DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE UNION AND ITS ORGANS FOR
THE YEAR 2018 AND THE INTRODUCTORY NOTE OF
THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMISSION
Doc. EX.CL/1134(XXXIV)
The Executive Council,
1. TAKES NOTE of the Annual Report on the Activities of the Union and its Organs for the year 2018, as well as the Introductory Note of the Chairperson of the Commission, covering the period from July 2018 to January 2019;
2. COMMENDS the Chairperson of the Commission and the Heads of other AU Organs and Specialized Agencies for the comprehensive account of their activities and, in particular, for the focus on results and the impact of these actions on the lives of African people;
3. WELCOMES the efforts exerted by the Commission and other relevant stakeholders, in furtherance of the flagship projects of the First Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, notably the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), and the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, the Right of Residence, and the Right of Establishment; and ENCOURAGES the acceleration of these efforts, and CALLS FOR the early operationalization of the African financial institutions, as a key element for the successful implementation of the integration process;
4. REITERATES its support to the Ministerial Committee on Agenda 2063 and looks forward to the leadership of President Alassane Dramane Ouattara, in his capacity as the Leader, to help accelerate the implementation of all aspects of Agenda 2063, including its domestication by all Member States, as well as monitoring, evaluation and domestic resource mobilization;
5. COMMENDS the Commission, and other AU Organs, for their concrete contributions towards the development of the Continent in areas, such as education and research, public and animal health, infrastructure and energy, agriculture and food safety, trade and investment, as well as, on the transversal issues of gender and youth and, WELCOMES the appointment of the Youth Envoy, Ms. Aya Chebbi of Tunisia, together with the establishment of a Youth Advisory Council, and looks forward to the implementation of the envisaged steps highlighted in the reports submitted to the Assembly;
6. NOTES WITH SATISFACTION the efforts made during the period under review towards the enhancement of democracy, respect for human rights, and promotion of good governance; and COMMENDS the Leader of the Theme of the Year 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, for his commitment and initiatives taken in the fight against corruption.
7. WELCOMES the progress made towards Silencing the Guns by 2020 and the efforts of the High Representative, and CALLS FOR renewed support in order to achieve this goal;
8. TAKES NOTE with satisfaction of the follow-up made by the Commission on specific decisions of the Policy Organs, namely the decolonization of the Chagos Archipelago, the relationship with the International Criminal Court, and the Hissene Habre trial, and ENCOURAGES the pursuit of these efforts;
9. REQUESTS the Chairperson of the Commission to pursue and intensify his efforts towards enhancing the visibility and increase awareness within Member States and the African public in general of the concrete actions mentioned in paragraphs 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8 of this Decision; WELCOMES the submission to the PRC of specific reports on the programmes and activities of the Commission and other AU Organs and URGES the continuation of this practice;
10. CALLS ON Member States, to continue to work closely with the Commission and other AU Organs and Specialized Agencies to address the challenges and issues raised in the Report and the Introductory Note, including the ratification and domestication of legal instruments, the implementation of the decisions and policies of the Union, and the provision of adequate funding to enable AU Organs and Specialized Agencies to carry out their mandates effectively while reducing their dependence on external sources.