DECISION ON THE FOLLOW UP TO THE FIRST MID-YEAR COORDINATION
MEETING BETWEEN THE AFRICAN UNION AND THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC
COMMUNITIES
The Assembly,
RECALLS Decision Assembly/AU/Dec. 635(XXVIII) of January 2017, that mentioned, inter alia:
That there should be a clear division of labour and effective collaboration among the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the Regional Mechanisms (RMs), the Member States, and other continental institutions, in line with the principle of subsidiarity;
That in place of the June/July Summit, the Bureau of the African Union Assembly shall hold a Coordination Meeting with the Regional Economic Communities, with the participation of the Chairpersons of the Regional Economic Communities, the AU Commission and Regional Mechanisms. Ahead of this meeting, the AU Commission shall play a more active coordination and harmonisation role with the Regional Economic Communities, in line with the Treaty Establishing of the African Economic Community (the Abuja Treaty).
FURTHER RECALLS that the Mid-Year Coordination Meeting is the principal forum for the African Union and RECs to align their work and co-ordinate the implementation of the continental integration agenda;
EXPRESSES appreciation to H.E. Abdel Fattah El Sisi President of the Arab Republic of Egypt the Chairperson of the 1st Mid-Year Coordination Meeting that was held on 8 July 2019 in Niamey, Niger, and also to H.E Issoufou Mahamadou, the President of the Republic of Niger, as well as the Government and people of Niger for hosting the 1st Mid-Year Coordination Meeting.
TAKES NOTE of the Report of the Mid-Year Coordination Meeting that was held on 8 July 2019 in Niamey, Niger as well as of the Niamey Declaration and the conclusions and recommendations therein;
ADOPTS the Protocol on Relations between the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and AUTHORIZES the Chairperson of the Commission to sign the Protocol on behalf of the African Union;
ALSO ADOPTS the Rules of Procedure for the Mid-Year Coordination Meetings;
FURTHER ADOPTS the recommendations of the First Mid-Year Coordination Meeting that H.E Issoufou Mahamadou, President of Niger, Leader of the AfCFTA and the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, attend the Mid- Year Coordination Meetings between the AU and RECs;
WELCOMES with appreciation, the offer by the Republic of Chad to host the Second Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as well as the 37th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council;
DECIDES that the venue of the next Mid-Year Coordination Meeting shall be on 04 July 2020, in N’Djamena, Chad;
REQUESTS the Commission of the African Union to consult with the RECs, RMs and Member States with a view to finalize the detailed proposal for an effective division of labour between the AU and RECs and present it to the 2020 Mid-Year Coordination meeting, after due consideration by the 37th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council.