Source: African Press Organisation
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr. Jean Ping, met, Friday 16 September 2011, in Addis Ababa, with The Deputy Prime Minister Hon Thokozani Khupe of Zimbabwe, who is currently visiting Ethiopia.

 

During this meeting, the focus was on two major issues namely, the preparations for the African Summit on Women's Economic Empowerment and Development, which will be hosted by Zimbabwe next November 2011 as well as, the forthcoming general elections in that country.

The Deputy Prime Minister, who is the President of the Global Power Women Network Africa and Zimbabwe's Goodwill Ambassador on the Campaign for the Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), stressed the need for leadership accountability and transparency in Africa in implementing various protocols that have been ratified to reduce HIV/AIDS prevalence among women and girls through women's empowerment.

The Women's Network which came about through a UNAIDS and Global Power Centre for Women Studies in Washington is currently composed of African women leaders from the executive, legislature and judiciary. The summit in November this year will take into consideration the various resolutions of the Abuja Call on “Universal Access to HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Services”; the Maputo Plan of Action and Namibia Declaration, which speak to MDGs 3, 4 and 5.

On his part, the Chairperson reiterated AU's readiness to do everything possible in order to assist the government of Zimbabwe in the preparations of the African Summit on Women's Economic Empowerment and Development and to contribute in the success of this important event.

He also assured the visiting Deputy Prime Minister that AU will work and support the efforts of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to help Zimbabwe in the organization of the forthcoming general elections.

• Zimbabwe