Assembly/AU/Dec.591(XXVI) Page 1 DECISION ON THE ITEMS PROPOSED BY MEMBER STATES The Assembly, 1. TAKES NOTE of the items proposed by Member States and ENDORSES the recommendations contained therein as follows; A. ON AN AFRICAN ARCHITECTURE FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION 2. AGREES in principle to support the idea and emphasizes the relevance and opportunity for the African Union (AU) to have an architecture for risk reduction in Africa at national, regional and continental levels; 3. REQUESTS the Commission to: i) Submit, in collaboration with Cameroon, , a roadmap for the creation of the Centre of Excellence for Disaster Risk Research, Prevention and Management; ii) Work with partners with respect to providing resources to Member States to mitigate disasters. B. ON PROPOSED 2017 THEME OF THE AFRICAN “HARNESSING THE DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDEND INVESTMENTS IN THE YOUTH UNION ON THROUGH 4. RECALLS Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.363(XVII) on the Theme “Accelerating Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development” and Declaration Assembly/AU/Decl.1(XVII)) on Declaration on Creating Employment for Accelerating Youth Development and Empowerment adopted in Malabo in July 2011 to accelerate youth development and empowerment and the pleas made by young people through AU Intergenerational Dialogues with Heads of State and Government for the prioritization of the demographic dividend agenda at the highest levels of decision-making in Africa; 5. STRESSES that: i) The youth are Africa’s greatest asset which, if properly harnessed, will play a vital role in determining the continent’s development trajectory for the next fifty (50) years and drive Agenda 2063; ii) Harnessing the demographic dividend is not guaranteed but can be achieved through economic reforms that create jobs, investments in human capital and efficient governance;