03 Jul 2019

Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation Dr Unity Dow is in Niamey, Niger to attend both the extraordinary summit and assembly of the African Union (AU).

The summit is the organisation’s 35th while the assembly is its 12th.

According to a press release from the ministry, the two meetings will be held under the theme, ‘The year of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons: towards durable solutions to forced displacement in Africa’.

The release says the AU executive council is expected to consider the organisation’s 2020 budget; its new structure  as well as reports for financing the union and the peace fund.

After the AU meetings, Minister Dow will proceed to London, United Kingdom where she is expected to attend the 19th Commonwealth foreign ministers meeting scheduled for July 10.

The meeting, the release says, will consider the status of implementation of outcomes of the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), as well as preparations for CHOGM 2020 and the Commonwealth 70th anniversary celebrations.

While in London, the minister will also attend the Global Conference for Media Freedom co-hosted by UK and Canada governments scheduled for July 10-11, says he release.

The conference is part of an international campaign in response to UN secretary general Mr Antonio Guterres’ call to ‘protect journalists and media workers, to create conditions they need to do their essential work as well as investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of attacks on them’.

Minister Dow, who left on July 2, is expected back home on  the 13th. Ends