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ARAB – AFRICA ECONOMIC FORUM
“BEYOND PROMISES: MOVING FORWARD TOWARD AN EFFECTIVE AFRICA ARAB PARTNERSHIP”

HE Mrs. Rhoda Tumusiime

Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union (AU)/Chair of the Session on the Theme: Mutual Arab-African Cooperation in Food Security
during the Afrirca - Arab Economic Forum leading to the Third Africa – Arab Summit, 11-12 November, 2013

The Secretary General of the Arab League, H.E Mr. Nabil El Araby,
The Director General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, H.E Mr. Abdulwabab Al Bader,
Distinguished Representatives of Partner Organizations;
Honorable Ministers and Senior Officials and Experts of the League of Arab States and AU Member States;
Members of the Diplomatic Corp;
Invited Guests and Speakers,
Ladies and Gentlemen

Courtesies

I would like to add to the messages of all the previous speakers that conveyed appreciation to the leadership and people of Emirate of Kuwait, including the Kuwait Fund and also the Secretariat of the League of Arab States for organizing well the Arab – Africa Economic Forum on the Theme: “Beyond Promises: Moving toward and Effective Arab Africa Partnership” building up to the Third Africa-Arab Summit in a few days’ time.

Introduction

The theme of this Session which I am honored and pleased to chair is on Mutual Arab-African Cooperation in Food Security. It provides us an opportunity to discuss ways and means of enhancing cooperation within the context of Africa-Arab Partnership to accelerate investment towards ensuring that the populations of our respective regions enjoy a decent living with adequate food which is nutritionally secure and safe for health.

We are all aware that availing food will not necessarily mean that each and every person has to go to the field and cultivate; some will require purchasing power to access the food.

In order to attain this goal of a food and nutrition secure and poverty free populace for the two regions, we need to take advantage of the of the resources available from extensive arable land to large labour reserve offered by Africa and the financial and technical support coming from the Arab region.

As envisaged for this session, we can initially focus on three sectors, notably: crops, livestock and fisheries. In order to optimize mutual benefit for the people of our two regions, investment in these sectors should be based on comparative and competitive advantage of our regions and countries.

To this end, a lot of groundwork has been covered as evidenced by the deliberations and recommendations of the First Joint Africa-Arab Conference of Ministers of Agriculture and Food Security held in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt in 2010 and the Second Conference of the same Ministers held last month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Areas of cooperation in food security have been agreed on through a robust process with the political level supported by the technical level.

In follow up, the African Union Commission and the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development have been coordinating the process since the Second Summit of Africa-Arab Heads of State and Government meeting in Sirte, Libya in 2010 agreed that a Joint Facilitation Unit be set up to take forward the areas related to agriculture and food security cooperation.

Three presentations on cereals, fisheries and livestock, which play an important role in our food security, will be made during the current session.

The three papers to be presented will inform us on the importance of how the promotion of: 1) production and supply of cereals; 2) the fisheries industry as well as 3) the livestock industry in Arab and African countries, can contribute to strengthening the mutual cooperation between Arab and African countries and open great possibilities for trade and economic development.

The African Union through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) considers these as critical.

The first presentation by Dr Mahmoud Elsohl, Director General of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas will be followed by the presentation by Dr Tarek Ben Moussa Zadjali, Director General of the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development (AOAD) and then by the presentation by Dr Hassane H. Mahamat, Coordinator of the African – Union Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign (AU-PATTEC). The three presentations will show their complementarity for food and nutritional security and poverty eradication.

Bios
Dr Mahmoud Elsohl , International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), has a PhD , Genetics from the University of California , Davis. He recently stressed that "combining grain legumes and dryland cereals - both highly nutritious, drought-tolerant crops - in their diets are the best bets for smallholder farmers in marginal environments to achieve food and nutritional security and improve their livelihoods."

Dr Tarek Ben Moussa Zadjali is Director General of the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development (AOAD) which was established in 1970, for coordination among Arab countries between their different policies in agriculture, natural and human resources as well as economic development, in order to achieve the ultimate goal of a fully integrated Arab economies with the aim of achieving a fully integrated Arab economy union, and food self-sufficiency. Dr. Tarek is at the helm of this Organisation and we have been working closely in pursuit of our shared mandate.

Dr Hassane H. Mahamat, Coordinator of the African – Union Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign (AU-PATTEC), a specialized technical office of the African Union.

Prof. Tandeka Nkiwane, Special Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordination Agency will be the discussant.
Let us now listen to our first speaker, Dr. Mahmoud Elsolh.

N.B Attached is the Forum endorsement of Resolution
Resolution on Mutual Arab African Cooperation in food security
Africa Arab Economic Forum, 11 – 12 November 2013, Kuwait

1. On Food Security

• The Forum resolves to endorse the Riyadh Resolution following the 2nd Africa Arab Ministerial Conference on Agriculture on Agricultural Development and Food Security held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2nd October 2013

• The Forum recommends supporting Research and Development in the area of food security. Africa Arab financial institutions need to enhance cooperate and invest in the sectors of Crops, Livestock and Fisheries to ensure that both regions will benefit from these areas in order to boost the availability of food in the regions through resolving the problems of production, productivity, diseases, and standards, among others.

2. On Cooperation in Implementation of the Joint Action Plan on Agricultural Development and Food Security in Africa and the Arab Region

The Forum calls upon African and Arab States to intensity their cooperation in the fields of Crops, Livestock and Fisheries through the development of Joint Africa Arab programmes/projects to increase investment and production of commodities and reinforce the establishment of the Joint Facilitation Unit.

3. On Investments

Public and private sectors should ensure complementarity in investments in the development of rural infrastructures (slaughter houses, storage facilities, roads, etc.) to improve the transformation of products and boost value addition for export market.

The Forum request the Arab Authority for Agriculture Development and Investment to widen its mandates and works in African countries

The Forum recommends feasibility studies to facilitate the establishment of Africa-Arab companies to collaborate in the establishment of commodities based systems.

STATEMENT ON MARKETS AND INFLUENCE ON AGRICULTURE

DELIVERED BY HER EXCELLENCY TUMUSIIME RHODA PEACE,
COMMISSIONER FOR RURAL ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE
AT THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION

ON THE OCCASION OF THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AFRICAN AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION (AATF)

8 NOVEMBER, 2013, NAIROBI, KENYA

Honourable Guest of Honour representing the Host, Government of the Republic of Kenya

Professor Idah Sithole-Niang, Chair of the Board of the African Agriculture Technology Foundation

Dr. Denis Kyetere, Executive Director of the African Agriculture Technology Foundation

Dr. Jimmy Smith, Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute

Professor Gordon Conway, Chair of the Montpellier Panel

Ms. Jane Karuku, President of the Alliance for a Green Revoltion in Africa

Mr. Philip Kiriro, Chairman of the East African Farmers’ Federation

Fellow Panelists

Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen

C o u r t e s i e s

I am delighted to be here and I wish to convey the African Union Commission’s warm greetings, congratulations and best wishes to the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) on your Tenth Anniversary of existence and operation at the service of Mother Africa in the framework of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) whose 10th Anniversary also coincides with yours. We deeply appreciate the stewardship by the leadership of AATF and the dedication and expertise of your staff to fulfill the mandate for which AATF was set up: identifying, developing, and delivering appropriate agricultural technologies especially to small holder farmers. We noted with gratification the 10 projects introduced and successfully managed by AATF in 10 AU Member States in the last 10 years.

M o n p e l i e r P a n e l

Before I turn to the topic that I was requested to address, Markets and influence on Agriculture, I would like to first commend Prof. Gordon Conway for the keynote address on Innovations for Sustainable Intensification. I found your address invaluably enriching and energising. Indeed, it is the farmer we are targeting and we cannot intensify unless inputs go to the farmer. Hence, the need for policy actions and measures to enable inputs reach the farmer. This is because the input and output markets are characterized by a number of challenges. The farmer is not going to continue to use modern technology unless the marketing system is got correct. We need marketing infrastructure. Because the farmer is risk averse, he will not produce if there is no market and so he will not go to buy seeds. I would also like to thank you again for having recently led the delegation of the Montpelier Panel to the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa where we held in-depth discussions. We are grateful indeed for the great work you are doing and we look forward to our continued collaboration through the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and related Pan African regional and sub-regional institutions.

P a r t n e r s h i p

The African Union Commission considers agriculture as being key to unlocking Africa’s development potential. However, this vital sector still faces multi-dimensional challenges which call for creativity and collective thinking on the part of policy makers, scientists, farmers and entrepreneurs with respect to innovations in marketing agricultural inputs and outputs.

Markets do, indeed, influence agriculture and this is true for input markets and output markets within the marketing system that is quite broad.

I n p u t M a r k e t s

If markets for inputs like fertilisers, seeds and other implements are organized and are offering affordable prices, they provide impetus for producers to produce sustainably. If, on the other hand, input markets are not well organized and they end up, for example, getting dominated by profit motive, they turn into a disservice to the agricultural sector with discouraging prices and/or counterfeit inputs. Hence, the virtues of liberalization notwithstanding, policies to regulate input markets are key much as they should be applied without obstructing initiative.

