

· Enhanced visibility and identification of support for funding community-owned initiatives on renewable energy, agriculture investment.

Background:

Environmental degradation and adverse impacts of climate change continue to seriously affect the continent of Africa. Periodic droughts, flooding and the looming El-Niño are a few of the impacts that African people continue to face as result of climate change. 2015 is a critical year for global climate change negotiations. From November 30tht to December 11th, UN member states will be meeting in Paris, France to negotiate a new climate change treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol.

As one of the world’s most vulnerable continents to climate change, Africa must strategically be engaged in this process to secure a mutually beneficial deal that delivers the much needed support to enable its people to adapt to the negative effects of climate change, whilst crafting strategies to help deal with global warming levels as recommended by scientists – below 1.5°C. ACT Alliance, We-Have-Faith, PACJA and Oxfam International, and their member organizations, are - in partnership with the Africa Union Commission Department of Economic Affairs - organising a Friday of the Commission session entitled “Toward Climate Justice for Africa.

The event will showcase how various stakeholders – civil society, UN negotiators, faith leaders, Members of Parliament, and government representatives – are forging a partnership to ensure a strong COP21 outcome that will guarantee support to vulnerable communities in Africa.

Media representatives are invited to cover the meeting.

For any inquiry, please contact:

Ms. Ambela Barbara | Department of Economic Affairs | African Union Commission | Tel: (251) 115 18 2668 |Email: Ambelab@africa-union.org

Ms Vanessa Inkodokubo | Oxfam International| Email: Vanessa.Inkodokubo@oxfaminternational.org

Media Contact: Jerry Laurence Lemogo | Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission | Tel: +251929188440 | E-mail: Laurencej@africa-union.org | Website: www.au.int | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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

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Directorate of Information and Communication
Directorate of Information and Communication | Information and Communication | African Union Commission

Tel: +251-11-5517700 | Fax: | E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org | Web:www.au.int

Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

MEDIA ADVISORY

Technical workshop on labour migration statistics for the Africa region

What: Technical workshop on labour migration statistics for the Africa region.
Highlights for media will include opening remarks on 29 September by AUC Department of Economic Affairs, AUC Department of Social Affairs; Representatives of the International Labour Organisation, IOM and the UN Economic Commission for Africa

When: 29 September- 1 October
The meetings will start at 08:30

Where: New Conference Center. African Union Commission

Why: The main objectives of this technical workshop are to (a) validate the national data on labour migration and (b) build national capacity in key labour migration statistics.
More specifically the technical workshop will be aimed to:
• Validate existing data on labour migration received from the NSO
• Inform participants about the ILO`s global activities on the development of standards on migrant workers, and the set of meta-data questionnaires sent to the all ILO member states.
• Discuss and identify better strategies and mechanisms for improving data collection of labour migration statistics in Africa
• Improve national capacity to analyse and publish labour migration statistics from various sources, including administrative records, and
• Discuss and advise possible support on the above from different partners (AUC/ILO/IOM/ECA), including recommendations from participants on the way forward.

Background: The AUC/ILO/IOM/ECA Labour Migration Governance for Development and Integration in Africa, known as the Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP) was adopted by the African Heads of State and Government during the 24th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly (January 2015). It is a four-year programme within a ten-year vision whose overall objective is to strengthen the effective governance and regulation of labour migration and mobility in Africa, under the rule of law with the involvement of all key stakeholders.
As international migration moves to the forefront of policy agendas, there is a corresponding interest in accurate and up-to date data and statistics. However, accurate and up-to date information on migration levels and trends is largely incomplete, notably on a special category of migrants such as migrant workers which is a focus of the JLMP.
In order to better implement the JLMP, accurate data and statistics on labour migration are needed to describe, reflect and support a better understanding of what is happening and to make more policy informed decisions on all facets of labour migration. For this reason, the international labour migration data collection was launched in June 2015 by the AUC for the Africa region.
This data collection procedure has taken full advantage of the recent experiences of the ILO in this area in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and in Arab Counties in MENA Region. In fact, the age for youth in the ILO’s International Labour Migration Questionnaire (ILMQ) has been adjusted to the African context and converted to 15-35 years of age, and used as a template to be filled in by participating countries. However, in the very near future, in addition to the age group 15-35 it is highly advisable to collect data for the age group 15-24 as well, in order to achieve comparability of the African data with the other regions of the world. The questionnaire collects information on the stocks and flows of international migrants; both at home and abroad; including relevant disaggregation by labour force participation, educational attainment, occupation, industry and several other variables relevant for policy and research on the international labour market. It covers the period 2005-2014, as corresponding to the 2010 round of population on housing censuses in Africa, one of the main sources of migration data in Africa.
In this process, formal letters from the AUC were sent in June 2015 to national statistical offices (NSO) inviting them to nominate a relevant individual as a focal point and fill in the ILMQ with a deadline of five weeks for the data collection. The International Labour Migration Questionnaire has been sent to all the 54 countries in the Africa region.
The resulting Database will need to be validated by: (a) clarifying any missing sources or unclear definitions provided; (b) clarifying possible inconsistencies; and (c) seeking any additional sources or individual tables known to exist but missing from the responses. Approval and endorsement of the final set of indicators will be obtained from the planned technical Meeting in mid-September 2015 in Addis Ababa. Then the data collected will provide the necessary information for the 2015 Labour Migration Statistics in Africa Report and to the AUC and Department of Statistics of the ILO for dissemination in AUC website and ILOSTAT.

