The African Union (AU) Commission, in collaboration with the Government of the ‎Republic of Rwanda, is convening the Second Extraordinary ‎Session of the Conference of States Parties (CoSP) to ‎the African Medicines Agency (AMA) ‎Treaty from 19-20 June 2023 ‎in Kigali, Rwanda. The main objectives of the meeting are to:‎ Appoint the Members of the AMA Governing Board;‎ Consider and adopt the revised Terms of Reference of the ‎AMA Director General;‎ and Determine the date and venue of the Second Ordinary Session of the CoSP – all in a bid ‎to fast-track the ‎operationalisation of AMA.

The 32^nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly adopted the Treaty for establishing the African ‎Medicines Agency (AMA) on 11 ‎February 2019, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The ‎AMA Treaty came into force on 5 November ‎‎2021 following the deposit of the 15^th ‎instrument of ratification. ‎

The effective operationalisation of AMA is envisioned to enhance the capacity of State ‎Parties and the African Union (AU) recognised Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to ‎regulate ‎medical products and technologies to improve access to quality, ‎safe and ‎efficacious medical products on the continent.‎

The Conference of State Parties (CoSP) to the AMA Treaty ‎is the highest policy-making ‎organ of ‎the AMA. The CoSP shall comprise all AU Member States who ratify or accede to ‎the AMA ‎Treaty and shall be represented by Ministers responsible for Health or their duly ‎‎authorised representatives.‎ The Conference of the State of Parties meets once every two (2) years in ordinary ‎sessions ‎and an extraordinary session at the request of the Chairperson, Bureau, ‎Governing Board or ‎two-thirds of the State Parties. ‎

The First Ordinary Session of the CoSP took ‎place on 1- 2 June 2022 in Addis Ababa, ‎Ethiopia. During the Session, the CoSP established and adopted its Rules of ‎Procedures, ‎elected its Bureau representation, and endorsed the Assessment Report ‎for hosting the ‎AMA Headquarters. Additionally, upon the unanimous decision of the CoSP to hold an ‎Extraordinary Session of the CoSP before the end of 2022, the AU Commission organised ‎the First Extraordinary ‎Session on 3-4 November 2022 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

‎ “We are delighted that AMA has found its home here in Kigali, Rwanda to serve all Africans. The Government of Rwanda is committed to do the needful to ensure a conducive environment for the agency as our common goal is to create a strong drug regulatory body for our continent,” said Honorable Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, Rwanda Minister of Health.

“‎A more robust, harmonised drug regulatory environment, including ‎cooperative commercial authorisation of medicines developed by African ‎pharmaceutical companies, as envisioned by the AMA, is an integral part of a ‎well-functioning ecosystem for health vital to health security, universal ‎health coverage, and healthy populations.‎ The AMA, therefore, has a crucial role in improving the health and well-being ‎of Africans toward the achievement of the AU Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. The AMA can help grow Africa into a resilient manufacturing powerhouse ‎bringing African solutions to impeding socioeconomic challenges, which will ‎boost the Africa ‎Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), unifying AU ‎Member States‎. I encourage collective effort from all AU Member States to operationalise AMA,” noted H.E. Amb. Minata Samate Cessouma,‎ Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, African Union Commission.

The meeting participants will consider and adopt a comprehensive report on the meeting outcomes and way forward‎.

For further media inquiries, please contact:

1. Mr. Julien M. Niyingabira | Health Communications Division Manager Rwanda Biomedical Centre / Ministry of Health | E-mail: julien.niyingabira@rbc.gov.rw
2. Ms. Whitney Mwangi | Health Communication and Advocacy Specialist AIDS Watch Africa Secretariat, Directorate of Health and Humanitarian Affairs | Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, African Union Commission | E-mail: WhitneyM@africa-union.org
3. Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate | E-mail: GamalK@africa-union.org

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