AU Monitor: Issue 118, 2007

[Selome Araya]

Issue 118, 2007: Weekly Roundup
This week's AU Monitor brings you updates from the African Union, where
Cuban Vice President Estaban Lazo Hernandez recently held discussions with
Commissioner Konare. The two leaders agreed to improve political and
socioeconomic links between the African Union and
Cuba<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/574/>and enhance
Cuban solidarity for the development of the African continent.
Further,
Nadia Ahmadou provides analysis about the African Union's commitment to
human right's and
governance<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/572/>on
the continent, encouraging the commission to match its statements with
action by creating "a consolidated and coherent institutional approach to
the standards regarding human rights, as contained within its Constitutive
Act".

A memorandum of understanding between the United Nations' Economic
Commission for Africa
(ECA)<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/575/>and three
European countries was signed recently. The new business plan for
2007-2009 will allocate $12 million to numerous gender, trade, and
governance activities.

In regional news, the South African Development Community
(SADC)<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/577/>reflects
on 2007 and examines developments and shortcomings of its member
states activities while also highlighting the various challenges to regional
integration.

In peace and security news, the full deployment of peacekeeping troops in
the Darfur region<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/573/>has
been delayed further still. Of the issues contributing to the delay,
amongst the largest is the Sudanese governments' insistence that only
African troops be deployed to the region, asking that the UN and other
international structures provide control and command support.

Lastly, the final
communiqué<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/576/>from
the 42
nd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
is now available.

* *
**
*SADC Over 2007*



(SANF) -- The curtain comes down on a year that was largely mixed in terms
of political, social and economic fortunes of the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) and its 14 member states.



*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/577


**
*African Commission Communique*



The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (African Commission),
held its 42nd Ordinary Session in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, from 14th
to 28th November 2007. The final communique is now available in English (
42_Final_Communique_eng.doc<http://www.pambazuka.org/actionalerts/images/uploads/42_Final_Communique_eng.doc>)
and French (42_Final_Communique_frn.doc<http://www.pambazuka.org/actionalerts/images/uploads/42_Final_Communique_frn.doc>
).



*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/576





*ECA Business Plan*

(The Reporter) - United Nations Under-secretary General and Executive
Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Mr. Abdoulie Janneh
has signed a memorandum of understanding between ECA and the governments of
Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom regarding the provision of
extra-budgetary resources for ECA activities as identified in its business
plan for 2007-2009, ECA said.

* *

*Read more:** *www.aumonitor.org/comments/575


**
*Cuba** and the African Union*



(The Daily Monitor) - Cuban Vice President on a three day working visit here
on Thursday met and held discussions with the Chairperson of the African
Union Commission, Professor Alpha Oumar Konare.



*Read more:** *www.aumonitor.org/comments/574


**
*Darfur** Deployment Delayed Further*



Blake Evans-Pritchard (IPS) -The hope for a lasting peace in Darfur is
pinned on the deployment of 26,000 peacekeeping troops to the troubled
region. However, squabbling between the many rebel factions, the Sudanese
government and the international community still threatens to derail the
process.



*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/573



*
The AU and Human Rights in Africa*



Nadia Ahmadou (ISS Today)-The African Union (AU), in contrast to its
predecessor the Organization of African Unity (OAU), has declared its
commitment to reigning in member states that appear to flaunt human rights
and governance. This position is supported by the Constitutive Act initiated
in 2000 in Durban in Article 4, Principle (h), which provides for military
interventions in member states in response to humanitarian concerns and for
the purpose of the protection of civilians.



*Read more:** *www.aumonitor.org/comments/572






-- 
Selome Araya
Consultant Project Coordinator
AU- Monitor
aumonitor.editor at gmail.com

AU-MONITOR www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php
is an initiative of
Fahamu - Networks for Social Justice
Cape Town, Dakar, Nairobi and Oxford
www.fahamu.org
www.pambazuka.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.fahamu.org/pipermail/au-monitor/attachments/20071226/d32a9e31/attachment.htm