IV Africa
| Author | Rachel Murray |
| Published date | 01 June 2007 |
| Date | 01 June 2007 |
| DOI | 10.1177/016934410702500209 |
| Subject Matter | Part B: Human Rights News |
318 Intersentia
IV AFRICA
R M*
1. AFRICAN UNION
e African Union (AU) held a Summit in January 20 07 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Meeting at its Tenth Ordinary Session from 26–27 January, the Executive Council
adopted a number of decisions. In its Decision on the Situation of Re fugees, Returnees
and Displaced Persons in Af rica1 it noted the continuing problem on the continent
and for various organs of the AU to continue preparat ions for a Special Summit on
Refugees, Retur nees and Internally Displaced Persons scheduled to take place in
2008.
In a Decision on the Africa-EU Plan of Action on Tra cking in Human Beings
Especially Women and Children,2 the Executive Council acknowledged human
tra cking was a violation of human rights, endorsed the Africa-EU Plan of
Action and requested the AU Commission, in col laboration with the Internat ional
Organization for Mig ration and others to ‘assist Member States wit h the development
and implementation of sound migration policies aimed at addressing Tra cking in
Human Beings especia lly Women and Children’. It called on the chairperson of the
Commission to ‘develop an implementation plan of the A frica-EU Plan of Action’, in
consultation with t he EU.
Noting a Report of a Special S ession of the AU Conference of Ministers of Health on
Sex ua l and Repr oduc tive Hea lth i n Af ric a hel d in M aput o, Moz amb ique in Se pte mber
2006, the Executive Council recognised the role of sexua l and reproductive healt h
rights in achiev ing the Millennium Development Goals and urged St ates ‘to allocate
adequate resources for the improvement of maternal and child health in Africa’ and
requested the AU Commission ‘to advocate for the implementation of the Maputo
Plan of Action for the Operational ization of the Continental Sexua l and Reproductive
Health and Rig hts Policy Framework in Afric a’.3 Reservations were entered to t his
* Professor of Internat ional Human Right s Law, School of Law, University of Bristol, UK .
1 Ex.CL/Dec.319 (X).
2 EX.CL/Dec.324 (X).
3 Decision on the Spec ial Session of the AU Conferen ce of Ministers of Health De dicated to Sexual and
Reproductive Hea lth in Africa, EX .CL/Dec.327 (X).
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