DECISION ON AFRICA’S STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
DOC. EX.CL/374 (XII)
The Executive Council:
1. TAKES NOTE of the AU Commission’s report on Africa strategic partnership with emerging powers of the South;
2. COMMENDS the efforts of the Member States, the Permanent Representatives Committee, and the AU Commission towards implementing Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec.318 (X);
3. REQUESTS the AU Commission to continue to work closely with relevant organs of the Union to accelerate progress in this regard;
4. ALSO REQUESTS the AU Commission and Member States to continue to work closely with the Coordinating Mechanism established by the first Africa-South America Summit in Abuja to ensure adequate preparation for the second Africa-South America Summit scheduled to be held in Venezuela in November 2008;
5. FURTHER REQUESTS the AU Commission to take necessary measures to facilitate the successful conduct of the Africa-India Summit in April 2008, and the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) scheduled for May 2008 and the Africa- Turkey Summit in August 2008, in line with the Banjul Summit Decision;
6. FINALLY REQUESTS the AU Commission to continue working with relevant organs of the Union to enhance and support the process of partnership with emerging powers of the South;
7. APPEALS to all Member States to continue to provide support to this process;
8. REQUESTS the AU Commission to follow-up on this process and undertake a global review of all existing partnerships in order to effectively implement strategies and action plans agreed upon between Africa and its international partners, rationalize the number of Summits, and identify criteria for such partnerships to ensure coherence between and within these partnerships and make necessary recommendations to Council and the Assembly;
9. FURTHER REQUESTS the Permanent Representatives Committee to submit its recommendations on the abovementioned study before initiating any new strategic partnerships.