Decision on the Items Proposed by Member States - Docs. EX.CL/945(XXVIII)Add.1-7

DECISION ON THE ITEMS PROPOSED BY MEMBER STATES

The Assembly,

1. TAKES NOTE of the items proposed by Member States and ENDORSES the recommendations contained therein as follows;

A. ON AN AFRICAN ARCHITECTURE FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

2. AGREES in principle to support the idea and emphasizes the relevance and opportunity for the African Union (AU) to have an architecture for risk reduction in Africa at national, regional and continental levels;

3. REQUESTS the Commission to:

1. Submit, in collaboration with Cameroon, , a roadmap for the creation of the Centre of Excellence for Disaster Risk Research, Prevention and Management;

11. Work with partners with respect to providing resources to Member States to mitigate disasters.

8. ON PROPOSED 2017 THEME OF THE AFRICAN UNION ON

4. RECALLS Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.363(XVII) on the Theme “Accelerating Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development’ and Declaration Assembly/AU/Decl.1(XVII)) on Declaration on Creating Employment for Accelerating Youth Development and Empowerment adopted in Malabo in July 2011 to accelerate youth development and empowerment and the pleas made by young people through AU Intergenerational Dialogues with Heads of State and Government for the prioritization of the demographic dividend agenda at the highest levels of decision-making in Africa;

5. STRESSES that:

1. The youth are Africa’s greatest asset which, if properly harnessed, will play a vital role in determining the continent’s development trajectory for the next fifty (50) years and drive Agenda 2063;

2. Harnessing the demographic dividend is not guaranteed but can be achieved through economic reforms that create jobs, investments in human capital and efficient governance;

3. In order to derive maximum benefits from the youth bulge at national level there is need for a coordinated approach and response at the continental level.

6. ADOPTS the theme of “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in the Youth” for the 28^th and 29™ Ordinary Sessions of the Assembly scheduled for January and June/July 2017 respectively;

7. REQUESTS the Commission in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Coordination and Planning Agency as well as other partners such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other United Nations and Development agencies to:

1. Expedite the implementation of a continental initiative on Demographic Dividend for Africa;

2. Develop a roadmap with key deliverables and milestones to be submitted to the next Ordinary Session of the Assembly scheduled for July 2016 through the Executive Council, to guide Member States and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on concrete actions to be undertaken in 2017 and beyond.

C. ON THE BID TO HOST THE SECRET ARIA T OF ECOSOCC

8. WELCOMES and FULLY SUPPORTS the offer by Zambia to host ECOSOCC;

9. URGES Zambia working with the Commission to expedite the processes

regarding legal, structural and financial implications;

10. REQUESTS the Commission to undertake the appropriate evaluation mission and submit a detailed report to the next Ordinary Session of the Assembly through the Executive Council scheduled for July 2016;

D. ON THE 2015 AFRICAN MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP) FOR EMERGING AFRICA

11. UNDERLINES the following:

1. The importance of Intellectual Property (IP) in the implementation of Agenda 2063 and the need to have a continental architecture dealing with the matter; and REQUESTS the Commission to ensure that the existing structures dealing with IP on the continent do not overlap;

2. That the legal instrument establishing the Pan-African Intellectual Property Organization (PAIPO) will have to be ratified by Member States as recommended by the STC on Justice and Legal Affairs.

12. CALLS UPON the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to strengthen its partnership with the African Union and its Member States and the Regional Economic Communities to address the challenges of IP for African development and in particular, to enhance its technical assistance; and in this regard WELCOMES the decision taken by WIPO at its 55th Session, held in October 2015, to open two external offices in Africa, and with context of enhancing the cooperation between the African Union and WIPO, invites the African Group in Geneva to expedite the process of identifying the two Member States of the AU to host the above-mentioned WIPO external offices;

13. REQUESTS the Commission to work out the legal, financial and structural implications of establishing an Expert Working Group to develop a program of action for the implementation of the Dakar Declaration on Intellectual Property for Africa, in collaboration with WIPO;

E. ON THE CONVENING OF ANOTHER WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM

14. REQUESTS the Commission in collaboration with the Islamic Republic of The Gambia and partners to work on the practical modalities for convening this Conference;

15. REQUESTS the Commission and the African Group in New York to:

1. Reflect on the practical modalities of convening such a world conference and to work collaboratively to pursue the tabling of the proposal: “Convening of Another World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance” at the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, and to provide a feedback on the outcome of their efforts at the next Ordinary Session of the Assembly through the Executive Council, in July 2016;

2. Pursue the tabling of a United Nations General Assembly Resolution on Slavery, Colonialism, Occupation, Reparations and Restitution including the convening of an international conference to discuss these specific issues as well as measures and strategies to address their lasting negative impact on the continent.