African Development Said Encouraging

It was said that the change in democracy and socio-economic development in Africa registers encouraging results.

In his welcoming address to the 51st executive committee meet and the 30th conference of the APU opened at the United Nations conference center / ECA on 26th Nov. 2007, Ambassador Teshome, Toga Speaker of the House of Peoples’ Representatives of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Stressed that Africa is registering encouraging results in democracy, and socio-economic development and he urged that member countries should exert efforts to curb the existing problems in the continent.

The conference will deliberate on issues of conflict, good governance, poverty and HIV/AIDS, and share experiences on other concerns to sustain and strengthen the registered results so as to surpass ups and downs the continent is confronting, he explained.

The speaker said that the coincidence of the meeting with the time of celebrations of the Ethiopian Millennium is of special significance to the peoples and government of Ethiopia, and indeed to all African brothers, sisters, and to friends of Ethiopia.

In his opening speech, speaker of the Parliament of Ghana and acting Chairperson of the executive Committee of the APU, Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes states that he wishes to see all National Parliaments join the APU which undoubtedly strengthens the Union and turns it into a forum of Parliamentary meetings for the entire continent to discuss issues for the Pan African Parliament is different in nature from that of the APU and is therefore not a duplication.

Honorable Ebenezer commenting on vital issues in addition to the agenda of the meeting of 26-27 Nov. 2007, he pinpointed that the executive committee of APU will examine and approve the annual work programme for the year 2008, adopt the budget for the APU for the year 2008, approve the draft agenda and set the date and Venue for the coming 52nd session.

With regard to the agenda of the 30th conference of APU, Ebenezer assured that the conference deals with the themes revolving around “The Role of Parliaments in the Protection of the Environment and the Implementation of sustainable development,” and “development of Inter-African Trade with a view to speeding up the Process of integration”, and also election of the President of the conference, report of the chairperson of the executive committee and approval of the amendments to the statutes and the rules of Procedures are topics to be dealt with.