CM/Res. 721 (XXXIII) Rev. 1
RESOLUTION ON AFRO-ARAB COOPERATION
The Council of Ministers of the organization of African Unity meeting in its Thirty- third Ordinary Session in Monrovia, Liberia, from 6 to 20 July 1979;
Having carefully considered the Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of Afro-Arab Co-operation,
Drawing inspiration from the resolutions of the First Summit Conference of Heads of State and Government of Arab and African Countries held in Cairo in March 1977 and from the Dakar Declaration adopted by the Afro-Arab Ministerial Meeting of April 1979.
Recalling Resolution CM/Res. 669 (XXXI) adopted by the Council at its Thirty-First Ordinary Session held in Khartoum, Sudan from 7 to 18 July 1978,
Aware of the fact that the institutional mechanisms for the realization of Afro-Arab Co-operation should constantly be modified and adapted to the development process of the said co-operation,
Convinced that the solidarity between the Arab and African peoples is a necessity for
all,
Considering that, to be durable and fruitful, Afro-Arab Co-operation should be endowed with permanent mechanisms and operate according to specific rules established by common agreement,
Expressing the with that a consolidated and better structures Afro-Arab Co-operation constitute an example of horizontal co-operation and international solidarity and include a greater number of states co-operation in mutual respect and for the happiness of African and Arab peoples;
TAKES NOTE with satisfaction of the Report of the Secretary-General on the activities and achievements in the various fields and sectors of Afro-Arab Co- operation;
ENCOURAGES the OAU Secretary-General and his counterpart of the Leagues of Arab States to continue to strive relentlessly for the realisation and consolidation of the objectives of Afro-Arab Co-operation;
COMMENDS the Arab financial institutions and more especially BADEA, for their positive contributions towards the strengthening and consolidation of the ties of solidarity and co-operation between the African and Arab peoples, and urgently calls on them to draw up long-term co-operation programmes by co-ordinating their action with similar African institutions;
URGES the Arab financial institutions to define a practical and clear policy on the transfer of their financial resources in the form of Arab investments in Africa, and requests the OAU Secretary-General to hold consultations with his counterpart of the League of Arab States to that effect;
REQUESTS the OAU Secretary-General to enter into consultations with this counterpart of the League of Arab States with a view to convening a meeting of the African and Arab specialized institutions, namely ADB, BADEA and ECA in order to consider together a formula to help co-ordinate the efforts of these institutes in matters or research, programming and financing of projects in Africa,
ENDORSES the recommendations and decisions adopted by the Standing Committee at its Fourth ordinary Session held in Kuwait in December 1978,
URGENTLY CALLS on each OAU Member State which has not yet done so to:
supply the list of experts they intend to place at the disposal of the Afro-Arab Working Parties:
Communicate to the OAU Secretary-General the sub-regional and regional priority sectors to be studied by the Working Parties to enable the latter to draw up a short, medium and long-term programme of work.
APPEALS to the African and Arab Specialised Institutions, namely ADB, BADEA and ECA to co-ordinate their action regularly and harmonise their short, medium and long-term co-operation programmes;
AUTHORISE the OAU Secretary-General to establish the necessary contacts with his counterpart of the League of Arab States so as to review the operation and structure of the joint institutional mechanism entrusted with the implementation of the Afro-Arab Co-operation programmes and submit appropriate proposals to the next Afro-Arab Ministerial Conference;
TAKES NOTE of the Libyan Government’s offer to host in Tripoli, the next Session of the Afro-Arab Ministerial Conference on a date to be fixed after consultations between the two Secretariats;
AUTHORISES the OAU Secretary-General to consult with his counterpart of the League of Arab States so as to fix the date and venue of:
the Joint Conference of Afro-Arab Ministers of Information;
the Joint Conference of Afro-Arab Labour Ministers.
REQUESTS the OAU Secretary-General to undertake, in collaboration with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, the necessary steps to organize a meeting of African and Arab Ministers of Foreign Affairs to:
Study the ways and means to bring about the revival of Afro-Arab cooperation on a concrete basis and with clear objectives;
prepare for an Afro-Arab Summit to be held in 1980 whose main objectives would be to create permanent structures to ensure a more effective and rational operation of Afro-Arab Cooperation;
REQUESTS OAU Member States to fully participate in the meetings of the next session of the Afro-Arab Ministerial Conference and ensure its success;
DECIDES to renew the OAU Committee of Twelve which will consist of the following states: Algeria, Gabon, Egypt, Gambia, Guinea, Dissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda.1
1 Reservations: Angola