We, the Africa Regional Directors of the AU, FAO, OIE, WHO, and UNEP, COMMIT TO: 1. Strengthen and accelerate implementation of previous commitments to tackle AMR including relevant resolutions of the governing bodies of the African Union, the Tripartite (WHO, FAO, OIE) and UNEP, and other relevant agencies, and AMR multisectoral national action plans. 2. Advancing political leadership at regional, national, and sub-national levels to ensure successful governance of AMR by supporting robust institutional arrangements in both public and private sectors and developing and enforcing appropriate regulatory frameworks. 3. Fostering the One Health multisectoral and multidisciplinary coordination and collaboration as the best approach to leveraging our comparative mandates and strengths to effectively combat AMR. 4. Continuing to support African Member States to address the growing global threat of AMR through developing national multisectoral AMR action plans in line with the Global Plan of Action, that are urged to be fully funded, implemented and evaluated. 5. Develop and implement a comprehensive and coordinated regional advocacy and communications strategy to tackle AMR by increasing awareness, understanding, and encouraging behavior change through evidence and sharing of best practices and scientific knowledge, with engagement with academia and research institutions, private sector, civil society, and the media. 6. Maintaining and strengthening appropriate stewardship of antimicrobials, including through infection prevention and control (IPC), Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) biosecurity measures and routine immunization and advocate for equitable vaccine access to help prevent infectious diseases, including COVID-19. 7. Maintaining and strengthening good agricultural and food safety practices including safe processing, animal vaccination and farm biosecurity; farm waste management and control of infections 8. Integrating AMR in all efforts and programs for epidemic and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, health systems strengthening, animal and environmental health, infection prevention and control, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and in sustainable food systems, food safety and food security. 9. Evaluating implementation of these commitments on tackling AMR through ongoing work of the existing governance mechanisms of the African Union, the Tripartite and UNEP, and sharing of lessons learned, best practices, challenges, and opportunities.The Participants’ signatures in the spaces below record their joint acceptance and commitment for this communiqué as of 18 November 2021. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Dr John Nkengasong – Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and PreventionAfrican Union – InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resource Dr. Nick Nwankpa – Director of African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations-Regional Office for Africa Dr. Abebe Haile-Gabriel – FAO Assistant Director-General Regional Representative for AfricaFood and Agriculture Organization of the UN – Regional Office for Near East and North Africa Dr. AbdulHakim Elwaer – FAO Assistant DG, Regional Rep. for the Near East and North AfricaWorld Health Organization – Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ahmed Salim Al Mandhari – WHO Regional Director for the Eastern MediterraneanWorld Health Organization-Regional Office for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti – WHO Regional Director for AfricaWorld Organization for Animal Health Regional Representation for Africa Dr. Karim Tounkara – OIE Regional Representative for AfricaUnited Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Africa Dr. Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo – UNEP Regional Director for Africa
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