A meeting of the Bureau of the African Union (AU) Executive Council has highlighted the importance of unity, cohesion and coordination needed to fight the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Bureau held a teleconference meeting convened by Chairperson of the AU Executive Council as well as South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Naledi Pandor.
Several Ministers took part in Thursday’s meeting including Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, as well as Director of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Dr John Nkengasong.
“In line with the sentiment and decision of the Bureau of the Assembly, the Ministers underscored the importance of unity, cohesion and coordination in order to effectively implement the continental anti-COVID19 strategy,” said the Bureau of the AU Executive Council in a statement.
The teleconference took note with satisfaction the efforts of the AU Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to implement the Africa anti-COVID-19 strategy. The Ministers were also encouraged RECs to ensure synergy, complementarity and coherence in the fight against the virus.
In addition, the meeting also welcomed and recommended for approval the measures to be put in place for the operationalisation of the AU COVID-19 Response Fund.
“The Bureau of the Executive Council welcomed and recommended for approval the measures undertaken by the Chairperson of the AU Commission Faki Mahamat of putting in place all the necessary legal requirements for the operationalisation of the African Union Covid-19 Response Fund.
“In this regard, the Bureau noted that its members are in the process of transferring a combined total of $17million, as seed capital to both the Fund and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) as follows; $12.5million the Fund, and $4.5million to the Africa CDC.”
The Ministers urged member states to contribute to both the fund and the Africa CDC.
They also invited regional development institutions, the African private sector, International financial institutions and bilateral partners to honour their financial commitments to the fund.
The Ministers also expressed concern about the spread of the virus across African countries.
The meeting of the Bureau of the (AU) Executive Council was a follow-up to two successive meeetings of the Bureau of Heads of State/Government, which developed an overarching framework for Africa’s response to COVID-19.-SAnews.gov.za
