OAU Ministerial Council wound up its meetings
Regional, Politics, 7/10/2001

The OAU Ministerial Council wound up meetings of its 74th session early Monday.

The African foreign ministers, who met for the last time before changing the OAU into the African Union, approved draft resolutions to be forwarded to the African summit which-is to open later in the day.

In their final report the Ministers expressed gratitude for Egypt's government hosting of the recent African Forum on the future of children crystallizing a unified African stand at the UN General Assembly's special session on child rights, due to be held in New York in September.

Participants called upon member states to fulfill their obligations towards the children of Africa and to take part at the highest possible level in the forthcoming UN session.

The OAU Ministerial Council urged the UN to take necessary measures to guarantee Israel's full abidance by the resolutions adopted by the world organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The council called upon Israel to accede to the Nonproliferation Treaty, (NPT) to open its nuclear installation for international inspection and to refrain from producing and testing nuclear weapons.

The African Ministers deplored Israel's use of internationally prohibited weapon and excessive force against unarmed Palestinians in the occupied territories.

They condemned Israel's settlement policy and reaffirmed the need for Israel's respect of international human laws in the areas occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem.

They appealed to member states and non-governmental organizations to boycott products originating from Israeli settlements and to cut off trade relations with the producers and suppliers of those products.

Meanwhile, they urged the co-sponsors of the peace process, the parties concerned and the international community at large to do their utmost in order to reactivate the peace process.

The African foreign ministers also called for lifting the unfair, illegal and unethical embargo imposed on both Libya and Iraq.

About the European -African Summit and Cairo plan of action, the African Foreign ministers assigned the OAU follow up committee to settle all the pending issues with theEU.

The council set April 22, 2002 as the date for holding the eighth trade exhibition for Africa, scheduled to take place in Cairo and called member states to start preparing for the fair.

About Africa' participation in the World Trade Organizational fourth ministerial conference, due to be held in Qatar on November 9, 2001, the foreign ministers called on the member states to adopt a unified African stance during the negotiations and to be cautious so that these negotiations would not undermine the African Union.

As for the African conflicts, the council expressed supports for the cease-fire agreement in Congo, calling on the sides to the conflict to abide by this agreement.

They expressed satisfaction over the Security Council's resolution to extend the UN mission mandate in Congo until May 2002.

Previous Stories:
  Reconciliation among Africans given top priority   (7/9/2001)
  UN conference adopts firm stand against firearms   (7/9/2001)
  Egypt stresses necessity of realising African integration   (7/7/2001)

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