Decision on the Endorsement of the Outcome of the Third Midyear Coordination Meeting, October 2021

DECISION ON THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE OUTCOME OF THE THIRD MID­YEAR COORDINATION MEETING, OCTOBER 2021

The Assembly,

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report of the Third Mid-Year Coordination Meeting held virtually on 16^th October 2021 and ADOPTS recommendations contained therein;

2. ALSO TAKES NOTE of the Report of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on the Status of Integration in Africa and the regional perspectives as presented by the Chairpersons of the RECs and endorse the recommendations contained therein;

3. REQUESTS the AUC, RECs/RMs and the AUDA-NEPAD to further collaborate with Member States to agree on the remaining sectors concerning the division of the labour;

4. CONGRATULATES Member States that have ratified the Legal Instruments related to the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and encourages those that have not signed and ratified the Protocol of the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community relating to Free movement of persons, Right of residence and Right of establishment to do so;

5. CALLS UPON the AUC, RECs, RMs and AUDA-NEPAD to work in close collaboration with Members States towards domesticating agreements, protocols and treaties, especially those related to Trade and Free Movement;

6. HIGHLIGHTS the need to establish a Customs Union in line with the Abuja Treaty establishing the African Economic Community and CALLS UPON the AUC to come up with an assessment with Africa’s readiness towards the Customs Union;

7. TAKES NOTE of the Report of the AU Champion on COVID-19 Response, H.E Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, and COMMENDS the Champion’s efforts in leading the AU’s strategic response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and FURTHER COMMENDS the efforts of the Chair of the Union, H.E Felix Antoine Tshisekedi, Chairperson of the AU Commission, H.E Moussa Mahamat Faki, the AU Member States, the members of the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), and the African Union Special Envoys to Mobilize International Support for the Continental Fight Against COVID-19;

8. CALLS for equitable, affordable, timely and universal access to vaccines and available financing, and FURTHER CALLS upon Member States, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RMs) to adopt measures to promote resilience against future pandemics including investment in domestic vaccine manufacturing capacity;

9. ADOPTS the declaration of the 3^rd mid-year coordination meeting held on the 16^th of October 2021.