Assembly/AU/Dec.678(XXX) Page 1 DECISION ON THE SECOND REPORT OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL OF THE AFRICAN UNION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AFRICAN UNION MASTER ROADMAP OF PRACTICAL STEPS FOR SILENCING THE GUNS IN AFRICA BY THE YEAR 2020 Doc. Assembly/AU/8(XXX) The Assembly, 1. RECALLS the Organization of African Unity/ African Union (OAU/AU) 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration adopted on 25 May 2013, in which the Assembly of the Union pledged not to bequeath the burden of wars to the next generation of Africans and undertook to end all wars in Africa by the year 2020, as well as decision Assembly/AU/Dec.630 (XXVIII) by which the 28 th ordinary session of the Assembly, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 30 – 31 January 2017, adopted the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps for Silencing the Guns in Africa by the Year 2020. The Assembly FURTHER RECALLS decision Assembly/AU/Dec.645(XXIX) by which the 29th ordinary session of the Assembly, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 4 -5 July 2017, adopted the Inaugural Report of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union on the Implementation of the African Union Master Roadmap of Practical Steps for Silencing the Guns in Africa by the Year 2020; 2. COMMENDS the Peace and Security Council (PSC) for its efforts in implementing decision Assembly/AU/Dec.645(XXIX), through, among others, the launching at its 716th meeting held on 4 September 2017, of the “Africa Amnesty Month” for the surrender and collection of illegally owned weapons/arms, in line with the African and international best practices. The Assembly UNDERLINES that observance of the African Amnesty Month is one of the major steps towards achieving the goal of silencing the guns in Africa by the Year 2020, and ENCOURAGES Member States to implement activities foreseen under the Africa Amnesty Month in September each year and to actively engage in public awareness campaigns, including through their national media, in order to effectively educate the people on this issue with a view to ensuring their full cooperation and support, as well as success of the process; 3. FURTHER COMMENDS the PSC and all Member States, as well as the AU Organs, the RECs/RMs, the UN, the CSOs and think tanks for the efforts thus far deployed in implementing the AU Master Roadmap and URGES them to continue in their efforts; 4. URGES Member States and the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (RECs/RMs) to submit their reports to Council, through the AU Commission, on the actions taken in implementing the Africa Amnesty Month, by November each year, to further popularize it within the communities, with a view to ensuring maximum participation of all citizens in the continent; 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly, 28- 29 January 2018, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia