The COMESA Authority

The COMESA Authority comprises of the Heads of State and Government of the different COMESA Countries; the Authority is COMESA’s supreme policy-making organ. It is responsible for the general policy direction and control of the performance of the executive functions of COMESA. It is headed by a Chairman elected for an agreed period.

The Authority meets once a year, but may hold an Extraordinary Summit at the request of any member of the Authority, provided that one-third of the members of the Authority support such a request. The last extraordinary Summit was held in 2000 at the official launching of the COMESA FTA. Summits are held in various member States, with the host Government and the COMESA Secretariat bearing joint responsibility for their organization. Usually, the country hosting the Summit assumes the chairmanship of the Authority for the year.

Decision Making Process

Under normal circumstances, the Authority takes decisions by consensus. Although its meetings are in closed session, at the end of each meeting, the leaders issue a communiqué recording their decisions. The Authority sometimes issues declarations or statements on matters of particular concern. The directives and decisions taken by the Authority are binding on all member States and the other organs to which they are addressed.

Past Chair-persons of the COMESA Authority