An important and opportune event

Invite and encourage the full participation of the African Diaspora as an important part of our Continent, in the building of the African Union

The African Union’s draft consensus definition of the African Diaspora considers it as "[consisting] of people of African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union."

In a new Article 3 (q), adopted in February 2003, the African Union Constitutive Act declares that the organisation shall "invite and encourage the full participation of the African Diaspora as an important part of our Continent, in the building of the African Union."

The African Union has mandated South Africa to present in the first half of 2008 the African Union-African Diaspora Summit at the level of Heads of State and Government. The theme of the Summit is :

“Towards the realisation of a united and integrated Africa and its Diaspora : A shared vision for sustainable development to address common challenges.”

The essential objective of the Summit is to produce a practical programme of action for co-operation between the continent and its Diaspora.

The final Summit will rest on the results achieved at a series of Regional Consultative Conferences. Such conferences have already taken place in Brazil for Latin America, London for the United Kingdom and New York for North America, while others are still to be held in the Bahamas for the Caribbean and Addis Ababa for Africa.

In consultation with the African Union it has been decided that the Regional Consultative Conference for the African Diaspora in Europe will take place at the Palais de Congres in Paris on 11 and 12 September 2007 in Paris.

The objective will be to bring together approximately 150 representatives from the African Diaspora in France and 200 representatives from the rest of Europe, in particular the eight other European countries with significant Diaspora communities (excluding the United Kingdom), to consult on a number of issues of particular concern to the Diaspora in Europe. The other main contributing countries are Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

It is envisaged that the South African Minister of Foreign Affairs, other Ministers and senior representatives from the African Union will also attend the Conference in Paris.

The outcomes of all the Regional Consultative Conferences will be consolidated by an International Working Group of Experts for submission to an international meeting of Diaspora civil society and an African Ministerial Meeting, who will in its turn propose a communiqué and a working programme for consideration by the African Heads of State and Government at the Summit itself.