V Africa
| DOI | 10.1177/016934410802600208 |
| Author | Gina Bekker |
| Date | 01 June 2008 |
| Published date | 01 June 2008 |
| Subject Matter | Part B: Human Rights News |
260 Intersentia
V afRICa
G B*
1. AFRICAN UNION AU
e 10th AU Summit on the theme ‘Industr ial Development of Africa’ was held in
Addis Ababa from 25 Januar y – 2 February 2008.1
Decisions were adopted by the Assembly of the AU on the topics of education as
well as maternal, infant and chi ld health at t his Summit. In relation to education,
the Assembly2 called on Regional Economic Communities to establish education
desks in t heir Secreta riats by 2009 and ca lled on development par tners to ‘ensure
harmonisation of their e ducation programmes for Africa with the priorities set out
in the Plan of Action for the Second Decade of Educat ion for Af rica’. Rec ognising
that poor maternal, infant and chi ld healt h remain major challenges confronting
the continent and that th is undermines development, the Assembly3 urged member
States, in collaboration with other actors to ‘eectively implement t he commitments
made to improve the rights a nd welfare of women, infa nts and children in Africa’.
ey fur ther requested that t he AU Commission place the is sue of the promotion of
maternal, infant and child health and development on the agenda for the 11th Ordinary
Session of the Ass embly to be held in June/July 2008 a nd that they submit a progress
report on the implementation of their commitments on children and progress towards
achieving Mi llennium Development Goals 4, 5 and 6, to the 12th Ordinar y Session of
the Assembly in 2009.
e Assembly4 cal led on member States to implement a ll the commitments
made in the AU Solemn Declaration on Gender Equal ity in Africa and requested
* Lecturer, Universit y of Ulster, Northern Ire land, UK.
1 is summ it saw the election of the Gabonese Foreign Aairs Minister, Jean Ping, as the ne w
Chairper son of the African Union Commission and Mr. Erastus Mwencha, a Kenyan, as the Deput y
Chairperson.
2 Decision of Summit on the Implementation of the Second Decade of Education for Africa, Assembly/
AU/Dec.173 (X).
3 Decision on the Promotion of Maternal, I nfant and Child Hea lth and Development, Assembly/AU/
Dec.176 (X).
4 Decision on the Reports on the Implem entation of the AU Solemn Declarat ion on Gender Equalit y
in Africa , Assembly/AU/Dec.181 (X).
To continue reading
Request your trial