Decision on the Fourth Ordinary Session of the Labour and Social Affairs Commission

DECISION ON THE FOURTH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE
LABOUR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION
DOC. EX.CL/260 (IX)

The Executive Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the report;

2. APPROVES the recommendations contained in the Report of the Fourth Ordinary Session of the AU Labour and Social Affairs Commission held in Cairo, Egypt, from 22 to 27 April 2006;

3. TAKES NOTE of the First Biennial Report on the follow-up on the decisions of the Ouagadougou Extraordinary Summit on Employment Promotion and Poverty Alleviation in Africa;

4. ALSO TAKES NOTE of the reports of Member States on the follow-up of the Ouagadougou Summit on Employment Promotion and Poverty Alleviation;

5. REQUESTS Member States to actively participate in the regional consultations organized by the Commission at regional level on the development of regional frameworks on the integration of policies and programmes for the promotion of employment and poverty reduction in line with the Ouagadougou Summit;

6. ALSO REQUESTS the Commission to organize a meeting of Social Development Ministers to finalize the Draft Social Policy Framework in Africa prior to its submission to the Ordinary Session of the Executive Council in July 2007;

7. FURTHER REQUESTS the Commission to work out the financial implications for the establishment of the Advisory Council for Ageing and CALLS ON Member States to establish National Advisory Councils to address the plight of elderly people;

8. WELCOMES the common position adopted by the African members of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Governing Board during their deliberation at the sessions of the Governing Board,;

9. ALSO WELCOMES Algeria’s offer to host the Ninth All-Africa Games in July 2007 and INVITES Member States to participate massively in the Ninth All­Africa Games in Algiers, and mobilize top-level sports men and women in line with the resolutions of relevant African policy organs with a view to the Olympic Games due to take place in Beijing in 2008;

10. TAKES NOTE of the report of the Seventeenth Governing Board of the African Rehabilitation Institute (ARI);

11. REQUESTS ARI to undertake advocacy and lobbying missions to Member States to inform them of the Institute’s activities, lobby for membership and ensure that people with disabilities are integrated in the national development programmes of Member States;

12. CALLS ON the Commission in collaboration with the ARI Governing Board to take all the necessary measures to review the mandate and structure of ARI;

13. URGES Member States to capitalize on existing African institutions such as the African Centre for Applied Research and Training in Social Development (ACARTSOD) in conducting research in the Continent and provide support to the Centre by becoming members and fulfilling their financial obligations.