PRESS RELEASE

The Presiding Officer of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC) has appointed 5 Special Advisers to assist the Organ in the implementation of its mandate.

They include the following:

1) Adviser on Regional and International Partnerships

• Professor Dipo Kolawole, Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

2) Adviser on Governance and intergovernmental Relations

• Chukuemeka Eze, Executive Director, West African Network for Peacebuilding, WANEP, Accra, Ghana

3) Adviser on Interfaith, interreligious and Intercultural Issues

• Ambassador Mussie Hailu, Regional Director of United Religions Initiative (URI) for Africa, Representative of URI to UN office in Africa, UNEPA, UNECA, UN-Habitat and AU

4) Adviser Private Sector and Economic Relations

• Mr. Michael Sudarkasa, Esq., Africa Business Group, Johannesburg, South Africa

5) Adviser on Diaspora Relations

• Ms Evelyn Joe, African Union Diaspora Organisation, USA

The appointments are made in recognition of the skills and outstanding quality of the advisers and their expressed commitment to the integration and development agenda of Africa and the African Union. The appointments are not associated with salaries or set remunerations. Advisers will assist the main organs of ECOSOCC including the Office of the Presiding Officer, the Bureau, Standing Committee and General Assembly as may be required.