Key Documents
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January 19, 2025
FINAL DRAFT TOR for Facilitation of Consultation Process
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January 19, 2025
FINAL DRAFT Stocktaking on Implementation of CAADP NAIPs
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January 19, 2025
FINAL DRAFT Stocktaking on Donor Alignment
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January 19, 2025
FINAL DRAFT Concept Note - Post compact CAADP implementation concept note
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January 15, 2014
2014 Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, Marking 10th Anniversary of CAADP
Theme:
“Transforming Africa’s Agriculture for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods, through Harnessing Opportunities for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development ”Concept Note
1. Introduction
The African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government, during its 19th Ordinary Session, held from 15-16 July 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, declared the year 2014 to be the Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, marking 10th Anniversary of the adoption of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).Over the last decade, through the instrumentality of CAADP, African agriculture and food security concerns remain high on the policy agenda at national, regional, continental and global levels. Thanks to such concerted actions, the performance of African agriculture has been encouraging – with annual agricultural GDP growth having averaged nearly 4 per cent since 2003 – well above the agricultural GDP growth rates for the previous several decades. It is absolutely necessary to sustain the momentum of such a positive change and development taking place in Africa well into the next decade. The AU Decision declaring 2014 to be the Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, and marking 10th Anniversary of CAADP, is an important milestone and an opportunity that should be seized in the resolve to continue to uphold agriculture and food security as priority for policy and practical actions to generate concrete results and impacts.
True to its name, the African Year of Agriculture and Food Security will be commemorated across Africa, in Member States, Regional Economic Communities, Continental organisations, and of course at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It will be a year that gives opportunities to communities, state and non-state actors in Africa to interact, express their voices on what works and chart the focus and targets for the next decade. The process will facilitate for this voices to contribute towards setting the agenda for sustaining the CAADP momentum which forms the basis for African leaders to recommit themselves towards realizing the vision set out in 2003.
It is also remarkable that the African Year of Agriculture and Food Security is to be commemorated in 2014 following, and overlapping with at least for the first half of the year, the continued celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of the OAU/AU, particularly at a time when the thrust of the African Union Agenda 2063: “A Shared Strategic Framework for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development” is being deliberated. Truly, the agenda of agricultural transformation is strategically positioned to provide enormous opportunities for an inclusive and sustainable development in Africa.
This concept note is intended to provide general information on how 2014 the Year of Agriculture and Food Security, marking 10th Anniversary of CAADP, is envisaged to be commemorated. It briefly presents the proposed theme and sub-themes around which the various events are going to be organized, which will be followed by an outline of the actions and events that will guide the activities outlined. Finally, the different structures and mechanisms that are proposed to steer and manage the process to fruition are defined.
2. Background and rationale
Africa has recognised that enhanced agricultural performance is key to growth and poverty reduction through its direct impact on job creation and increasing opportunities, especially for women and for the youth; on food security and improved nutrition; and on building resilience. This is due to both the heavy weight of agriculture in African economies and livelihoods, and the strong linkages that agriculture forges with other sectors.In 2003, the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government adopted the Maputo Declaration on CAADP setting broad targets of 6% annual growth in agricultural GDP, and allocation of at least 10% of public expenditures to the agricultural sector. The leaders signalled their intentions to achieve these targets through collective actions across the continent focused on improving agricultural planning and policies, scaling up investment to implement these plans and policies, and harmonising external support around African-owned plans.
A decade of CAADP experience has demonstrated that Africa as a region has a well-crafted, home-grown framework guiding policies, strategies and actions for agricultural development and transformation; which has been instrumental in raising the profile of agriculture at the centre of development agenda at national, regional and global levels; which has also facilitated mobilization and alignment of multi-stakeholders partnerships and investments around national agriculture and food security investment plans that have been developed through the CAADP process.
CAADP has also encouraged and facilitated for evidence based planning, and commitment to institutional and policy reforms with a sense of mutual accountability for actions and results, as well as for demonstrated African ownership, and for active engagement of partnerships of multi-stakeholders. Mechanisms such as agricultural sector reviews at country level, and annual CAADP Partnership Platforms are increasingly being used as review and dialogue platforms in fostering accountability for results on agriculture performance.
It is significant to note that to date 34 AU Member States have signed CAADP compacts; 30 among them have developed formal national agriculture and food security investment plans – and these have become their medium term expenditure frameworks for agriculture, thus resulting in improved agricultural planning. At regional level, four (4) out of eight RECs have also signed Regional compacts out of which three have developed fully costed investment plans. On average public agricultural expenditures have risen by over 7 per cent per year across Africa since 2003, nearly doubling public agricultural expenditures since the launch of CAADP .
Obviously demand for more clarity has been expressed in terms of further elaboration and refinement of the CAADP targets, and assessment of technical efficacies and political feasibilities for success as well as identifying key factors that define success in agricultural transformation. The AU Commission and NPCA have recently commissioned studies to try and provide some answers to these vexed questions. The outcomes of the studies are expected to provide an important input into the series of deliberations and mutual learning and experience sharing opportunities planned during the Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, marking 10th Anniversary of CAADP.
