Decision on the Appointment of the New Members of the Panel of the Wise

DECISION ON THE APPOINTMENT OF THE NEW MEMBERS
OF THE PANEL OF THE WISE

The Assembly,

6. RECALLS the provisions of Article 11 of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), which deals with the Panel of the Wise, as well as Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.543(XXIII) adopted at its 23^rd Ordinary Session held in Malabo in June 2014;

2. TAKES NOTE of the end of the term of the current members of the Panel of the Wise (Lakhdar Brahimi of Algeria, Dr. Speciosa Wandira of Uganda, Mrs. Luisa Diogo of Mozambique, Mrs. Albina Assis of Angola and Mr. Edem Kodjo of Togo) and PAYS TRIBUTE to them for the dedication with which they discharged their mandate;

3. REITERATES the critical role of the Panel of the Wise in the overall efforts of the AU towards conflict prevention, in line with the relevant provisions of the PSC Protocol;

4. ENDORSES, in conformity with Article 11 (2) of the PSC Protocol, the recommendations made by the Chairperson of the Commission regarding the appointment of the new members of the Panel of the Wise. Accordingly, the Assembly DECIDES to appoint the following personalities as members of the Panel of the Wise for a period of three years:

1. for the Eastern Africa region, Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe, from Uganda, is currently a member of the Panel of the Wise of the African Union since June 2014. Dr. Wandira was a Deputy President of the Republic of Uganda;

2. for the Northern Africa region, Mr. Amr Moussa, from Egypt, who was the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2001 to 2011;

3. for the Western Africa region, Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, from Liberia, is the 24^th and current President of Liberia. Her current term of office will expire in January 2018. Dr. Sirleaf was the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner with Leymah Gbowee of Liberia and Tawakkol Karman of Yemen;

4. for the Central Africa region, Mrs. Honorine Nzet Biteghe , from Gabon, is the former Minister for Social Affairs and has been a long-time human rights activists, especially women’s rights;

5. for the Southern Africa region, Mr. Hifikepunye Pohamba, from Namibia, is the former President of the Republic of Namibia from 2005 to 2015.

2. FURTHER DECIDES that the outgoing members of the Panel of the Wise shall become members of the Group of Friends of the Panel, in line with its decision Assembly/AU/Dec.310(XV) and the related report of the Chairperson of the Commission;

3. REQUESTS the Chairperson of the Commission to ensure that the required support is availed to the Panel of the Wise to enable it fully discharge its mandate, particularly through proactive preventive engagement.

4. ALSO DECIDES to strengthen the preventive role of the Panel of the Wise by urging it to accelerate the establishment of national peace infrastructures, including by harnessing the efforts of national mechanisms;

5. DECIDES on the operationalization of "Pan African Network of Women Mediators", as a subsidiary body of the Panel of the Wise;

6. REQUESTS the Commission to take the necessary steps to enhance the human resources of the Secretariat of the Panel of the Wise.