East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 3rd May, 2023:The President of the Republic of Kenya, H.E. William Samoei Ruto, has called on the members states of the East African Community (EAC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to remove barriers to the free movement of people, goods and services in order to enhance regional integration in Eastern Africa.
President Ruto said the free movement of people, goods and services was necessary for sustainable growth and development of the East and Horn of African region.
The President said it is the responsibility of the member states in the region to eliminate national boundaries that have since become roadblocks and impediments to the movement of people and commodities across the region.
Dr. Ruto described national boundaries as old-fashioned and divisive, and urged the region to work together to build bridges of friendship.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 29th April, 2023: The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat and all the EAC Partner States’ Tourism Boards have been participating in the 7th Edition of the Pearl of Africa Tourism EXPO taking place at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort in Uganda from 26th – 29th April, 2022.
The four-day event that was officially opened by the Uganda Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Hon. Col. (Rtd) Tom Butime on Wednesday, 26th April, 2023. The EXPO closes on 29th April, 2023.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 29th April, 2023:The President of the Republic of Kenya, H.E William Samoei Ruto is expected to grace the launch of the flagship report titled ‘The State of Migration in the East and Horn of Africa’’ on 2nd May, 2023 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, Kenya.
The inaugural report, co-published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Office for the East and Horn of Africa, the East African Community (EAC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) sheds light on the mobility dimensions of regional integration in the East and Horn of Africa region.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 25th April, 2023: The East African Community (EAC) has developed and adopted seven strategic education plans as part of efforts to facilitate the quick integration of the education sector in East Africa.
EAC Secretary General, Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki, stated that the strategic plans are at the basic and tertiary levels of education, namely: Pre-Primary, Primary, Secondary, Teacher Education, TVET, Continuing and Non-Formal Education, and Special Needs Education.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 24th April, 2023:The East African Community has commended the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the support extended to the region that facilitated the bloc’s regional COVID-19 response efforts.
The AfDB support was directed towards the set up of coordination systems for testing; test results verification; training of health workers and procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), test kits and laboratory consumables.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 21st April, 2023:A continental workshop on harmonisation of Africa road transport regulatory frameworks organised by the African Union Commission (AUC) in partnership with the European Union (EU) funded Tripartite Transport and Transit Facilitation Programme (TTTFP) underway in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The four-day workshop from 18th to 21st April ,2023 organised to assess progress on the harmonisation and implementation of Vehicle Load Management (VLM) in Africa, exchanging best practices on policies and standards while soliciting realistic proposals for a continental VLM strategy.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 21st April, 2023:The East African Community (EAC) training workshop in climate finance access and mobilisation for EAC Partner States has concluded in Arusha.
The three-day workshop brought together the operating entities of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Financial Mechanism and accredited entities to equip experts from Ministries responsible for Environment, Finance and EAC Affairs in the EAC Partner States with the necessary knowledge and skills to mobilize and access climate finance.
The EAC Secretariat has collaborated with UNFCC on the implementation of the Needs Base Finance project developed as a response to the Conference of Parties Long-term Finance decisions. The Long-term Finance process is aimed at progressing the mobilization of resources originating from a wide variety of sources, public and private, bilateral and multilateral, including alternative sources in an effort to scale-up climate change finance.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 18th April 2023:The East African Community (EAC) is deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict in our neighbouring state, the Republic of the Sudan.
The EAC calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities between the warring parties to avoid further loss of life, injuries and damage to property. The EAC further calls on both parties to seek an amicable settlement through the available conflict resolution mechanisms at the regional, continental and international levels.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 17th April, 2023: The East African Community (EAC) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at renewing and strengthening cooperation in addressing issues on refugee and asylum seekers in need of international protection, across the region.
The MoU was signed at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania by the EAC Secretary General, Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki and the UNHCR Regional Director for the East, Horn and Great Lakes Regions, Ms. Clementine Nkweta-Salami and will among other things, promote the rights of East Africans to seek and enjoy asylum for persons in need of international protection in accordance with international refugee law and uphold the non-derogable principle of non-refoulment within the region.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 17th April, 2023:The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat with support from the World Customs Organization (WCO) under the European Union funded HS Africa Program, has commenced the process of digitalization of its Common External Tariff (CET). The digitalization efforts are aimed at enhancing the participation and access to trade information of the private sector in international trade.
The platform, which is currently under development in partnership with Global Trade Solution (GTS), will enable seamless migration of the EAC CET during transposition of Harmonized System (HS); administration and management of the Duty Remission Scheme (including application, assessment, approval and gazettement); production of information and publication of other measures affecting implementation of CET.