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Ministerial Meeting of the Second Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Justice and Legal Affairs Convenes at the AUC
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PRESS RELEASE Nº335/2015

The 2nd session of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Justice and Legal Affairs
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2nd November 2015: The meeting of legal experts of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Justice and Legal Affairs commenced on 2nd November 2015 at the AUC Headquarters in Addis Ababa Ethiopia.
The STC experts’ session will consider draft legal instruments in order to verify their legality for adoption by the policy organs of the Union. This second session is taking place as continuation within the framework of the operationalization of the Specialized Technical Committees of the African Union in accordance with various Decisions of the Policy Organs of the Union that took place in May 2014.

Addressing the opening, Prof. Vincent O. Nmehielle, the Legal Counsel and Director for Legal Affairs of the African Union Commission urged the delegates to reflect on ways to make the Union more functional by narrowing down discussions on issues such as the institutionalization of a Pan African Arbitration mechanism which should be designed to bring about an African imprint on alternative dispute resolution.

In the same vein he called upon delegates to put under consideration what can be done to establish a continental Court of Arbitration in Africa
“The continent currently lacks an active body for resolution of disputes which drives Member states to look to institutions outside the continent for the resolution of their arbitral disputes” reaffirmed Professor. Nmehielle.
Mr. Nkurayija Jean Marie Vianney, General Rapporteur, recalled some of the decisions and recommendations made by the members of the Bureau during the Bureau meeting in preparation for the Experts’ Meeting. Among other recommendations, he called upon the Office of the Legal Counsel to come up with a Guideline on legislative drafting within the AU.

The STCs, which are technical organs of the Union, were established under Article 25 of the African Economic Community Treaty (the Abuja Treaty). With the transformation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) into the African Union Commission (AUC), the STCs were carried over by the Constitutive Act of the African Union under Articles 14 to 16.

The government legal experts will examine draft legal instruments and prepare them for the Ministerial session expected to begin on 11 November 2015. The outcome of the STC meeting will be submitted to the forthcoming session of AU Policy Organs to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2016.
HBS/BM/AMT

For further information contact:
Mrs. Chinonyelum Esther Uwazie Tel: +251-11-5517700, E-mail: UwazieC@africa-union.org Legal Officer, Office of Legal Counsel | African Union Commission
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About the African Union

MEDIA ADVISORY
Fourth Annual African Union-International Criminal Court (AU-ICC) Joint Seminar
INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

What: The Fourth Annual AU-ICC joint seminar

Who: African Union Commission and International Criminal Court

When: Friday, 23th October, 2015 (Small Conference Hall) @10am

Where: African Union Commission Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Objectives:
i. To continue dialogue and exchange of views between the ICC and the AU;
ii. To explore further avenues of engagement, cooperation and coordination in the framework of the complementarity principle enshrined in the Rome Statute;
iii. To enhance understanding and respect for the respective mandates of the ICC and the AU;
iv. To identify areas of mutual interest and concern and explore possibilities for synergies, including sharing of experiences and lessons learned on issues such as Sexual and Gender Based Crimes and Protection of Children in Armed Conflict;
v. To exchange views on the relationship between the ICC and the proposed African Court of Justice and Human Rights and assess the critical challenges that both Institutions will face in their investigation and prosecution of serious crimes;
vi. To develop possible strategies or practical actions for ICC-AU cooperation and discuss possible practical recommendations.
Participants:
• Participants from the AU Commission and Ambassadors and legal advisors from the Permanent Missions of the African Union Member States;
• The Coordinator of the African Group of States Parties at the United Nations, New York;
• ICC officials from Presidency, the Office of the Prosecutor and the Registry;
• As observers, donors contributing to the seminar (Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and the European Union).

Background: The first three Joint Seminars between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the African Union (AU) were held in Addis Ababa on 18-19 July 2011, 17-18 October 2012 and 7-8 July 2014, respectively.

The three Seminars brought together ICC experts, AU Commission staff, as well as Ambassadors and legal advisors of the Permanent Missions of the African Union Member States in Addis Ababa.

These Seminars were intended to facilitate dialogue and provide an opportunity for frank and open discussions between the ICC and the AU, with a view to fostering understanding of the respective mandates of the two institutions, discussing issues of mutual interest and strengthening the relationship between the two institutions.

