DECISION ON THE REPORTS OF AFRICAN UNION
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCES
The Executive Council
1. TAKES NOTE of the reports of the following African Union Ministerial Conferences;
A. ON THE AU CONFERENCE OF AFRICAN MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT (CAMT) Doc. EX.CL/871(XXVI)
2. ENDORSES all the outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting including the road map and the following Regulatory and Institutional texts of the Yamoussoukro Decision:
i) Competition Regulations;
ii) Dispute Settlement Mechanism;
iii) Consumer Protection Regulations; and
iv) Regulatory and Enforcement Powers of the Executing Agency.
3. CALLS UPON the Member States to give priority and support implementation of the strategic flagship projects of the African Agenda 2063 covering their territories in order to enable the development of a harmonious, integrated and viable transport sector in the continent.
B. ON THE 1st AFRICAN MINISTERS OF HEALTH MEETING JOINTLY CONVENED BY THE AUC AND WHO Doc.EX.CL/872(XXVI)
4. RECOGNIZES the need to strengthen the capacity for regulation of medical products in Africa and the harmonization of medicines regulatory systems as a foundation for the establishment of a single medicines regulatory agency in Africa within the context of the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization Programme, which is part of the framework of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa (PMPA);
5. ENDORSES the Milestones towards the establishment of the African Medicine Agency (AMA) and REQUESTS the Commission, the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency and WHO in collaboration with other stakeholders to:
i) define the scope of the medicines or medical products that would be covered by the work of the AMA;
ii) Work out detailed modalities, institutional framework, legal and financial implications of the establishment of AMA.
6. REQUESTS:
i) the Commission and WHO in consultation with Member States, to initiate a process towards holding only one annual main gathering of African Ministers of Health under the leadership of the African Union;
ii) the Commission to submit a progress report on the implementation of this decision to the 29th Ordinary Session of the Council.
C. ON THE REPORT OF THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE AFRICAN UNION CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Doc.EX.CL/874(XXVI)
7. URGES Member States that are affected by child marriage to launch the Campaign to End Child Marriage in Africa or scale up activities in their countries and to collaborate with the Commission to communicate a united, amplified voice against child marriage in Africa;
8. REQUESTS the Commission, working with Member States, to take the necessary measures to effectively implement the Social Policy Framework for Africa and the African Union Plan of Action on the Family;
9. UNDERSCORES the need for good management of all institutions of the African Union and REQUESTS the Commission to take all necessary steps to avoid situations similar to that of the African Rehabilitation Institute (ARI);
10. REQUESTS Member States to develop minimum social protection packages for vulnerable populations with concrete targets, timeframes and performance indicators;
11. URGES Member States that have signed the ARI Agreement to pay at least 30% of their arrears in contributions to the dissolved African Rehabilitation Institute (ARI) in order to liquidate the liabilities owed to deceased, retired and redundant ARI staff.
D. THE SIXTH SESSION OF THE AFRICAN UNION CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS IN CHARGE OF DRUG CONTROL Doc.EX.CL/875(XXVI)
12. UNDERSCORES the need for greater awareness-building in Member States for effective control of the scourge of drugs in the continent on the basis of AU Plan of Action 2013-2017, with focus on preventive measures and the ways and means to address the root causes of the scourge;
13. REQUESTS the Commission to:
i) facilitate consultations and engagements towards a Common Position for the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on Drug Control;
ii) conduct independent studies of the nexus of drug trafficking and organised crime and its impact on peace and security, public health and social development in all regions of Africa;
iii) Convene the First Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Health, Population and Drug Control in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2015 to follow up on the implementation of the outcomes of the Conference and report thereon to the Executive Council.
14. CALLS UPON Member States to take appropriate measures to combat counterfeiting of medicines in Africa and to pursue their consultations to achieve a common position.
E. THE FIRST SESSION OF THE SPECIALISED TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON YOUTH, CULTURE AND SPORT - Doc. EX.CL/876(XXVI)
15. ENCOURAGES all the other STCs, in coordination with the Commission, to take appropriate steps to commence their activities in their various areas of competence;
16. REQUESTS the Commission to:
i) transmit to the Member States the revised Rules of Procedure of the Specialized Technical Committee on Youth, Culture and Sport (STC-YCS);
ii) ensure that all the recommendations are implemented.
