SIRTE, Libya, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) started its 13th summit in Sirte, Libya on Wednesday, with investing in agriculture for economic growth and food security high on the agenda.

    Addressing the opening ceremony of the summit, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Asha-Rose Migiro said more than half of all Africans currently live in extreme poverty, calling on African leaders to "use this summit to mobilize action to protect the poorest and most vulnerable and prevent more from joining their ranks."

Delegates attend the 13th African Union (AU) summit in Sirte, Libya, July 1, 2009. The African Union (AU) started its 13th summit in Sirte, Libya on Wednesday, with investing in agriculture for economic growth and food security high on the agenda. (Xinhua/Zhang Ning) Photo Gallery>>>

     She underlined the importance in investing in agriculture, saying it creates jobs and "It can make economic growth more durable. And it can increase food and nutritional security."

    "African ministers rightly called for a sustainable green revolution earlier this year in Windhoek," she said, noting that every African country should have "a national strategy for agricultural development" and live up to its pledge to raise agricultural spending to 10 percent of the national budget.

    Arab League (AL) chief Amr Moussa said in his address to the AL summit that the choice of the agriculture development and food security as the theme of this summit is a "wise response to Africa's real needs."

    In the past two years, the AU and AL experts have conducted research on joint plans in agriculture and food security, and "we are working towards holding an AL-AU agriculture ministerial meeting to hammer out these plans," he said.

    AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping also delivered a speech at the opening ceremony presided by Libya leader Muammar Khaddafi, who is currently rotating chairperson of the AU.

    The African leaders are expected to discuss means of strengthening the role of the AU in the prevention, management and resolution of election disputes and violent conflicts in the world's poorest continent, according to the draft agenda of the summit.

    They also will explore ways to prevent unconstitutional changes of government and to strengthen the capacity of the AU to deal with such situations.

    The summit in Libya is also due to focus on the implementation of a decision made in the Ethiopia Summit of AU in February to transform the AU Commission, the executive arm of the pan-African body, into new AU Authority.

    A number of hot regional issues, such as security situation in Somalia, Zimbabwe and Sudan's Darfur region, are also expected to be discussed by the African heads of state and government.

    Also present at the three-day summit are Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Premier Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, which will host a Group of Eight summit next week.

    The 13th summit was previously scheduled for July in the Indian Ocean island country of Madagascar. But due to its political stalemate, Madagascar was suspended the AU membership in March and later cancelled the hosting of the three-day summit.

    The AU, established in 2002 to replace the Organization of African Unity that was founded in 1963, aimed at preserving and promoting peace and stability in the African continent, carrying out the strategy of reform and poverty reduction and realizing the development and renewal of Africa.