DECISION ON THE SPECIALIZED TECHNICAL COMMITTEES
The Executive Council,
1. TAKES NOTE of all the reports of the various Specialized Technical Committees(STCs) and the recommendations contained therein;
2. REQUESTS the STCs to meet every two years as per the relevant Assembly Decisions;
A. ON THE 1st MEETING OF THE SPECIALIZED TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON HEALTH POPULATION AND DRUG CONTROL (STC-HPDC-1) - DOC.EX.CL/904 (XXVII)
3. ENDORSES:
i) The revision of the African Nutrition Strategy 2016-2025 and REQUESTS the Commission to conduct a mid-term review of its implementation in 2020;
ii) The African Union Model Law on Medical Products Regulation for the consideration by the STC on Justice and Legal Affairs;
iii) Intensification of efforts to end Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Tuberculosis (TB) as well as elimination of Malaria by 2030 in line with the key actions of the Abuja +12 Declaration;
iv) Ending preventable maternal and child deaths by 2030; and continuation of the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA) under the slogan “Africa Cares, No Woman should die while giving life” as a vehicle for solidifying the gains made by the campaign and focusing the continent’s efforts towards ending maternal, new-born and child deaths;
v) That a Monitoring, Accountability and Reporting Mechanism on the Addis Ababa Declaration on Population and Development be developed to measure Member State progress in population and development at two intervals, three years mainly to assess the process and five years to assess the impact.
4. REQUESTS the Commission to finalize the revision and ensure extension of the AU Health Policy instruments so as to meet the targets set and to submit to the 2nd Joint AU/WHO Meeting of the African Ministers of Health in Tunis in April 2016 for consideration and appropriate recommendation;
B. ON THE 1st MEETING OF THE SPECIALIZED TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (STC-SDLE- 1) - DOC. EX.CL/905(XXVII)
5. ENDORSES:
i) The implementation of the Social Policy Framework for Africa to be accelerated, that Member States pursue a rights-based approach to social protection and social security for all citizens, aiming at inclusive development that leaves no one behind, through appropriate legal and policy frameworks, complementing the AU Charter on Human and People’s Rights;
ii) The African Common Position on the AU Campaign to End Child Marriage in Africa for immediate implementation, and URGES Member States to address the root causes and consequences of child marriage with a view to ending it;
iii) The Replacement Structure of the African Rehabilitation Institute (ARI) as contained in the report, with proposed amendments, to be established as an institutional component of the African Union Disability Architecture (AUDA), and to be named the AU Disability Institute;
iv) The 1st Five Year Priority Programme for the Implementation of the Declaration and Plan of Action on Employment, Poverty Eradication and Inclusive Development;
v) The inclusion of wealth distribution as an indicator of Social Development Index (ASDI) developed by UNECA;
6. REQUESTS the Commission
i) in collaboration with the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights, to develop an additional protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Citizens to Social Protection and Social Security;
ii) to elaborate a Social Agenda for the AU Agenda 2063 and a Plan of Action for the implementation of the African Common Position on Ending Child Marriage in Africa and to submit a biennial report to the Assembly on progress towards ending child marriage in Africa;
7. WELCOMES the offer by The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to host the 2nd Meeting of the Specialized Technical Committee on Social Development, Labour and Employment in 2017 on a date to be determined with the Commission;
C. ON THE REPORT OF THE SPECIALIZED TECHNICAL COMMITTEE (STC) ON DEFENSE, SAFETY AND SECURITY HELD IN VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE FROM 11 TO 16 MAY 2015- DOC EX.CL/906(XXVII)
8. COMMENDS the Republic of Zimbabwe for hosting a successful meeting of Chiefs of Defense Staff and Heads of Safety and Security in Victoria Falls from 11 to 16 May 2015;
9. WELCOMES the progress made towards the achievement of the Full Operational Capability (FOC) of the African Standby Force (ASF) by December 2015 including its Rapid Deployment Capability (RDC) ,the integration of the ASF, the Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC) and other security related issues including terrorism on the continent;
