United Nations Africa 2017 Week Oct 16-20

RECALLING the objectives and principles enshrined in the Constitutive Act of the African Union and FAU’s participation in the 2013 review at the African Union’s Mission HQ to the United Nations;

ADDITIONALLY RECALLING the Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the African Union adopted by the First Extra-Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2003, and in particular Article 3(q) which invites the African Diaspora to participate as an important component in the building of the African Union;

RECOGNIZING the need to build sustainable partnerships between the African continent and the African Diaspora through sustainable dialogue and effective collaboration with governments and peoples of different regions of the World in which the Diaspora populations are located;

COGNIZANT of the fact that culture and identity inform all facets of development;

ACKNOWLEDGING the need to celebrate and preserve the shared heritage between Africa and peoples of African descent in the Diaspora;

BEARING IN MIND that the African Diaspora represents a historical and evolving experience which calls for an approach that is sensitive to the specificities of the different regions;

AFFIRMING the need to promote South-South Cooperation as a framework for enhancing mutual development as well as Pan-African Solidarity;

REAFFIRMING the importance of women and youth as important pillars of our society that should be mainstreamed in all Diaspora discourses and actions;

LAUDING the efforts undertaken thus far to support Africa and African Diaspora process including organizational efforts, measures and strategies pursued by the African Union;

FURTHER RECALLING relevant African Union Decisions including Decision EX.CL/Dec. 5 (III) on the Development of the Diaspora Initiative adopted by the Third Ordinary Session of the Executive Council in Maputo, Mozambique, in July 2003, Decision EX.CL/Dec. 221 (VII) on the Africa-Diaspora Process adopted by the Eighth Ordinary Session of the Executive Council in January 2006 and Decision EX.CL/Dec. 406 (XII) on the First African Union Diaspora Ministerial Conference adopted by the Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Executive Council in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January2008 on the modalities for Diaspora participation in the organs and activities of the Union and Decision Ass/AU/Dec.205(XI) adopted by the Eleventh Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in July 2008 on the Africa Diaspora Summit, Decision, Ass/AU/Dec 354 (XVI) of the Sixteen Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2011 on the Roadmap for the Diaspora Summit, including the convening of a Technical Experts meeting in Pretoria, South Africa in February 2011 and Decision Ass/AU/Dec 367 (XVII) of the Seventeenth Ordinary Session of Assembly of the Union on the convening of a second Ministerial Conference on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2011 as well as Decision Assembly/AU/Dec. 393(XVIII) endorsing the outcome and conclusions of the Second Ministerial Conference held in New York in September 2011.

ACKNOWLEDGE of the importance to the African Diaspora of the establishment of The Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) under the provision of Articles 5 and 22 of the Constitutive Act;

ACKNOWLEDGING ECOSOCC Statutes, adopted by the AU Assembly in July 2004, define it as an advisory organ composed of different social and professional groups of AU Member States (Assembly/AU/Dec.48 (III)). The first ECOSOCC General Assembly was formally launched on 9 September 2008 in Dar es Salaam, UR of Tanzania.

KNOWLEDGABLE of the Structure of ECOSOCC and that under article 4 of the ECOSOCC Statutes, the Council is composed of 150 CSOs: 1 two CSOs from each Member State; 10 CSOs operating at regional level and eight at continental level; 20 CSOs from the African Diaspora, as defined by the Executive Council and covering the continents of the world; and six CSOs, in ex-officio capacity, nominated by the AU Commission and based on special considerations, in consultation with Member States.

UNDERSTANDING that Article 4 also provides for Member State, regional, continental and Diaspora representatives to be elected on the basis of 50 percent gender equality and 50 percent aged between 18 and 35. Members are elected for four-year terms and may be re-elected once.

CONVINCED that popular participation in the activities of the African Union, as enunciated in the African Charter for Popular Participation, is a prerequisite for its success;

GUIDED by the common vision of a united and strong Africa and by the need to build a partnership between governments and all segments of civil society, in particular women, youth, the private sector and the African Diaspora, in order to strengthen solidarity and cohesion among our peoples;

RECALLING the decision of the Assembly to invite and encourage the full participation of the African Diaspora as an important part of the Continent, in the building of the African Union.

