Republican President Michael Sata was this morning among several African heads of State and Government who attended the official opening ceremony of the 20th African Union Summit of the AU Assembly at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The AU summit is being held under the Theme: “Pan-Aafricanism and African Renaissance”.
Speaking in her opening remarks, African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma congratulated Zambia and Tanzania for subjecting themselves to the rigorous process of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
Zambia was peer reviewed yesterday on the sidelines of the African Union summit.
QFM’s David Bweupe reports from the AU headquarters that Dr Dlamini-Zuma noted that the African Union has institutionalized good governance and accountability in many countries through the African Governance Architecture and with thirty-three countries having participated in the African Peer Review Mechanism.
And UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on African leaders to stand against all forms of violence including rape and sexual violence.
Zambia has not been spared by the growing trend of violence against women, with a number of deaths involving women recorded in the recent past.
In his address, Mr Ban noted the need to put special focus on Africa’s girls and women, stating that they can drive peace and development.
He urged African governments to support victims of violence and end the culture of impunity.
Meanwhile the UN Secretary General has expressed concern that hundreds of millions of Africans are still living in poverty.
He said this is despite many countries having made important gains towards the Millennium Development Goals.
Mr Ban called for the need to accelerate the efforts in meeting the MDGs as the 2015 deadline approaches.
During the opening of the summit Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn was elected as the new African Union Chairperson, taking over from Benin president Boni Yayi whose term has come to an end.
QFM
Where is the report?
“Zambia was peer reviewed yesterday on the sidelines of the African Union summit.” That can’t be true. Peer review doesn’t take one day you fake journalists!
I will just arrest them jokers.
Of what use is this all about if countries volunteer for peer review – the way it is put by madam Chairlady? If they are mandated then there is no need for congratulatory messages on volunteering but on the respective records. That is why we view these gatherings as mere coffee drinking sprees.
Well, lets wait and see.
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