Media personnel are invited to cover the official opening ceremony starting at 08:30 on 29 September.

Further media inquiries should be directed to:
Mrs Wynne Musabayana | Deputy Head of Communication and Information Division | Information and Communication Directorate | African Union Commission | Tel: (251) 11 551 77 00 | Fax: (251) 11 551 78 44 | E-mail: MusabayanaW@africa-union.org | Web: www.au.int | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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About the African Union
The African Union spearheads Africa’s development and integration in close collaboration with African Union Member States, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens. AU Vision: to accelerate progress towards an integrated, prosperous and inclusive Africa, at peace with itself, playing a dynamic role in the continental and global arena, effectively driven by an accountable, efficient and responsive Commission. Learn more at: http://www.au.int/en/

AFRICAN UNION

UNION AFRICAINE

UNIÃO AFRICANA
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: +251 11 551 7700 / +251 11 518 25 58/ Ext 2558
Web site: www. au.int
Emergency Meeting of the Executive Council
8 September 2014, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME OF WORK

10.00 – 10.30 hrs. Opening Ceremony (Open to the Media)
- The Chairperson of the Executive Council declares the meeting open (2 minutes)
- Statement by H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission (10 minutes)
- Opening statement by H.E. Mr. Ahmed Ould Teguedi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and Chairperson of the Executive Council (10 minutes)
10.30 – 13.00 hrs. Closed Session
10.30 – 10.40 hrs. Adoption of the Agenda and Organization of Work
10.40 – 11.00 hrs. Presentation of a Paper by the World Health Organization (WHO) Experts
11.00 – 11.15 hrs. Presentation of the Report by the Commissioner for Social Affairs
11.15 – 11.30 hrs. Presentation of the Socio-economic impacts of the Ebola and ways of minimizing them
11.30 – 13.00 hrs. Discussion of various aspects of the Ebola Crisis
• The policies put in place in different Member States to combat the crisis;
• The effects of closing borders and free movements of population across borders;
• Suspension of flights to affected countries;
• Stigmatization of nationals from affected countries;
• Holding/cancellation of AU meetings and its attendant consequences on the programmes of the Union;
• Africa’s response to the Crisis.
13.00 – 15.00 hrs. Lunch Break
15.00 – 17.00 hrs. Closed Session
Continuation of the Debate
17.00 – 17.30 hrs. Adoption of the Conclusions
17.30 – 18.00 hrs. Open Session
Closing by the Chairperson of the Executive Council
End of the Meeting

Press Release

Health financing takes centre stage at Financing
for Development Meeting

Addis Ababa, 14 July 2015- Leaders meeting in Addis Ababa Monday urged concerted continental and global efforts to accelerate efforts for accelerated domestic financing for health. The meeting also emphasised the continued importance of international support to Africa’s disease responses in the spirit of shared responsibility and global solidarity.

“The transformation of our economies and our countries will never be complete without claiming victory over diseases, particularly, the three big epidemics of our time – HIV, tuberculosis and malaria” said Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. “Our founders urged us to unite. To defeat these diseases, we must unite not only amongst ourselves but also with our international development partners in order to raise enough resources for the final push against these diseases”.

Significant progress, but challenges remain

Most African countries recognised and responded to the need to diversify and expand funding sources for health to reduce aid dependency. Between 2006 and 2011 global domestic investment doubled spending on AIDS, TB and malaria. In the last four years, African countries have increased their domestic resources to fight AIDS by 150%.

HIV treatment in Africa increased more than 100-fold with approximately 10 million people are now on treatment. Similarly malaria mortality rates declined by 54% overall and by 58% among children. Africa’s TB treatment success rate reached 86% in 2013.

However despite these historic gains, these epidemics are far from over. AIDS remains a leading cause of death in Africa, killing 1.1 million people on the continent in 2013. An African child still dies almost every minute from malaria. The TB response will need to reach about 1.3 million people in Africa.

