INVITATION OF JOURNALITSTS TO A PRESS CONFERENCE ON POST 2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

Journalists are invited to a press conference on the Post 2015 Development Agenda scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 9 April 2013, at 3 pm, in the Briefing Room 1, New AU Conference Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Press Conference will be addressed by Dr. Maxwell Mkwezalamba, Commissioner for Economic Affairs of the African Union. The Commissioner will briefly explain the consultation process and the priority areas identified in the outcome document of the Post 2015 Development Agenda.

Worth noting that, following the Decision of the Heads of State and Government during the 19th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly held in July 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Commission was mandated to work in close consultation with Member States and Regional Economic Communities, to identify Africa’s priorities for the post 2015 development agenda. To that effect, the Commission in collaboration with partners has undertaken a series of consultations with all relevant stakeholders including governments, regional entities, civil society, members of parliament, academia and the private sector, and came up with a draft African Common Position.

The draft African Common Position was endorsed recently (March 2013) by the Conference of African Ministers of Economy and Finance held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. The draft common position will be considered and adopted by the African Union Heads of State and Government during the upcoming AU Summit in May 2013. If adopted, the Common Position will be presented to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2013.