UA:21st Ordinary Session of the Executive Council to Officially Open on Thursday 12 July at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa

The official opening of the Executive Council (EC) of the African Union (AU) is scheduled for 12 July 2012, in the Plenary Hall of the New African Union Conference Center (AUCC) in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, under the theme: “Boosting Intra-African Trade”.

For two days (12 and 13 July 2012), the Ministers of External Affairs and other ministers or authorities designated by the governments of AU Member States will deliberate on the different reports of the ministerial meetings organised by the AU Commission during the last six months.  They will consider the activity report of the Commission; the recommendations of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) on the implementation of previous Decisions of the Executive Council and the Assembly; and the report of the ministerial committee on candidatures, among others.

The Executive Council will further look into reports of some AU Organs including the Pan-African Parliament (PAP); the African Committee of the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC); the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the Union (ECOSOCC); the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption; and the African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL) before embarking on the consideration of items proposed by Member States. One of the high moments during the Executive Council meeting will be the election of Commissioners of the African Union and the election of three judges of the African Court of Human and People’s Rights (AfCHPR) as well as the appointment of one judge of the AU Ad-Hoc Administrative Tribunal.