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Opening Remarks by the Commissioner H.E. Martial De-Paul IKOUNGA during the Fifth African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology (AMCOST V) 1 – 4 October 2013, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Statement Delivered by H.E. Mrs. Tumusiime Rhoda Peaceو Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission on the occasion of The Second Joint Conference of Africa-Arab Ministers of Agriculture, October 2, 2013, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Our Host, Honourable Dr. Fahad Bin Abdul Rahman Balghunaim, Minister of Agriculture, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Outgoing Chair, Honourable Ayman Abou Hadid, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, The Arab Republic of Egypt

YE. Ambassador Dr. Mohammed bin Abraham Al Twaijri, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs of the League of Arab States

Honourable Ministers from African and Arab States

Distinguished Heads of Delegations

Dear Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,

All protocol observed.

It is an honour for me to address you on behalf of the African Union Commission during this Opening Session of the 2nd Africa Arab Ministerial Meeting on Agricultural Development and Food Security.

I wish to bring to you warm greetings and best wishes from H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

Let me, from the outset, express our profound gratitude to the people and government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for graciously hosting this important Conference and for the warm welcome, generous hospitality and the excellent facilities accorded to us to make our stay and our Conference enjoyable and fruitful.

I also wish to extend our appreciation to our partners, the League of Arab States, for their good will and partnership in furtherance of our shared interests in the area of agriculture and food security.

I would like to salute Honourable Ministers present at this Conference, from both Africa and Arab regions, for remarkable commitment as demonstrated by your prioritization of this Conference out of your busy schedules.

Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

The global challenges that we are currently facing pose serious concerns that make it absolutely imperative for us to rethink the priorities of development. The high population growth rate, the fast rate of urbanization, the changing patterns of consumption, the environmental challenges, and so on, that our two regions are currently experiencing demand that we embark on a development trajectory that accelerates transformation of strategic sectors as well as building strategic partnerships.

The African Union and its Member States have reaffirmed that sustainable agricultural growth; food and nutrition security concerns should be effectively and properly addressed to meet the challenges of transformation and development. This commitment is demonstrated by the formulation, adoption and subsequent rolling out of an overarching continental framework, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), that guides strategies, policies, programmes and collective actions to enhance agricultural development and achieve food and nutrition security objectives. CAADP has stood out as a powerful instrumental in terms of aligning and harmonizing the efforts of AU Member States as well as harnessing and mobilizing strategic partnerships around a shared vision and principles of mutual accountability for results and impacts. Key among the lessons that we have drawn from a decade of experimentation with CAADP implementation is that we should sustain the momentum in making use of CAADP to deepen partnerships to unleash our potential to meet the aspirations of our people for prosperity.

Partly because of the emphasis that our Member States have placed on agriculture, the growth performance of African countries whose economies are predominantly agricultural has been impressive over the last decade. Today, some of the fastest growing economies in the world are on the African continent, some of them not even producing oil. This fact is generating its own dynamics in terms of jobs, incomes and wellbeing and, indeed, in changing the patterns of trade and investment in Africa, a continent on the rise and a dynamic force on the global arena.

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

African agriculture and, in particular the food sector, offers a huge potential for trade and investment. In fact, over the last few years, the flow of Foreign Direct Investment in Africa has been fast growing. At the same time, we take note of the fact that the level of Arab investment in African agriculture has been increasing but could be much higher than what it is today. And, there is ample evidence that we can make the Africa-Arab Cooperation a powerful instrument to enhance trade and investment to the desired levels that match the strong cultural ties, the geographic proximity and the tremendous potential that exist within our regions.

It is in this context that the theme of this Conference, “Strengthening Africa-Arab Cooperation through Promoting Sustainable Investment in Agriculture and Food Security in the Context of Joint Action Plan” is both timely and relevant. It is also taking place within the Year of Pan Africanism and African Renaissance, the Theme of OAU/AU 50th Anniversary and is also part of the prelude to 2014 The AU Year of Agriculture and Food Security.

In this respect, the situation calls for us to seize all available opportunities to ensure that the mutually agreed-upon plans are implemented, despite some difficulties being faced. It is critical that we strengthen the mechanisms that facilitate effective implementation and monitoring of progress in a more vigorous and coordinated fashion. The speedy operationalization of the Facilitation Unit that we jointly established is of paramount importance, and I would like to reiterate the commitment of the African Union Commission to take concrete steps in this direction. We look to you, Honourable Ministers, for leadership in ensuring implementation in your respective countries.

I am sure that our senior officials have done a wonderful job of reviewing the progress made thus far within our partnership, as well as formulating proposals for Honourable Ministers’ consideration and further guidance in expediting the implementation of the Joint Action Plan that the First Joint Ministerial Conference adopted in Sharm El Sheikh in 2010 and was subsequently endorsed by the Africa-Arab Summit.

I wish you productive deliberations and thank you for your attention.

Welcome Remarks by H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission
at the Meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), New York, USA

Office of the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations, 305 East 47th Street, 5th Floor, New York, USA

24 September 2013

Your Excellency, Jakaya Mrisho Kwikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and Coordinator of CAHOSCC
Your Excellency, Ato Haile-Mariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Chairperson of the African Union
Excellences, Members of CAHOSCC
Members of the Diplomatic Corp
Distinguished Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to welcome You Excellences to the meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) convening here in New York at the AU Office of the Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations.

