Deputy Speaker, hon members, a strong African Union is essential for Africa's unity and development. South Africa will continue to advocate for a gradual process of continental integration using the regional economic communities as building blocks towards the establishment of the African Union government.
This entails the harmonisation of the programmes and policies of regional economic communities, and we are pleased that progress is being made with regard to integration within and among the Southern African Development Community, SADC; the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Comesa; and the East African Community, EAC.
We are committed to supporting the strengthening of the African Union and its structures. Amongst other things, this is evident from South Africa's engagement in ensuring the establishment of the African Union organs, namely the African Investment Bank, the African Central Bank, the African Monetary Bank, and the African Court of Justice and Human Rights. In this regard, it must be mentioned that Ministers of justice and attorneys- general of the AU have finalised the major instrument for the African Court of Justice and the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights.
South Africa has nominated and was able to get the endorsement of Justice Bernard Ngoepe, the Judge President of the Transvaal, to serve in the human rights section of the court. South Africa will continue to work with the African Union Commission towards transforming the Pan-African Parliament from being an advisory body to a legislative one. In order to advance the founding principles of the African Union, South Africa will continue to support the activities of the economic, social and cultural council with a view to ensuring that all the peoples of Africa participate in, and take ownership of, African Union activities and processes.
On the second aspect of the question, South Africa will continue to support the implementation of Nepad - the New Partnership for Africa's Development - as a blueprint for Africa's socioeconomic development. Nepad is part of the African Union's programmes to intensify the struggle against poverty and underdevelopment on the continent.
In this regard, South Africa will continue to support the integration of Nepad into the AU's structures and processes. We are committed to meeting our own obligations that derive from the African Peer Review Mechanism, and we will continue to encourage other African Union member states to accede to the African Peer Review Mechanism and implement the outcome of the country reviews.
South Africa will continue to support the implementation of Nepad's programmes and projects at a regional level through the regional indicative strategic development plan and at a national level. We are pleased that at the 11th summit of heads of state and governments participating in the African Peer Review Mechanism held in Sirte, Libya, at the end of June this year, Cape Verde acceded to the African Peer Review Mechanism as the 29th member.
South Africa will continue to support the call for the international community to comply with their commitments made at various international fora aimed at assisting African countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals within the framework of Nepad. Thank you.