AUC Deputy chairperson briefed the press on the AGOA forum
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, July 18, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr. Erastus Mwencha, today, Friday 18 July 2008, at the Headquarters of the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, briefed the press on the seventh African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum, held from 14 – 16 July 2008, in Washington, D.C., United States of America. The Press Briefing took place in the presence of the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, H.E Ramtane Lamamra.
For close to 60 minutes, Dr. Mwencha highlighted the participation of African countries to the AGOA as well as the competitiveness of African products in the United States market. He outlined the different challenges faced by Africa in the area of trade, thus, the “need for the WTO negotiations”. Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairperson explained that the US Congress was contemplating to put up another Bill known as to New Partnership for Development Act (NPDA), saying, the new Bill has a number of conditionality that needs to be considered by the African Ministers before it is fully implemented.
On a different note, Dr, Erastus Mwencha told the press that, the African Union delegation met with the president of the World Bank at the margins of the AGOA Forum, to discuss areas of cooperation. He said the World Bank has committed itself to assist in two major programmes of the African Union. They are: Infrastructure and Food Security. “The World Bank has already released 300 Millions US Dollars and promised to release up to 1 Billion for Food Security,” He noted.
Taking the floor later, the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union informed the press about the Second meeting of the Panel of the Wise that took place yesterday 17 July 2008, at the headquarters of the African Union, in the presence of H.E Ben Bella, former Algerian President and founding father of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). According to the Commissioner, the Panel discussed crucial issues related to pre-electoral and post electoral processes in African countries so as to elaborate preventive measures to avoid conflict by organizing free, fair and transparent elections within the continent.
Commissioner Lamamra further invited the press to the opening ceremony of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) meeting, at ministerial level, scheduled to take place on Monday, 21 July 2008, at the headquarters of the African Union. The PSC meeting, he said, would focus on the crises in Sudan, particularly with respect to the recent declaration of the International Criminal Court (ICC) with respect to what they described as the Darfur genocide.
SOURCE : African Union Commission (AUC)
