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MEDIA ADVISORY

EU-African High-Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation.

Photo of the AUC Chairperson, H.E Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, with the male Commissioners of the African Union (AU)

IMG_0357 AUC with male Commissioners edited.JPG

Joint Press Release

Dakar Hosts Ministerial Conference on Intellectual Property for an Emerging Africa

Dakar, Senegal, 4thNovember 2015 –African Union (AU) Commissioner for Human Resources Science and Technology (HRST), H.E Mr. Martial De Paul Ikounga, delivered a speech on behalf of H.E, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), at the African Ministerial Conference on Intellectual Property, held from 3-5 November 2015 in Dakar, Republic of Senegal. The theme of the Conference: “Intellectual Property (IP) for an Emerging Africa” is timely and responds to the needs of the IP to achieve the high levels goals and objectives of the African Union Agenda 2063 such as the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), noted the AU Commissioner for HRST.

The opening ceremony on 3rd November 2015 also featured speeches from H.E Mrs. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of the Republic of Mauritius, H.E Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne, Prime Ministers of the Republic of Senegal, Mr. Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Mr. Takashi Kitahara, Ambassador of Japan to Senegal, and Mrs. F. Bintou Djibo, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Senegal.

All the speakers stressed on the importance of intellectual property (IP) in incentivizing innovation and creativity to promote economic and social development across Africa.

Close According to Commissioner Ikounga, it is the role of intellectual property organizations in Africa to push African leaders to understand that there is an entire edifice to build ‘that which will allow our youth to cross the Rubicon - to break the glass ceiling and partake in the excitement of the inventor, to dare to become the first in their country, in the region and even the first in the world to propose a solution to a social ill.”

Commissioner Ikounga noted that the conference will facilitate a better understanding and appreciation of the importance of the strategic use of the IP system as an engine for scientific and technological transformation, economic and social development and poverty reduction for Africa. He urged the governments to put in place IP policies and innovation strategies aimed at building the countries’ capacity to apply science, technology and innovation for development. This, the Commissioner said, will contribute to advancing the implementation of a framework and infrastructure which enhances the business performance and competitiveness of creative industries to support economic and cultural development. (See complete speech of HRST Commissioner on the AU Website: www.au.int ).

The Director General of WIPO, Mr. Gury noted that, the source of all innovation and creativity is human. “Africa is the cradle of humanity, so it is in this sense the origin of all innovation and creativity that characterizes our species as human being”. He said adding that intellectual property is a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition of a healthy and vibrant innovation ecosystem.

Mauritius President Gurib-Fakim cited positive economic growth prospects for African countries over the next decade and highlighted the imperative need for Africa to protect IP rights in order to build sustainable knowledge economies by leveraging the benefits of science, technology and innovation. “In this globally fiercely competitive international economic landscape, the creation and management including protection of knowledge will be central to building and spearheading wealth creation and integration in the global economy,” said President Gurib-Fakim.

Noting that the protection of IP rights should be accompanied by adequate measures of incentives and support, President Gurib-Fakim called for the setting up of a fund for African innovators to access the necessary capital to support start-ups.“Those nations that go all-in on innovation today will own the global economy tomorrow.” Concluded the President.

Senegalese Prime Minister Dionne called the conference timely, due to the challenges facing Africa. He said intellectual property can help ensure sustainable and inclusive development resulting in poverty reduction and increased economic competitivity. “Innovation is the basis of all development”. Stressed the Prime Minister.

Speaking on behalf of the Government of Japan, Ambassador Kitahara said “it is essential to assure this appropriate protections via the intellectual property system and guarantee its strategic use.

The opening ceremony was followed by a press conference and a high level segment on “Africa in a Knowledge-Based Economy-Challenges and Opportunities during which Commissioner Ikounga outlined the work done by the African Union in the area of the protection of intellectual property in the continent.

The Dakar meeting brought together over 400 participants, including some 50 ministers responsible for intellectual property, trade and culture as well as private sector groups. Renowned trademark African creators and producers such as Alphadi Siednaly, Sadiya Gueye, Hicham Lahlou, among others were also in attendance. Participants exchanged views on how IP can contribute to the realization of the priorities identified in the Common African Position (CAP) on the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the African Agenda 2063.

