Decision on the Report of the Nepad Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC) - Doc. Assembly/AU/12(XXXIII)

DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE NEPAD HEADS OF STATE AND
GOVERNMENT ORIENTATION COMMITTEE (HSGOC)
Doc. Assembly/AU/12(XXXIII)

The Assembly,

1. TAKES NOTE WITH APPRECIATION of the Report by the outgoing Chairperson of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee, H.E. Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal;

2. ENDORSES the conclusions and recommendations of the 37th NEPAD HSGOC Summit;

3. RECALLS that the NEPAD vision and its programme, from inception, has been an intrinsic part of the African Union System and should remain so, and CALLS UPON the African Union Commission and AUDA-NEPAD Secretariat to continue to harmonize their work programmes to prevent duplication of roles;

4. NOTES WITH APPRECIATION the Progress Report presented on behalf of H.E. Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa as Chair of the HSGOC High-level Sub-Committee on the Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative (PICI). While commending the Presidential Champions for their commitment, UNDERSCORES the critical need for PICI projects to advance inter-connectivity among African Countries and sub-regions in order to address infrastructure deficits and boost intra-African trade. TAKES NOTE that Financing in Africa infrastructure reveals a gap of US$90 Billion, thus, impeding the continent’s ability to deliver on critical development objectives. In this regard, CALLS FOR the implementation of urgent measures aimed at unlocking access to finance, and REQUESTS AUDA-NEPAD to work closely with the African Development Bank (AfDB) in order to support the Africa Co-guarantee Platform (CGP) in view of increasing the amount of finance available to Africa for its infrastructure and trade by scaling up risk mitigation;

5. TAKES NOTE of Decision EX.CL/Dec.1063(XXXV) adopting the legal instruments of AUDA-NEPAD and NOTES the issues raised by some member states of the HSGOC and DECIDES that the principle of non-rotation of the 5 initiating Member States be retained;

6. FURTHER NOTES Decision Assembly/AU/691(XXXI) nominating the Chairperson of the Commission to Co-Chair the Steering Committee and DECIDES to replace the Chairperson of the African Union Commission with the Chairperson of the Union;

7. REQUESTS the Commission to amend all relevant AUDA-NEPAD legal instruments to include the decisions in paragraphs 5 and 6 above;

8. HAVING AKNOWLEDGED the exceptional leadership, competency and continued improved performance of the AUDA-NEPAD under the auspices of Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, ENDORSES the extension of his appointment until the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and URGES the African Union Commission to complete the process of the appointment of the CEO for the AUDA-NEPAD by the next African Union Summit in January/February 2021 along the lines of the Maputo Declaration of July 2003, January 2008 AU Assembly Decision, in compliance with the African Union Staff Rules and Regulations, and CALLS ON Member States to encourage their citizens to submit applications for the post;

9. ENDORSES the election of H.E. Mr. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, as HSGOC Chairperson, as well as the four (4) Vice Chairpersons for a single term of two years. The position of Vice-Chairperson and Rapporteur will be held by the outgoing Chairperson of the HSGOC, and the three other Vice­Chairpersons are nominated after regional consultations. COMMENDS H.E. President Macky Sall for the results achieved during his mandate and expresses its profound gratitude for his exceptional leadership as the Head of the HSGOC;

10. RECALLS Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.691(XXXI) and Article 7 of the AUDA- NEPAD Statute on the new membership of thirty-three (33) Member States as follows: eight (8) Heads of State and Government representing the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and five (5) Member States per region:

Note: * Newly elected members