The theme for this year’s Summit
is ‘Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s
Transformation’. This theme presents a unique opportunity to reflect on an
address specific challenges related to the fight against corruption on the
continent. The AU summit deliberate on a number of issues, including
institutional reforms of the African Union, continental free trade and the
state of peace and security on the African continent.” including the
consideration of the report of the Executive Council, the Annual report of the
Chairperson of the Commission for the period January to December 2017 and the
report on the implementation of the Assembly Declarations including that on the
Solemn Commitment on the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
The PRC meeting was the first
statutory meeting of the 30th Ordinary Session of the Summit of the AU, which
was held from 22nd - 29th January 2018. The PRC meeting prepared the agenda of
the AU Summit with appropriate recommendations for consideration by the
Executive Council, which took place from 25th to 26th January 2018. The meeting
brought together all the Ambassadors of the 55 African Union Member States
based in Addis Ababa and other key AU officials.
In his opening remarks, the
African Union Commission chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat told the delegates
that this year’s summit will deliberate on mechanisms for combating corruption,
as a means of transforming Africa. He further more highlighted on the efforts
that are being taken by African states to fully finance the African Union as
agreed in 2015, in addition to implementation of the Single African Sky.
According to a 2016 Corruption
Watch report indicated that the most prevalent types of corruption reported in
the continent over the past few years center on abuse of power, followed by
bribery and then procurement corruption.
Within the framework of the 30th
AU Summit, H.E Dr. Abou -Zeid Amani, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy,
on Friday 26 January 2018, hold a press conference on the following issues launch
of the Single African Air Transport Market, Status update on DotAfrica, Update
on the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), Update on the
Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI), Operationalization of the Geothermal
Risk Mitigation Facility (GRMF) and the Regional Geothermal Programme and
Update on E-Governance.
In another development the Single
African Air Transport (‘’SAATM’’) which was launch is one of the Flagship
Projects of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. It will ensure that aviation plays
a major role in connecting Africa in order to achieve social, economic and
political integration and boost intra- Africa trade. Travel and tourism is vital to the globalized
economy. Aviation is a vital tool for development globally and has the
potential to greatly transform and improve economic and social benefits across
Africa.
On her part Amira Elfadil
Mohammed, AU Commissioner for Social Affairs said the free movement of people
will help reduce dangerous migration trends, mainly to Europe via the
Mediterranean Sea. As the free movement of people will offer potential overseas
migrants, particularly those taking dangerous routes, new options and thus help
their pursuit for better life and employment across Africa.
She furthermore highlighted that nothing
more than 80 percent of African migrants commit intra-Africa migration, she
lamented that easing visa restrictions within the continent has the potential
to further reduce the current 20 percent of migration to Europe and other parts
of the world mainly via dangerous routes.
Commending the achievements of
the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the free movement of
people, she also called on other African regions to take lessons from ECOWAS
and create an integrated continent.
African leaders also committed to
eliminating malaria by 2030, as articulated in the Continental development
Agenda 2063. Malaria, a treatable and preventable disease, already costs the
African continent’s economy US$ 12 billion per year in direct losses, and 1.3%
of lost annual GDP growth, an earlier report by the RBM Partnership, Action and
Investment to defeat Malaria, has shown.
According to the World Malaria
Report 2017, progress across Africa has been uneven, putting at risk the
tremendous progress to-date and African leaders’ collective ambition to end the
disease. While some African countries have seen a greater than 20% increase in
malaria cases and deaths since 2016, others are showing that beating malaria is
possible.
Participants also heard that
high-burden countries such as Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC), which account for 27% and 10% of the global malaria cases, respectively,
also face significant gaps in financing their malaria efforts over the next
three years. Nigeria faces a financial gap of US$ 1.4 billion, equivalent to
68% of the country’s needs, whereas DRC requires an additional US$ 536 million
to fully implement its national malaria strategic plan. Alternatively, several
African countries that have stepped up their efforts, such as Senegal and
Madagascar, have achieved a greater than 20% decrease in malaria cases in 2016,
according to the World Malaria Report 2017.
In June 2014, African Union Heads
of State and Government adopted the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated
Agricultural Growth and Transformation for shared Prosperity and improved
Livelihoods. Among other commitments of the Declaration, the Assembly specifically
committed to mutual accountability for results and actions by conducting a
biennial review that involves tracking, monitoring and reporting on the
implementation progress in achieving the provisions of the Malabo Declaration.
The inaugural report and the Africa Agriculture Transformation Scorecard,
tracking progress of the implementation of the Malabo Declaration, was
presented to the Assembly. The Biennial Report and Africa Agriculture
Transformation Scorecard comprise individual country performance scores on
progress made for implementing goals set in the Malabo commitments.
The growing terrorism threat in
Africa is a shared responsibility, requires the intensification of our efforts
in a coordinated global approach. The transnational nature of terrorism knows
no borders + no single state can fight it alone. Said Moussa Fakki Mahamat, the
AU Chair.
H.E Paul Kagame in his inaugural
speech in front of his peers as the new President of the Union for the next year.
He is also supervising the AU Reforms on behalf of the Union. His personal
commitment to this trans formative agenda for the Continent remains key in
making Africa great.
Saidina Alieu Jarjou
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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