The ministerial meeting was preceded on November 2, 2015 by a workshop bringing together some 50 young African innovators and creators to talk about IP, innovation and creativity.

The conference was jointly organized by WIPO, the African Union (AU) the Government of the Republic of Senegal and the Government of Japan under the Japan Funds-in-Trust for Africa and Least-Developed Countries (LDCs).EAT/

Media Contacts:

WIPO:Samar Shamoon | Head, News and Media | World Intellectual Property Organization, 34 chemin des Colombettes, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland | T +4122 338 81 61 | M +4179 332 49 49 |www.wipo.int

AUC: Esther AzaaTankou, Head of Information Division, Directorate of Information and Communication, AUC; Tel: +251(0)911361185; E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org

About the African Union

The African Union spearheads Africa’s development and integration in close collaboration with African Union Member States, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens. AU Vision:to accelerate progress towards an integrated, prosperous and inclusive Africa, at peace with itself, playing a dynamic role in the continental and global arena, effectively driven by an accountable, efficient and responsive Commission. Learn more at: http://www.au.int/en/

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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Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

PRESS RELEASE 318/2015

THE AFRICAN UNION ACADEMY PROJECT DISCUSSION WORKSHOP, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 02-04 November 2015. The African Union Academy Project Taskforce, under the leadership of the Director (Administration and Human Resources Management), convened a Discussion Workshop at the Hilton Hotel (Addis Ababa) with African Scholars; Management Development Practitioners; and African Union Academy Partners. The purpose of the workshop is to: (a) discuss the formulation of the underpinning philosophy and vision of an AU-led Academy; (b) reflect on the need to produce African International Civil Service fraternity that has a continental orientation; (c) share lessons of experience on the financial sustainability of academies in deploying capacity building interventions;(d) share experiences on the way investments in training are evaluated and communicated; and (e) explore the prospects of developing and deploying specialized and professional certifications courses for young Africans aspiring to pursue careers in the AU Organs, RECs and civil service within Member states.

In her opening remarks, the Chief of Staff of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mrs Jennifer Chiriga underscored, as was done by the AUC Chairperson H. E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in the African Union Learning and Development Strategy; that ‘African Union is a learning organization’. In practical terms, she said, this meant a conscious effort to ensure that AU program implementation is knowledge-driven through the AU-led development; deployment and application of knowledge and skillsets that add value to the business of the AU, its organs, RECs and Member States. She also emphasized that ‘all the seven aspirations outlined in Agenda 2063 require substantive investment in capacity’ and that stakeholders would be encouraged to support the African Union ‘when there is evidence of successful implementation of our capacity building interventions’. Mr. Amine Idriss Adoum, in his keynote address, spelt out the target group of the African Union Academy as the staff in the AU Organs; African civil servant engaged in the implementation of AU programmes; decision-makers within the African Union processes (especially the Permanent Representative Committee and Sub-Committees) and young Africans aspiring to pursue their careers within the African Union. Mr. Adoum said African Union needs to establish itself as a centre of excellence in learning and reference that produce the next generation of leaders. He welcomed and expressed appreciation to the African scholars; management development practitioners; experts and partners that made time to contribute to this workshop as art of the plan to pilot the AU Academy Project. Outcomes of this workshop will be integrated to the outcomes of other preparatory processes undertaken by the AU Academy Project Taskforce members to produce to vision; business plan; results measurement; partnerships and sustainable financing of L&D interventions. Mr. Christopher Kachiza, the Acting Director of the Strategic Planning, Policy, Monitoring, Evaluation and Resource Mobilization (SPPMERM) Directorate, made a presentation of the Agenda 2063, its First-ten Year Implementation Plan and the capacity building requirements (e.g. program/project implementation; resource mobilization) that are pivotal to the realization of the African vision and AU mandate. Emeritus Professor Pius. A. Obanya (Institute of Education, University of Ibadan) called upon for learning programs that are responsive to the complexity that characterizes Africa and its challenges. Mr. George K. Scott (Executive Secretary General - African Association of Public Administration and Management) will lead discussion on the synergies between skills acquisition and application that can make L&D valuable.

Participants of the workshop include academics, AU Academy Project Taskforce members; staff and education experts within the AU; Egyptian Embassy in Ethiopia; representatives from United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s (UNECA) Capacity Development Division; African Association of Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) and the World Bank.

For further information, please contact:

African Union Academy Taskforce

C/o Mr. Amine Idriss ADOUM Email: ADOUMA@africa-union.org

For further information contact:

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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PRESS RELEASE No. 315/2015

AFRICA YOUTH DAY

The African Youth acknowledged as key actors towards implementing Africa’s Agenda 2063 as Africa celebrates Africa Youth Day

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1st November 2015: About 300 young Africans from the five regions of the Continent and the diaspora gathered this 1st November at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to celebrate the Africa Youth Day under the theme “African Year of Human Rights towards Agenda 2063 – the Africa we want”. The theme of this year’s Africa Youth Day Summit is in line with the theme of the 2016 African Union Summit “African Year of Human Rights with particular focus on the Rights of Women”. The youth took advantage of this occasion to reiterate their willingness to be part of the implementation process of Agenda 2063, the new endogenous framework for Africa’s development.

Addressing youth participants during the opening ceremony, H.E Dr. Martial De Paul Ikounga, Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology (HRST) at the

African Union Commission highlighted the critical role young people will play for the achievement of the 7 aspirations of Agenda 2063. He recalled that our founding fathers committed themselves when they were young to liberating the continent from colonialism in order to guarantee the empowerment of the African people. It is therefore the responsibility of the African youth to ensure that the vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa becomes a reality.

“I am not sure that I will be there to see the achievement of this beautiful vision. However, I strongly believe that the African youth will be able to turn this dream into reality”, said the Commissioner. In addition, H.E Ikounga expressed his gratitude to all the youth who made sacrifices to attend the celebration in Ethiopia.

In the same vein, the President of the Pan African Youth Union (PYU), Ms. Francine Muyumba, recalled that the Africa Youth day was established in 2006 in Banjul to ensure that African youth represent a significant stakeholder in implementing the people centered Union as stipulated in the Constitutive Act of the African Union. She added that the 1st November is a window of opportunity for young people to review their contribution to the development of the continent and pave the way for the role they will play as change agents in their different regions. She also emphasized on the need to address the issue of youth employment. In that regard, she announced that the Pan African Youth Union is planning to establish the African Youth Chamber of commerce during the Pan African Youth Forum on Entrepreneurship that will take place in March 2016 in Malabo, Guinea Equatorial. The institution will contribute to the achievement of aspiration 1 of Agenda 2063 “A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and development” and materialize the right to development for the African Youth as provided by article 10 of the African Youth Charter.

During the celebration, the African Union Commission recognized 10 young Africans from the 5 African regions, called youth heroes, for their work in the areas of human rights, especially the rights of Young Women in Education, Health, Gender Equality and Civic Engagement.

The celebration was preceded by a two days meeting organized by the Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology of the African Union Commission in collaboration with the Youth Alliance for Leadership in Africa (YALDA). About 300 participants exchanged views on how to implementation Africa’s Agenda 2063. They drafted specific recommendations on gender equality, education, youth empowerment that will be submitted for consideration of the policy organs of the African Union.

About Africa Youth Day

The 1st of November was proclaimed and instituted as The Africa Youth Day on the occasion of the African Youth Charter adoption in the Executive Council Decision of the Banjul Summit 2006. Africa Youth Day is a day set aside every year to promote the increased recognition of youth as key agents for social change, economic growth and sustainable development in all areas of African Society.

About Agenda 2063

Agenda 2063 is the new Africa’s development framework that was adopted on the 24th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly on the 31st January 2015. It is anchored on the AU Constitutive Act, the Pan African vision of “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the international arena”, the 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration 2013 as well as the national, regional and continental priorities. For more information, please visit our website: http://agenda2063.au.int/.

JL/HBS/BM

For further information contact:

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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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