41st Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council concludes meeting passing various decisions

Addis Ababa, July 18, 2022 (FBC) – The 41st Ordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council approved Ethiopia’s nomination, along with three other African countries, to serve as a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization Council on behalf of Africa.

The Executive Council of the African Union has concluded its two-day meeting in Lusaka, Zambia passing various decisions ranging from approving the 2023 budget of the Union, selecting a host country to the African Medicines Agency (AMA) to the implementation of institutional reforms.

Among others, the Executive Council has approved the African Union’s 2023 budget to be 654.8 million USD, of which, 67% will be covered by partners.

In the process of approving the budget, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen pointed out that the Continent should aspire to cover, at least, some parts of the budget to key roles in peacekeeping missions.

The Executive Council has also selected Rwanda to host the Headquarters of the African Medicines Agency, which is hoped to enhance capacity of state parties to regulate medical products, improve Africa’s access to quality safe, and efficacious medical products, and support the creation of an enabling environment for pharmaceutical manufacturing on the continent.

The council also approved the revised statute document of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which empowers the agency and increases its ability to function independently.