Overview of the activities of the upcoming AU Summit in Sharm El Sheikh

President Mubarak is to deliver the opening statement of the 11th African Union Summit in Sharm El Sheikh, on Monday, June 30th, which is expected to be attended by more than 40 Heads of State and Government. Representatives of several European, Asian and Latin American countries, as well as regional and international organizations, will also participate in the Summit as observers.

Assistant Foreign Minister and General Coordinator of Preparatory Committees for Sharm El Sheikh Meetings, Ambassador Ibrahim Ali Hassan, stated that Egypt will be the main speaker at the Summit's first session, which is to be held on the same day to discuss the main issue enlisted on the agenda "Water and Sanitation". Ambassador Hassan outlined that the Summit will resume its works on July 1st, and will be concluded by issuing a number of resolutions and declarations related to the items of the agenda.

The Meetings of Permanent Representatives of the AU Member States, will begin on June 24th, to prepare for the Ministerial Meeting which will be held on June 27th and 28th.

The General Coordinator affirmed that the Summit will tackle development issues in Africa, as well as the food crisis and rise in food prices. He also noted that Egypt will propose ideas and suggestions in this regard, adding to what have been included in President Mubarak' speeches before Davos Forum in Sharm El Sheikh and the recent FAO Conference in Rome.

Ambassador Hassan stated that New Partnership for Africa’s Development )NEPAD) Implementation Committee Summit will be held on Sunday, June 29th, with the participation of 20 African Heads of State. The Heads of State are expected to review the undertaken steps to implement Addis Ababa Summit resolutions, regarding the integration of NEPAD into the AU structure, the renewal of the membership of the 15 non-permanent member states of the committee, while the membership of the five founding member states (Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Nigeria, and South Africa) will be maintained. The Summit will also discuss the procedures of appointing a new Executive Director for the NEPAD Secretariat. The Committee will conduct consultations on the preparation for the Annual Meeting of the five NEPAD founding states and AU Chairperson with the G8 leaders, on the sidelines of their upcoming summit in Hokkaido, Japan, on July 7th.

The General Coordinator added that the "African Peer Review Mechanism", which includes 28 member states, which Togo will join during the summit, will discuss the "Country Review Reports" of Nigeria, Uganda and Burkina Faso; hence nine review reports would be completed.

Ambassador Hassan outlined that the AU Committee of 10 for UN Reform and AU Peace and Security Council will hold their meetings on June 29th.

Ambassador Hassan pointed out that the First Ladies Summit, will be held on June 30th, in response to Mrs. Mubarak's invitation. The Roundtable Meeting of Suzanne Mubarak International Movement for Peace will be held on July 1st and presided by Mrs. Mubarak.

Preparatory meetings for the African Summit held on 25 June in Sharm El Sheikh

The permanent representatives accredited to the African Union, started their meetings on 24 June in Sharm El Sheikh , within the framework of the preparations for the African Summit which will be held in Sharm El Sheikh on 30 June and the first of July 2008 . The Egyptian Ambassador in Addis Ababa , and Egypt's permanent representative to the African Union Ambassador Tarek Ghoniem, will head the Egyptian delegation in the meetings which will be preceded by the Foreign Minister's meetings on 27,28 th July.

This is the first time for the AU Summit to be hosted by Egypt following the transformation of the organization of African Unity to the African Union in 2001.Egypt had previously hosted the OAU Summit in 1993.

Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs and Affairs of the African Union, Ambassador Shamel Nasser, inaugurates the Third Citizen’s Continental Conference

Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs and Affairs of the African Union, Ambassador Shamel Nasser, inaugurated the Third Citizen’s Continental Conference, held on 22-23 June 2008, within the framework of the activities of the African Union Summit in Sharm El Sheikh.

The Assistant Foreign Minister reviewed the features of Egypt's African policy, since the establishment of the Organization of African Unity till the establishment of the African Union. The most significant of these features is launching Egyptian initiatives such as Mubarak Initiative َof Quality Education for African Future Leaders; and several initiatives for establishing an African Center for Catastrophes Risks; an African Oil Technical Support Center; and an African satellite channel in order to develop joint African work, as well as the African Initiative for Technology Transfer and Innovation.

The Assistant Minister outlined the efforts exerted by the Foreign Ministry in promoting the role of the Egyptian civil society organizations and facilitating their work, in order to serve development objectives in Egypt. Ambassador Nasser also highlighted the keen interest accorded to the participation of such organizations in the elections of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC), which resulted in the Egyptian Red Crescent Society and the Egyptian Business Women Association (EBWA) acquisition of membership.

Assistant Foreign Minister also called upon the civil society and its institutions to adopt a practical approach, which aims at achieving progress in dealing with the challenges facing Africa, especially in the vital areas such as developing education, providing food and improving living standards, for children, women and youth in particular, in cooperation with African Union institutions and African Governments .