"Peace, stability and democracy are essential pre-conditions for Africa's economic development and social progress," declared the Mozambican Prime Minister, Pascoal Mocumbi, in his opening speech.

Mocumbi indicated that economic progress and people's well-being were ultimate goals of the struggle for self-determination and political independence in Africa.

The Executive Council of the African Union (AU) is drafting the agenda for the AU heads of state summit scheduled for 10 to 12 July under the theme: "Ensuring the Implementation of NEPAD is Contributing to African Development".

The AU Executive Council (constituted by foreign ministers of the member states) is analysing the recommendations and documents prepared by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Ambassadors) in its meeting held from Friday to Sunday.

Among other issues, the Committee of Permanent Representatives recommended a budget for the AU of about 13 million US dollars for the September-December 2003 period. It also drew up a budget of 41,190,000 US dollars for AU activities in 2004, and prepared a report on the establishment of the key bodies of the organisation, especially the appointment of the 10-member AU Commission.

The Commission is the key organ playing a central role in the day-to-day management of the AU. Among others, it represents the Union and defends its interests; elaborates draft common positions; prepares strategic plans and studies for consideration by the Executive Council; elaborates, promotes, co-ordinates and harmonises the programmes and policies of the Union with those of the regional economic commissions; and ensures the mainstreaming of gender in all programmes and activities of the Union.

The Commission will consist of a chairperson, deputy chairperson and eight commissioners. Balance in representation is guaranteed: each of the five sub-regions into which Africa is divided will have two representatives on the commission. More significantly, 50 percent of the commission must be women. It is already known who the candidates are for the chair: the former president of Mali, Alpha Konare, and the current interim chairperson, former Ivorian foreign minister Amara Essy.

Briefing journalists on proceedings, AU officials said the Committee had also discussed "biosafety", including the issue of genetically modified foodstuffs, and plans to eradicate tsetse fly from the continent.

The committee wanted to see a continent-wide drive against tsetse fly, fearing that if the insect is only eliminated from a few countries, then it could easily spread back from others where it has not been tackled.

The Committee also discussed a draft protocol on combating terrorism, and a report from the interim chairperson of the AU commission.

On their arrival on 9 July, heads of state and government are expected to discuss the implementation of NEPAD and to take part in a video-conference on the threat posed by HIV/AIDS. The video-conference on HIV/AIDS will link seven world cities, namely Maputo, Brasilia, Durban, Washington, London, Geneva and Nairobi. The UN General Secretary, Kofi Annan, is expected to attend the event.

On the political front, the heads of state and government are expected to look in detail at each conflict raging on the continent, notably the situation in Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Liberia, Somalia and Sudan.

The protocol on the establishment of the Peace and Security Council is unlikely to enter into force during the Maputo summit as was expected during its adoption at the first AU summit in Durban, South Africa, in July last year.

According to Ana Nemba, Mozambican Ambassador to the AU, the protocol instituting the Peace and Security Council needs to be ratified by 27 countries, or a simple majority of AU members, before it can become enforceable.

However, "just Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda and South Africa have signed and ratified it by 31 May 2003," indicated Nemba.

The current AU is a result of several initiatives derived from the former Organisation of Africa Unity. In July 1999, the Assembly decided to convene an extraordinary session to expedite the process of economic and political integration in the continent. Since then, four summits have been held leading to the official launching of the African Union:

• Sirte Extraordinary Session (Lybia, 1999 ) decided to establish an AU;
• Lome Summit (Togo, 2000) adopted the Constitutive Act of the Union;
• Lusaka Summit (Zambia, 2001) drew the road map for the implementation of the AU; and
• Durban Summit (South Africa, 2002) launched the AU and convened the 1st Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the AU.

This is part of SARDC's daily coverage of the AU summit in Maputo