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Mr. Chairman
Honourable Ministers and Executive Council Members
Excellencies,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
All other protocols duly observed,
I have the singular
honour and greatest pleasure, on behalf of, His Excellency President
Alhaji Dr. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH, the Government and People of The
Gambia, dubbed the Gateway to Africa. We hope, that your stay amongst
us, will be both pleasant and memorable. We also hope that you will
find our preparations for your meeting enabling and adequate enough to
contribute to your deliberations reading to a successful conclusion in
readiness for our Head of States and Government Summit on 1rst and 2nd
July, 2006.
We in The Gambia,
are particularly proud and honoured, to be hosting this august gathering
of the Executive Council of the African Union for the first time.
Indeed, this is the very first opportunity we have had since the
inception of the AU and the OAU before it, to host a meeting of this
magnitude and nature of our continental organization. It is therefore
gratifying that it is here in Banjul, that you have decided, to refocus
attention on the important issue of regional harmonisation and
integration, which is indeed the true raison d’etre of our organization
and the ultimate objective of all our undertakings. This 9th
Session of the Executive Council will provide an opportunity no doubt
for us to collectively
evolve new strategies for forging ahead, towards the all-important goal
of integrating our continent, both politically and economically. Our
primary concern should be how to remove the many hurdles and obstacles
that lie in our way and rise up to the serious political, economic and
strategic challenge that we face as actors in the global arena. Europe,
The America, Asia and the Pacific Region are moving fast and our great
continent needs to gain pace to catch up fast with glory.
Integration is vital to our prosperity, security and development. It
will further enhance our competitiveness globally and indeed, make us
fully prepared both in material and human terms to participate on an
equal footing in world trade, as well as to collectively negotiate for
ourselves with a position of strength, faire and equitable terms in the
global, financial and economic system as equal and with confidence and
dignity. This concern has been well articulated by Civil Society and
the Private Sector in the Pre-Summit Meetings.
Of course,
we must first ensure that as a body, we equally invest ourselves
adequately with the capacity and the capabilities to guarantee steady
progress towards the realization of our continental goals. And I am
aware that you intend to devote a good part of your agenda to this need,
by undertaking an in depth examination of a number of important
administrative, budgetary, and financial matters. I have no doubt in my
mind that you will justice to these important matters, and come up with
critical, relevant and realistic recommendations for our Heads of State
and Government to consider.
Performing institutions are indeed vital building-blocks in the
integration process. We must, therefore, ensure that the institutions so
created, to promote the integration objective, are not only enabled to
do so individually, but also work cooperatively, and in synergy among
themselves, to speed up the process. There
is thus the need for a serious examination, of the mandate and functions
of each and every one, of our regional integration bodies, with a view
to ensuring, that they deliver effectively on their various mandates to
help attain our collective Regional vision. Our people are anxiously
hoping for positive results and we cannot afford to fail them.
Part of your agenda at this session will be devoted to such an
examination, and I am certain, that you will come up with the most
justifiable and realistic proposals on ways of better rationalizing our
regional institution to better position them for great tasks at hand and
ahead of us bearing in mind the concerns of African Social grouping and
the grass roots level and those articulated by civil society and the
African Private Sector.
Related to the issue of rationalization, is the item on your agenda that
has to do with the merger of the African Court of Justice with the
African Commission on Human and People's Rights. The Gambia, as host to
the African Commission, is paying special attention to this issue. On
this question, our only interest should be first and foremost to ensure
that the mandates of our various institutions remain clear cut and do
not get blurred as a result of decisions taken for reasons of
expediency. I urge you all to give this issue your most serious
consideration, and I am confident that you will come up with a right
course of action that serves only the Paramount and collective interests
of our dear continent.
You also have before you, a number of important agenda items that touch
on economic and social questions that are of great relevance to our
development as a people. One of them pertains to the vexing issue of
international migration. I do sincerely hope that at this session, we
shall begin the process of evolving a united and common African
position, on
international migration, as well as appropriate strategies for ensuring,
that all African international migrants wherever they may be, enjoy the
fullest protection from humiliation, racist attacks, xenophobia and an
abuse of their human rights. Of course in addition to the concerns of
youth, those of women, children and other social groups’ concerns should
be taken on board as well.
The issues before the 9th
Session of the Executive Council should constitute a source of
inspiration rather than of divisiveness, as they express our collective
result and commitment to forge ahead. You should be determined to emerge
from your deliberations with concise, realistic and achievable solutions
to the problems that confront Africa and especially those
which constitute the agenda of today's session of the Executive Council.
Mr. Chairman, Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies
and Gentlemen,
As you all know, we in The Gambia are host to hundreds of thousands of
tourists among whom are many repeaters from all over Europe
and North America. For years now, they have labeled us “The Smiling
Coast". I should like you all to experience that beam and smile and
find time to interact with us, so as to permit us, the honour of
offering you our traditional Gambian hospitality. We also crave your
indulgence for any inadvertent shortcomings you may have experienced,
but sincerely do hope that you will all enjoy your stay in The Gambia
and should keep on coming.
With these remarks, it is now my
pleasure to declare
the 9th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, Open.
I thank you all and wish you successful deliberations and may God bless
Africa, our dear
continent.
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