In terms of performance, annual agricultural GDP growth has averaged nearly 4% since 2003 – well above the agricultural GDP growth rates for the previous several decades. Several Member States have also achieved significant improvements in tackling the challenges of hunger, undernourishment and extreme poverty. It is important to note that in most African countries, it is the improvement of agricultural performance that can contribute towards the achievement of pro-poor growth. Empirical evidences suggest that a 1% gain in GDP originating from agriculture generates a 6% increase in oval all expenditure of the poorest 10% of the population; in contrast a 1% gain in GDP originating from non-agricultural sectors creates zero growth.
These experiences are strong indicators that inclusive growth as advocated under CAADP is a process requiring sustained and concerted actions and efforts in application of quality policies, strategies, programmes, and investments driven by strong political commitment and leadership and fostering effective partnerships. It is therefore, desirable that the next decade will build on this momentum to deliver in an accelerated manner, positive changes towards prosperity that directly impacts on livelihoods of African citizens through an inclusive agricultural transformation process.
3. Objectives and expected outcomes
3.1. Objectives
i. To facilitate broad-based and inclusive consultations, and dialogue among all relevant stakeholders (parliamentarians, women groups, youth groups, farmers organisations, CSOs, private sector, etc.) on African Agriculture and food and nutrition security,
ii. To facilitate mutual learning and experience sharing among countries with a view to strengthening and deepening country engagements and ownership to advance the agriculture and food security agenda.
iii. To facilitate high level political dialogue on collective actions and seek demonstrable commitment by the Heads of State and Government for a sustained support and engagement on agriculture through the CAADP framework.
iv. Facilitate dialogue with Africa’s strategic partners – for demonstrable commitment to programme alignment, harmonization, coordination and mutual accountability for results.
3.2. Expected Outcomes
(i) Enhanced level of awareness and engagement among broad spectrum of African citizenry (legislators, farmers organisations, CSOs, women and youth groups, private sector, etc.)
(ii) Improved platforms for multi-sectoral actions at country and regional levels.
(iii) Renewed demonstrable political commitment by African leaders through adoption of an AU Declaration to sustain the momentum to deliver on a set of measurable goals and targets.
(iv) Renewed demonstrable commitment by Africa’s partners to alignment, harmonization and coordination of programmes and support and to mutual accountability for results.
4. Theme and sub-themes
The proposed theme for 2014 Year of Agriculture and Food Security, Marking 10th Anniversary of CAADP is:
“Transforming Africa’s Agriculture for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods, through harnessing opportunities for inclusive growth and sustainable development”.There is now broad consensus that without a successful agricultural transformation, neither could agricultural growth be sustained nor would its impact on prosperity and poverty reduction be ensured.
The goal of agricultural transformation in Africa, first and foremost is to enable production and availability of food for the population, and provide livelihoods to those involved, raise income, create jobs and wealth of those involved in the sector and along the entire value chain. But it is also functional to the attainment of other macroeconomic objectives through its forward and backward linkages with the other sectors. African agriculture needs a major transformation if it has to significantly contribute towards the improvement of livelihoods of the population as well as to the broader countries macroeconomic welfare and prosperity.
As is known, African agriculture is predominantly smallholder agriculture – the majority of which is organized by women farmers; hence, unavoidably should be at the centre of the transformation agenda. Moreover, due to demographic dynamics, the future farmers in Africa are going to be younger, but also they are going to be better exposed to new technologies and ideas, better informed, and with growing needs and aspirations. The issue of motivating the youth to see their future in a growing and transforming agriculture and rural economy presents a real challenge. Therefore, the sooner these considerations are factored in the transformation agenda the better.
Pursuing such critical considerations in a consistent manner, which have hitherto been customarily neglected in policies, strategies and public actions, is nothing but to embrace an inclusive process of growth and sustainable development; and there are clear opportunities if seized can help realize this goal. Some of these opportunities include: (a) the fact that currently agriculture has been high on the agenda at national, regional and global levels, (b) the growing focus on agricultural value-chain development and enhancing the profile of local enterpreneurs, (c) ease of accessibility and wide use of ICT in rural and urban areas, and (d) Africa’s huge untapped productive resources (land, water, human capital, among others).Therefore the theme is intended to capture these key messages of transformation, impacts, inclusiveness and opportunities.
4.1. Sub-themes
Agricultural transformation and sustained inclusive agriculture growth for shared prosperity and improved lives and livelihoods, as a key plank of Africa socio economic development strategies in the next decade must address the following, which will serve as sub-themes:
(i). Increased agriculture production, productivity and value addition
(ii). Functioning agricultural markets (country and regional markets & trade)
(iii). Increased investment financing (public & private) along the agriculture value chains(iv). Towards ending hunger in Africa by 2025
(v). Building resilience to address vulnerability to risks
5. Major activities and events
It is anticipated that a series of events and activities are going to be organised throughout the year by various stakeholders at national, regional and continental levels. It is therefore necessary to provide guidance and coordinate these efforts.During the first half of the year, efforts will mainly be focussed on articulation of the key messages through a process of stakeholders’ consultations, in particular RECs and Member States, and deepening engagement for high level political commitment.