Financing health and achieving Agenda 2063

Africa is finalising its long term development strategy, Agenda 2063 that will put Africa firmly on a path to sustainable structural transformation and sustainable long-term inclusive economic growth. Agenda 2063 lays out seven key priorities.

These are inclusive growth and sustainable development; an integrated continent; good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law; peace and security; strong cultural identity, common heritage, values and ethics; people-driven development and a strong, united and influential Africa acting as a global player and partner. One of the key central enablers for Agenda 2063 is the need for inward looking in mobilising African resources to finance and accelerate transformation, integration, peace, security, infrastructure, industrialisation, democratic governance and strengthened continental institutions.

“Africa must move on a path to rapid industrialisation. Economic growth will result in more domestic resources being allocated to social service delivery including health” said Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

While development aid has helped it will not deliver sustainable growth and development results in Africa. The continent must continue to explore innovative sources of domestic finance for its development programmes and projects. Africa’s future lies in its ability to generate its own development finance. Africa is indeed responsible for a significant proportion of its development finance as more than $527.3 billion comes from domestic revenues compared to $73.7 billion in private flows and $51.4 billion in official development assistance.

The meeting was also attended by Dr. Mark Dybul the Executive Director of the Global Fund, Mr. Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS and Dr. Abdalla Hamdok, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

For further information contact

Afrah Thabit | Information and Communication Directorate | African Union Commission | E-mail: Thabitma@africa-union.org | Web www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
Tawanda Chisango |AIDS Watch Africa (AWA) Program Advocacy & Partnership Expert | Social Affairs | African Union Commission I Mobile +251934167052 | E-mail: Chisangot@africa-union.org | Web www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

About the African Union

The African Union spearheads Africa’s development and integration in close collaboration with African Union Member States, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens. AU Vision: to accelerate progress towards an integrated, prosperous and inclusive Africa, at peace with itself, playing a dynamic role in the continental and global arena, effectively driven by an accountable, efficient and responsive Commission. Learn more at: http://www.au.int/en/

About AIDS Watch Africa
Created at the Abuja 2001 Special Summit, AIDS Watch Africa (AWA) is an Africa-led instrument to stimulate leaders into action and mobilize the resources needed to address AIDS, TB and Malaria in an effective, sustainable and accountable manner. Learn more at www.aidswatchafrica.org

Fridays of the Commission: Debate stressed on a robust, fair and equitable agreement during the July 2015 Third Conference on Financing for Development

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Addis Ababa, 19thMay 2015: The African Union Headquarters hosted on 19th May 2015, the Conference-debate of the “Fridays of the Commission “under the theme “Towards the Third International Conference on Financing for Development: Africa’s expectations”. The event organized by the Department of Economic Affairs of the African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with Oxfam International Liaison Office to the AU and the Directorate of Information and Communication of the AUC, brought together representatives of the African Union Commission, officials from UNECA and other United Nations Agencies in Addis Ababa, African Development Bank as well as members of the diplomatic corps in Ethiopia and the civil society. The session was chaired by Dr. Réné Kouassi N’guettia, Director of the Economic Affairs department of the AUC. The debate was aimed at highlighting Africa’s expectations in the framework of the Third International Conference on Financing Development (FfD3) that will take place in July in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as well as to allow the civil society to share its views on the FfD 3.

Dr. Kouassi commended all the participants for coming to this very critical event for the continent. He highlighted the fact that financing the development agenda of the continent is a very crucial issue as Africa needs to see its expectations taken into consideration in the outcomes of the Third Conference on Financing Development. He also underscores the necessity to go beyond the objectives set by the Monterey Conference in 2002 in order to integrate the African development views expressed in the Agenda 2063 as well as the African Common Position on the Post 2015 Agenda.

Mr. Desiré Assogbavi, Head of Oxfam International Liaison Office to the African Union underlined the fact that African citizens expect that the Addis Ababa Agreement will mobilize international action around specific initiatives focusing on education, health, small holder agriculture and nutrition, infrastructure, women empowerment, among other areas of development. “Decisions of the FfD 3 must be bold, visionary, and lead to transformative change if today we are to create a universal equitable and sustainable prosperity within planetary boundaries, and fulfill international human rights obligations for future generations.” He noted.

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Meanwhile, the Permanent representative of the Republic of Benin to the African Union, H.E Naim Akibou, speaking on behalf the Least Developed Countries stressed on the inefficiency of the measures taken to address the Africa’s development challenges. “The Addis Ababa Conference therefore represents an opportunity for the world to demonstrate an acting solidarity and clear support of the international community to the least developed countries.”He underscored. H.E Naim Akibou urged the partners to consider the realities of those countries, which are mainly Africans, in the establishment of the new aid mechanism.