CONVINCED of the need to build on these efforts and outcomes as the basis for establishing a solid foundation for the rejuvenation of the global African family as an instrument of wider renaissance;

REALIZING the imperative of a sustained and coordinated approach and ownership of the African Diaspora related programmes and projects so as to promote their effective implementation and impact;

COMMIT to cooperate in the political, economic and social areas outlined in this Report of the Global African Stakeholders Convention and Programme of Action, and implementation and follow-up modalities.

EXPRESSING our appreciation to Head of Secretariat Dr. Jinmi Adisa for his support in holding the Global African Diaspora Stakeholders Convention.

THEREBY at this the Global African Diaspora Stakeholders Convention we agree to adopt, develop and report on the implement the five legacy projects as created in South Africa 25 May 2012 at the first African Diaspora Summit as a way of giving practical meaning to the Diaspora programme and in order to facilitate the post-Summit implementation programme. These are: a) the production of a Skills Database of African Professionals in the Diaspora; b) the establishment of the African Diaspora Volunteers Corps; c) the African Diaspora Investment Fund; d) a programme on the Development Marketplace for the Diaspora, as a framework for facilitating innovation and entrepreneurship among African and Diaspora; and e) The African Remittances Institute.

AGREEMENT between the people of the African Diaspora and the African Union’s ECOSOCC in regards to decisions to the five tasks given unto us the people of Africa in the sixth region, as defined by AU document, on this day October 16th 2017, do hereby give this report to the leadership of the African Union in January 2018.

1. We have implemented phase I of the task to create the African Diaspora Volunteer Corps at fauedcorp.org with the African Civil Society Organizations (CSO). CSO members include but are not limited to:

• Social groups such as those representing women, children, youth, the elderly and people with disabilities and special needs

• Professional groups such as associations of artists, engineers, health practitioners, social workers, media, teachers, sport associations, legal professionals, social scientists, academia, business organisations, national chambers of commerce, workers, employers, industry and agriculture, as well as other private sector interest groups

• Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations (CBOs) and voluntary organisations

• Cultural organisations

• Social and professional organisations in the African Diaspora (in accordance with the definition approved by the Executive Council of ECOSOCC).

2. We have created a African Diaspora Skills Database Phase I which is used in the creation of the African Diaspora Volunteer Corps so as to encourage and support the development of an African Union Diaspora Volunteer programme as a framework for associating the Diaspora directly with the development of the continent and which as of this day is in operation at fauedcorp.com.

3. We have created this day the framework for a report to be issued by May 25th 2016 on the African Institute of Remittance based on previous actions of the African Diaspora and organs and officials of the African Union since July 16 2012.

4. We have created this day the framework for a African Investment Fund based on previous actions since July 16 2012 and the business model of the Community Reinvestment Fund which shall serve as a guide in the creation of a global organized with a ownership structure that supports the people of the African Union.

5. We Africans of the Diaspora acknowledge that under Article 11 of the ECOSOCC Statutes there is established 10 Sectoral Cluster Committees as key operational mechanisms to formulate opinions and provide input into AU policies and programmes. The Committees are: Peace and Security; Political Affairs; Infrastructure and Energy; Social Affairs and Health; Human Resources, Science and Technology; Trade and Industry; Rural Economy and Agriculture; Economic Affairs; Women and Gender; and Cross-Cutting Programmes (such as HIV/AIDS, international cooperation and coordination with other AU institutions and organs). The ECOSOCC General Assembly may recommend amendments to the established Sectoral Cluster Committees. We will endeavor have implemented preliminary work on the task to create the Development of a marketplace for African development in line with ECOSOCC Statues and shall report back to assembly not later than May 25th 2016 on the basis of the aforementioned 10 Sectoral Cluster Committees..

We do this work so as to encourage the Diaspora to organize our self in a global network and to establish appropriate mechanisms that will enable our increasing participation in the affairs of the African Union as observers and eventually, in the future, as a sixth region of the continent that would contribute substantially to the implementation of policies and programmes.

