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Zambia wins bid to host AU secretariat body

Xinhua, January 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

Zambia has won a bid to host the secretariat of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) and has also been unanimously elected to the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union, state media reported Friday.

The ECOSOCC is an African Union advisory body designed to give civil society a voice within the Union institutions and decision making processes while the PSC is responsible for the maintenance of continental peace and security.

All the 52 member countries that participated in the African Union executive council meeting voted for Zambia to join the organization's peace and security organ during a meeting in Ethiopia.

Foreign Minister Harry Kalaba said this was a great recognition of Zambia's efforts in the maintenance of peace and economic emancipation on the continental stage, according to the Times of Zambia.

"It's a new dawn for Zambia and it shows the confidence that other countries have for Zambia and we need to build on this," he was quoted as saying on the sidelines of the on-going 26th Session of the African Union Assembly in Ethiopia.

The Zambian minister said there were multi-dimensional spiral benefits that would arise from the country hosting ECOSOCC, adding that other sectors such as trade and tourism would greatly benefit as various meetings and conferences would take place in Zambia.

He further attributed the confidence entrusted on Zambia by other African countries to the dedicated leadership of President Edgar Lungu.

On Jan. 22, 2016, Zambia's Ambassador to Ethiopia Susan Sikaneta successfully presented the country's bid to host the ECOSOCC secretariat during a plenary session. Endit