Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Gabon, Jean Ping was elected in the first round of balloting as Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union. The 53 Member States voted at the closing of the tenth African Union summit in Addis Ababa, on 1st February.
Mr Ping received 31 of the 46 votes cast (3 votes for Sierra Leone and 12 for Zambia) and in April 2008 will therefore replace the current chairperson, former President of Mali Alpha Oumar Konaré, who has headed the AU commission since 2003.
Two other candidates were in the running for this position. Abdulai Osman Conteh, from Sierra Leone and currently Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Belize, in South America, and Inonge Mbikusita Lewanika, currently serving as Zambian ambassador to the United States.
The African Union is an organisation of African States established in Durban in 2000. It replaced the Organisation of African Unity in 2002. Its institutions (Commission, Pan-African Parliament and Peace and Security Council) were created at the Maputo Summit in July 2003.
The AU is Africa’s premier institution and principal organisation for the promotion of accelerated socio-economic integration of the continent, which will lead to greater unity and solidarity between African countries and peoples. Based on the European Union model, the AU’s aims are to work to promote democracy, Human rights and development throughout Africa, particularly by increasing foreign investment through the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) scheme.
“Jean Ping is a man of great value. He is highly competent and has proved his competence in Africa, in his country (Gabon) and at the United Nations where he chaired the general assembly," Abdoulaye Wade said.
In international diplomacy, Mr Ping has headed Gabonese delegation at numerous international conferences and summits, including UNESCO, the Organisation of African Unity, which has since become the AU, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, of which he was chairman in 1993.
In recognition of his outstanding career and service to his country, Mr Ping has been awarded Gabon’s medals of Commander of the Equatorial Star, Grand Officer of the Equatorial Star, Commander of the Maritime Merit Order and Commander of the Gabonese National Order of Merit.
In 2004, he was President of the 59th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
In 2006, he was awarded the rank of Grand officier de la légion d’honneur by the French Ambassador to Gabon, on behalf of President Jacques Chirac.
He has also held several ministerial portfolios and was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, Francophonie and Regional Integration on 28 December 2007.
NOVACOM Associés, le 3 February 2008
