- The African Union Commission Chairman Dr Jean Ping is on an official visit in Washinton DC this week to deliver several key presentations, to lobby Africa's place in the global village.
Amongst the presentations, will be his views on Africa’s key opportunities and challenges, as well as sharing a progress report on the AU’s four strategic pillars to guide activities to develop the African continent during the timeframe of 2009 to 2012. He will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Organisation of American States (OAS).
Dr Ping delivered the first of his addresses entitled: “Realising the Investment Power of Africa” as the Corporate Council on Africa’s keynote speaker.
His second presentation, entitled: “Africa: a New Frontier of Peace, Development, Shared Values and Prosperity, the Role of the African Union,” was delivered on Wednesday, at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies National Defense University.
Following the signing of the MOU with the OAS today, Dr Ping will deliver his third presentation entitled: “The Role of the African Union and the African Diaspora in the Development of Africa”, in the Mayflower Hotel’s Colonial Ballroom.
Dr Ping is also scheduled to meet with various US government elected officials including members of Congress and representatives from the Department of State.
The African Union has adopted four strategic pillars are: Peace and security; development, integration and cooperation; shared values; and institution and capacity-building. “Under our peace and security pillar, we hope to eliminate ongoing conflicts on our continent, prevent new ones from occurring, as well as prevent a ‘relapse to conflict’ by African states or nations recovering from conflict, by addressing issues that lead to conflict,” Dr Ping said.
“The AU views preventing, managing and resolving conflicts on our continent as essential to fostering and activating the second pillar - development, integration and cooperation,” he said, adding that the second pillar, seeks to generate global cooperation to help Africa achieve sustainable development and integration, with reducing poverty and inequality as two key objectives.
“Africa seeks a clear path to attaining middle-income status by the AU’s member states,” he continued. “We hope to promote shared values across our continent, such as good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, as well as financial accountability and transparency. And, through our fourth pillar, we hope to establish an effective and efficient Commission of the African Union, as well as a framework for sharing African research and development initiatives - particularly initiatives aimed at agriculture and helping Africans generate more of their consumable food crops and products.”
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