At the continental level, the main events planned for the first half of the year, in the run up to the July 2014 AU Summit include:
i. Launch of 2014 Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, marking 10th Anniversary of CAADP, during the January 2014 AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia-
ii. The 10th CAADP Partnership Platform Meeting to be held from 19th – 24th March, 2014 in Durban South Africa – organised by AUC and NPCA, which brings together Member States, RECs, key African Institutions and partners to review progress, and synthesise lessons for way forward.
iii. The Joint AU Conference of Ministers responsible for Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Rural Development, to be held from 28th April – 2nd May, 2014 also in Durban South Africa – which will deliberate on the theme and sub-themes and make resolutions for consideration by the AU Policy organs.
iv. The African Agribusiness Forum planned for June 2014 in Addis Ababa – which among others is expected to explore business opportunities for African entrepreneurs particularly women and youth, in the context of agricultural transformation and inclusive growth; and
v. The July 2014 AU Summit, whose theme will focus on the Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa and commemoration of CAADP at 10 - where discussions and deliberations will be dedicated to agriculture, food and nutrition security– and a declaration on “agricultural transformation and inclusive growth for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods” is sought.An effective advocacy and communication campaign will be launched throughout the year targeting a broad spectrum of audiences. Relevant events that will be co-organised with partners shall be used as important platforms for advocacy, communication and fostering partnerships.
At regional level, RECs are encouraged to take lead to organise events on the theme. Countries will be sensitised and facilitated to organise events on 2014 Year of Agriculture and Food Security. In addition, forums and organisations with stakeholders representation (women groups, youth groups, farmers organisations, etc.) will be encouraged and facilitated to organise events relevant to their respective concerns.
In shaping the key events leading to the July Summit and mainly towards and during the CAADP PP and Joint Conference of Ministers responsible for Agriculture, Ministers of Fisheries and those of Rural Infrastructure, the engagements and discussions will be guided along the areas of broader thematic areas .At the launch during the January 2014 Summit, guidelines will be presented for Member States and RECs to engage in extensive in-country and regional consultations to facilitate effective dialogue with all stakeholders.
Launch of 2014 Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, marking 10th Anniversary of CAADP.
It is befitting that the 2014 Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, marking 10th Anniversary of CAADP, is formally launched during the Assembly session of the January 2014 AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The purpose of the proposed launch is to sensitise all stakeholders, in particular Member States and RECs, and provide update on the roadmap for the commemoration, and seek further guidance from Heads of State and Government on way forward.In addition, a dinner event hosted by the AU Commission on 29th January 2014 in which all African Heads of State and Government, Executives of RECs, Heads of development partners will be invited, will provide opportunity for an interactive of session and interventions from Heads of State and Government on the significance of the theme will be solicited.
Dates:
Jan.15.2014 -
January 19, 2025
UNDP's IPSAS Adoption
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December 18, 2013
Proceedings of the Second Congress of African Economists, 24-26 November 2011, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
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December 18, 2013
Proceedings of the Third Congress of African Economists, 6-8 March 2013, Dakar, Senegal
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December 18, 2013
Proceedings of the Second Congress of African Economists, 24-26 November 2011, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
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December 07, 2013
Report of African Union Elections Observation Mission to the 7 December 2012 General Elections in the Republic of Ghana
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December 01, 2013
Yearbook of The African Union Commission on International Law
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December 01, 2013
AUCIL Journal of International Law, Issue No. 1, 2013
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November 20, 2013
Third Africa-Arab Summit Resolutions
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November 20, 2013
THIRD AFRICA-ARAB SUMMIT
19 - 20 NOVEMBER 2013
KUWAIT CITY, STATE OF KUWAITMin/Africa-Arab/Decl1(III) Rev.1
ق- 033 (13/11)21-س ع م ل (0607)KUWAIT DECLARATION
We, the Leaders of African and Arab Countries, meeting in our Third Africa-Arab Summit in Kuwait City, the State of Kuwait, from 19 to 20 November 2013 under the Theme “Partners in Development and Investment”;
Expressing our gratitude to His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, for all the efforts he exerted in order to ensure the successful convening of the Third Africa-Arab Summit, and Fully Believing that through His Highness well-known wisdom and genuine commitment, the Africa-Arab relations will achieve great progress in all fields;
Conveying our profound gratitude and appreciation to His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait for his generous initiative, which demonstrates his commitment to the promotion of Africa-Arab cooperation in all fields, as evidenced by the directives given by His Highness to the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development to grant concessionary loans to African countries to the tune of one (1) Billion US Dollars spread over the next five years. This initiative is also manifested through investment and its insurance to the tune of one (1) Billion US Dollars for the next few years, with emphasis on infrastructure, through cooperation and coordination with the World Bank and other International Institutions.
Also Expressing our sincere appreciation for the Annual Prize of one (1) Million US Dollars allocated by the State of Kuwait, in memory of the late Dr. Abdurahman Al-Sumet, for development research in Africa under the auspices of the Kuwait Scientific Development Institutions.
Expressing Further our profound gratitude to the Government and people of Kuwait for the warm welcome, generous hospitality, and efficient organization that provided most positive and favorable conditions for the convening of the Third Africa-Arab Summit;
Congratulating the African Union on the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU)/African Union (AU), and Welcoming the commemoration of this important milestone in African history;
Renewing our commitment to the common principles and goals enshrined in the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the Charter of the League of Arab States, and the promotion of the principles of International Law and the United Nations Charter, in particular the principles pertaining to the respect for national sovereignty of States, their territorial integrity and non-interference in their internal affairs, and Stressing our commitment to the protection of human rights and respect for International Humanitarian Law as well as our mutual goals to positively contribute to global security stability, development and cooperation;
Reaffirming our commitment to strengthen cooperation between Africa and the Arab Region on the basis of a strategic partnership that endeavours to maintain justice, international peace and security, while Expressing grave concern over the challenges posed by the continued prevalence of conflict, insecurity and instability in some parts of our regions;
Conscious of our multiple ties and interests by reason of geography, history and culture;
Expressing our desire to promote cooperation in the political, economic and socio-cultural fields;
Reaffirming our commitment to continue our efforts to overcome the challenges and removing the obstacles facing the activation and development of Africa-Arab cooperation and organize the meetings of its follow-up mechanism;
Guided by our common resolve to strengthen South-South cooperation as well as the solidarity and friendship between our countries and peoples with a view to fulfilling the aspiration of our peoples to consolidate Africa-Arab relations, based on the principles of equality, mutual interests and respect;
Welcoming the progress made by African and Arab countries in maintaining peace and stability as well as in improving respect for human rights and good governance in their respective regions;
Recognizing the role of the African Union’s Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government on the United Nations Reform in promoting and canvassing Africa’s position on the Reform in accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration;
Welcoming the decision of the League of Arab States (LAS) Council at the level of the Summit to establish an Arab Court of Human Rights headquartered in Bahrain which is regarded as a support to the common Arab system in the field of Human Rights and enhancement, respect and protection for these rights in a frame of law prevailing in international accords, the principles of international law and International Bill of Human Rights;
Firmly condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, as well as transnational organized crime such as hostage taking, human trafficking, drug trafficking, piracy, ransom payment and illicit proliferation of arms, and Reiterating our resolve and commitment to work together in this regard;
Underlining the need for Africa and the Arab World to exchange intelligence information to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations; in this regard, Appreciating the instrumental role played by the African Centre for Research and Study on Terrorism (ACRST) in Algiers, Algeria;
Welcoming the donation of 100 million US dollars by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) to combat terrorism;
Stressing our strong determination to decisively address the underlying causes of conflict and violence in Africa and the Arab Region, with a view to creating a conducive environment for the prosperity and well-being of the peoples of the two regions;
Mindful that the youth employment challenges in Africa and Arab Region is primarily structural, and Recognizing the need to pursue efforts to develop supporting policies for economic growth, and adopt financial policies that can guarantee sustainability in order to enhance poverty eradication policies including Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Post 2015 Development Agenda;
Commending the Resolution of the 3rd Arab Development Summit held in Ryad, Saudi Arabia in January 2013 to raise by 50% the capital of the Arab Financial Institutions, including the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and appreciating the role of BADEA in the promotion of Africa’s Development;
Welcoming the support provided by the Arab Fund for Technical Assistance to African Countries (AFTAAC) to the Commission and its various regional offices such as the Semi-Arid Food Grain Research and Development (SAFGRAD);
Noting that the food gap and food insecurity are major impediments and exacerbate the vulnerability of certain segments of society;
Expressing our full support for regional integration through increasing the volume of Africa-Arab trade and investment, and deepening market integration that can significantly contribute to sustainable economic and integrated social development such as employment generation and poverty reduction, inflow of direct investment, industrial development and accelerated integration of the two regions into the global economy;
Underscoring the importance of the Africa-Arab Partnership Strategy and the Joint Action Plan 2011-2016 adopted during our Second Summit in 2010 in Libya and Reiterating our commitment to expedite their implementation;
Emphasizing the need to enhance the role and participation of the Private Sector and Civil society of our two regions in economic development, efforts as well as planning and implementation of joint programs and projects;
Have agreed to:
1. Promote South-South Cooperation between African and Arab countries and build closer relations between the Governments and peoples of the two regions through frequent visits and consultations at all levels;
2. Strengthen diplomatic and consular relations between African and Arab countries through regular consultations between diplomatic missions accredited to the United Nations (UN) and other regional and international organizations in, among others, Addis Ababa, Cairo, Brussels, Geneva, New York and Washington D.C, with a view to harmonizing positions and developing common policies on issues of mutual concern;
3. Urge all relevant stakeholders to find peaceful settlements to political crises in the two regions;
4. Support the progress made in peace building and post-conflict reconstruction and development in the two regions and encourage the countries concerned to pursue and consolidate their efforts, and Call upon the International Community and the International Financial Institutions to support these countries through the granting of debt relief as well as lifting of economic sanctions applied on some of them;
5. Enhance cooperation and coordination between African and Arab countries to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including criminalizing ransom payment to terrorists and confronting transnational crime to further support international efforts in this regard;
