DECISION ON THE FIRST AFRICAN UNION DIASPORA MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE - DOC. EX.CL/383(Xin The Executive Council; TAKES NOTE of the Report on the First African Union Diaspora IVIinisterial Conference held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 16 to 18 November 2007 ; AFFIRMS that this is an important milestone in the consolidation of the Diaspora Initiative; COMMENDS the efforts of the Republic of South Africa and the AU Commission in the progress made towards organizing the African Diaspora Summit schedulfd-totfe held in the Republic of South Africa in October 2008 ENCOURAGES the G6i|�rnment of South Africa and the AU Com�i�ston :o continue cooperatti%in this regard; FURTHER COj��NDS Member participation makings held continue to partM��fe actively inth' Diaspora for their ALLS ON them to ENCOURAGE Programme and would serve as implementation of the! sensus-bL I�S�tionW� b>-i OIOCKSI ■ finalization of the 'at the Summit, which fgrating efforts towards REQUESTS the AU Commission to develop a framework document, as decided by the Second Africa-Caribbean Conference on the modalities of Diaspora participation in the organs, activities and meetings of the Union, conduct a feasibility study on the Diaspora as a sixth region of the Union to support this programme, and to submit a report to the Executive Council in January 2009; URGES the Commission to continue the Regional Consultation Conferences, to include the African Diaspora in the Gulf, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania; 8. APPEALS to Member States to continue to support and provide adequate resources for the implementation of the Diaspora Initiative.