HC Deb 18 July 2003 vol 409 cc878-9W
John Barrett

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will make a statement on the outcomes of the second African Summit in Mozambique. [126845]

Hilary Benn

The second summit of the African Union (AU) in Maputo in July focused on the internal mechanisms of the organisation. Mozambique took over the Presidency from South Africa and Joaquim Chissano, President of Mozambique, will Chair the AU for the next year. Alpha Oumar Konare, ex-President of Mali, was voted Chair of the AU Commission and Patrick Mazimhaka of Rwanda was elected Vice-Chair.

The following Commissioners of the AU were elected: Peace and Security, Said Djinnit (Algeria); Political Affairs, Dolly Joiner (The Gambia); Infrastructure and Energy, Bernard Zoba (Congo Brazzaville); Social Affairs, Gawanas Bience Philomina (Namibia); Human Resources, Science and Technology, Saida Agrebi (Tunisia); Trade and Industry, Elisabeth Tankeu, (Cameroon); and Rural Economy and Agriculture, Rosebud Kurwijila, (Tanzania). The position of Commissioner for Economic Affairs is yet to be filled.

The budget of the AU will increase from $31 million to $43 million in the next year and staffing is set to double to approximately 761 in the long term. The contributions of the richer countries of the AU will rise to 8.5 per cent., while the contributions from poorer countries will be 0.75 per cent, and those from the poorest will fall to 0.25 per cent.

The Pan African Parliament and the Peace and Security Council each require 27 ratifications to be established. This was not achieved at the AU Summit. However, more countries did ratify: the Pan African Parliament now has 17 signatures and the Peace and Security Council 15 (although this number may have increased since the Summit). In the event of the Peace and Security Council receiving 27 ratifications before the next AU Summit, the Assembly mandated the Executive Council to elect the membership of the Peace and Security Council. No decision was taken on the location of the Pan African Parliament. The Assembly also adopted the Draft Protocol on the Court of Justice of the AU, which is now open to ratification by member states.

The Assembly decided that the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) will be integrated into the AU in three years, or when the relevant institutions of the AU are in place, whichever comes first. The integration will be overseen by Alpha Oumar Konare, Chair of the AU Commission, and President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chair of the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee of NEPAD.

For more information on the outcomes of the Summit see www.au2003.qov.mz