Executive council Thirty-Fourth Ordinary Session 07 - 08 February 2019 Addis Ababa, EthiopiaThe Heads of State and Government in 2016 adopted African Space Policy and Strategy through Assembly/AU/Dec.589(XXVI) Decision and requested the Commission to carry out consultations with a view to evaluating the legal, structural and financial implications for the creation of a continental African Space Agency. This was followed by the adoption, in January 2018 through Assembly/AU/Dec.676(XXX), the Statute of African Space Agency

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 AFRICAN UNION    UNION AFRICAINE   UNIÃO AFRICANA  Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: +251 11 5517700 Fax: +251 11 5517844 Website: www.au.int   EXECUTIVE COUNCIL  Thirty-Fourth Ordinary Session 07 - 08 February 2019 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  EX.CL/1118(XXXIV)Rev.1 Original : English             REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON THE HIGH LEVEL PANEL’S REPORT FOR ASSESSING CANDIDATE COUNTRIES TO HOST THE AFRICAN SPACE AGENCY    EX.CL/1118(XXXIV)Rev.1 Page 1  SUMMARY REPORT   I. INTRODUCTION  1. The Heads of State and Government in 2016 adopted African Space Policy and Strategy through Assembly/AU/Dec.589(XXVI) Decision and requested the Commission to carry out consultations with a view to evaluating the legal, structural and financial implications for the creation of a continental African Space Agency. This was followed by the adoption, in January 2018 through Assembly/AU/Dec.676(XXX), the Statute of African Space Agency.  2. The Commission invited Member States to express their intention to host the African Space Agency through Note Verbale Ref: HRST/ST/501/1.09.17 of September 2017. Four countries, Egypt, Ethiopia, Namibia and Nigeria responded in time. Niger and Ghana made their submissions after the deadline had passed of 30 October 2017 and therefore were not considered.   3. The Commission constituted a four member High Level Panel of Assessors to evaluate the candidate countries on hosting the Agency and make recommendations  for further consideration by the AU Policy Organs, and finally by the Assembly. The High Level Panel was assisted by the secretariat made up by representatives from the Departments of the Commission namely HRST, AHRM and OLC.   4. The Terms of Reference of the Panel are included:  (i) Ascertaining fulfillment of the general criteria on hosting AU Organs.  (ii) Validating the authenticity of the documents provided by each country as proof to demonstrate that it meets the criteria for hosting the African Space Agency  (iii) Analyzing the documents provided by each country to demonstrate that it meets the criteria for hosting the African Space Agency;  (iv) Visiting the enabling facilities and infrastructure.  (v) Meeting with all relevant officials identified by the country for the purpose of this action.  (vi) Confirming the financial commitment of the country in documenting it  5. The criteria for assessment and evaluation of the hosting of the African Space Agency was divided into two broad categories:  (i) General Criteria for hosting African Union Organs (ii) Technical and scientific criteria specific to a Space Agency    EX.CL/1118(XXXIV)Rev.1 Page 2 II. GENERAL CRITERIA FOR HOSTING AFRICAN UNION ORGANS  6. This criteria was derive from the Executive Council decision on hosting AU Organs [ EX.CL/195 (VII) Rev.1] that was adopted by the 7th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and endorsed by the 5th Ordinary Session of the Assembly held in Sirte, Libya, on 1-2 and 4-5 July 2005, respectively.  The criteria has 10 point-elements as shown in the table below:  1.  Ratification of the General Conventions on Privileges and Immunity  - General Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the OAU - The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961  - The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. 2.  Diplomatic immunity and privileges.   3.  Secure, accessible and fully furnished office structure. 4.  Tax and custom exemptions.  5.  Conducive political atmosphere.  6.  Adequate logistical facilities including transportation in to and out of the Country.  7.  Modern Infrastructure, especially telecommunication facilities. 8.  Health facilities.  9.  Requirement of entry visas.  10.  Banking sector and financial transfers.   III. TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC CRITERIA SPECIFIC TO A SPACE AGENCY  7. The Technical and scientific Criteria peculiar to a Space Agency had 2 sub-categories dealing with policy and legal framework relating to space programme, and the financial commitment and additional support to the Agency, as shown in the tables (a) and (b) below:  (a) Policy and legal framework relating to space programme  1.  