Communique of the Teleconference Meeting of the BUREAU of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government with Chairpersons of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) of the African Union held on 29 April 2020

Abstract

This Meeting was held pursuant to the Decision of the Bureau at its Meeting of 22 April 2020, with the purpose of apprising the Chairpersons of the RECs of the AU about the actions and initiatives undertaken by the African Union in response to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the continent.

The Heads of State and Government welcomed the steps taken by the RECs in combating the virus and called for the AU Commission and the RECs to reinforce existing coordination and collaboration mechanisms, including sectoral information sharing. They also acknowledged the commendable efforts of African leaders in their respective countries to contain the virus and adopt measures to mitigate against its socio-economic impacts. In this regard, they underscored the importance of unity, solidarity, collaboration and cooperation among African countries to ensure a decisive response to COVID-19. They reaffirmed their commitment to continue to work together in responding to the pandemic, including through collaboration and sharing information on best practices