The information was provided by Florbela Araújo, president of AOMA, after a hearing held this Tuesday in Luanda, between the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, and ombudsmen and mediators of the association, says a statement from CIPRA, to which VerAngola had access.
"Angola will host this Thursday, April 24, the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Association of African Ombudsmen and Mediators (AOMA), within the scope of the Angolan presidency of this organization, assumed since November 2023", reads the note, which adds that the meeting will be "dedicated to the analysis of the activity and financial reports, the reports of the regional coordinators and the Research Center for the year 2023, as well as to the discussion of the proposal to revise the statutes in force since 1990".
On the occasion, Florbela Araújo said that the meeting served for them to ask some questions related to providers and mediators on the African continent.
"The President of the Republic and Holder of the Executive Power, at this moment, also assumes the presidency of the African Union, so we came to ask some questions related to the providers and mediators of Africa", said the president of AOMA.
"During the meeting of the organization's Executive Committee, the evaluation of the memorandum of understanding between AOMA and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Angola's partner in holding monthly conferences and seminars, is also planned," the statement reads.
Another important point is related to the "preparation of the association's next General Assembly, to be held in December, in Angola, where it is expected to approve statutory changes and other structural deliberations".
Furthermore, the note says, the meeting will also address the "renewal of AOMA's observer status with the African Union, considering that Angola, in addition to presiding over the association, currently holds the rotating presidency of the continental organization."
According to the president of the association, the delegation is in Angola "to also participate in the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the election of the country's first Ombudsman, an event that is also part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of National Independence".
Regarding Angola's performance in leading AOMA, the official highlighted that, according to an internal assessment, "the country has contributed to boosting the activity of African providers and mediators, with emphasis on training, regional meetings and the signing of agreements with international entities".
She also pointed to the signing of a cooperation agreement with the Latin American Institute of Providers and Mediators: "Angola, also in its capacity as President of the Providers Association, signed a cooperation agreement with the Latin American Institute of Providers and Mediators. And, according to the Providers of Africa, Angola is, in fact, making this association continue, therefore, leveraging, since, because of Covid and other issues, it had declined."
Caroline Zulu Sokoni, Zambia's ombudsman, who was part of the delegation that met with João Lourenço on Tuesday, said that AOMA "meets, in accordance with its statutes, every two years, to discuss the norms and standards of action, as well as the challenges faced by ombudsman institutions on the continent".
"The Zambian official reinforced that, during the Executive Committee meeting to be held in Luanda, the proposed amendment to the association's statutes will be discussed, with a view to creating a permanent secretariat and defining mechanisms that ensure its financial sustainability. In addition, the organization's strategic program will be analyzed," the statement said.
According to the person in charge, João Lourenço gave the 'green light' for this meeting to take place: "The President of the Republic of Angola has consented to this meeting taking place and, therefore, we will take advantage of this time to review the recommendations and resolutions that will have emerged from the Executive Committee meeting, to make our institution increasingly stronger", she said, quoted in the note.
Tuesday's meeting took place at the Presidential Palace. According to a note from the Presidency of the Republic, to which VerAngola had access, Florbela Araújo, who is also the Ombudsman of the Republic of Angola, said that "it was a courtesy meeting".
"The group's spokesperson also revealed to journalists that the meeting also served to inform the Angolan statesman, in his capacity as acting President of the African Union, how AOMA, an institution that was created in 1978, works", the note states, adding that the delegation, made up of magistrates from eight African countries, also took the opportunity to "congratulate President João Lourenço on his election to preside over the African Union".
