DECISION ON THE REPORT PROGRESS REPORT ON THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
AND ITS SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT ON AFRICAN ECONOMIES
The Executive Council,
1. TAKES NOTE of the report which gives a general over-view of the impacts of the pandemic on African economies during 2021 and recommendations contained therein;
2. WELCOMES the recommendations contained in the report which are long-term and in this respect, DIRECTS the African Union Commission to link the recommendations to concrete short-term and medium-term projects and programmes that can contribute to the accelerated recovery of African economies from the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic;
3. EXPRESSES with appreciation, the roles played by the AU COVID-19 Champion, His Excellency Mr. Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Mr. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, in the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM), Their Excellencies Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana and Mr. Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, in their work to develop and implement a common African position or continental framework for securing an additional US$100 billion of the reallocated SDRs from developed countries to support the post-pandemic recoveries of African economies and put the African economies on a path of resilience;
4. FURTHER EXPRESSES appreciation to the African Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP) team and Africa Vaccines Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) in addressing the immediate COVID-19 vaccination ambitions, and the longer-term goal of enhanced continental vaccine supply and manufacturing;
5. NOTES WITH SATISFACTION progress made by the PAVM in supporting Member States to strengthen and/or establish vaccine manufacturing enterprises in Africa which will increase access to vaccines by the African population as well as contribute to increasing intra-African trade flows and in this connection, DIRECTS the African Union Commission to expeditiously implement the PAVM programmes in a collaborative manner;
6. FURTHER EXPRESSES appreciation to the African Union Commission and the Africa CDC for the continued coordination of efforts with regard to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic;
7. NOTES WITH GRAVE CONCERN the low rates of vaccinations against COVID- 19 in some Member States and URGES for enhance sensitization for wider vaccinations as well synergizing efforts in the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines in order to ensure universal and equitable access to vaccines;
8. CALLS UPON Member States to make full use of the expertise of African scientists, epidemiologists and other researchers in the Diaspora in the development of the African pharmaceutical sector in order to strengthen the Member States’ capacities and capabilities to produce and procure quality and affordable pharmaceuticals, essential medicines and vaccines;
9. ALSO CALLS UPON the African Union Commission to enhance efforts in domestic resources mobilization, elimination of illicit financial flows from Africa, as well as facilitating exchange of information for tax purposes and engage in the Global Tax reform discussions with the aim of maximizing African revenues
10. NOTES WITH CONCERN, the rising debt levels in Africa, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and in this respect, DIRECTS the African Union Commission to examine the available debt relief options and investment programmes which can contribute to rapid economic recovery of the economies of Member States, including developing a concept note to survey the possibility of establishing an African domestic and external debt monitoring mechanism within the African Union Commission to be considered at the next session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration;
11. FURTHER CALLS UPON the developed countries to facilitate technology transfer and the granting of licenses that are open and non-exclusive through intellectual property rights waiver in the on-going negotiations at the World Trade Organization;
12. DIRECTS the African Union Commission to submit another report on this topic for consideration by the Executive Council at its session in February 2023, complete with a status report on the implementation of this Decision.