SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES OAU ON ITS THIRTY-EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES OAU ON ITS THIRTY-EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY

Following is the text of the message of Secretary-General Kofi Annanto the meeting marking the thirty-eighth anniversary of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), delivered on the Secretary-General's behalf by Under-Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari, Special Adviser on Africa:

I send my congratulations and best wishes to the Organization of African Unity, which for 38 years has been the voice of Africa in the concert of nations, and has helped Africa to play its part on the international stage.

More than that, the OAU has provided African States with a clear goal and a collective vision.  In the years since 1963 steady progress has been made in forging closer links between the peoples of Africa -- at regional and subregional levels -- and in strengthening cooperation among them.

Just as we remember with gratitude the OAU’s role as a rallying-point during the liberation struggle, so today we applaud its efforts to mobilize the collective will of the continent against mankind’s ancient enemies -- war, want, and disease -- even when they take on new and hideous forms such as HIV/AIDS.  Just last month, we saw a clear illustration of the OAU's continuing relevance in the successful convening and outcome of the Abuja summit on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.

Today, as Africa takes on the challenges and seizes the opportunities of globalization, we see the OAU providing once again an indispensable forum and structure where its member States can consult and plan how best to further their shared interests.  We also see African leaders planning to transform the OAU into a deeper "African Union" - a bold endeavour which deserves the fullest support from the international community.

Let me conclude by expressing my thanks and appreciation to my brother Salim Ahmed Salim for the sterling work he has done, and continues to do, at the helm of the OAU -- and especially for his support in strengthening United Nations-OAU cooperation.  As the world increasingly comes to recognize the potential of regional organizations to achieve peace and prosperity for their members, I am confident that this cooperation will grow from strength to strength.

* *** *