Roadmap & Schedule of Activities Leading to the Global Diaspora

Roadmap and Schedule of Activities Leading to the Global African Diaspora Summit and in May 2012 and its Aftermath

I.  The 17^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union took a significant and dramatic step by deciding to convene the Global African Diaspora Summit on African Day on 25 May 2012 in South African (Assembly/AU/Dec.367(XVII) on the Global African Diaspora Process). The decision marked the climax of a protacted consultation process between the African continent and its Diaspora on the goal, content, objectives and implementation strategy of the Diaspora process.  The Decision facilitated the convening of a Ministerial meeting in New York on 24 September 2011 to review the outcomes of a previous Technical Experts meeting as well as the Summit documents of 2007 and consolidate them into a Draft Declaration, Programme of Action and Implementation Strategy for the consideration of the leaders of Africa and its Diaspora in the Summit of May 2012. The consolidated outcome documents would then serve as a basic law guiding the programme and its effective implementation.

II.Within this context, the calendar of events leading to the Summit and anticipated follow-up processes assumes critical importance and presents significant opportunities.  They must set the pace and tempo for the conduct of the Summit and facilitate the effective and timely implementation of its outcomes.  The Diaspora Ministerial Conference held in New York in September 2011 to prepare the Summit emphasized that the Diaspora program does not begin and end with the holding of the Summit and that the real test is what comes after the commitment to implementation of outcomes.  The proposed framework of activities embodies that spirit and focuses as much on the Summit as on follow-up processes.  The elements of this framework include the items listed below as follows:

III. ELEMENTS

a)   The Preparatory Phase – February 2012

The focus of efforts here will be on preparation for the finalization of both Summit arrangements and prior events that will set the pace for it.  In the first or second week of February, a preparatory meeting will be held between the Commission and the Government of South Africa to finalize the host agreement and review plans for conduct of the Summit including its venue, media plan, pre-Summit event, etc.  Subsequently, a joint briefing will be presented to the PRC to sensitize Member States of the Union and associate their inputs with the preparatory process.  The second half of February will be devoted to preparation of other events associated with programme implementation framework approved by the Ministerial meetings and the Executive Council and Assembly particularly the decision on the continuation of regional consultative Conferences, the building of Diaspora networks and feasibility studies on bankable projects as contained in the Summit decision.

b)   Regional Consultative Conferences and Network Building in the period leading to the Summit in March/April 2012

Arrangements are underway for three important regional consultative conferences as advised by Council and Executive Council Decisions including AU/Assembly/Dec.367(XVII) of July 2011.  These are as follows:

i)             Regional Consultative Conference for the Middle East and Gulf Region of the Diaspora.  The Executive Council of the Union specifically requested for this through EX.CL.Dec.386(XII). Consultation have been initiated with the Government, PRC members of contiguous states and the Governments of the Republic of Sudan and Qatar on the planning and hosting of the meeting which is expected to take place in late March 2012.

ii)            First Global Diaspora Parliamentarian Forum in New York in mid-April 2012 to bring together African and Diaspora Parliamentarians to establish a platform and agenda for their effective contribution to the Diaspora Initiative.

iii)           National Conference of Black Mayors in the USA to consider and establish a grassroot agenda and platform of elected Diaspora leaders in the US to support and work within the framework of the Diaspora Summit agenda.  This meeting will be held on a back to back basis with the Forum of Parliamentarians.

c)   Diaspora Pre-Summit 1^st or 2^nd Week of May 2012

There will be also a two day pre-Summit meeting in early May 2012 comprising about 50 delegates (equally apportioned between representatives of Diaspora Communities across the key sectors of society) and those of continental Africans alike.  This will include representatives of the private sector, trade unions and employers associations, civil society organizations, community based groups, etc, to sensitize them to the outcome of the Ministerial meetings and the wider expectations of the Summit so that they can begin to prepare themselves to play an effective role in the post-Summit implementation phase.

d)   The Global African Diaspora Summit – May 25, 2012

All these events will culminate in the Global Diaspora Summit scheduled for 25 May 2012.  It is expected that the preceding consultations will offer messages of solidarity and short, brief recommendations to the Summit which will be accommodated in oral or written form depending on the precise agenda of the Summit itself.

e)   Summit Follow-up Meeting of Diaspora Ministries – July 2012 in Abuja, Nigeria

As contained in the approved roadmap, the Summit will be accompanied soon after in July 2012 by a Conference of Diaspora Ministries that will bring together Diaspora Desk officers in all the 54 Member States of the Union and officials at the continental level to synchronize the respective regional and continental strategies and enable a coherent and mutually supportive implementation strategy for Summit outcomes.  The meeting will also prioritize a few bankable projects for feasibility studies including the Diaspora Volunteer Corps.

f)     Workshop on the Volunteer Corps and Political and Legal Representation of the Diaspora in AU Structures and Processes – August – December 2012

Two workshops are envisaged in this five month period to prepare two framework documents for consideration of Council and Assembly at its Ordinary Sessions in January 2013.  One is on the African Volunteer Corps and the second is on Political and Legal Representation of the African Diaspora in AU Structures and Processes. The latter will also consider the issue of defining the Diaspora as the sixth region of the continent.  The AU Commission will then consider the outcomes and use them to prepared framework documents for consideration of policy organs.  Given the sensitivity of the issue of political and legal representation of the Diaspora in the AU, the Ministerial meeting held in New York agreed that the AU should adopt a global rather than segmental approach towards the issue of Diaspora representation within the AU and that this should be based on Council and Assembly Decision on the framework document prepared accordingly.  Thus organs and units of the AU should refrain from taking individual actions on this issue until they can be guided appropriately by specific decisions of the Executive Organs of the Union.

g)   Other Activities

It is also expected that feasibility studies on the bankable projects can be commissioned and undertaken in this year so that framework documents for action in these areas can be prepared for consideration and adoption of Council and Assembly in the first half of 2013.  Similarly, a Sharing/Study tour of India is expected to be undertaken at a period agreed with the Indian Government in the course of 2012 to harness the lesson of the Indian Diaspora experience to support the AU’s Diaspora initiative.  Consultations have been initiated towards this end. Where possible, regional consultative meetings will be carried out in regions of the world to sensitize Diaspora communities to Summit outcomes of May 2012 and prepare them to play an effective role in support.  It is anticipated that periodic briefings will be provided to the PRC on progress made on the implementation process or as part of the preparatory meeting for the sessions of the Executive Council and Assembly of the Union.

IV.  Conclusion

The effective and timely implementation of this agenda is required for the success of the Diaspora Summit, its follow-up process and implementation strategy.  The Government of South Africa and the AU Commission solicits the support and commitment of all Member States, the PRC and policy organs, AU partners and the Diaspora communities worldwide to ensure the success of this programme.

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