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03.08.2012 Africa

Roof Topping Ceremony of Peace and Security Building

By African Union Commission (AUC)
Roof Topping Ceremony of Peace and Security BuildingRoof Topping Ceremony of Peace and Security Building
03.08.2012 LISTEN

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, August 3, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The new African Union Peace and Security Building (AU PSB), a donation by the German Government to the African Union with 26.5 million Euros, will celebrate its project milestone in a grand roof topping ceremony to be held on:

Date and time: 7th of August 2012, starting 10:00 AM

Venue: African Union Compound

Over 300 construction workers and master craftsmen who participated in the construction of the building over the last year and half period will receive recognition during the event. “According to German building traditions, the event honors the performance of all construction workers and master craftsmen who participated in the realization of such a project milestone. And today we are happy to celebrate such an event here in Ethiopia. “said Mr. Manfred Off, Director of the AU PSB project.


Due to its long and successful record in the program management and capacity development of large construction projects in Ethiopia, the Deutsche GesellschaftfuerInternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, International Services has been appointed to manage the design and construction work while the building is being constructed by construction companies registered in Ethiopia. The new building will meet international design standards for environmental sustainability, incorporating climate-friendly and energy-efficient technologies which will help to lower the building's maintenance costs.

Spread across 13,500 sq m of floor space, the new Peace and Security building will include offices for 360 employees. It will also provide a plenary hall for the meetings of the Peace and Security Council, a situations room and a military operations room, the offices of the Peace and Security Department, as well as a library, meeting facilities and space for auxiliary functions. The building will also be home to the Continental Early Warning System, which will enable the Council to monitor criticalinformation on ongoing crises.

The new Peace and Security building is an outcome of a request made by the Mr. Alpha O. Konaré, the then Chairperson of the African Union Commission to the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, in 2008, for an assistance of construction of an office building for the Peace and Security Department whose staff were scattered in various rented offices outside of the AU compound.

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