Acknowledge the responsibility of the African Diaspora to fund and host rotational AU Diaspora Conference in Africa and in the Diaspora to review the implementation of this Programme of Action to hold the 9th Pan African Congress planning sessions shall have the following Committees:

(1) Peace and Security;

1. Peace and Security Council
2. The African Standby Force
3. African Peace and Security Architecture
4. Creation of an international chapter of the  National Association for Black Veterans called the African Universal Legion

(2) Political Affairs;

1. Study of the Constitutive Act of the African Union
2. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
3. African Peer Review Mechanism
4. African Civil Society Organizations Stakeholders Engagement
5. African Slavery
6. The Federalist Movement in Africa
7. The United Nations and Africa
8. The United Nations Commission for Africa
9. The United States of America and Africa
10. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Africa
11. Africa–South America (ASA) Summit
12. The Africa–Arab Partnership
13. Morocco and Africa
14. The Africa–European Union (EU) Partnership
15. China–Africa Cooperation Forum (FOCAC)
16. India and Africa
17. Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD)
18. Turkey and Africa
19. The Korea–Africa Forum
20. The Africa–Australia partnership
21. African Diaspora Matters
22. USA Congressional Black Caucus

(3) Infrastructure and Energy;

1. Energy, nonrenewable
2. Energy, Solar
3.  Sustainable Transport Policy in Africa
4. Single Air Transport Market
5. Infrastructure
6. Tourism

(4) Social Affairs and Health;

1. Health
2. Children
3. Drug control
4. Population
5. Migration
6. Labor and Employment
7. Family
8. Aging
9. The physically challenged
10. Sports
11. Youth and Protection
12. Social Integration

(5) Human Resources, Science, and Technology;

1. Education
2. Literacy
3. Information technology
4. Communication
5. The Internet ie DOT Africa
6. Human resources
7. Technology

(6) Trade and Industry;

1. Trade
2. Industry
3. Handcrafts
4. Customs and immigration matters

(7) Rural Economy and Agriculture;

1. Briefing on the African Union Commission Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture
2. Discussion on genetically modified organisms and the food chain
3. Briefing on the Malabo Declaration on African agricultural transformation
4. Briefing on the implementation of The Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture’s flagship programme the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)
5. Discussion on African Agricultural Development and Food Security
6. Proposal discussion to the Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (IAPSC)
7. Briefing on the Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (IBAR)
8. Briefing on the Pan African Veterinary Vaccine Centre (PANVAC)
9. Briefing on the Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign (PATTEC)
10. Briefing on the Semi-Arid Food Grain Research and Development (SAFGRAD)
11. Briefing on the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the United Nations Framework Convention Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC) and planning session for COP 23
12. Reports on Accra hosts 7th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS)
13. Planning session for the 8th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS)based on this year’s celebration themed “Investing in Food Systems for Improved Child Nutrition: Key to Africa’s Renaissance
14. African Agricultural Logistics Infrastructure
15. African Environment and Climate Change Facts
16. Planning session for the 1st Conference for the Promotion of Africa-Americas Trade and Investments for Accelerated Agricultural Development and Enhancing Food Security
17. FAU National Black Council Of Elders Agricultural Plan
18. FAU National Black Council Of Elders Trust to Awake the African Sleeping Giant
19. FAU African Water, Land and Natural Resource Management Plan of Action

(8) Economic Affairs;

