Accra – The Foreign Affairs minister, Téte António, expressed on Sunday satisfaction with the results achieved at the 6th biannual coordination meeting between the African Union, the Economic Communities and the Regional Mechanisms.
According to the minister, its importance lies in the fact that it made it possible to present the general portrayal of the organization to the heads of state, including with regard to the free trade area, whose headquarters are in Accra.
During the summit, the president of the African Union Commission spoke of the need to maintain the vigor of the organization’s founders, since there have been some difficulties recently.
The minister underlined the need to continue supporting regional economic communities.
Téte António said the meeting analyzed reports from the African Development Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the AU Commission, which presented recommendations regarding alignment with the goals of the Agenda 2063.
The meeting also analyzed the report by the president of the Commission, on the next leadership of this body, given that elections are scheduled for February 2025, during Angola's mandate.
According to the Angolan diplomat, the eastern region is responsible for presenting its candidate, but if there is no consensus, the choice will be made through elections in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The minister said, there are candidates from Djibouti, Mauritius, Seychelles and Kenya.
The meeting also analyzed the report by President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, who advocated a reform of the African financial system, through the creation of institutions such as the African Investment Bank, the African Monetary Fund, as well as a continent-wide policy on the security of transfers.
Téte António also said that the meeting assessed the reports on peace and security and reforestation, the latter presented by the Congolese Head of State, Dennis Sasou Nguesso.
It was presented with the idea of turning the Brazzaville conclusions into an African position on forests.
The aim is to take the issue to the United Nations and make it part of the agenda of the next UN General Assembly so that it can be translated into a resolution and a specialised institution dedicated to forests can be created,’ the diplomat said.
The diplomat said the decision of this meeting is to guide the African group at the UN to work towards this end.
Téte António added that the event analyzed other issues concerning how to divide the work between the AU and the RECs in specific areas in order to avoid duplication of work.
What the AU should do is define policies, but implementation will be the responsibility of the Regional Economic Communities,’ he said. SC/ART/DAN/AMP
