On the African Maritime Transport Charter, the Assembly, endorsed the Charter and urged the Member States to speed up signature and ratification of the African Maritime Transport Charter in order to ensure its speedy entry into force to facilitate accelerated development of maritime transport in the Continent.
On the Staff Regulations and Rules, the Assembly adopted the Staff Regulations and Rules of the African Union;
On the third Africa-European Union Summit, the Assembly, requested the Commission in collaboration with Member States to engage the EU side to discuss the possibility of adopting “economic growth, job creation and investment” as the overarching theme of the Summit.
On the Second Afro-Arab Summit, the Assembly, endorsed 10 October 2010 as the proposed date for the Second Afro-Arab Summit and urged Member States to actively participate in the Summit and Pre-Summit meetings as well as activities at the highest possible level.
On the theme, date and venue of the Sixteenth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, the Assembly, decided that the dates of the Sixteenth Ordinary Session of the Assembly which will hold in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia under the Theme devoted to Shared Values with an emphasis on the putting in place of a Pan-African Governance Architecture, shall be the following:
i. Twenty-first Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee: 24-25 January 2011;
ii. Eighteenth Ordinary Session of the Executive Council: 27-28 January 2011;
iii. Sixteenth Ordinary Session of the Assembly: 30th January to 31st January 2011.
Summit in July 2011 will be “Accelerating Youth empowerment for sustainable development”.
On the date and venue of the twenty-third Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, the Assembly welcomed the offer by the government of the Republic of Gabon to host the twenty-third ordinary session of assembly of the African union scheduled for July 2014 in Libreville, Gabon. The Assembly accepted the offer and requested the Commission in consultation with the host country to propose in due course, dates for the holding of the meetings of the Libreville Summit.
On strengthening of the cooperation among the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa to address the Development Challenges OF Africa, the Assembly encouraged Mr. Jean Ping, Chairperson of the AU Commission; Mr. Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank; and Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa to pursue their on-going joint efforts to deepen the relationship among the three Pan-African institutions.
On the support the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Project on the African Continent, the Assembly, endorsed the African bid to host the SKA on the African continent, thereby providing the world with the unique instrument for frontier research and discovery, cementing Africa’s commitment to contribute to global scientific excellence and enterprise.
On the integration of the African regional organization for standardization, the Assembly, requested the Commission to work in collaboration with the Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC) and its relevant Sub-Committees, and the Republic of Kenya in compiling a report on ARSO including the structural and financial implications of ARSO’s integration into the AU structures for consideration by the Assembly through the Executive Council;
On the commemoration of Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security, the Assembly decided that an Africa Food and Nutrition Security Day (AFND) will be commemorated on 30 October every year.
On the promotion of cooperation, dialogue and respect for diversity in the field of human rights, the Assembly decided to support the UN Human Rights Council as a global forum for dialogue on human rights issues based on the principles of mutual respect, cooperation, objectivity and non-selectivity.
On the African Union Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards, the Assembly decided to name the African Union Scientific Awards as “African Union Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards”.
On the establishment and operationalisation of the African Petroleum Fund, the Assembly decided on the establishment of the African Petroleum Fund, the financing of which will be on a voluntary basis.
On Climate Change negotiations, the Assembly endorsed the recommendations of CAHOSCC on the streamlined single negotiation structure at the Ministerial and Experts’ levels, with a view to ensuring effective coordination of the negotiation on climate change towards the 16th Conference of Parties (COP 16) and COP 17 in Cancun, Mexico and in South Africa in 2010 and 2011, respectively, as follows:
i. Algeria to serve as Coordinator at the Ministerial level with Mali in its capacity as current Chairperson of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment to serve as Co-Coordinator;
ii. The Democratic Republic of Congo to serve as Coordinator at the Experts’ level together with Nigeria as Co-Coordinator;
iii. The African Group of Technical Negotiators to establish a Bureau.
The Assembly also endorsed the recommendations of CAHOSCC for the continuation of the membership of the Republic of South Africa, the host of COP 17, within CAHOSCC, as well as the inclusion of the Democratic Republic of Congo in its capacity as the Chairperson of the African Group of the Technical Negotiators
It further endorsed the Decision of CAHOSCC to hold a meeting before COP 16 scheduled in Cancun, Mexico in December 2010.
