Release of the Overview of OAU/AU events schedule

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 20, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The African Union (AU) released, today its events schedule for what will be a memorable, people centred and global year long celebrations which kick off in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday 19 May with a preparatory meeting of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) of the AU. The yearlong celebrations will include a commemorative summit, celebrations, sporting and cultural events as well as a gala dinner. These events will coincide with the Special Commemorative Summit on 25 May 2013 on the theme “Pan Africanism and African Renaissance”, and the 21st Assembly of the Heads of State and Government on 26 – 27 May 2013, which will be concluded with the adoption of a 'landmark' proclamation.

The Commemorative Summit and associated events will be attended by about seventy-five heads of state and government coming from the continent and beyond. Several build up, parallel and side events will take place in the week of 19 to 27 May, which include an African Youth and Children's Intergenerational Forum which will be addressed by President's Kenneth Kaunda and Sam Nujoma, amongst others. To complement these civil society based and people centered interactions, the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI) will also convene a one-day dialogue on Securing Africa's Renaissance: the Role of the Private Sector in the next 50 years.

In order to ensure a transparent and all-inclusive Commemorative Summit and Celebrations the AU has, so far, accredited about 450 journalists from Africa and abroad, who will receive a live feed all proceedings through the web and Ethiopian TV based broadcast. A media centre and media hotspots have been setup, for the first time in AU history so as to ensure better coverage for the event. Accreditation remains open for all media seeking to attend the events, which include:

• The Youth Forum to be hosted at the AU Conference Centre and Africa Hall (where the OAU was founded 50 years ago) at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), 22-24 May, which will have the participation of Presidents Kaunda and Nujoma and seven other Heads of State and Government,

• The Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry dialogue on 24 May to be hosted at the ECA on 24 May,

• A debate on the adopted theme of Pan Africanism and the African Renaissance at the AUCC will include the participation of accredited media, guests and civil society, on the morning of 25 May at the African Union Conference Centre,

• Celebrations on the afternoon of 25 May, which will include 15 000 invited guests and messages of support from the continent and abroad, as well as performances from cultural groups and internationally renowned artists such as Salif Keita, Papa Wemba, Steel Pulse and the SOWETO Gospel Choir, and

• A Confederation of African Football (CAF) organised exhibition football game between two of the four founding members of CAF that is Ethiopia and Sudan.

The dialogues and celebrations will be followed by the 21st Summit of the Heads of State and Government, which will commence on 26 May and conclude on 27 May in an open session, which will adopt a 'landmark' proclamation.

Accreditation and further information on Press briefings is available on the African Union website www.au.int and event related information can be received by mailing [email protected].