PSC/PR/COMM.1(DCLXI) Page 2 and goods, in order to prevent terrorist and criminal groups from taking advantages and exploiting such facilities; 6. Also commends the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the East African Community (EAC) for the significant progress recorded to date in the promotion of free movement of people, goods and services and urges other RECs/RMs to emulate the ECOWAS example; 7. Further commends Member States that have already started to issue visas on arrival to fellow African citizens, namely: Benin, Ghana, Mauritius, Rwanda and Seychelles and urges other Member States to also put in place necessary measures to ensure the issuance of visas on arrival for African citizens while at the same time taking the necessary security precautions; 8. Appeals to Member States, within the spirit of promoting free movement of people and goods in the African continent, to refrain from imposing harsh penalties to fellow African citizens who would have over-stayed in their countries beyond the period stipulated in the visas and to facilitate their exit to destinations of their choice; 9. Underscores the importance of expediting the process of issuing an African Passport to all AU Heads of States and Government, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Members of Permanent Representatives Committee, Heads of AU Organs, senior leadership of the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (RECs/RMs) and their respective staff. In the same context, Council requests the AU Commission to provide necessary technical support to Member States, in order to enable them to produce and issue the African passport to their own citizens; 10. Also underscores the importance of further enhancing collaboration between and among Member States, particularly their immigration, defence, security and intelligence services, and working in close collaboration with the relevant African and international institutions, in order to ensure timely sharing of intelligence and build mutual confidence and trust, with a view to dispelling any fears that may be generated by the promotion of free movement of people, goods and services; 11. Stresses the urgent need for all national intelligence and security services of the Member States to be innovative and adapt to the contemporary security threats, among others, by using advanced information and communication technologies (ICTs) and highly skilled personnel, in order to prevent terrorist and criminal groups from abusing the free movement of people, goods and services, which is also in line with the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2178 of 2014 which requires Member States to prevent the movement of terrorist groups by ensuring effective border management and control;