On the reform of the United Nations Security Council, the Assembly reaffirmed the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration on the Reform of the United Nations Security Council containing the African Common Position, called for its intensive promotion and stressed the need for Africa to continue to speak with one voice on this question. The Assembly directed that the African Permanent Representatives to the United Nations of the Committee of Ten continue to work closely with other African Permanent Representatives to the UN as well as with other Interest Groups in the context of the ongoing inter-governmental Negotiations on the Security Council Reform Process;
On the appointment of the members of the Panel of the Wise, the Assembly decided in line with the provisions of article 11 of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the AU, to re-appoint, for a further and final mandate of three years, the following personalities as members of the Panel of the Wise, at the expiration of their terms on 17 December 2010:
i) President Ahmed Ben Bella (North Africa),
ii) Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim (East Africa);
The Assembly further decided in line with article 11 of the PSC Protocol, to appoint, for a mandate of three years, starting from 18 December 2010, the following personalities as new members of the Panel of the Wise:
i) President Kenneth Kaunda (Southern Africa);
ii) Mrs. Marie Madeleine Kalala-Ngoy (Central Africa);
iii) Mrs. Mary Chinery Hesse (West Africa).
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UK Prime Minister David Cameron sparked Pakistani fury after claiming the country is exporting terror. In The Guardian, Dean Nelson argues that Cameron's comments add to the resentment Pakistan feels for being persecuted because of UK and US involvement.
In the same newspaper, Murtaza Shibli shifts the focus on Prime Minister Cameron's comments to the impact it is having on justifying deaths in Kashmir. By blaming Pakistan, the focus has now turned to the death toll in Kashmir as opposed to the main issue at hand.
Sunny Hundal argues that blaming WikiLeaks for destabilizing Afghanistan shows the neocon approach to domestic and foreign affairs. Figures such as David Aaronovitch demonstrate a hypocritical attitude to the building of mosques and the work of Muslim groups and individuals such as Tariq Ramadan.
Patrick Cockburn argues in The Independent that Cameron's remarks dismiss the importance of the links between Pakistan and the Taliban as a means of ending the Afghanistan war and curbing insurgency in the region. For the US-led coalition, time is fast running and out and insurgency is steadily growing which means that it might be harder to win the war in Afghanistan.
The economist points out India's dirty politics and the 2002 massacre in Gujarat where 2,000 Muslims were killed in a pogrom carried out with the collusion of police and senior members of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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Professor Paul Rogers argues in OpenDemocracy that Israel over the sixty-two years of its existence is a state that is defined by conflict and the risk of war and has learned no other way but to maintain security but through overwhelming military power.
Pakistan's Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting recently passed a bill which calls for a ban on graphic footage of terrorist attacks. In Common Ground News, Huma Yusuf argues this bill is a continuation of the state's uneasy relationship with the media.
The Cordoba House in New York has faced mounting opposition and criticism by right-wing New Yorkers. Alex Masie in The Spectator blog, argues that in the midst of all this verbal warfare lies a cultural clash between Islam and the Christian West.
Left Foot Forward this week discussed a poll published by the Islamic Education and Research Academy signalling anti-Muslim sentiment in the country. Despite rising Islamic terrorism in Britain, it is important to criticise English extremist groups such as the English Defence League.
Tim McLoughlin argues that we don't need to open up the short-list of mayoral candidates as Oona King and Ken Livingstone suffice. The sooner a Labour candidate can start holding Boris Johnson's 'pointless mayorality' to account the better.
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Christopher Patten in Lebanon's The Daily Star criticizes Israel's approach to Palestine saying that collective punishment and caging Palestinians will not affect extremists. Patten asks Israel to show how democratic a country it really is by living up to its original values and being a peaceful neighbour.
In The New York Times, Jennifer Abdo and Arash Aramesh put the spotlight on Iran's clerical disputes. They argue that there is now a full-blown rift between Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini and many of the traditional and modern clerics that are opposed to him.
Mahir Ali writes in Pakistan's Dawn newspaper that it is odd critics are focusing on President Zardari's visit to Britain and calling for a cancellation because of Prime Minister Cameron's comments when this visit and the one to Paris should be criticized for the humanitarian disaster taking place in Pakistan due to the floods.
In Ha'aretz, Ze'ev Segal urges Israel to set up a state panel on last May's attack on a Gaza-bound flotilla. The Government's refusal to collaborate with the Goldstone Commission has seriously damaged Israel's reputation and future discussion with international leaders.
Volkers Perthez in The Australian argues that some of the most Middle East's most important players are increasing the risk of confrontation because they have either lost a proper feeling for their regional and international environment or seek to increase their own political power through provocation and brinkmanship.
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