Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma will lead a delegation to the 26th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly (AU Summit) later this week, said the Presidency.
The summit will take place from 30 – 31 January in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The 2016 AU Summit will be held under the theme “African Year of Human Rights with a Particular Focus on the Rights of Women”.
“Human rights, especially women’s rights, remain the cornerstone of South Africa’s legal framework and policies, such as the National Development Plan, which is in line with AU Agenda 2063’s vision that there will be gender equality and women’s empowerment in all spheres of life,” said President Zuma on Thursday.
According to the Presidency, the theme is of extreme importance to South Africa as it marks 20 years since the adoption of the Constitution of South Africa and the Bill of Rights, as well as the 60 years since the historic women’s march to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956.
Furthermore, this African Union session takes place in the context of the 35th Anniversary of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights adopted in Nairobi on 27 June 1981, which entered into force on October 21 1986.
President Zuma will be accompanied by the Minister of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Jeff Radebe; Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane; Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula; Minister of Public Service and Administration Ngoako Ramatlhodi; Minister of Women Susan Shabangu; Minister of State Security David Mahlobo; and Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Michael Masutha.
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