News / National
Mugabe flies out to again
01 Jul 2017 at 08:50hrs | Views
President Robert Mugabe has left Harare to join other heads of state and government from the continent at the 29th ordinary session of the African Union (AU) which is the highest decision-making organ of the AU.
The summit kicked off on the 27th of June and will run up to the 4th of July, under the theme "Harnessing the Demographic Dividend Through Investments in Youth".
The summit will be the first with the full participation of all the 55 African countries, after the admission of the Kingdom of Morocco during the 28th AU assembly in January this year.
It is also the first summit for the new commission of the AU, which was elected in January and will be chaired for the first time by the new AU chairperson, President Alpha Conde of Guinea who replaced President Idriss Deby Itno of Chad.
According to the agenda, the heads of state and government are expected to deliberate on peace and security issues among them the renewed conflict in South Sudan, Somalia's Al-Shabaab insurgency and the implementation of agenda 2063.
The summit will also establish the continental free trade area.
The summit is expected to review the progression of the union's reform, which has been entrusted to the Rwandese President Paul Kagame and the implementation of the 0.2 percent import levy on selected products to mobilise resources to fund the organisation's programmes.
According to reports the African leaders summit will also adopt proposals for the continent to get two permanent seats at the United Nations Security Council.
In 2005, Africa established a united position (Ezulwini consensus) on UN reform calling for inclusion of two permanent and five non-permanent seats for African countries on the UN Security Council and extension of veto powers to new permanent members.
The continent wants to be fully represented in all the decision making organs of the UN, particularly the security council, which is the principal decision making organ of the world body in matters relating to international peace and security.
President Mugabe was seen off at the Harare International Airport by several cabinet ministers, service chiefs, senior government officials and Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda.
The summit kicked off on the 27th of June and will run up to the 4th of July, under the theme "Harnessing the Demographic Dividend Through Investments in Youth".
The summit will be the first with the full participation of all the 55 African countries, after the admission of the Kingdom of Morocco during the 28th AU assembly in January this year.
It is also the first summit for the new commission of the AU, which was elected in January and will be chaired for the first time by the new AU chairperson, President Alpha Conde of Guinea who replaced President Idriss Deby Itno of Chad.
According to the agenda, the heads of state and government are expected to deliberate on peace and security issues among them the renewed conflict in South Sudan, Somalia's Al-Shabaab insurgency and the implementation of agenda 2063.
The summit will also establish the continental free trade area.
The summit is expected to review the progression of the union's reform, which has been entrusted to the Rwandese President Paul Kagame and the implementation of the 0.2 percent import levy on selected products to mobilise resources to fund the organisation's programmes.
According to reports the African leaders summit will also adopt proposals for the continent to get two permanent seats at the United Nations Security Council.
In 2005, Africa established a united position (Ezulwini consensus) on UN reform calling for inclusion of two permanent and five non-permanent seats for African countries on the UN Security Council and extension of veto powers to new permanent members.
The continent wants to be fully represented in all the decision making organs of the UN, particularly the security council, which is the principal decision making organ of the world body in matters relating to international peace and security.
President Mugabe was seen off at the Harare International Airport by several cabinet ministers, service chiefs, senior government officials and Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda.
Source - zbc