I would like to convey the AU Commission’s tribute for all the efforts of the late Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, who was the former CAHOSCC Coordinator, in supporting the interests of Africa on climate change. Our gratitude extends to H.E Prime Minister Haile-Mariam Dessalegn for successfully steering the transition.

Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish to refer to the Kampala July 2010 AU Summit decision, which endorsed the recommendations of CAHOSCC on the streamlined single negotiation structure at the Ministerial and Experts’ levels, with a view to ensure African effective coordination of the negotiation on climate change of the UNFCCC and for Africa to speak with one voice.

By convening our meeting here today, CAHOSCC moreover is implementing another decision taken by the 20th AU Ordinary Session held in January 2013 in Addis Ababa, on the coordination of CAHOSCC and Africa’s preparation for COP 19 of the UNFCCC due in Warsaw, Poland, in November 2013.

Given the seriousness of the climate change challenges, developed countries that are historically responsible for this dangerous externality should provide compensation for the damage to Africa caused by global warming. This is particularly, given the fact that despite contributing virtually nothing to global warming, Africa has been one of the primary victims of its consequences as the most vulnerable continent. The AU Assembly, therefore, decided that Africa should be represented by one delegation, which is empowered to negotiate on behalf of all Member States, with the mandate to ensure that the resource flow to Africa is not reduced.

Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my sincere hope that the efforts of today’s session will boost Africa’s demand for significantly scaled up financial resources to address climate change impacts. In particular, I call upon the developed countries to honor their financial commitments to Africa.

In addition to enhancing the flow of financial resources to Africa, developed countries must also double their efforts to address the root cause of the problem. They must urgently commit themselves to reduce carbon emissions in line with the Scientific Assessment Report of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Irrespective of whether advanced developing countries agree to emissions reductions that are binding, developed countries must take the lead and agree to ambitious emission cuts. The action of developed countries to cut emissions must therefore be in line with increase of engagement on their part to support Africa’s programs on mitigation and adaptation.

I am sure that Africa’s Common Position on climate change and negotiations strategies will be updated, consolidated, and championed by CAHOSCC and all Africa’s technical negotiators, under the political leadership of H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kwikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and, the current CAHOSCC Coordinator.

Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The African Union attaches considerable importance to the issue of climate change because its impacts threaten to undo Africa’s development efforts. I would like therefore to assure Your Excellences of the commitment of the AU Commission to support the African Group in the global climate change negotiations with a view to realize a successful deal for Africa at COP 19 in Warsaw, Poland in November 2013, as we move towards COP 21 in Paris, France.

I thank you all for your kind attention, and also wish you fruitful deliberations!

Key Note Address by H.E Madam Rhoda Peace Tumusiime,
Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture
African Union Commission on the Occasion of the Thirty Second General Conference of the International Scientific Council for Trypanosomiasis Research and Control (ISTRC), Khartoum, Sudan, 8 September 2013

REMARKS BY H.E. MRS RHODA PEACE TUMUSIIME
COMMISSIONER OF RURAL ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE
ON THE OCCASION OF THE AFRICAN AGRICULTURE STATUS REPORT BOOK LAUNCH
MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE, 4th SEPTEMBER, 2013
9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Honourable Jose Pacheco, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Mozambique
Honourable Ministers of other AU Member States
Mr. Strive Masiyiwa, VICe Chair AGRA Board
Ms. Jane Karuku, AGRA President
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

I feel privileged to be part of this important occasion of the launch of the Africa Agriculture Status Report 2013: Focusing on Staple Crops.

I also feel happy to make a few remarks on the same.

1. The African Union Commission, through its Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture which I head, commends the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa for its support in the implementation of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme that was adopted by AU Heads of State in 2003 in Maputo where they committed to allocate at least 10% of their annual national budgets to agriculture for achieving at least 6% Annual Agriculture Growth.

2. In January 2012, the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government declared 2014 The AU Year of Agriculture and Food Security that will also be coinciding with the 10 years of CAADP. We call upon all of you to mobilise all stakeholders in the series of activities that the AU has lined up to mark 2014.

3. The partnership which the African Union Commission has with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa will further be strengthened through the Memorandum of Understanding which we will be signing as part of the programme of the African Green Revolution Forum 2013. We will be committing ourselves to work more closely together.

4. This book brings out a number of success stories on input and output markets and as the book notes, the right use of appropriate technologies and innovations, resulting from research and policies gives a higher potential to improve the use of factors of production for increasing agricultural production, productivity, food and nutrition security and, indeed, this will lead to poverty eradication through better access to markets. As you saw from the video, majority of our people depend on agriculture. If you have over 70% of the population depending on this sector, then, as the book indicates, this is the sector to invest in if one is to lift them out of poverty and deliver them prosperity.

5. I appreciate the fact that a Chapter is dedicated to women and youth, climate change smart agriculture, use of ICT, agricultural education and training, access to finance among other cross cutting issues.

6. Therefore, this Status Report that we are launching today is timely and will respond to the needs for our policy makers to be adequately informed for setting the appropriate policy priorities for the Development of Africa’s Agriculture and ensures that all these effort are done within the CAADP Framework through sharing experiences from best practices and success stories across the continent. I commend the work of AGRA, Jane, in leading the effort that culminated in this valuable report, with your very capable team. I hope we should be able to chart a way forward together to get this data and information for policy makers and practitioners.

7. I am glad that this work of bringing out success stories and experience sharing has been undertaken through the framework of CAADP which we all subscribe to

Thank you.