Durban - The containment of the Ebola epidemic and peaceful elections in a number of countries on the continent were some of the success stories last year, says the chairwoman, AU Commission, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
In her New Year’s message, Dlamini-Zuma said: “We look back at the year 2015 with pride at the milestones we have achieved, prompted by the declaration of the ‘Year of Women’s Empowerment for the Realisation of African Agenda 2063’.
“We undertook several interventions towards the empowerment of women and girls, with the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities member states and all other sectors working together to deliver on this noble goal.”
She said several successful elections had been held in member states, and “we congratulate the peoples and governments for their commitment at each election, to move a step further towards realising the spirit and letter of the African Charter on Elections, Governance and Democracy”.
“Our collective efforts of solidarity paid dividends when we finally defeated the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and made progress towards the operationalisation of the African Centre for Disease Control.”
She said the AU Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan, the first of its kind on the continent, had finished its assignment and come up with recommendations on peacemaking, transitional justice, and sustainable development for the Republic of South Sudan.
“We remain concerned about the ongoing challenges faced by the peoples of Burundi, Libya, Mali and South Sudan, and the African Union remains committed to work with our member states to ensure that lasting peace is restored.
“We pay tribute to the African peacekeepers who continue to serve the continent and help to move us closer to the goal of silencing the guns by 2020,” she said.
“To those who, during 2015, made the ultimate sacrifice, we shall remember their contributions.”
During the year, the AU Commission together with the UN Economic Commissions for Africa introduced the AU gender scorecard to, among other things, take stock of the impact of gender intervention on the empowerment of women.
“The outcome reveals that significant achievements were made, but much more needs to be done, and done faster.
She said the AU heads of states had declared this year as The Year of Human Rights, with a special emphasis on women’s rights, to sustain the momentum of gender equality.
Dlamini-Zuma said the AU would focus on the following three areas this year to promote human rights and women’s rights:
- Knowledge production and management on human rights in general and women’s rights.
- Advocacy and outreach on promotion and protection of human rights in Africa.
- Multi-sectoral dialogue on human rights and the rights of women.
Dlamini-Zuma thanked the regional economic communities, the member states, civil society organisations and the international community for their commitment to the aspirations of the AU.
– ANA