WHAT:           Media is invited to attend the official opening of the 32th NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC) meeting at the 24th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The HSGOC meeting will be followed by a press after the closing ceremony chaired by President of Senegal, H.E. Macky Sall. 

WHEN:          Thursday, 29 January 2015 

Opening of HSGOC meeting:        10:00 – 10:30

Press Briefing:                                13:00 – 13:30

WHO:                                   

• Opening Statement - H.E. Macky SALL, President of the Republic of Senegal and Chairperson of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC)

• Statement - H.E. Mohamed Ould ABDEL AZIZ, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and Chairperson of the African Union

• Statement - H.E. Dr. Nkosazana DLAMINI ZUMA, Chairperson of African Union Commission

• H.E. Jacob G. ZUMA, President of the Republic of South Africa and Chair, PICI Sub-Committee

Press briefing:

•  Chair - H.E. Macky SALL, President of the Republic of Senegal and Chairperson of the HSGOC
• H.E. Dr. Ibrahim MAYAKI, NEPAD Agency Chief Executive Officer and Interim CEO of African Peer Review Mechanism

WHERE:       Medium Conference Hall, African Union Conference Centre (AUCC)

Press briefing: Medium Conference Hall, AUCC

Background Information:

Twenty African leaders who make up the membership of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee - HSGOC will meet in the Ethiopian Capital Addis Ababa ahead of the 24th AU Summit. The HSGOC provides leadership to the NEPAD process and sets policies, priorities and the programmes of action. The 20-member committee includes the five founding countries of NEPAD – Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt.

On the agenda:

• Progress made in the implementation of outcomes of the Dakar Financing Summit (DFS) on Africa’s regional infrastructure

• Agenda 2063

• NEPAD implementation with regard to the economic empowerment of African Women and Women in Agriculture

• African Union Response and NEPAD Support to the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa

ACCREDITATION: Media badges for the Summit can be collected from Abiola in Room G09 on the Ground Floor of the new AU building or from Esther 5^th Floor Room 504.

For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact:

Abiola Ajayi

NEPAD Communications

abiolaa@nepad.org

+27 767461272

Esther Azaa Tankou

AUC Directorate of Information and Communication,

yamboue@africa-union.org

+251 911361185