Algerian Radio
The proceedings of the 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) kicked off this Wednesday in Addis Ababa. The two-day session sees the participation of the Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs, Ahmed Attaf, mandated by the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
This ministerial meeting, held in preparation for the 39th AU Summit scheduled for February 14 and 15, will discuss a range of issues and files related to the role and status of joint African action in addressing the most significant political, security, and developmental challenges facing the continent.
Among the most important topics on the table of the African Foreign Ministers are: the consideration of the report of the 51st Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) held between January 12 and 30; reviewing the report on the AU's participation in the G20; adopting reports of the Presidential Committees on the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC); the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD); the Committee of Ten (C-10) on UN Security Council reform; and climate change.
Participants will also work on electing ten members of the Peace and Security Council (PSC), in addition to electing and appointing three members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, and electing and appointing seven members of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Ali Mahamoud Youssouf, had highlighted during the opening of the 51st Ordinary Session of the PRC the strategic importance of the 39th AU Summit. He stated that it comes during a "delicate phase the continent is going through," especially in light of current challenges in the realm of peace and security.
The Chairperson of the Commission also highlighted, during his meeting with the Deans of the AU regions on February 5, that the Summit's priorities include the implementation of the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, enhancing climate action, and supporting intra-African trade within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He noted that this year's Summit theme will focus on water as a "vital resource for life, development, and sustainability."
