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Up to January
2001, the OAU had convened 36 ordinary sessions of the Assembly
of Heads of State and Government and 4 extraordinary sessions
of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government. All previous
OAU summits mainly discussed such issues as de-colonization,
support for the liberation struggle of South Africa, opposition
to foreign intervention in Africa, mediation of domestic conflicts
and inter-state disputes and promotion of African economic development.
Moreover, they had passed a series of resolutions concerning
the above mentioned issues. |
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In
1991, the 27th Ordinary Session of OAU Summit passed the Treaty
on Establishing the African Economic Community in Abuja. The
29th Ordinary Session of the OAU Summit in 1993 decided to establish,
within the framework of OAU, a Mechanism for Conflict Prevention,
Management and Resolution (MCPMR). Since the birth of the New
South Africa, the OAU has been refocusing its efforts from working
on political issues to working on economic development. |
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In
1997, the Assembly of Heads of States and Government (AHSG)
held its inaugural session at the same time as the 33rd Ordinary
Session of the AU Summit, which signified the actual start of
the AHSG. |
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The
35th Ordinary Session of the AU Summit in July, 1999, passed
the Algiers
Declaration, which reaffirmed the basic principles of the
OAU Charter, such as sovereign independence, non-interference
in the internal affairs of States and peaceful settlement of
disputes. The declaration also emphasised the importance of
strengthening the role of the UN Security Council, opposed the
unilateral use of force outside the duly conferred mandate of
the UN, and reiterated the demand for an African permanent member
in the Security Council. |
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Two
months later, the 4th OAU Extraordinary Summit passed the Sirte
Declaration, decided to establish an African Union and demanded
the speedy establishment of institutions such as the Pan-African
Parliament, African Central Bank, African Monetary Union and
the African Court of Justice. |
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In
2000, the 36th Ordinary Session of the OAU Summit adopted the
Charter of the African Union and decided to convene the 5th
OAU Extraordinary Summit in March of 2001, so as to announce
the official establishment of the African Union, which would
replace the OAU after a one year transitional period. |
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For
further information and references, please refer to the list
of articles found in Briefcase. |
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