In the same vein, Mr. Charles Abugre, Commissioner at the Ghana National Development Planning Commission presented an Africa’s perspective on Financing Development. He pointed out the new world development context characterized by a new narrative and the need for a global economic system that would be of interest to all citizens. He called upon all the African countries to improve their ability to mobilize domestic resources for the transformation of their local economies. The establishment of a fair and just mechanism of debt will also be another requirement to ensure the efficiency of the decisions that will be taken during the FfD 3 Conference. In that regard, “Prioritization, flexibility and capacity support will be crucial”, he concluded.

Dr. Vanessa Inko-Dokubo, policy advisor on extractives industries at Oxfam International Liaison Office to the African Union, emphasized on the inclusiveness of the consultative process that will lead to the Addis Ababa Conference. She commended the engagement of the civil society groups for a fair agreement in July. According to the Oxfam Policy advisor, taxation should be at the center of the FfD 3 and measures should be taken so that it will become one of the main levers of domestic resource mobilization in Africa. Moreover, she reaffirmed the need to give the prominence to the funding of Climate Change and Women empowerment.

The Conference ended with an interactive session which gave the opportunity to the participants to raise several other issues, including the acceleration of the African Trade, the establishment of a clear continental industrial policy, the creation of an environment enabling investment, among others.

The” Fridays of the Commission” concept constitutes a series of conference debates on current, economic, political and cultural issues pertinent to the continent and which give the opportunities to different stakeholders to discuss on African developmental issues from an African perspective. The deliberations of this session will be captured in a Bulletin of the “Fridays of the Commission” and disseminated among the participants and a wide audience.

For further information contact:

Esther AzaaTankou | Head of Information Division| Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission | Tel: +251911361185 | E-mail: Yamboue@africa-union.org

Desire Assogbavi | Head of Oxfam International Liaison Office to the African Union| E-mail: assogbavi@oxfaminternational.org

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

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3rd Conference of African Ministers responsible for Civil Registration

Theme: Promoting the use of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in support of Good Governance in Africa

Introduction

The Third Ministerial Conference will be held in Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire from 9-13 February 2015 under the theme “Promoting the use of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in support of Good Governance in Africa”. All African Ministers responsible for Civil Registration, Ministers of Health, Heads of Civil Registration Offices (CROs) and National Statistics Offices (NSOs), representatives of regional and international organizations, concerned UN agencies, and representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations are expected to participate.

The First Ministerial meeting that was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in August 2010 recognized the importance of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) and identified it as one of the continent’s key development imperatives. Following the ministers’ resolutions, African Heads of State and Government in their 2012 African Union summit institutionalized the ministerial conference as statutory body of the African Union Commission (AUC) and directed the conference to report on progress and challenges to the summit every two years .

At the Second Conference of African Ministers responsible for Civil Registration held in Durban, South Africa in September 2012, ministers re-iterated the continuing importance of CRVS in advancing Africa’s development agenda, including accelerating regional integration, attaining the priorities of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD); an African Union strategic framework for pan-African socio-economic development, and meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). They noted in their Declaration at the end of the meeting:

(a) The central role that CRVS plays in governance and economic development;

(b) The role of CRVS in improving access to basic services at all levels, including meeting the MDGs; and

(c) The pervasive way in which CRVS impacts on individuals in their daily, social, political and economic lives.

Among the key outcomes of the Durban meeting was (a) the endorsement of the Africa Programme on Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (APAI-CRVS) that provided the policy and programmatic framework for implementation of CRVS on the continent; and (b) the decision that all countries will undertake comprehensive assessments of CRVS systems and prepare costed national plans irrespective of the state of development of their systems.

This Third Ministerial Conference will aim at contextualizing CRVS in the realm of governance and discuss ways in which a complete and efficient CRVS system can help countries to achieve ‘good governance’. The conference is expected to mobilize member States in envisioning this important linkage and guide them in developing and implementing specific strategies and operational plans that will facilitate the realization of good governance as well as help mainstream a good governance approach in CRVS.

This conference is for the first time is being organized under the auspices of AUC following the resolution of the Heads of State and Government in January 2012. This conference and all future conferences will therefore be conducted under the rules and procedures of business followed by AUC in such ministerial level meetings. The conference is being organized in collaboration with the Regional CRVS Core Group comprising of African Development Bank (AfDB), United Nations Children’s fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), World Health Organization (WHO), INDEPTH Network, Plan International, the Secretariat of the African Symposium on Statistical Development (ASSD) represented by Statistics South Africa, and UNECA (which serves as the secretariat of the APAI-CRVS). For more click here