DECISION ON THE REPORTS OF THE SPECIALISED
TECHNICAL COMMITTEES (STCs)
The Executive Council,
1. TAKES NOTE of the Reports of the Specialized Technical Committees (STCs) and ENDORSES the recommendations contained therein;
2. URGES the Commission to prepare and submit the invitations and working documents of STCs’ meetings on time and ENCOURAGES Ministers to participate in person;
I. STC ON GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT (GEWE)
(i) On the 2nd STC on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 4 to 8 December 2017 EX.CL/1083(XXXIII);
(ii) On the 3rd STC on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 7 to 11 May 2018 EX.CL/1084(XXXIII)
3. ENDORSES:
(i) the reports of the 2nd and 3rd STC on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, held at the AU headquarters, respectively;
(ii) the 12th Member States and 13th Commission reports on the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa and CONGRATULATES Member States that submitted their reports;
4. COMMENDS Member States and the Commission on the adoption of the African Union Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment by the 3rd STC on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment;
5. REQUESTS the Commission to:
(i) formally launch the African Union strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment on the margins of the February 2019 Summit;
(ii) align its programmes, activities, funds and reports to the African Union strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and report annually on progress towards its effective implementation.
6. ALSO REQUESTS the Commission to:
(i) report on progress in implementing Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.621 (XXVIII) related to the transformation of the Pan African Women’s Organization (PAWO) into a Specialized Agency;
(ii) thoroughly assess all implications related to the transformation of the PAWO into a Specialized Agency;
(iii) report on progress in implementing the Summit Declaration on erecting a Monument to honour women who participated in the anti- colonial, liberation and anti-apartheid struggles.
7. FURTHER REQUESTS the Commission to:
(i) present the African Gender Scorecard at the February 2019 Summit and every two years;
(ii) ensure the expansion of the membership of the Steering Committee on the African gender scorecard to include Member States;
(iii) ensure equality in the allocation of the Fund for African Women across regions;
(iv) streamline the policy platforms on gender equality and women’s empowerment in line with the Institutional Reform.
II. STC ON FINANCE, MONETARY AFFAIRS, ECONOMIC PLANNING AND INTEGRATION, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 16-17 April 2018- Doc. EX.CL/1085(XXXIII)
8. CALLS UPON the Commission to lead in the tax transparency and information exchange agenda for Africa, and foster stronger collaboration among countries and regions for tackling the root causes of illicit financial flows by creating an AU Fiscal Governance Forum aimed at optimizing tax collection, strengthening tax cooperation to stem illicit flows and enhance domestic resource mobilization on the continent;
9. REQUESTS:
(i) the Commission to develop criteria to assess illicit financial flows and develop a Common African Position to ensure that all the financial resources lost through illicit financial flows are identified and returned to Africa to finance the continent’s development agenda;
(ii) Member States to develop strategies towards more effective, efficient and fair taxation systems; broaden the tax base coverage and adopt mechanisms to harness and invest remittances to ensure proper long-term financing;
(iii) the Commission to submit the financial and structural implications of the recommendations contained in the Report through the relevant PRC Subcommittees.
III. THE 6th MEETING OF THE AFRICAN UNION MINISTERS OF TRADE, DAKAR, SENEGAL, 3-4 June 2018 - Doc. EX.CL/1086(XXXIII), Doc. EX. CL/1086 (XXXIII) Annexes
10. ADOPTS the Report of the 6th Meeting of the African Union Ministers of Trade (AMOT) held on 3 and 4 June 2018;
11. REQUESTS the Commission to develop regulatory cooperation in all services sectors in collaboration with national and regional regulators and building on continental and global experiences;
12. RECOMMENDS the five priority sectors: transport, communication, financial, tourism and business services, to the Assembly for adoption;
13. CALLS UPON Member States to establish National Committees on AfCFTA to ensure meaningful participation of all stakeholders;
14. REQUESTS the Commission to submit the financial and structural implications of the recommendations contained in the report through the relevant PRC Subcommittees;
IV. STC ON JUSTICE AND LEGAL AFFAIRS held 5-9 June 2018 in Dakar, Senegal - Doc. EX.CL/1087(XXXIII)
15. TAKES NOTE of the Draft Annexes to the Protocols on Trade in Goods, and the Rules of Procedure on the Settlement of Disputes to the Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA);
16. ACKNOWLEDGES the quality of work done by the African Union Ministers of Trade, STC on Justice and Legal Affairs, Chief Negotiators and Experts, and the Commission in concluding the Annexes to the Protocols on Trade in Goods, and the Rules of Procedure on the Settlement of Disputes to the Agreement establishing the AfCFTA, within the deadline set by the Assembly;
17. RECOMMENDS the following Draft Annexes to the Assembly for adoption:
a) Protocol on Trade in Goods:
(i) Annex 1 on Schedule of Tariff Concessions;
(ii) Annex 2 on Rules of Origin;
(iii) Annex 3 on Customs Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance;
(iv) Annex 4 on Trade Facilitation;
(v) Annex 5 on Non-Tariff Barriers;
(vi) Annex 6 on Technical Barriers to Trade;
(vii) Annex 7 on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures;
(viii) Annex 8 on Transit; and
(ix) Annex 9 on Trade Remedies.
b) Protocol on Rules of Procedure on the Settlement of Disputes:
(i) Annex 1 on the Working Procedures of the Panel;
(ii) Annex 2 on Expert Review Groups; and
(iii) Annex 3 on the Code of Conduct for Arbitrators and Panelists.