President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to attend the 36th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government set to be held on 18 and 19 February 2023.
President Ramaphosa is being accompanied by International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Naledi Pandor; Presidency Minister, Mondli Gungubele; Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana; Health Minister Joe Phaahla; Trade and Industry and Competition Minister, Ebrahim Patel and Defence and Military Veterans Minister, Thabang Makwetla.
According to the Presidency, President Ramaphosa in his capacity as the Chair of the AU PSC, will today chair a meeting to discuss the conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“On 18 – 19 February 2023, during the Summit, President Ramaphosa and Chair of the AU PSC, will present the Report on the State of Peace and Security on the African Continent. South Africa is currently the chair of the AU PSC for February 2023.
“In his capacity as the AU Champion on Covid-19, the President will also present the Report on the AU Response to COVID-19 in Africa to the Assembly. The focus of the Report will be on concrete actions undertaken to contain the spread of the pandemic on the Continent,” the Presidency said.
President Ramaphosa is also expected to deliver the Progress Report on the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Infrastructure Championing Initiative.
The 36th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government will convene under the theme: “Acceleration of AfCFTA Implementation”.
It is expected that the Assembly will take stock of the progress made thus far in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) following the start of trading on 1 January 2021.
African Heads of State and Government are expected to reaffirm their commitment to the full implementation of the AfCFTA and the significance of accelerating the finalisation of outstanding issues – including, the Rules of Origin and supporting Protocols.
The Assembly will also consider a myriad of thematic issues such as the report on the activities of the Peace and Security Council (AU PSC) and the state of peace and security in Africa.
Further issues to be looked at include the election of the new Bureau of the AU Assembly for the year 2023; the AU Institutional Reform; appointments to various organs of the Union as well as reports of the leaders on specific thematic issues.
The current Chair of the African Union, President of the Republic of Senegal, Macky Sall, will present the annual report of the chairperson as well as a report on global governance matters wherein the proposal for the AU to become a member of The Group of Twenty (G20) will be considered by the Heads of State and Government.
President Sall will also be handing over the chairship of the AU to the Island State of Comoros.
“South Africa’s participation is crucial to influence the strategic direction of the deliberations on some of the above-mentioned matters during the Summit, as well as the outcomes document in the form of the Assembly Decisions,” the Presidency said.
Source: South African Government News Agency