The country has a Civilian Space Policy and Space Law in vigor.  2.  The Civilian Space Policy is one of the key priorities for the country embedded in the country development plan or strategy.  3.  The country has a transparent and inclusive data sharing policy.  4.  The country has a trade policy or any other policy or legal instruments that are not impeding space material and equipment importation and exportation.  5.  The country is not under international sanctions. 6.  The country is already collaborating with African and international institutions on the space related matters as a key leader.    EX.CL/1118(XXXIV)Rev.1 Page 3 (b)  Financial commitment and additional support to the Agency   1.  The costs of US $10, 000, 000 for the establishment of the African Space Agency according to the financial implications study done by the African Union Commission.  2.  Annual contribution of US $5,000,000 to the African Space Agency operational and management budget.  3.  To waive all related Customs / taxes exemptions with respect to the African Space Agency’s equipment assets and infrastructures.  4.  Agency. Residential facilities to the Head of the Agency   IV. CONCLUSIONS  8. The Panel developed scoring sheet for the general and technical criteria and used it as the basis of assessment and evaluation. The score was computed as the average of the individual scores by the four experts (refer to tables in the High Level Panel Report).   9. The evaluation missions started on 17th October and ended on 26 October. Each country provided their own programme of activities, which guided the High Level Panel. Prior to this, Namibia officially withdrew its intention to host the Agency. Hence the evaluation missions were only on Ethiopia, Egypt and Nigeria.  10. The comprehensive High Level Panel Report is attached for reference.  11. The Table below shores the scores from each individual expert for each candidate country and the computation of the average score. With an average score of 92.7 Egypt ranked first, it is followed by Nigeria with an average score of 79.2 and Ethiopia ranked third with an average score of 62.5.  Country  candidate Panelist 1 Panelist 2 Panelist 3 Panelist 4 Average  Ranking Ethiopia 66 61.95 63.5 58.5 62.5 3 Egypt 91 95.30 97 87.5 92.7 1 Nigeria 75 81.75 82 78 79.2 2   V. DRAFT EXECUTIVE COUNCIL DECISION:  (1) TAKES NOTE of the Report of the Commission on High Level Panel for assessing candidate countries that offered to host the African Space Agency;  (2) COMMENDS the High Level Panel for diligently assessing the  candidates countries that offered to host the Agency;  EX.CL/1118(XXXIV)Rev.1 Page 4 (3) RECOMMENDS [COUNTRY] to the Assembly as the host of the African Space Agency;   VI. DRAFT ASSEMBLY DECISION  (1) TAKES NOTE of the Report of the Executive Council and the recommendations contained therein;  (2) RECALLS Assembly/AU/ Dec.589(XXVI) decision of January 2016 adopting the African Space Policy and Strategy as a step towards the realization  of  the AU Agenda 2063 Outer-Space Flagship and the request to the Commission to evaluate the legal, structural and financial implications for the African Space Agency and report to the Assembly;  (3) FURTHER RECALLS Assembly/AU/Dec.676(XXX) decision of January 2018  adopting the Statute for establishing an African Space Agency as a critical institutional arrangement for the implementation of the African Space Policy and Strategy to build in the continent capacities in (i) Earth Observation, (ii) Satellite Communication, (iii) Navigation and Positioning, and (iv) Space Science and Astronomy;  (4) DECIDES that [COUNTRY] shall host the African Space Agency;  (5) CONGRATULATES [COUNTRY] and CALLS UPON the Commission to work closely with the host country to establish and operationalize the African Space Agency;  (6) URGES Member States, NEPAD, RECs and Regional Space Institutions to work closely with the African Space Agency.  (7) INVITES the Development Partners to support the African Space Agency AFRICAN UNION  UNION AFRICAINEAfrican Union Common Repository http://archives.au.intOrgans Council of Ministers & Executive Council Collection2019-02-07Report of the commission on the highlevel panel’s report for assessingcandidate countries to host the Africanspace agencyAfrica UnionAfrican  Unionhttps://archives.au.int/handle/123456789/6464Downloaded from African Union Common Repository

Report of the commission on the high level panel’s report for assessing candidate countries to host the African space agency

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Report of the commission on the high level panel’s report for assessing candidate countries to host the African space agency

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