UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to arrive Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union to be held from 9-10 February at the headquarters of the African Union Commission.
Mr Gutteres is expected to address the Summit, whose theme for the year is, “Silencing the Guns; Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development.” The Secretary-General will hold bilateral meetings with member states, participate in some side events and address a press conference on Saturday, 8th February.
Meanwhile, the UN in Ethiopia is finalizing arrangements for side events organized in collaboration with the African Union on the margins of the Summit. These include a high-level, early morning meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s empowerment in Africa and the Launch of the Africa Women’s Leadership Fund (AWLF) on Saturday 8th of February. Also scheduled is the signing of the UN-AU Joint Framework on Human Rights and a High-level Forum on Agenda 2063 to discuss the AU report on Evidence-Based Reporting for Collective Reflection and Action on Agenda 2063.
A highlight of the week is the Launch of the book, “SHE Stands for Peace, 20 years, 20 journeys” which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution on Women, Peace and Security. A side event on Unlocking the full potential of Africa’s Blue Economy – A continental strategy for joint action – will also take place on the margins of the Summit.
Furthermore, the Economic Commission for Africa will hold the Third edition of the African Business Forum a day after the Summit on 11th February. The high-level Forum will hold on the theme Investing in People, Planet and Prosperity.
The President of the General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande of Nigeria is also scheduled to attend the Summit.