O u t p u t M a r k e t s

Also, with respect to output markets, a guaranteed market can catalyse agricultural production. Farmers respond positively to positive output market signals but farmers are also risk averse and so, if the output markets are negative, the farmers will lower or stop production.

On the positive side, high prices incentivize farmers to produce more and reap high profits from increased sales. On the contrary, low prices discourage agricultural production. As you know, in some parts of the world, in order to keep farmers in production, compensation is provided in case market prices fall. In other instances, governments buy off the surplus agricultural production in order to maintain the farmers’ interest in production. However, the compensation and buy off, and other forms of insurance and stabilization, are expensive endeavours and only developed countries manage to sustain them despite criticisms of their distorting effect on global trade. Many countries in the developing world including those in Africa find these measures unaffordable and this leaves farmers at the mercy of distorted markets and middle-agents. The end result is to discourage production.

I n t e r d e p e n d e n c e

Input and output markets are interdependent because once farmers are discouraged by output markets, even their technology uptake as well as acquisition and application of other inputs, goes down. Yet when the output markets send positive signals, farmers of necessity increase their search and application of inputs including technology.

M a r k e t I n g I n f r a s t r u c t u r e

Also market price fluctuations do impact adversely on developing countries’ agricultural production and can also result in waste of agricultural produce especially the perishable goods. It is only in countries where there are systems of preservation and agro-processing that overproduction may not pose such a serious problem because there will be cold storage or there will be various forms of processing so that what is produced is not wasted. This, therefore, calls for investment in the entire agricultural value chain and not only in production but also in transportation, cold storage and especially agro-processing let alone insurance. Where this has been done effectively, the issue of price fluctuation has not had grace consequences.

R o l e o f A U C

The African Union Commission continues to support AU Member States at national, regional and even global levels to ensure that markets are made to support the agricultural sector. As you know, CAADP Pillar II on Market Access and Rural Infrastructure and CAADP Pillar IV on Agricultural Research, Technology Dissemination and Adoption both intend to address the issues of agricultural innovations uptake to influence positively input and output markets through National and Regional Agricultural Investment Plans. At continental level, the AUC promotes regional integration in collaboration with Regional Economic Communities as building blocks. We are convinced that when tariff and non-tariff barriers are lowered or removed, it promotes marketing including for agricultural products and further motivates agricultural production. At the international level, the AUC uses partnerships with various regional entities to secure markets for Africa’s products most of which are agriculture-based. The AUC also supports negotiations at the World Trade Organisation to favour agriculture-friendly markets. We have also been working with other partner agencies within the framework of the G20 on viable approaches for mitigating the impacts agricultural commodity price fluctuations and the G8 on bridging the gaps along the value chain which impact negatively on small-scale farmers. These have been some of the factors responsible for farmers’ low adoption of modern technologies. Addressing these challenges will increase technology uptake and lead to increased productivity on the path to prosperity.

C o n c l u s i o n

I have heard your call. As you are aware, next Year which has been declared by the AU leaders as the Yeaf for Agriculture and Food Security. We are going to have a series of ativities to ensure that agriculture is re-engineered by political leaders in recognition of the fact that agriculture is the backbone of our economies and the top employer of our citizens. We would like to see the gap bridged between scientists and politicians to support this drive and also between scientists and the media to ensure wide advocacy and public awareness on agricultural technological innovations and increase their uptake.

Having said that, I would like to reiterate that the African Agriculture Technology Foundation deserves to be commended for its interventions in support especially of small-scale farmers to improve their yields and also to cater for post – harvest processes. I was impressed by the high-content presentations this morning by AATF staff. The African Union Commission is, therefore, pleased to be partnering with AATF on the basis of the MoU signed last year in furtherance of cooperation to support African farmers modernize agriculture. I wish AATF continued steady progress in pursuit of its mandate for the benefit of African farmers and citizens.

I thank you for your attention.

STATEMENT OF HER EXCELLENCY MRS. TUMUSIIME RHODA PEACE, COMMISSIONER FOR RURAL ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE, AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION

ON THE OCCASION OF THE MINISTERIAL SEGMENT OF THE AFRICAN CONSULTATIONS ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2013
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
 
Your Excellency, Dr Carlos Lopez, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Honourable Sufian Ahmed, Minister of Finance and Economic Development of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia;
Dr. Anthony Maruping, Commissioner for Economic Affairs of African Union
Commission;;
Honourable Ministers;
Excellencies, Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Missions;
Excellency Wu Hongbo, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic
and Social Affairs;
Excellency Maged Abdelaziz, UN Special Adviser on Africa,
Excellency Gilbert Houngbo, Deputy Director General of the ILO;

I have the honour to address Honourable Ministers and other distinguished delegates. I, first of all, convey to you warm greetings and best wishes from Her Excellency Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission. The Commission of the African Union is pleased to be continuing to work closely with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and other partners in supporting AU Member States’ harmonisation of policies and coordination of implementation of various development programmes and projects.

We are, this time round, happy to be working together in carrying on the tradition of ensuring that Africa goes to the international arena as a unified strong force speaking with one voice, that is loud and clear. We saw that this approach work well for us in respect of the Rio+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development and also in Conferences of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, among others. We remain grateful to the leadership and stakeholders of all AU Member States that have upheld this tradition. We, on our part, remain committed to providing all possible support in furtherance of this.

It is in this context that we are gathering here to contribute to Africa’s common position on Sustainable Development Goals. And, at this juncture, I wish to commend all those that have made the groundwork in preparation for this Conference, including our officials from the continental institutions as well as from member states and indeed from our Missions at the United Nations in New York, who are also represented here. This is the spirit we need to maintain in pursuit of the defence and promotion of Africa’s interest in global negotiations.

The African Union Commission considers SDGs as being extremely important in all their dimensions: social, economic and environmental. We also consider this process as complementary and converging with the Post-2015 Development Agenda. We are encouraged by the progress registered by a number of AU Member States towards attaining MDGs. We also note the unfinished business in this regard as well as the lessons learnt that we can build on for the coming phase. For example, there has been improvement in school enrolment but we need to do more to enhance the quality of education. We have registered improvement in gender equality but we need to do more on women and youth economic empowerment. Water supply and access has by and large improved but a lot more effort is needed for better sanitation. Also, some in-rods have been made in combating hunger though a lot needs to be done to reduce malnutrition and also to build resilience in the face of the impacts of climate change. We have seen many of our economies grow fast and now the call is for inclusive growth for all sections of our society to participate in delivering this growth and also to enjoy the benefits of economic growth. And as we advance economic growth and social wellbeing we remain conscious of our obligation to meet our needs while guaranteeing the needs of future generations, through sustainable management of our environment ranging from our water towers to forest reserves and others.

It is this conviction and commitment that brings all of us here together. I, therefore, salute all of you Honourable Ministers and delegates and encourage you to stay the course. We also find it opportune that this debate is taking place in the Year of Pan Africanism and African Renaissance and we are meeting at the time that we are also in advanced stages of the formulation of the Africa Agenda 2063 that AU Heads of State and Government will be considering for adoption at their Summit in January next year in Addis Ababa.

I look forward to productive deliberations and our continued collaboration in refining Africa’s common position and effectively championing it.

Thank you for your attention.

Opening remarks by H.E Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, at the 6th meeting of the support and follow-up group on the situation in Mali

Your Excellency, Mr Mohamed Ali Bathily, Minister of Justice and Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Mali,

Excellencies members of Government and state institutions,

Mr Kadré Ouedraogo, President of the ECOWAS Commission,

Mr Hervé Ladsous, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations,

Mr. Said Djinnit, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa,

Mr. Albert Keonders, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Mali,

Mr. Hayia Lawal, representative of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation,

Mr Michel Reveyrand, Special Representative of the European Union,

Members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of international organisations,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On 19 October 2012, barely four days after I officially took over my current position as Chairperson of the AU Commission, my first official visit was here to Bamako. I participated in the 2nd meeting of the Support and Follow-up Group on the situation in Mali.

Today, exactly a year later, I am here again in Bamako, participating in the 6th meeting of the same Group. Between these two meetings, many things have happened. Many things indeed!

This time last year, almost all the northern regions of Mali were under the occupation of various armed and terrorist groups. State authority was non-existent in these regions. The suffering of fleeing displaced people and refugees, especially women, children and the elderly, was palpable. Mali’s territorial integrity and national unity was called into question.

A transitional Government was in place, but was faced with challenges regarding the smooth and coherent implementation of the transitional Roadmap. In fact, that Roadmap was some three months away from its final adoption. The international community was still discussing about the best strategy of intervention.

Today, a year later, the picture has dramatically changed.

What a change: an end has been put to the occupation of the northern regions and normalcy is returning gradually; a peace agreement has been signed to pave the way for more inclusive talks; presidential elections have been successfully organised and a President invested with a big margin of legitimacy is in power. I have had the opportunity to congratulate President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on the popular bestowed in him. We are now talking about organising legislative elections in a few weeks’ time.

A year ago, we were almost helpless vis-à-vis the economic situation and the destruction of property; today, we are talking about development and the Renaissance of Mali. One could go on with the analogies. In short, things have changed and for the better.

But this change did not happen out of the blue. It was the result of concerted efforts by various stakeholders, within Mali, in ECOWAS and in the larger international community. For us, at the African Union, we are resolute in our commitment to stand with the Government and people of Mali in this trying but promising moment of their history.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen

In this year which marks the 50th Anniversary of the OAU/AU, under the theme Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance, we must celebrate the contributions of Mali and its people. When we recall the ancient African civilizations, the Kingdom of Mali stands out with its contribution to governance, trade, metallurgy and mining, arts and culture, education, knowledge and the role of women.

As a founding member of the OAU, Mali played a vital role in the quest for continental unity and the completion of the decolonisation process. In reconstructing a post-independent state, it recognised the importance of managing the diversity of its peoples, with their assorted cultures, languages and religions, and the importance of peaceful co-existence and cooperation.

Excellencies

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As Mali therefore emerges from its recent difficulties, it must draw from these proud traditions and history, to foster peace, reconciliation and inclusion, in order to build a national compact for the reconstruction and development of the country.

As we look at the best ways and means of supporting Mali in the period ahead, we should seize the opportunity of this meeting to restate our unflinching commitment to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Mali. State authority has to be restored over the entire Northern part of the country. There can be no exception to this rule.

Our meeting should therefore insist that the armed groups in Kidal unconditionally and immediately vacate public buildings. We should, in no uncertain terms, insist that they embrace, and commit to, the peace and reconciliation process. In short, we have to say that enough is enough, for Mali and its people cannot continue to be held hostage to narrow considerations and interests.

We, therefore, encourage the Government and the armed groups in the North to continue the implementation of the 18 June 2013 Ouagadougou Preliminary Agreement in good faith. In this regard, we must also emphasize that lasting peace and reconstruction will not be possible without the participation of the Malian women, who constitute over half of the Malian population.

I praise President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita for the passion he has shown and for the courageous steps taken to promote confidence building in the context of the Ouagadougou Agreement. These are signs of true leadership. I assure him of the AU support and solidarity.

The Malian State is located in a region (Sahel and West Africa) that influences what happens in Mali and vice versa. This makes regional coordination a “must”. We all know that durable solutions to certain challenges faced by Mali, like terrorism and other forms of transnational crimes, integration and shared prosperity, can only be found through regional cooperation and coordination.

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Following the transfer of authority from the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) to a United Nations Operation (MINUSMA), on 1 July 2013, the AU Commission deemed it necessary to reaffirm its commitment to Mali and the rest of the Sahel region. It is against this background that the AU established the AU Mission for Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL), with its headquarters here in Bamako.

The focus of MISAHEL is on promoting inclusive and effective governance, mainstreaming of gender equality and regional security and cooperation. I am very pleased that former President Pierre Buyoya, our High Representative for Mali and the Sahel, has accepted to remain in Bamako as Head of MISAHEL. We are now working towards the full operationalization of MISAHEL, so that we can more effectively contribute to the efforts aimed at addressing the challenges faced by the region. Already, I am encouraged to note that the Nouakchott Process, initiated by the AU Commission in March this year, is proving particularly useful in deepening security cooperation amongst the Sahelo-Saharan countries and in operationalizing the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA) in the region.

As we meet here today, we are reminded of a very welcome show of international solidarity. Let me, however, close my remarks by underscoring the importance of cooperation and consultation among the various international actors if we want our support to be effective, and avoid unhealthy competition and duplication.

Excellences,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Our efforts should aim at empowering the Malian state and its population, especially women and youth, to enable them to own and lead the Malian Renaissance.

I have no doubt that Mali, with its rich history and culture, its generous and proud people and its long-standing commitment to Pan-Africanism, will regain its rightful place in the community of African nations.

We need Mali, like we need every single African country, to be peaceful and stable, so that Africa can unite and invest in its people. As we mourn the deaths of African migrants who perished in Niger and countless other similar deaths, we must scale up our investment in Africa’s young men and women, so that they do not have to face such perilous journeys, leaving their countries in pursuit of an illusive mirage. There can be no African Renaissance, without the Malian Renaissance.

I thank you