Decisions adopted by the Fifth Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU/AEC

1-2 March 2001
Sirte,
Great Jamahiriya
EAHG/Dec.1(V).

Decision on the African Union

The Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African Unity, meeting in its Fifth Extraordinary Session in Sirte, Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, from 1 to 2 March 2001:

• RECALLING the Sirte Declaration of 9.9.99 adopted by the Fourth Extraordinary Session of the Assembly;

• FURTHER RECALLING the adoption of the Constitutive Act of the African Union by the thirty-sixth Ordinary Session of the Assembly held in Lomé, Togo, from 10 to 12 July 2000;

• NOTING that all Member States have signed the Constitutive Act of the African Union;

DECIDES:

1. To proudly declare the establishment of the African Union by the unanimous will of Member States;

2. That the legal requirements for the Union will have been completed upon the deposit of the 36th instrument of ratification of the Constitutive Act of the African Union;

3. That the Constitutive Act of the African Union shall enter into force thirty (30) days after the deposit of the instruments of ratification by two-thirds of the Member States of the OAU, as provided for in Article 28 of the Constitutive Act;

4. That the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly should take the necessary decisions pertaining to the transformation of the OAU into the African Union, in accordance with Article 33 of the Constitutive Act, and the preparation of necessary draft protocols relating to the Organs and Institutions of the Union.

EAHG.Dec.2(V)
Decision on the Draft Protocol to the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community relating to the Pan-African Parliament

The Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African Unity, meeting in its Fifth Extraordinary Session in Sirte, Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, from 1 to 2 March 2001:

HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendation of the 37th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers contained in Decision CM/566 (LXXIII) on the Draft Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community relating to the Pan-African Parliament:

1. TAKES NOTE of the recommendation;

2. ADOPTS, with amendments to Articles 4 and 25, the Draft Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community relating to the Pan-African Parliament and URGES all Member States to sign and ratify the Protocol as expeditiously as possible.

EAHG/Dec.3(V)
Decision on the Lockerbie Issue

The Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African Unity, meeting in its Fifth Extraordinary Session in Sirte, Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, from 1 to 2 March 2001;

• HAVING reviewed the evolution of the Lockerbie issue, particularly the verdict handed down by the Scottish Court at Camp Zeist;

• Having taken note of the statement made by President Nelson Mandela on this issue at the opening of the Fifth Extraordinary Session;

• Bearing in mind the relevant decisions of the OAU and those of the Community of the Sahelo-Sahara States (CEN-SAD), the League of Arab States, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the Non-Aligned Movement and other International and Regional Organisations all of which commended the Great Jamahiriya for its responsible and laudable attitude as well as for the cooperation it has shown in this matter;

1. ENDORSES the resolution on the Lockerbie issue adopted by the CEN-SAD Summit held in Khartoum, from 12 to 13 February 2001;

2. CALLS UPON the United Nations Security Council to immediately and definitively lift the sanctions imposed on Libya;

3. DECIDES to establish a Commission of Jurists to follow up on all aspects related to the legal proceedings and report to the Assembly;

4. MANDATES the Head of State (the countries to be determined after consultation), making use of their good offices, to maintain the necessary contacts with all concerned parties with a view to ensuring a speedy and satisfactory resolution of the issue.

Special Motion of Thanks to the leader of the Great Socialist Libyan Jamahiriya Brother Muammar Al Ghaddafi adopted by the Fifth Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government

We, the Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African Unity, meeting in our Fifth Extraordinary Session, in Sirte Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, from 1 to 2 March 2001,

• CONSIDERING the initiatives taken by Brother Muammar Ghaddafi to strengthen the unity, cohesion and solidarity of our peoples and continent;

• BEARING in mind, the immense contributions made by the Libyan people and leadership, to the advancement of the objectives of the continent, in the area of peace, security, stability and development;

• Conscious of the persistent attempts to destabilise the Great Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and thereby divert the attention of its leader from reasserting the dignity and freedom of his people as well as undermining the important role that our Brother and his people have been playing in our continent;

HEREBY

1. PAY DESERVING TRIBUTE to Brother Muammar Al Ghaddafi, Leader of the Great Al Fatah Revolution for his role and efforts as the son of Africa;

2. REAFFIRM our confidence in his determined efforts aimed at realising our collective vision for unity, cooperation, development, peace and security in our continent;

3. CONSIDER that any act aimed at destabilising and undermining the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya constitutes an affront to the collective aspirations of Africa and African peoples towards the attainment of self-esteem, dignity and independence.