The Session, which is being held under the theme: “Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063,” takes place on June 14-15, 2015 at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg.

The Summit’s agenda specifies that the President of Zimbabwe and Chairperson of the AU, Robert Mugabe; Chairperson of the AU Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma; President Jacob Zuma; and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon will address the opening session of the Summit.

The President of the State of Palestine and Chairman of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Mahmoud Abbas will also make welcome remarks at the opening session and the newly-elected Heads of State and Government.

The AU Summit will later consider the report of the Commission on the Ebola Crisis; the report of the Ministerial Retreat on: First Ten-Year implementation plan of the Agenda 2063 and modalities for implementation of the Alternative Sources of Financing the AU.

The report of the Peace and Security Council on its activities and the state of peace and security in Africa and the progress report of the Commission on Maternal, New Born and Child Health (MNCH) will be high on the agenda.

The Heads of State and Government will exchange views on the report of President Macky Sall of Senegal and Chairperson of NEPAD, Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC); the report of President John Dramane Mahama and Chairperson of the High Level African Trade Committee (HATC); and the report of President Abdel Fattah El Sissi of Egypt and Coordinator of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC).


They will also discuss the report of President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone and Chairperson of the Committee of Ten on the UN Reforms and the report of Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Chairperson of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

The Summit will further consider the report of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia and Chairperson of the AIDS Watch Africa (AWA) Heads of State and Government Action Committee.

The leaders will then proceed to the appointment of some elected officials including six members of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) and three members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).

A joint press conference addressed by the Chairperson of the AU and the Chairperson of the AU Commission will wrap up the 25th African Union Summit.

Meanwhile, while President Sirleaf is away Justice Minister Cllr. Benedict Sannoh will serve as Acting Chairman of the Cabinet in consultation with Vice President Joseph N. Boakai, Sr.

The Liberian leader is expected back on Tuesday, June 16, 2015.