President Motlanthe to attend 1st Extraordinary Summit of the African Peer Review Forum

Pretoria – South African President Kgalema Motlanthe will today, Friday 24 October 2008 depart South Africa for Cotonou, Benin where he will attend the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Peer Review Forum (APRF) scheduled from Saturday – Sunday 25-26 October 2008.

The 9th Ordinary Summit of the African Peer Review Forum that convened in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt on 29 June 2008 could not complete consideration of its agenda, which included the review of the Nigeria and Burkina Faso Reports.

Accordingly, the Summit decided to hold an Extra-Ordinary Summit to conclude the review of the Nigeria and Burkina Faso reports, as well as to consider and discuss selected cross-cutting issues and the progress reports of reviewed countries.

Issues on the agenda of the meeting include amongst others:

• Country reports of Nigeria and Burkina Faso;
• Cross-cutting issues that include:
• Managing diversity and xenophobia;
• Elections in Africa;
• Resource control and management, including land;
• Corruption, and
• The Gacaca court system

Since South Africa was reviewed at the African Peer Review Forum that convened in July 2007 in Ghana, it is expected to report its progress to the APRM Secretariat every six months and to table an annual report to the APRM Heads of State and Government Forum.

South Africa is therefore expected to present, its First Annual Report on the implementation of the Programme of Action, in Cotonou.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853

Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

24 October 2008