Haile Selassie I has demonstrated beyond doubt His sustaining interest in Africa's peace, progress and prosperity. In inter?African affairs He is the Father of the Organization of' African Unity. For in both the convening of the historic Summit of 1963 and the signing of the O.A.U. Charter He played a decisive role... The following Excerpts from a few of His Majesty's speeches further illustrate this:

Towards African Unity

"...THE ECONOMIES OF THE AFRICAN STATES HAVE TOO LONG EXISTED AS SEPERATE, SELF contained, isolated entities. African countries have for too long been forced to nurse their own economies and puzzle out their complicated problems by themselves, or else have them handled haphazardly for them by others. We are all only too well acquainted with the difficulties and barriers that the African peoples have had to overcome in coming together to deliberate on matters of common interest. But it is impossible to believe that individual countries, working alone and isolated from their neighbours, can ever achieve their objectives, and the African peoples must therefore work and co?operate together if the economic development of this continent is to be furthered..."
Excerpt from His Majesty's Speech to the Inauguration Conference of the Economic Commission For Africa
Addis Ababa ? Dec. 29, 1958

"...TO ESCAPE EXPLOITATION, AND TO OVERCOME THE POLITICAL DEFICIENCIES WHICH beset us, Ethiopia urges that while we press ahead with all urgency and speed in those economic areas in which rapid advances can be achieved, parallel steps should simultaneously be taken to explore the possibilities of achieving increasing future political unity among African States...

"One step has already been proposed which We feel can contribute largely to this goal. At the 16th Session of the United Nations General Assembly which convened in New York last September, Our Delegation called for the creation, under Article 52 of the United Nations Charter, of an Organization of African States. Implementation of this proposal can pave the way for an expanded degree of political co?operation in Africa, and as events and circumstances so permit, of increasing future political unity as well. This Organization should have a permanent structure and secretariat, with specialized permanent institutions charged with continuing study of particular problem areas of vital concern to Africans. In this form, it would serve as an institutional clearing?house wherein Africans might consider a vast variety of political and economic problems, and in particular, the furtherance of the concept of African political unity.

This step, in Our view, would bridge whatever chasm may now exist in Africa. This Organization would enable Africans to speak with a single, collective voice and would thereby maximize the contribution of the free nations of this continent to the solution of the problems of our time. There already exists, in the Conference of Independent African States, the bare bones of the institution which We envisage, although organized on a loose and impermanent basis. Let us employ this already existing nucleus, let us perfect it and render it permanent.

Ethiopia retains an open mind as to the precise form which the structure of such an organization should take. Precedents exist in the Arab league, in the Organization of American States and in other regional institutions. However, we are not bound slavishly to adhere to precedent nor blindly to adopt any particular formula. We only urge, and We trust that this suggestion will receive the unanimous support of all States represented here, that a Special Committee be created to elaborate specific proposals looking to the speedy creation of an Organization of African States. This Committee should conclude its work and report to the forthcoming meeting of the Conference of Independent African States in Tunisia.

"...The creation of an Organization of African States will provide the medium whereby intra?African disputes... may be settled peacefully. It will serve as the mechanism through which sound and constructive measures for increasing co?operation among the nations of Africa will be originated, articulated and implemented. It will contribute to the creation and development of the atmosphere and spirit of mutual trust and confidence so essential to the co?ordinated and simultaneous advance of the African States along the path to liberty and prosperity. It will stand as a bulwark against the interference by one African State in the internal affairs of another and a safeguard against the involvement of non?African nations in the affairs of this continent as a whole. If our progress is to be rapid and effective, we must free ourselves of conflict, of fear, of the suspicion that other than African hands are shaping events and developments in our continent..."

Excerpt from His Majesty's Address
To The Lagos Summit Meeting
JAN. 26, 1962