ADDIS ABABA, Feb 3 (NNN-ENA) — The 14th Ordinary Session of African Heads of State and Government has concluded here after endorsing a number of decisions and declarations and convinced of the powerful catalyzing role of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the development and integration process in Africa.

The summit, which ended Tuesday, declared ICT as a driving force for the overall development of the continent and also declared 2010 as the “Year of Peace and Security in Africa” to dedicate Africans to find solutions to the remaining political crises and to continue to invest a lot of efforts to attain peace and security on the continent.

The Summit approved 15 AU member states to its Peace and Security Council which would serve for the coming two to three years and also approved the integration of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in the AU.

The session strongly condemned unconstitutional change of governments as it threatens the cherished peace and security of the continent.

The summit also passed a decision on the reform of the United Nations Security Council and encouraged the Committee of Ten Heads of State and government to continue its intensive promotion to ensure that Africa speaks with one voice on this issue.

African leaders also adopted the budget for 2010 of over 250 million USD for the execution of the programmes and activities to be implemented by the AU Commission in various sectors.

After endorsing the Copenhagen Accord on climate change adopted at the meeting in the Danish capital last December, the Summit unanimously delegated Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi as Africa’s Chief Negotiator in the next two upcoming global climate change conferences.

The 14th Ordinary Session of African Heads of State and Government decided to hold the 15th Ordinary Session of the AU Summit in July 2010 in Kampala, Uganda.

The three-day summit here was held under the theme “Information and Communication Technologies in Africa: Challenges and prospects for Development”.

Meanwhile, speaking on the integration of NEPAD into the structure and process of the AU Commission (AUC), AU Commissioner for Economic Affairs Dr. Maxwell Mkwezalamba told reporters here Tuesday that this would involve the establishment of a NEPAD Planning and Co-ordinating Agency (NPCA) as a technical body of the AU, replacing the NEPAD secretariat.

The NPCA is mandated to facilitate and co-ordinate the implementation of continental and regional priority programmes and projects and to mobilize resources and partners in support of their implementation.

He said the continent’s leaders had directed the NPCA to conduct and co-ordinate research and knowledge management monitoring and evaluate the implementation of programmes and advocates on the AU and NEPAD vision, mission and core values.

AUC Chairman Jean Ping exercises supervisory authority over the NPCA whilst giving the new agency adequate and necessary flexibility to carry out its mandate and thereby maintaining the corporate brand identity of the NEPAD programme within the AU.

The leaders also directed that the NPCA activities be financed through an established budget from the statutory of AUC, voluntarily contribution from AU member states and additional budgetary support from the development partners and private sectors.
– NNN-ENA

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