Assembly/AU/Dec.508(XXII) Page 2 Regional ICT project and H.E. Abdelmalek Sellal, Prime Minister of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria on the Trans-Sahara Optic Fiber project. 8. ENDORSES the key outcomes of the Transform Africa Summit hosted by H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda in October 2013 which adopted the SMART Africa Manifesto highlighting the need to place ICT at the centre of national socio-economic development agenda and SMART Africa Alliance as implementation framework. 9. EXTENDS APPRECIATION to the PICI Chair and the Champion Heads of State and Government for their continued political commitment and strategic support, UNDERSCORING that PICI serves as the nucleus of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA). 10. ACCORDINGLY REQUESTS the NPCA to intensify consultations with the footprint Member States, RECs, African Development Bank and UNECA to advance the full implementation of approved PICI projects towards providing in-depth diagnostic of the remaining financing gaps, policy, legal and regulatory obstacles to stimulate project development and bankability. 11. RECALLS the proposal of the Government of the Republic of Senegal to host a High-Level Summit on Financing NEPAD programmes in the form of the Dakar Financing Summit (DFS) for Africa’s Infrastructure to take forward the DRM agenda and REGRETFULLY NOTES that the Summit could not take place in December 2013 as scheduled. AGREES that the HSGOC Chairperson would further consult with African Leaders on a new period for the Financing Summit. 12. REINFORCES the critical need for financial investments and leveraging publicprivate partnerships as direct input for infrastructure development and ACKNOWLEDGES the role of African regional and global development finance institutions (DFIs) to mobilize domestic financial resources. IN PARTICULAR WELCOMES the Africa50 Investment Vehicle by AfDB as an African-owned and led initiative to mobilize adequate funds for infrastructure development. 13. APPRECIATES the launch of 2014 as the Year of Agriculture and Food Security to mark the 10th Anniversary of the adoption of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture and Development Programme (CAADP)” with focus on “Transforming Africa’s Agriculture for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods, through Harnessing Opportunities for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development. 14. WELCOMES the publication on “Agriculture in Africa - Transformation and Outlook for the next 20 years” by the NPCA at the request of the Chairperson of AU Commission. 15. REQUESTS Member States, the Commission and NPCA along with stakeholders and development partners to scale up their collaboration towards sustaining of the CAADP momentum by focusing on agro-industry and entrepreneurship, access to