President Jacob Zuma to Lead South African Delegation to the 13TH Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit, 1 – 3 July 2009, Sitre, Libya

Pretoria – South African President Jacob Zuma will on Sunday 28th June 2009 depart for Libya where he will lead the South African delegation to the 13th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Summit scheduled to take place from 01 – 03 July 2009 in Sirte, Libya. President Zuma will be supported at the Summit by International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry, Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson and senior government officials.

The 13th Ordinary Session of the AU, convening under the theme ‘Investing in Agriculture for Economic Growth and Food Security’ will be preceded by the 15th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, from 28 – 30 June 2009, the meeting of the Ministers’ of Agriculture meeting scheduled for 27 June 2009, New Partnership on Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC), 30 June 2009 and the African Peer Review (APR) Forum, 30 June 2009.

Following an extensive discussion on the Theme of the Summit the Assembly is expected to adopt a Declaration on investing in agriculture, which will include a programme of action. Other issues for discussion during the forthcoming AU Summit will include:
 

• Report of the 12th Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council on the Implementation of Decision Assembly on the Transformation of the African Union Commission into the African Union Authority, Tripoli, Libya, 15-16 April 2009;

• Progress Report of the AU Commission on the Implementation of Decision of the Assembly on the Abuse of the Principle of Universal Jurisdiction as adopted by the Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Assembly;

• Report of the Chairperson of NEPAD Heads of State and Government implementation Committee;

• Progress Report of the AU Commission on the Implementation of Assembly Decision on the Hissene Habre Case as adopted by the Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Assembly;

• Report of the AU Commission on the Meeting of African States Parties to the Rome Statute on the International Criminal Court (ICC); and

• Report of the African Union Peace and Security Council, which will cover extensively progress to date on Continental issues relating to peace and security. 

President Jacob Zuma is also expected, as the current Chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to report on the outcomes of the recent Extraordinary SADC Summit on Madagascar, held in South Africa on 20 June 2009.

President Zuma will return to South Africa on 03 July 2009.

Issued by Nomfanelo Kota on 082 459 3787; kotan@foreign.gov.za

Department of International Relations and Cooperation
Private Bag X 152
Pretoria, 0001

27 June 2009