The COMESA-Leather and Leather Products Institute’s Management Team, led by the Institute’s Executive Director, Prof. Mwinyihija Mwinyikione, and composed of the Programs Coordinator, Mr. Zewdu Kebede, the Administration, Budget and Finance Head, Ms Tigist Hailegiorgis, and the Leather Value Chain Expert and Personal Assistant to the Executive Director, Prof. Mekonnen Hailemariam, attended the 35th Policy Organs Meetings held from December 1 to December 8, 2015 at COMESA Secretariat and Taj Pamodzi Hotel, Lusaka, Zambia. The Policy Organs Meetings started with the Committee on Administrative and Budget matters Meeting that took place from 1- 2 December 2015, followed by the COMESA Intergovernmental Committee Meeting from 3-5 December, 2015 and finally by the 35th COMESA Council of Ministers Meeting held from 7-8 December 2015.
More than 210 delegates, including Ministers in charge of co-ordination of COMESA programmes, representing governments of the 19 COMESA Member States, COMESA Secretariat, and COMESA Institutions and representatives of Development Partner Organizations participated in the meetings.
The Theme of the 2015 Policy Organs Meetings was “Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialization”.
The Council of Ministers Meeting made decisions on recommendations presented by the Intergovernmental Committee (IC) on various issues on implementation of regional integration programmes and the budget for 2016. The later was first reviewed by the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Matters before being submitted to the Intergovernmental Committee.
The Council of Ministers’ report contains major policy decisions that will guide the implementation of regional integration programmes for the Member States and the Secretariat, in the year 2016.
In the Policy Organs Meetings, the COMESA/LLPI’s Progress Report that encompassed its 2015 activities and budget performance and its 2016 Work Plan and draft Budget were presented and approved.
