Assembly/AU/Dec.498(XXII) DECISION ON THE ORGANIZATION OF AN EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENTS OF THE AFRICAN UNION TO ASSESS THE PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2004 OUAGADOUGOU DECLARATION AND PLAN OF ACTION ON EMPLOYMENT AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION Doc. Assembly/AU/16(XXII)Add. 3 The Assembly, 1. NOTES AND WELCOMES the proposal presented by Burkina Faso on the organization of an Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Governments to assess the progress in the implementation of the 2004 Ouagadougou Declaration and Plan of Action, ten (10) years after its adoption; 2. RECALLS the commitments made by the Heads of State and Governments at the Extraordinary Summit on Employment and Poverty Alleviation in Africa held on 8 and 9 September 2004 in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso); 3. REAFFIRMS the importance of the Action Plan adopted at this Extraordinary Summit which should serve as an instrument of implementation of various commitments made by the Heads of State and Governments in the 2004 Ouagadougou Declaration; 4. RECOGNIZES that such an assessment, after ten (10) years of implementation of the Declaration and Plan of Action, is needed to reverse the current trend of poverty, unemployment and underemployment; 5. ENDORSES the organization of an Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Governments on the assessment of progress made in the implementation of the 2004 Ouagadougou Declaration and Plan of Action; 6. REQUESTS the Commission, Regional Economic Communities and technical and financial partners, including the International Labour Office (ILO), to support Burkina Faso in organizing this summit; 7. INVITES Member States to actively participate in the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Governments on the assessment of progress in the implementation of the 2004 Ouagadougou Declaration and Plan of Action to be organized by the African Union in September 2014; 8. REQUESTS the Commission to conduct consultations with the Government of Burkina Faso and the Chairperson of the African Union to determine the exact dates of the Summit and to inform Member States. The Extraordinary Session will be held in conformity with Article 5.2 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly.