AFRICA’S GOVERNANCE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 | PRELIMINARY REPORT 2020 RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Recommendations for the African Union are also encouraged to invest substantially into the ARC Insurer. 5. AU should develop guidelines for multinational enterprises to support responsible business conduct to ensure that a coordinated and structured platform for business and government and/or AU collaboration is put in place beyond COVID-19. 1. AU must advise member states on modalities for conducting elections during the pandemic in a manner that ensures credible, free and fair elections during the pandemic. The principles obtaining should also be integrated into the Guidelines for AU Electoral Observation and Monitoring Missions. The Commission should support member States establish electronic elections systems. 6. The AU should establish a Continental Solidarity Fund to assist member states when large-scale disasters such as COVID-19 occur and coordinate the management of such disasters. 2. The AU should revise Agenda 2063 to emphasize disaster preparedness and management in its member states. 7. The AU should assess the scientific, technological and institutional capacities of its member states, including their capacities for vaccine research and development, with a view to contributing to enhancing their ability to prepare for and manage disasters. 3. The AU should develop a continental framework on disaster preparedness and management and encourage its member states to incorporate this framework in their national and local development frameworks. 8. The AU should fast track the adoption of a policy framework of mechanisms for “APRM Support to Member States in the Area of Credit Rating Agencies” currently awaiting final validation by the AU Special Technical Committee of Ministers of Finance, Monetary Affairs and Regional Integration; and it should call for a moratorium on rating downgrades of developing countries based on the COVID-19 outlook. 4. The AU should encourage its members states to sign and ratify the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Treaty, which provides a framework for disaster early warning and contingency planning, and disaster insurance for participating states. Member states 60