Decision on the Specialized Technical Committees

Jurisdiction
African Regional Bodies · African Union (AU)
Citation
Assembly/AU/Dec.589(XXVI)
Regional Body / Author
Assembly of the African Union
Date
31 January 2016
Language
English
Type
Decision
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DECISION ON THE SPECIALISED TECHNICAL COMMITTEES

The Assembly,

  1. TAKES NOTE of the Reports of the Specialized Technical Committees (STCs) and the recommendations of the Executive Council thereto;

A. On the First Extraordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Justice And Legal Affairs -Doc. EX.CL/935(XXVIh)

  1. ADOPTS the following Legal Instruments:

  1. Road Safety Charter;

  2. Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Older Persons;

  3. Model Law on Medicine Regulation;

  4. Statute of the Africa Sports Council;

  5. Statute of the African Minerals Development Centre;

  6. Statute on the Establishment of Legal Aid Fund for the African Union Human Rights Organs;

  7. Statute of the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (African D) and its Framework of Operation;

  8. Statute of the African Science Research and Innovation Council (ASRIC);

  9. Statute of the African Observatory in Science Technology and Innovation (AOSTI);

  10. Statute of the Pan African Intellectual Property Organization (PAIPO);

  11. Rules of Procedure of the Specialized Technical Committee on Health Population and Drug Control;

  12. Rules of Procedure of the Specialized Technical Committee on Public Service, Local Government, Urban Development and Decentralisation;

  13. Rules of Procedure of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC);

  14. Rules of Procedure of the African Governance Platform;

  15. Rules of Procedure of the Specialized Technical Committee on Social Development, Labour and Employment;

  16. Rules of Procedure of the Specialized Technical Committee on Youth Culture and Sport;

  17. Rules of Procedure of the Specialized Technical Committee on Education Science and Technology;

  18. Rules of Procedure of the Specialized Technical Committee on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT);

  19. Rules of Procedure of the African Union Commission on the International Law;

  20. Amended Statute of the Pan African University.

  1. CALLS ON Member States to sign and ratify the said Legal Instruments, where applicable, to enable them to enter into force;

  2. DECIDES that the STC on Justice and Legal Affairs will meet annually in ordinary session and that an appropriate budget be allocated in this regard;

  1. On the Specialized Technical Committee on Education, Science and Technology (STC-EST 1)-Doc. EX.CL/934(XXVIIi)

  1. ADOPTS the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 2016-2025) as the framework for transformative education and training system;

  2. CALLS UPON Member States, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Partners, the Private Sector, and the NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA) to:

  1. Popularize and raise awareness on CESA 2016-2025 and develop implementation plans as well as mobilize domestic resources for its implementation;

  2. Collaborate with the Commission towards the implementation of the CESA.

  1. ADOPTS the validated Pan-African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework (PAQAF).

  2. URGES Member States to ratify the Revised Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and other Academic Qualifications in Higher Education in African States (the 2014 Addis Ababa Convention), and expedite the establishment of the informal working group for its implementation and designate focal points for follow up.

  3. REQUESTS:

  1. The Commission in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to coordinate educational partnership and support for the implementation of the process of harmonization of education in Africa;

  2. Member States and partners to promote alignment of TVET Skills Portability initiatives with on-going work on harmonization and quality assurance in higher education;

  1. ADOPTS the Africa Space Policy and the Africa Space Strategy to formalize an African Outer space Programme, as articulated in Agenda 2063;

  2. URGES Member States, RECs, Partners and the Commission to popularize space science and technology in socio-economic development , mobilize domestic resources and implement the Space policy and strategy;

  3. REQUESTS the African Union (AU) Space Working Group to develop the following:

  1. The framework for the implementation of the African Space Policy and Strategy;

  2. The Governance Framework that covers the relevant legal requirements and protocols for an operational African Outer-Space Programme;

  1. RECALLS Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.565(XXIV) on the Report of the Commission on Development of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the Report of the Ministerial Follow-Up Committee on the Bahir Dar Retreat adopted by the Twenty-Fourth Ordinary Session of the Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2015 and the offer by Egypt to host the proposed African Space Agency as well as to allocate United States Dollars (USD) ten (10) million to implement the project, and REQUESTS the Commission and the Arab Republic of Egypt to carry out consultations with a view to evaluating the legal, structural and financial implications and report to the Assembly through the relevant structures;

  2. RECOGNIZES the immense value of Home Grown School Feeding programmes to enhancing retention and performance of children in schools, and in boosting income generation and entrepreneurship in local communities;

  3. REQUESTS the Commission to:

  1. Establish a multidisciplinary technical committee of African experts under the chairmanship of the Commission and the support of institutions such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Centre of Excellence against Hunger to undertake a general study on the relevance and impact of school feeding in the Member States;

  2. Implement the Assembly decision to institute the African Day of School Feeding on 1 March of every year beginning 2016;

  3. Elaborate modalities for the celebration of the African Day of School Feeding, in consultation with Member States and relevant partners;

  1. ENCOURAGES Member States which have school feeding programs, to continue their efforts; and INVITES other Member States to learn and adapt lessons from those running school feeding programmes to enhance access and retention of children in school.

  2. REQUESTS the Commission to report regularly on the implementation of this decision to the Assembly, through the Executive Council.

C. On the Specialized Technical Committee on Defense, Safety and Security- Doc. EX.CL/944(XXVi)

  1. 18. WELCOMES the conduct of the African Standby Force AMANI AFRICA-II

Field Training Exercise (AA-II FTX) held in November 2015 in two (2) locations, namely, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the South African Army Combat Training Centre, Lohatla, South Africa and COMMENDS the Ministers of Defence for ensuring that the Exercise was successful;

  1. 19. EXPRESSES APPRECIATION to Member States, the Commission and

Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) in conducting the AA-II FTX. In this regard, COMMENDS the progress made by the East African Standby Force (EASF), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in operationalizing their respective standby forces; and ACKNOWLEDGES the efforts of the North Africa Regional Capability (NARC) towards operationalizing its standby force;

  1. TAKES NOTE of the Declaration of the 2nd Extraordinary Meeting of the Specialised Technical Committee on Defence, Safety and Security held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 15 January 2016;

  2. COMMENDS the following:

  1. The progress made to date in the operationalization of an African Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL);

  2. The efforts undertaken by the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria in setting-up the Headquarters of AFRIPOL;

  1. REQUESTS the Commission to take all necessary measures to expeditiously fully operationalize AFRIPOL;

  2. DECIDES that the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC), will continue its mandate pending the AMANI AFRICA II Field Training Exercise After Action Review scheduled for Maputo, Mozambique in March 2016 and the Evaluation Mission to be undertaken by the Commission and the Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms to the Regional Economic Communities to verify the state of readiness of Regional Standby Forces.

  3. REQUESTS the Commission to report through the Executive Council, on progress made in the implementation of this decision to the next ordinary session of the Assembly in July 2016.

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