6. Strongly condemn terrorism and trafficking of all forms in Africa and in the Arab Region, particularly in the Sahelo-Saharan Region epitomized by the severe crisis in Mali, and Request Africa and the Arab Countries to support the implementation of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel;
7. Reaffirm our strong commitment for a comprehensive Reform of the United Nations system, including its Security Council, to reflect current global realities and make it more regionally representative, balanced, democratic, effective and fair, and Call upon the two sides to coordinate their positions in this regard, taking into consideration the Ezulwini Consensus of the African Union (AU) and the relevant Resolutions of the League of Arab States (LAS);
8. Agree to create the necessary conditions to encourage and facilitate investment in African and Arab countries. Reaffirm further the need to increase the volume of trade and investment flows between the two regions, support the existing industrial development initiatives in order to reduce poverty and generate employment for our youthful population;
9. Enhance cooperation and facilitate investment in the field of energy aimed at jointly developing new and renewable energy sources as well as expanding access to reliable and affordable modern energy services in the two regions;
10. Call Upon the African Union Commission and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States and the existing financing institutions from both regions to set up a task force to coordinate their efforts in the implementation of the Africa-Arab Joint Action Plan and other projects;
11. Coordinate our positions in the multilateral trade negotiations and work together with a view to achieving a balanced outcome at the 9th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference scheduled to be held in Bali, Indonesia, in December 2013, on potential deliverables in Trade Facilitation, Agriculture and an acceptable package for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as well as special and Differential Treatment provisions in favour of developing countries;
12. Strengthen the Africa-Arab Economic Forum to enhance the role and participation of the Private Sector and Civil Society Organizations of the two regions in the partnership process;
13. Call Upon the African and Arab financial institutions as well as other relevant stakeholders, including the Private Sector and Civil Society to support the acceleration of Africa-Arab inter-regional trade in accordance with the Joint Action Plan 2011-2016;
14. Call Upon African and Arab Chambers of Commerce and Industry, as well as other private sector institutions to conduct regular meetings and consultations with a view to strengthening the working relations between them;
15. Welcome the hosting by the Kingdom of Morocco of the 7th Session of the Africa-Arab Trade Fair from 19 to 23 March 2014, and Support the organization of Africa-Arab Fair every two years alternately in Africa and Arab regions and undertake other trade promotion activities and encourage the public and private sector of the two regions to actively participate in the preparation and organization of such events;
16. Encourage the governments, private sector and civil society of the two regions to play a major role in boosting agriculture;
17. Strengthen cooperation on issues concerning Rural Development, Agricultural Development and Food Security. In that regard, Commend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the successful hosting of the 2nd Africa-Arab Ministerial meeting on Agriculture and Food Security, held in Riyadh on 2 October 2013;
18. Call Upon the African Union Commission (AUC) and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (LAS) to work in collaboration with the African and Arab Financial Institutions and the Private Sector to support the implementation of the infrastructure development programs in both regions with a focus on transport, water and sanitation, telecommunications and ICT;
19. Support the cooperation programmes on cultural exchanges aimed at consolidating the common values of African and Arab peoples, and Welcome the opening of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and invite Member States to cooperate with the Center;
20. Reaffirm the need to strengthen cooperation in the field of education and scientific research programmes and share best practices in these two fields through the organization of joint activities;
21. Agree to elaborate integrated health programmes within the development plans. In that regard, Reaffirm our commitment to ensure that vulnerable groups have access to primary and essential types of medicines and therefore support initiatives to integrate the policies combating epidemic diseases (malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS) and non communicable diseases in educational, information and public awareness programs;
22. Support strategies and initiatives aimed at the elimination of discrimination against women in order to achieve equality and equity and raise public awareness regarding the human rights, values and principles, which guarantee women's rights and their role in society;
23. Call Upon all governments to formulate the necessary laws to protect youth and women and enhance their economic empowerment, ensure their participation in the decision-making process on an equal footing with men, and guarantee their full participation in all aspects of political, economic and social activities;
24. Promote the interactions between the African and Arab civil society organization to enhance people-to-people relationship and Call Upon the African and Arab Civil Society to continue to play their positive role in promoting peace, security, stability and humanitarian assistance and development, and request the African Union Commission and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States to take all necessary steps to enhance interaction with these actors;
25. Strengthen the capacities of the African Union Commission and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States and provide them with all necessary means, including financial and technical support, to enable them to effectively implement the Africa-Arab Partnership Strategy and Joint Action Plan 2011-2016, as well as this Declaration;
26. Support the setting up of the Africa-Arab Technical and Coordination Committee and other strategies to enhance cooperation and facilitation on migration issues and coordinate efforts of both regions, for the mutual benefit of the two partners and Express the necessity to provide security and social protection for migrants and support countries receiving migrants, refugees and displaced persons, in particular Burkina Faso and the Republic of Yemen;
27. Agree to establish an Africa-Arab Center for exchange of information in order to minimize the infiltration of illegal migrants;
28. Rationalize the establishment of Africa-Arab joint institutions to avoid duplication of efforts and financial burden on the two coordinating organizations and mandate the Coordination Committee of the Africa-Arab Partnership to take necessary actions in this regard;
29. Take actions and measures, including the activation and rationalization of joint structures, deemed essential for the effective implementation of the Action Plan;
30. Institutionalize meetings of the Monitoring and Follow-up Mechanism of the Africa-Arab Partnership and strengthen inter-secretariat consultations and involve the Sub-regional organizations to participate in implementation of this partnership;
31. Apply the principle of rotation in hosting Africa-Arab Summits and therefore, Agree to hold the Fourth Africa-Arab Summit in Africa in 2016.
Done in Kuwait City on 20 November 2013
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November 13, 2013
Status of Integration on Africa (SIA IV), 2013
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November 13, 2013
Promotion of Livestock Industry for Food Security in Africa and Arab Regions
Presented by: Hassane Mahamat Hassane,
AU-PATTEC Coordination Office,
African Union Commission -
November 13, 2013
Arab-Africa Economic Cooperation Forum: Recommendations
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November 07, 2013
CAMPAIGN TO END CHILD MARRIAGE IN AFRICA: CALL TO ACTION
“We must do away with child marriage. Girls who end up as brides at a tender age are coerced into having children while they are children themselves.”
Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson, AUC at the International Conference on Family Planning, Addis Ababa, November 2013
- November 02, 2013
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October 29, 2013
Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) News, Issue 6 • July –September 2013
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October 25, 2013
8th ORDINARY SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE
OF AU MINISTERS OF TRADE
21ST – 25TH OCTOBER 2013
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIAAU/TI/TD/CAMoT-8/EPA.DECL/FINAL
Original: EnglishDECLARATION ON THE ECONOMIC
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS (EPAs)DECLARATION ON EPAs
We, the Ministers of Trade of the Member States of the African Union, meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 24th-25th October 2013 in our Eighth Ordinary Session ;
RECALLING the objectives for Economic Partnership Agreement (EPAs) are the achievement of sustainable development of African countries, their smooth and gradual integration in the world economy and the eradication of poverty;
TAKING NOTE of the conclusions of the High-Level Meeting between the African Union Commission (AUC) and the European Commission (EC) held in Brussels, Belgium, on 3 July 2013, particularly the need for a political decision to resolve the contentious issues in EPA Negotiations;
FURTHER TAKING NOTE of the Report of the African Union/Regional Economic Communities (AU-RECs) Coordination Meetings on the EPA negotiations held in Libreville, Gabon, and Brussels, Belgium, respectively on 24-25 July 2013 and 4-5 October 2013;
REAFFIRMING that EPAs should be development-oriented instruments and should not undermine Africa’s economic integration and ensure meaningful market access and policy space;
HAVING RECOGNISED that EPA is supposed to be a WTO compatible agreement and need not include WTO plus Commitments
HAVING adequately assessed the state of play of EPAs Negotiations in Africa after a long period of negotiation, reemphasize the need to strengthen political dialogue between the EU and Africa at the appropriate level with a view to finding solutions to Africa’s common concerns on EPAs;
RECALLING the past Declarations of AU Ministers of Trade on EPAs;
BEING AWARE of the challenges faced by some African Union Member States that are Implementing Interim EPAs;
RECALLING the latest call for High Level Dialogue on EPAs made by the ACP Summit held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in 2012;
FURTHER RECALLING the Decision AU/MIN/CAMRMRD/4(I) of the 1st Ordinary Session the AU Conference of Ministers responsible for Mineral Resources Development 13-17 October 2008; Calling-on AU Member States to work together to ensure that international agreements that they enter into enhance rather than undermine Africa’s policy space for integrating mineral resources development into their economies and in this regard, Urging them and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to ensure that the ongoing Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) and World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations do not limit this space;
BEARING IN MIND the upcoming Fourth Africa-EU Summit scheduled to take place in Brussels, Belgium, on 2-3 April 2014;Hereby:
1. REAFFIRM our commitment to continue the negotiations in order to conclude an EPA that promotes the development of African countries and promotes regional and continental integration programmes;
2. EXPRESS OUR DISAPOINTMENT on the factthat after a decade of EPA negotiations, the process has not produced the desired results due to the lack of progress in resolving the differences between the parties on a number of contentious issues;
3. NOTE WITH CONCERN that the current situation of the EPA negotiations are further complicated by many factors such as the amendment to the EC Market Access Regulation 1528/2007 which withdraws some AU Member States from the benefits therein; the introduction of new issues in the EPA negotiations by the EU; the proliferation of EU regulations and legislations on non-tariff measures that serve as technical barriers to trade as well as the EU negotiations with third parties.
4. CALL ON the EU to demonstrate meaningful flexibility in its EPA negotiating demands particularly regarding contentious issues and not to use the withdrawal of regulation 1528/2007 to force countries to conclude EPAs that do not meet African development aspirations.
5. STRESS the need for accompanying measures including additional resources which allow the implementation of the commitments reached in the EPAs and also enable the African states to be competitive.
6. CALL UPON the EU to ensure that the EPA negotiations do not impose WTO Plus commitments on African Countries and that the outcome is WTO compatible.
7. STRESS the need to include the EPAs on the agenda of the Fourth Africa-EU Summit to end the current impasse in the EPA negotiations. We strongly believe that the Africa-EU Summit provides a good opportunity for Africa and Europe to engage in political dialogue at the highest level, and together find lasting solutions to the challenges in the EPA negotiations.
8. CALL UPONthe EU to work closely with the AU to ensure that the EPAs are prioritized at all the stages of preparation and be part of the Fourth Africa-EU Summit Agenda.
9. NOTE the Joint Matrix on the contentious issues in the EPA negotiations with proposals for their resolution and request Africa EPA negotiating regions to use it as a guide to harmonize their positions in the negotiations.. Re affirm the principle that the most favorable provision in any one EPA configuration would be extended to the others.
10. CALL UPON the AU Members states and all other relevant stakeholders, in particular, the RECs, AU EPA configurations, private sector, and civil society to work closely to ensure that unity, cohesion and solidarity are maintained and strengthened, in order to secure the best possible outcome in the EPA Negotiations.
11. CALL UPON the EU to agree to provisions on Rules of Origin and Cumulation across the various EPAs that support Africa’s integration objectives and promote intra-Africa trade;
12. URGE the EU to fully take into account our above fundamental concerns in this regard, in order to preserve and not undermine the current processes for economic integration in Africa.
13. EXPRESS deep concern that the EU Raw materials Initiative (RMI) will impact negatively on the extraction, beneficiation and trade in the natural resources of Africa and hinder achieving our industrialization and development goals. We are also concerned that this initiative is also reflected in EPA and could undermine the EPA negotiating process.
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October 25, 2013
CONFERENCE OF THE AFRICAN UNION
MINISTERS OF TRADE
24th - 25th October 2013
ADDIS-ABABA (ETHIOPIA)AU/TI/TD/CAMoT-8/WTO/DECL.FINAL
Original: EnglishADDIS ABABA DECLARATION ON WTO ISSUES
We, the Ministers of Trade of the Member States of the African Union meeting in Addis Ababa on the 24thand 25thOctober 2013 in the Eighth Ordinary Session of the AU Conference of the Ministers of Trade in order to review the progress made so far in the WTO negotiations in the lead up to the 9th Ministerial Conference of the WTO (MC9) from 3 to 6 December 2013, in Bali, Indonesia;
Taking note of the recent developments in the Multilateral Trading System and the changes which occurred at the leadership of the World Trade Organization(WTO), we pay tribute to the outgoing Director General of the WTO, Mr. Pascal Lamy, for his personal commitment and the sterling achievements during his tenure, and congratulate Ambassador Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo for his appointment as the 6th Director General of the WTO and commend his efforts in intensifying negotiations on the Bali package in pursuit of the mandate from the 8th WTO Ministerial Conference held in 2011. In this connection, we pledge our full support to the efforts of the Director General and further pledge our constructive role in ensuring that the negotiations leading to MC9 and beyond are successful;
Recalling the Doha Ministerial Declaration adopted by the 4th WTO Ministerial Conference in 2001 and the succeeding Ministerial Declarations and the July package which engendered the development agenda at the heart of the WTO`s work program;
Underscoring that the inception of the DDA negotiations and their focus on the development imperative was, amongst others, premised on the need to redress the imbalances inherent in the Uruguay Round Agreements;
Taking note of the ongoing consultations on Trade Facilitation, Agriculture and Development issues including LDCs issues which have been prioritized for delivery by the MC9;
Convinced that development should be the primary feature of the outcome of the MC9 on all the deliverables;
Aware that the MC9 is not an end in itself, but rather a crucial step in the process of defining a post Bali work program, particularly in areas of interest to African countries;
Cautious that the MC9 is key to preserving the credibility of the multilateral trading system in particular the rule making part of the WTO`s work;
Concerned by a growing trend by some key WTO Members to devolve concentration of their negotiating efforts away from Doha Development Agenda to the ever proliferating plurilateral agreements;
Further concerned that the devolution of concentration away from the DDA will erode modest progress made in integrating African countries into the multilateral trading system through trade related interventions particularly in pursuit of developmental objectives of Africa;
Aware of the positive contribution that the multilateral trading system could have on the African Union`s agenda on boosting Intra-Africa Trade and the realisation of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA);
Determined to work towards a balanced multilateral trading system in order to secure a meaningful share of growth of international trade;
Hereby,
1. Reaffirm the positions adopted in the Addis Ababa Declaration on WTO Issues of 2012;
A. WTO DECISIONS
