The Chairperson of the Permanent Representatives Committee,
The Deputy Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union,
AU Commissioners,
Your Excellencies, Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Invited Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like, on behalf of the president of the Republic, His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor, the Government and people of Ghana, to extend to you a very warm welcome to our capital city Accra. You know our traditional word for welcome is akwaaba. Akwaaba to each and everyone of you.

It is indeed, fitting that the second session of this year's African Union Summit should be taking place in Accra, as Ghana celebrates her fiftieth independence anniversary, a celebration of our golden jubilee which is not only for Ghana, but also for the whole of Africa. We rejoice at the fact that Ghana's independence on March 6, 1957 changed fundamentally the outlook of the African continent and its status and the role in the world.

Your Excellencies,

I dare say that this Summit is a crucial one, which seeks to determine the way forward for the African Union, the successor to the OAU, a Union which is firmly anchored in good governance, respect for human rights and sound economic management as the way forward for the development of our continent. We in Africa should have a clear knowledge of where we have come from and where we are today. Development in our era, especially the process of globalization which is engendering greater and greater integration of entire regions and continents, enjoin us to make at this Accra Summit historic and far-reaching decisions bout the political and economic integration of our continent. This is, thus, the relevance of devoting this Summit to a deliberation on the future direction of our Union

But before we get to the summit level, you have rightly decide to deal with a number of outstanding issues of administrative, legal, political and economic nature that confronts the Commission and the Union in order to make appropriate recommendations for the Executive Council. I am told that because of the large number of agenda items.

Before you and the Executive Council, you had already started your meeting in Addis Ababa as far back as 18th June 2007 so as to be able to prepare the meeting of the Executive Council in the best of conditions and successfully too. This is a sure way to deal with the challenges and complexities facing Africa, and I wish to pay due tribute to your sense of responsibility that has always been a hall mark of your contributions to the work of the Executive and the Assembly.

Surely, there are always numerous challenges ahead that require our utmost attention, and though we may have differences on how to deal with these challenges and issues, there are certain fundamentals that cannot be overlooked. The central one is that the political and economic integration of our continent provides the most effective framework for us, collectively and severally, to address successfully the great challenges of our generation - the eradication of mass poverty on our continent through its socio-economic transformation. We can best do so when we contribute to advance common position for the resolution of our common problems. This is the process that will strengthen our union so that it can be a formidable force in the 21st century for the defence and advancement of Africa's strategic interests.

Excellencies, you have before you a number of documents which hopefully, articulate African issues in greater detail and depth and you are required to consider them and make appropriate recommendations to the Executive Council. I urge you all to put Africa first in all your deliberations to make our Union achieve its objectives and our continent a better place to live.

Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have no doubt that your conclusions and recommendations on the issues before you would inform the ministers on how to navigate a roadmap for the formulation of polices to accelerate the development of our mighty continent.

I now declare the 14th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee of the African Union duly open.

May God Bless Africa.