17. CALLS UPON Member states to ensure the popularization of the Common Africa Position on Post-2015 Development Agenda and Agenda 2063 in all STC programmes and activities;
18. URGES Member States to pay arrears owed to the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa;
19. TAKES NOTE of the Report on the progress achieved in the preparations for the hosting of the 2015 African Games in Brazzaville;
20. WELCOMES the expressions of interest by Burkina Faso, Angola, Egypt, Gabon and Senegal to host the 2019 African Games and INVITES Member States to submit their bid-files for consideration by the African Games Technical Committee by 31 January 2015;
F. THE 9th ORDINARY SESSION OF THE AU CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRADE, Doc. EX.CL/878(XXV)
On the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA)
21. TAKES NOTE of the progress made in the Tripartite Free Trade Area Negotiations among the Member States of COMESA, EAC and SADC and of the official launch of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) with effect from January 2015 and REITERATES that functional regional trading arrangements provide a strong basis for the establishment of the CFTA;
22. REQUESTS the Commission to convene a Dedicated Session of Senior Officials, preceded by a meeting of trade experts, to consider all the preparatory issues and develop a Road Map towards the launch of the CFTA negotiations for consideration by the Ministers of Trade;
On Quality Standards
23. REQUESTS the Commission and Quality Infrastructure Institutions in Africa to assess the status of Quality Infrastructure on the Continent and prepare a Strategic Plan on Quality Infrastructure Development in Africa by the end of 2015;
On WTO Issues
24. REAFFIRMS the need for the Member States to identify key issues in the postBali work programme that support and mobilize efforts towards achieving Africa’s strategic structural transformation and regional integration agenda;
25. CONGRATULATES the Government of the Republic of Kenya for its successful offer to host the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference be held from 15 to 18 December 2015 and URGES the African Group in the WTO to work together towards a successful Ministerial Conference;
G. ON THE SEVENTH CONFERENCE OF AFRICAN MINISTERS IN CHARGE OF INTEGRATION (COMAI VII) - Doc.EX.CL/893(XXVI)
26. REQUESTS the Commission:
i) to develop a communication strategy to popularize implementation of PIDA and identify infrastructure projects specific to landlocked and island countries;
ii) to evaluate the implementation of PIDA to address the causes of the existing gap between policy decisions and their implementation, as illustrated by the lack of and/or non-compliance with the common rules. This activity should also lead to the identification of possible remedial measures;
iii) to work closely with relevant Stakeholders to develop infrastructure project specific to landlocked as well as Island countries.
27. TAKES NOTE of the progress being made on the process of integration on the Continent;
28. CALLS FOR the urgent implementation of quick-wins such as the High Speed Train, the African Passport to serve as catalysts for integration;
29. INVITES Member States to facilitate the financing of infrastructure projects by mobilizing resources on the financial markets and prioritize in their national development plans, trade-related infrastructure, including transport and trade facilitation measures, such as one-stop window border posts, border efficiency boosting projects, and integrated border management systems;
30. DECIDES to establish the African Integration Fund (AIF) with a view to speeding up implementation of the Minimum integration Programme (MIP) and AU priority programs; and REQUESTS the Commission to clearly determine the valueaddition of the Fund in relation to other existing Funds and identify the linkage between the AIF and other Funds, especially Africa Fund 50;
31. APPROVES the methodology and set of indicators of the African Regional Integration Index (ARII); and REQUESTS the Commission and the UNECA to conduct extensive consultations with Member States on regional integration indicators and criteria;
32. REQUESTS the Commission:
i) to promote and facilitate the training of Member States and RECs officials in regional integration, among other things, within the framework of AU Pan African University;
ii) to take necessary steps, in consultation with all relevant Stakeholders, to prepare the upcoming Conference on Financing the African Integration Projects.
33. URGES Member States to ratify AU Treaties and Protocols and incorporate them into national legislation for policies harmonization at national level;
H. ON THE REPORT OF THE 1st EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE AU CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR MINERAL RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT (CAMRMRD) ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AFRICAN MINERALS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (AMDC) - Doc. EX.CL/877(XXVI)
34. TAKES NOTE of the draft Statute of the Africa Mineral Development Centre “AMDC and refers it to the Specialized Technical Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs for consideration and appropriate action”;
35. REQUESTS the Commission to:
i) expeditiously establish the “AMDC” as A Specialized Agency’ of the African Union to ensure that Member States obtain optimal revenues from mineral resources and mutual transparency and accountability by both mining companies as well as governments;
ii) undertake consultations with Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Member States and the mining industry representatives on the financing mechanisms and institutionalization of the “AMDC” as an AU Specialized Agency.
36. URGES the Commission to coordinate the implementation of African Minerals Geoscience Initiative “AMGI” (known as A Billion Dollar Map) by AU Member States with the support of the World Bank and other stakeholders to ensure ownership by AU Member States of the geological data, in adherence to the AU principle of geographical representation as well as provide capacity building to African Geological Surveys Institutions;
37. REQUESTS the Commission to undertake the evaluation of the legal, structural, and financial implications for the operationalization of the above proposed structures and submit a report thereon for consideration by the Summit in June/July 2015.