1. Briefing on The United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs with a focus on Tim Scott, South Carolina (the only Republican African American Senator and along with Democrat Cory Booker of New Jersey, Scott is one of two African Americans serving in the United States Senate.) and  Sherrod Brown, Ohio, Ranking Member, Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts and Chuck Schumer, New York
2. Briefing on The United States House Committee on Financial Services with a focus on Maxine Waters, California, Ranking Member and fellow Congressional Black Caucus members Joyce Beatty, Ohio; Al Green, Texas; David Scott, Georgia; Gregory W. Meeks, New York; Terri Sewell, Alabama; Gwen Moore, Wisconsin; Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri,  and Keith Ellison, Minnesota.
3. Briefing on the Bank for International Settlements
4. Discussion on Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) Federal Open Market Committee meeting Jan 31 to Feb 1st
5. What is Quantitative Easing and Monetary Policy with a Audits of the US Federal Reserve and GAO Audit of FRB Quantitative Easing in 2010
6. Discussion on Japanese Quantitative Easing Authority 2016/7 purchases of over $700B USD by Bank of Japan
7. Briefing on the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
8. Briefing on the World Bank Group (WBG) based on the 16th Annual International Conference on Policy Challenges for the Financial Sector central theme of this year’s conference was “Finance in Flux: The Technological Transformation of the Financial Sector”.
9. Briefing on the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
10. Briefing on the G20
11. Briefing on the African Central Bank which is to be the sole issuer of the African Single Currency by 2028 and its member central banks who are members of the Association of African Central Banks 
12. Briefing on the African Monetary Fund whose adoption took place at the end of the 23rd summit of African Heads of States and Governments the 28th of June 2014 and whose main objective is to provide financial assistance to member states of the African Union faced with balance of payments problems. It is also created to advance the monetary integration in Africa in the coming decades like in the case of the Schengen countries and the Euro (€).
13. Briefing on the African Investment Bank whose mandate was envisioned to aid in fostering economic growth and accelerating economic integration in Africa in line with the AU’s Strategic Plan
14. Briefing on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
15. Discussion on a 2017 update to the African Civil Society Declaration on NEPAD based on a new regional economic community in the USA
16. Discussion on a 2017  Proposal to the Alliance for Financial Inclusion based on the Maya Declaration
17. Briefing on Cyber Currencies and Blockchain Technology
18. Briefing on the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT)
19. Briefing on African Stock Exchanges and proposal to the African Securities Exchanges Association(ASEA) which is the premier Association of 25 (Black Wall Street) securities exchanges in Africa (out of 29 in existence plus the new Stock eXchange we are creating).
20. Briefing on the FAU African Dollar

(9) Women and Gender;

1. Discussion of Strategic Agreement with New Future Foundation and the work of African American women in the United Nations
2. Discussion of Women and Equality
3. Discussion on FAU’s participation in the sixtieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women that took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 14 to 24 March 2016 with New Future Foundation and preparation for the sixty-first session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 13 to 24 March 2017 the Priority theme: Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work
4. African Woman’s Organizations
5. African American Woman’s Organizations
6. Women in Business
7. Women’s Education
8. Women and the Family
9. Women in Politics
10. Planning for the Million Women March in 2017

(10) Cross-Cutting Programmes

1. Briefing on HIV/AIDS and the people of Africa
2. Briefing on African People With Disabilities
3. Briefing on the action plan with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with King Joseph
4. Briefing on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) with Zimbabwe
5. Briefing on the East African Community (EAC) with Kenya
6. Briefing on the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA)
7. Briefing on the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
8. Briefing on the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD)
9. Briefing on the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
10. Briefing on the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
11. Briefing on the The Fifth Annual High Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance in Africa: Trends, Challenges and Prospects, Arusha, the United Republic of Tanzania that will be held November 23, 2016 to November 26, 2016
12. Briefing on the 10th Session of the Committee of Directors Generals of National Statistics Office (CoDGs) and 5th session of the Statistical Commission for Africa (STATCOM-AFRICA) held at Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 28 November – 2 December 2016
13. International cooperation and coordination with other AU institutions and organs not mentioned
14. International cooperation and coordination with other United Nations institutions and organs not mentioned as a Regional Economic Community in the USA
15. Strategic Planning & Partnerships for the Proposed 9th Pan African Congress Planning Session for a new Regional Economic Community in North America- The United States of America, Government of Canada, United Mexican States and Government of Bermuda
16. Commitment to the African Union African Diaspora Health Initiative as a priority project that has two phases. Phase I – the current program. Phase II – Version 2.0 of the African Union African Diaspora Health Initiative which is based on creating a billion dollar financial technology company that specializes in health with the people of the African Diaspora in the USA and allies.

So we sign as CSO’s and or their representatives