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| EAC Council of Ministers | |
|---|---|
| Name | EAC Council of Ministers |
| Formation | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Arusha, Tanzania |
| Membership | Partner States' ministers |
| Leader title | Chair |
| Parent organization | East African Community |
EAC Council of Ministers The EAC Council of Ministers is the principal policy-making organ of the East African Community, charged with coordinating integration among Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo. It translates decisions of the East African Legislative Assembly and the East African Court of Justice into executive action, interacting with institutions such as the EAC Secretariat and regional bodies like the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union. The Council works alongside bilateral frameworks such as the Lomé Convention era institutions and global partners including the United Nations, European Union, and African Development Bank.
The Council exercises functions set out in the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community and is responsible for harmonizing policies in areas such as customs, common markets, monetary union and infrastructure, liaising with entities like the East African Legislative Assembly, East African Court of Justice, EAC Secretariat and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa on implementation. It approves programmes proposed by the Secretary-General and supervises execution of budgets, interacting with multilateral lenders such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and African Development Bank on financing. The Council oversees sectoral coordination with agencies like the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, East African Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency, and regional research institutes including the International Livestock Research Institute and Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization.
Membership comprises cabinet-level ministers designated by each Partner State, typically the minister responsible for regional cooperation, foreign affairs, or finance, drawn from governments of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Council elects a rotating Chair drawn from the Partner States, coordinating with heads of state from President of Kenya, President of Uganda, President of Tanzania, President of Rwanda, President of Burundi, President of South Sudan, and President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo when matters require political guidance. Observers and technical representatives from organizations such as the East African Legislative Assembly, East African Court of Justice, EAC Secretariat, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and development partners attend sessions.
Decisions follow voting rules established by the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community and are taken by consensus or by qualified majority where specified, referencing precedents set in agreements like the Protocol on the Establishment of the East African Monetary Union and the EAC Customs Management Act. The Council enacts decisions that bind Partner States pending ratification, coordinating rival positions among capitals such as Nairobi, Kampala, Dodoma, Kigali, Bujumbura, Juba, and Kinshasa through ministerial caucuses and technical committees. Where disputes arise, the Council refers matters to the East African Court of Justice or mediation mechanisms involving figures from the African Union or former heads of state like Kikwete-era and Kagame-era interventions.
The Council convenes regular ordinary and extraordinary meetings at the EAC headquarters in Arusha and occasionally in capital cities, supported administratively and technically by the EAC Secretariat under the Secretary-General. Agendas are prepared with input from Sectoral Councils and the East African Legislative Assembly, while secretariat directorates such as Legal, Customs, and Infrastructure provide briefing papers drawing on research from institutions like the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology and the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development. The Council also receives support from partner agencies including the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, European Union, and bilateral missions such as United Kingdom and Germany technical cooperation teams.
The Council stands between the East African Legislative Assembly and the Summit of the Heads of State of the East African Community, implementing Summit directives and submitting proposals for the Assembly’s scrutiny while referring legal questions to the East African Court of Justice. It liaises with the EAC Secretariat for policy implementation and with sectoral bodies like the East African Science and Technology Commission, East African Health Research Commission, and Lake Victoria Basin Commission to harmonize programmes. The Council’s interaction with external entities includes coordination with the African Union Commission, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund for macroeconomic convergence programmes.
The Council’s authority derives from the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community and subsidiary instruments including protocols, regulations, and directives like the EAC Customs Management Act and Protocols on Monetary Union, Transport, and Trade in Services. It issues decisions, directives, and regulations which, following the Treaty’s procedures and partner state ratification requirements, become binding, and it supervises implementation through monitoring frameworks similar to those used by the African Union and Economic Community of West African States. The Council also has powers to negotiate on behalf of Partner States in specified areas, coordinate external relations with blocs such as the European Union and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and request advisory opinions from the East African Court of Justice.
The Council has steered initiatives including the launch of the East African Customs Union, steps toward the East African Monetary Union, harmonization of tariff schedules with reference to the World Trade Organization, regional infrastructure projects such as the Northern Corridor and Standard Gauge Railway initiatives, and public health responses coordinated with the World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. It has endorsed policies on free movement aligned with instruments similar to the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, advanced integration through the EAC Common Market Protocol, and coordinated peace and security engagements involving African Union mediation in Burundi and South Sudan. Recent Council actions have encompassed trade facilitation with partners like the European Union, macroeconomic convergence dialogues with the International Monetary Fund, and regional responses to pandemics in coordination with bodies such as the World Health Organization.