AU summit ends approving AU-NEPAD integration
By Tesfa Alem Tekle
February 3, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) – African leaders who gathered in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa wrapped up unions summit dissolving the New Partnership for Africa’s Development(NEPAD) and replacing it by a technical body instead.
In a statement, AU states said that the NPCA has been mandated to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of continental and regional priority programmes and projects.
It will also mobilise resources and partners in support of implementation of such programmes and projects.
Heads of state and government attending the summit have directed the NPCA to conduct and coordinate research and management, monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes and advocate on the AU and NEPAD vision, mission and core values.
African Union Commission (AUC) chairpersons mandate is to exercise supervisory authority over the NPCA whilst giving the new agency necessary flexibility to carry out its mandate and thereby maintaining the corporate brand of the NEPAD programme within the AU, Said the statement.
It further states that NPCA activities will be financed through an established budget from the statutory sources of the AUC, voluntary contributions from AU member states and additional budget support from development partners and private sector.
The 14th Ordinary Session of African Heads of State and Government have also endorsed a number of decisions and declarations and mechanisms of implementation.
The summit declares Information and Communications Technology as a powerful bridge to the development and integration process in Africa.
The session has also declared Year 2010 as “Year of Peace and Security in Africa ” to dedicate Africans to find solutions to the remaining political crisis and continue invest a lot of efforts to attain peace and security in the continent.
The Summit approved 15 AU member states for Peace and Security Council that would serve for the coming two to three years.
To be funded by AU member states and other development partners, the African leaders also adopted AU – 2010 budget to be 250 million USD.
The 53-member African union has elected president Bingu Wa Mutharika of Malawi as new chairman of the Union.
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Wal P Muoranyar Biet
AU summit ends approving AU-NEPAD integration
Curse be on to the union of corrupted dictators. Africa will never progress unless you change your attitudes of power greed, injustices naivity and cover up. How could Ban Ki Moon deny people of Southern Sudan right to self-determination while you sit silent. How could an Asian man jump into what African agreed up on in 2005 via IGAD and you stare at him? When Kofi Anan was a UN secretary General, did he dishonor any Asian Agreement? A time will come when the real African Union will come.