The News Review:

- Court won’t declare chimp a person
- Africa: Continent Freedom of Information Centre Launched
- Africa: Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Meet At the United Nations in…
- West Africa: Ecowas Trade Experts Recommend Measures to Boost Intra…

Court won’t declare chimp a person
Tehran Times – Sep 30, 2007
The legal tussle began in February, when the animal shelter where Pan and another chimp, Rosi, have lived for 25 years filed for bankruptcy protection. Activists want to ensure the apes don’t wind up homeless if the shelter closes. Both were captured as babies in Sierra Leone in 1982 and smuggled in a crate to Austria for use in pharmaceutical experiments. Customs officers intercepted the shipment and turned the chimps over to the shelter. Their upkeep costs about euro4,800 (U.

Africa: Continent Freedom of Information Centre Launched
AllAfrica.com – Sep 30, 2007
Known as the 'Africa Freedom of Information Centre' (AFIC), it will provide technical assistance to civil society organization in the region involved in various stages of Freedom of Information work, including the drafting of access to information bills, advocacy for their passage into law, implementation, litigation and monitoring activities. GA_googleFillSlot(“AllAfrica_Story_Inset”); A statement made available to Sunday Champion by Mr. Edetaen Ojo, the project designate director said the decision to establish the Centre was taken by representatives of 30 civil society organizations from 16 African countries, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Togo, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Senegal, Benin Republic, Guinea, Uganda and Kenya, who met in Lagos, Nigeria between September 22 and 23, 2006. Ojo added that the representatives discussed ways to promote the right of access to information held by public authorities and share experiences on strategies for advancing the adoption of laws that fully protect this right. Relevant Links West AfricaPress and MediaNigeria In the "Lagos Declaration on the Right of Access to Information" adopted at the end of their meeting, the participating organizations expressed concern that Africa was lagging behind in the global drive towards the adoption of Freedom of Information Laws and agreed to establish a regional centre, where experiences garnered in the different countries can be pooled and shared among civil society activities and which will provide a platform for cooperation and collaborative activities among civil society organization in the region.

Africa: Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Meet At the United Nations in…
AllAfrica.com – Sep 30, 2007
Secretary-General Don McKinnon briefed ministers on the Commonwealth's discreet Good Offices work, designed to promote political stability and good governance in the concerned member states. He also informed them of activities to support democracy, including election observation. In his briefing, Mr McKinnon highlighted the Commonwealth's peace building role in Sierra Leone, which recently held successful elections observed by the Commonwealth. The Secretary-General also drew attention to political situations in the Fiji Islands and in Pakistan. Both countries were on the agenda for the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group meeting on 29 September 2007. International trade negotiations, economic partnership agreements and climate change were discussed. Ministers expressed concern at the impasse reached in the Doha Round of trade negotiations, and reiterated their hope that the Round would conclude successfully, with a clear development dividend.

West Africa: Ecowas Trade Experts Recommend Measures to Boost Intra…
AllAfrica.com – Sep 30, 2007
The committee also recommended the incorporation, from January 1, 2008, of biometric features including fingerprints and digital photographs into the ECOWAS passports, which is being progressively introduced by Member States. The incorporation will make them tamper proof and improve their reliability as an identification document. Six Member States-Benin, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal- already operate the regional passport while the complementary ECOWAS Travel Certificate is in circulation in eight Member States including Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, the Gambia, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The meeting further suggested the progressive installation of electronic machines at airports and border posts to accelerate passport control procedures and ensure greater security while the ECOWAS Commission should be mandated to help mobilise funds that will support Member States in procuring these machines. In addition, they suggested a study on the modalities for the introduction of a single entry visa for foreign tourists visiting the region. The proposed single visa will replace the present regime where tourists have to make separate visa requests for each Member State to be visited thereby helping to promote tourism in the region. The committee also made recommendations relating to the entitlement of refugees within the protocol on free movement and urged the countries of origin of refugees to take necessary measures provide them with appropriate documents to enable them benefit from the provisions of the protocol.