10. RECOMMENDS to the Assembly to endorse the Victoria Falls Declaration and the recommendations contained therein;
11. URGES the Commission and the Republic of Cameroon to expedite the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Continental Logistic Base of the ASF;
12. CALLS ON Member States to contribute to the AMAN I Africa II exercise to ensure its success;
13. RECALLS Decision Assembly/AU/561(XXIV) on the Report of Alternative Sources of Financing the African Union and WELCOMES that Member States should fund peace support operations at 25% of the budget;
14. RECOMMENDS that the previous offer by Togo to Host an International Conference adopted in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in June 2014 be converted to an Extraordinary Session of the Assembly on Maritime Security and Development in Africa;
15. URGES the North African Regional Capability (NARC) to redouble its efforts to ensure the full operationalization of its standby force as part of the full operationalization of the ASF not later than 31 December 2015;
D. ON THE 1st JOINT SESSION OF THE AU SPECIALIZED TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, MONETARY AFFAIRS, ECONOMIC PLANNING AND INTEGRATION AND ECA CONFERENCE OF AFRICAN UNION MINISTERS OF FINANCE, PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA, 25-31 MARCH 2015 - Doc. EX.CL/909(XXVII)
16. ENDORSES the Ministerial Statement and the 9 Resolutions, while CALLING for aligning the timetables proposed to those adopted by the Assembly regarding the Agenda 2063 and its First 10 Year Implementation Plan;
17. EXPRESSES grave concern over the difficulties encountered during the joint AU and UNECA meetings regarding the free access and participation of one Member State at the UNECA Headquarters last March 2015 and CALLS ON the Commission and the UNECA to take necessary measures for the speedy resolution of these difficulties so as to enable all Member States of the African Union to fully participate in the AU Meetings;
18. CALLS ON Member States to fully participate at the highest possible political level to the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development in Africa to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 13 to 16 July 2015;
19. STRESSES the need to incorporate the African Social Development Index in these processes in promoting wealth creation and distribution in an inclusive manner;
E. ON THE AU-STC ON PUBLIC SERVICE, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND DECENTRALIZATION - DOC. EX.CL/915(XXVII)
20. COMMENDS the Republic of Congo Brazzaville for hosting the First Ordinary Session of the African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Public Service, Local Government, Urban Development and Decentralization;
21. REQUESTS the Commission to work with the STC in streamlining the proposals made regarding its internal working methods and procedures and submit any related budgetary and structural implications to their relevant PRC Sub-Committees;
22. CALLS UPON Member States to expedite signing and ratification processes for the African Charter on values and principles of Public, Service and Governance;
F. ON THE REPORT OF THE FIFTEENTH SESSION OF THE AFRICAN UNION MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT (AMCEN) - DOC. EX.CL/902(XXVII)
23. ENDORSES:
i) the Cairo Declaration on “Managing Africa’s Natural Capital for Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication;
ii) the nine Decisions adopted by AMCEN;
24. AGREES to support the work of the African Diplomatic Corps in Nairobi, the PRC and the African Group in New York for the development and implementation of a Coordination Mechanism in collaboration with the AMCEN Secretariat;
25. RECALLS the agreement earlier made that AMCEN be allowed to continue its work during the period of global negotiations on Climate Change while working together with the new Specialized Technical Committee (STC) in charge of Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment
26. FURTHER RECALLS Decision EX.CL/Dec.834(XXV) requesting the Commission to submit to the Executive Council a progress report on the operationalization of STCs at the June/July 2016 Summit, encompassing the challenges faced and appropriate recommendations;
27. REQUESTS the Commission:
i) in collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and other Partners to support and facilitate the implementation of the Decisions of the Fifteenth Session of AMCEN as well as Africa’s preparations for COP 21/CMP11 In this regard, the Commission to inform Member States of the progress of preparations for COP21;
ii) to involve the PRC in the preparation of the meetings of the various STCs.