Assembly/AU/Dec.364(XVII) Page 1 DECISION ON ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF FINANCING THE AFRICAN UNION Doc. EX.CL/656(XIX) The Assembly, 1. TAKES NOTE of the recommendations of the Executive Council on alternative sources of financing the African Union (AU); 2. RECALLS the various decisions taken by the Executive Council and the Assembly on Alternative Sources of Financing the AU , including the 2001 Lusaka Summit Decision AHG/Dec. 1 (XXXVII, the June 2006 Banjul Decision EX.CL/Dec.285 (IX), and the July 2007 Accra Declaration Assembly/AU/Decl.2 (IX) which highlighted the need to identify additional sources of financing the activities of the AU ; 3. NOTES WITH CONCERN the dire financial situation of the AU caused by delays in Member States honouring their assessed contributions and complexities of accessing partner funds; 4. EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN over the growing reliance on partner funds to finance the continental integration and development agenda; 5. REITERATES the imperative need for Member States to provide the AU with predictable, reliable and sustainable resources to enable it fulfil its mandate; 6. REQUESTS the Commission to actively pursue the effective implementation of the various decisions of the Assembly on alternative sources of financing the AU; 7. TAKES NOTE of progress in the setting up of a High Level Panel of Eminent Personalities (the Panel) with a view to engaging with Member States and coming up with definitive proposals to this long outstanding issue as per the January 2011 Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec.643(XVIII); 8. REQUESTS the Commission to expedite the process of setting up the Panel and take all necessary measures to facilitate its work; 9. APPEALS to all Member States and the Regional Economic Communities to provide all the necessary support to the Panel to ensure a successful outcome of the consultations; 10. REQUESTS the Panel to undertake the consultations in a timely manner and report to the next Ordinary Session of the Assembly trough the Executive Council, in January 2012.