Following the positive outcome of the 2014 Seminar, as well as consultations between the Court and the AU Commission, the need and desirability to hold a fourth ICC-AU Joint Seminar in 2015 was identified.

Media representatives are invited to cover the event.

For media enquiry, please contact:
Tankou Azaa Esther Yambou: Head of Information Division, Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission |
Tel: +251(0) 911361185, E-mail: YambouE@african-union.org
For more information, please contact:
Adewale E. Iyanda: Legal Officer, Office of Legal Counsel, African Union Commission
Tel: +251 (0) 911506767, E-mail: ADEWALEI@africa-union.org
For further information:
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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LEGAL OPINION ON THE LEGALITY IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL LAW, INCLUDING THE RELEVANT UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTIONS AND OAU/AU DECISIONS, OF ACTIONS ALLEGEDLY TAKEN BY THE MOROCCAN AUTHORITIES OR ANY OTHER STATE, GROUP OF STATES, FOREIGN COMPANIES OR ANY OTHER ENTITY IN THE EXPLORATION AND/OR EXPLOITATION OF RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE NATURAL RESOURCES OR ANY OTHER ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN WESTERN SAHARA

“the Legal Opinion in other AU Working Languages will be available soon”

PRESS RELEASE Nº245/2015

1st Meeting of the Working Group to Develop the Model Law on Combating Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Goods

Midrand, South Africa, 22 September 2015 - A four- day Working Group Meeting to develop Model Law on Combating Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Goods kicked off on Tuesday 22 September 2015 at the Pan African Parliament (PAP) in Midrand, South Africa. The meeting was jointly organized by the AU Department of Social Affairs and the Office of the Legal Counsel and graciously hosted by the PAP.

The Working Group meeting was attended by members of the Pan–African Parliament (MPs), Members of the African Union Commission on International Law, culture and legal experts, lawyers and legal drafters, curators, anthropologists, the AU Legal Counsel and staff from the Department of Social Affairs and the Office of the Legal Counsel.

The opening session was addressed by Mr. Ahmed El Fadly, Co-Chair of the Africa- EU Partnership on Cultural Cooperation who mentioned that the Africa-EU initiative in establishing mechanisms to combat illicit trafficking in cultural goods has been a long journey which started with the adoption of the Africa-EU Assembly Decision in 2007 to carry out an inventory of all cooperation activities between Africa and EU with regards to cultural goods. He also mentioned that the convening of the 1st Meeting of the Working Group was timely since it was happening after the holding of the 1st Meeting of the Specialized Technical Committee on Youth, Culture and Sport (STC-YCS1) and the decision of the Executive Council adopting the report of the STC-YCS1.

In her opening address, the Honorable Marie Danielle Selvon Member of the Pan-African Parliament Standing Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism and Human Resources pointed out that by developing the African Union Model Law on Combatting Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Goods, the African Union will be assisting in the promotion and preservation of Africa’s cultural heritage and contributing to the implementation of Aspiration 05 of the AU Agenda 2063 which is to have an Africa with a strong cultural identity, values and ethics and at the same time ensuring that our cultural and creative industries have a stronger contribution to the development of the Member States and the continent at large.

In declaring the Meeting open, Prof. Vincent O. Nmehielle, the AU Legal Counsel noted that the Model Law will not only contribute to legislation and eventually jurisprudence in Africa but will also contribute to the protection of Africa’s rich history that is at the centre of, and embodies the cradle of human civilization. He then urged the Working Group to work hard to ensure the implementation of the decision of the Policy Organs of the African Union regarding the preservation of Africa’s rich cultural heritage.

For any inquiry, please contact:

Ms. Angela Martins, Head of Culture Division, Department of Social Affairs, African Union Commission, Email: MartinsA@africa-union.org; Cc:mekbiba@africa-union.org

Ms. Chinonyelum Esther Uwazie, Legal Officer, Office of the Legal Counsel, African Union Commission, Email: UwazieC@africa-union.org

Directorate of Information and Communication

Directorate of Information and Communication | Information and Communication | African Union Commission
Tel: +251-11-5517700 | Fax: | E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org | Web:www.au.int

Addis Ababa | Ethiopia