AU heads of state to launch African Union passport

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AU heads of state to launch African Union passport

7:58 CAT | 18 Jul 2016

ANA / The African diplomatic and service passport

The summit of heads of state and government of the African Union (AU) opens in Kigali, the capital of Rwandan on Sunday where the focus will be on removing barriers to trade.

The 54 heads of state and government attending the summit were to receive yesterday the first AU electronic passport (e-passports) issued by the organization.

According to the AU, this flagship project, first agreed upon in 2014, is part of the framework of Africa’s Agenda 2063 and “has the specific aim of facilitating the free movement of persons, goods, and services around the continent – in order to foster intra-Africa trade, integration, and socio-economic development”.

The summit is being held under the theme “2016: African Year of Human Rights, with Particular Focus on the Rights of Women”.

Mozambique will be represented by President Filipe Nyusi, who arrived in the Rwandan capital on Saturday. He is being accompanied by a delegation which includes Foreign Minister Oldemiro Baloi, Justice Minister Isaque Chande, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare Cidalia Chauque, and Deputy Health Minister Mouzinho Saide.

For the chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, launching the e-passport is a “steady step toward the objective of creating a strong, prosperous and integrated Africa, driven by its own citizens and capable of taking its rightful place on the world stage.”

The ambitious goal of the project is to allow African citizens to travel throughout the continent without visas by 2020.

So far, only 13 African states allow Africans to enter their country either without a visa or with visas granted on arrival. However, citizens of the United States can enter 30 African countries without previously obtaining a visa.

On Sunday, the leaders will also launch the AU interim report on the African Women’s Decade.

The African Union Commission’s Director for Women, Gender and Development, Mahawa Kaba Wheeler, told journalists of Friday that “experience shows us that when equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to contribute fully to the development of their nations, as well as empower families and entire communities to overcome challenges such as poverty and illiteracy”.

She added, “unfortunately, there are some traditional cultural practices and sayings that are negative and do nothing in the advancement of women rights. Through our Agenda 2063, we call for such practices to be eradicated in every society so that girls and women can be given the platform to achieve their fullest potential”.

Wheeler was positive about changes that have already taken place. She told reports, “lack of education for girls in some societies has contributed to early marriage, but this is changing, with the number of girls now in education increasing tremendously over the past decade. Many governments in Africa have also repealed discriminatory laws which prohibit women from owning or inheriting property, holding bank accounts, or prosecuting their abusers”.

[Photos] The African passport with 5 language inscriptions — President Idriss Déby of Chad, current Chair of the AU (R) and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda (L) holding their AU passports

Agenda 2063 sets the goal that all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls will have been eliminated and they will fully enjoy all their human rights. It also seeks to fully empower women with equal access and opportunity in all spheres of life, as well as ensure that over 90 per cent of rural women have access to productive assets, including land, credit, inputs and financial services.

A diplomatic source told AIM that the summit will also tackle the question of a continental free trade area. The intention is to expand trade and create added value to domestic production throughout the continent. The source explained that Africa is currently divided into different economic regions within which preferential trade agreements exist.

A member of the Mozambican delegation pointed out that his country’s focus would be on promoting conflict resolution, empowering women, and deepening good governance and democracy. He added, “revitalising the process of continental integration, further consolidating friendship and promoting more partnerships are also the key objectives of our participation in the summit”.

The overall goal of Agenda 2063 is the socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next 50 years.

Source: AIM