2. Welcome the adoption of the General Council’s Decision of 25th July 2012 on Accession aimed at strengthening, streamlining and operationalising the 2002 LDCs Accession Guidelines, pursuant to the MC8 Decision, with principles and benchmarks in goods and services, and transparency in accession negotiations, Special & Differential Treatment (S&D) and transitional period and the need for enhanced technical assistance and capacity building to help acceding LDCs to complete their accession process, implement their commitments and to integrate them into the Multilateral Trading System. In this regard, we urge the full implementation of all aspects of the Decision by all WTO Members with due consideration to the specific circumstances and development objectives of acceding LDCs.3. Further welcome a Decision on the extension of the transition period under article 66.1 of the TRIPS Agreement for least developed country members as adopted by the TRIPS Council on 11 June 2013;
B. GENERAL PRINCIPLES
4. Stress the importance of the DDA negotiations and re-commit to conclude them in accordance with the existing mandates and on the basis of progress achieved so far, according to the principles of Single Undertaking and Special and Differential Treatment;
5. Restate our continued call for a fair and balanced outcome of the DDA including in the context the Bali package, which must prioritize development as its main deliverable, preserve negotiated flexibilities beneficial to developing countries all anchored on the principles of inclusiveness, transparency and bottom-up approach;
6. Strongly caution against attempts to undermine the spirit of cooperation inherent in the multilateral approach to negotiating the DDA and call on Members of the WTO to exercise due restraint in engaging in plurilateral arrangements with the potential effect of undermining the DDA;
7. Strongly object to any attempt to link non-trade issues or add new issues to the DDA, before development issues such as agriculture (including cotton), LDC issues, S&D and implementation related concerns are satisfactorily addressed and the DDA is fully exhausted and successfully concluded;
8. Stress the importance of ensuring that the outstanding agenda items of the DDA particularly in the areas of agriculture, LDCs related flexibilities and S&D and Implementation issues are prioritized for the post Bali work program;
9. Reiterate that the DDA negotiations must be premised on development including incorporating adequate and targeted demand-driven financial and technical assistance and sustainable capacity building commitments as an integral part of S&D treatment under all areas of negotiations;10. Underscore that agriculture remains central to Africa’s trade objectives at the WTO. We therefore emphasize the urgency and the need for addressing tariff peaks and tariff escalation in Agriculture, which inhibit amongst others, value addition and job creation and overall development in Africa. We reiterate our concerns regarding food security in the continent, and support efforts by Net-Food Importing Developing Countries (NFIDCs) in respect of Agriculture related rule-making at the WTO;
11. Reaffirm the integrality and importance of Special and Differential Treatment provisions in the WTO agreements and agree that in line with para 44 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, all S&D provisions have to be reviewed with a view to strengthening them and making them more precise, effective and operational. We also attach equal and utmost importance to the expeditious completion of the S&D work programme set out in para 12.1 of the Decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns endorsed in para 44 of the Ministerial Declaration;
12. Urge WTO Members to focus their attention on finding appropriate solutions in following up the commitment contained in para 12 of the Doha Declaration setting out Members’ resolve to negotiate all outstanding implementation issues as part of the Single Undertaking;
C. DEVELOPMENT AND LDCs ISSUES
13. Strongly object to current attempts to reduce the scope of the Monitoring Mechanism by limiting it to the review of implementation of S&D provisions including the erosion of the original intention of the Monitoring Mechanism.14. Underscore that the Monitoring Mechanism shall propose appropriate actions, including to the General Council with a view to strengthening S&D provisions and have the mandate to regularly review the operation, utilization and effectiveness of S&D provisions,
15. We recall para 44 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration and express our concern on the lack of progress. We request the MC9 to provide further guidance on Development issues.
16. Call upon all the WTO members to fully commit themselves to the successful conclusion of the DDA as the only agenda for the WTO`s post Bali work program;
17. Recognise the proposals put forward by the LDC Group for the decision at the MC9 to advance a consolidated LDC package covering duty-free quota-free market access for LDC’s, simplified and flexible rules of origin for exports that qualify for duty-free, quota-free treatment, the operationalization of the LDC Services Waiver, and outstanding proposals on Cotton. In this regard, we urge the MC9 to reiterate its commitment toward the greater integration of the LDCs into the multilateral trading system and to take all possible steps towards realising this commitment in line with the respective mandates on LDCs issues.
18. Reaffirm the importance of cotton in the economy of the African Continent and call for a final solution of this matter on the basis of the achievements of the draft modalities on Agriculture of 6 December 2008 and call on all the WTO members for the timely resolution of this matter, pursuant to the Hong Kong mandate of December 2005.
19. We call for, on an interim basis, the adoption of a decision in Bali on the cotton issue, on the basis of proposals made by the C-4 on behalf African producers and exporters of cotton, without prejudice to the interests of African cotton producing countries.
D. TRADE FACILITATION
20. Reaffirm the importance of Trade Facilitation where our priorities include enhancing infrastructure and boosting productive and trade capacities, in addition to reducing transaction costs, barriers, incentivizing the undertaking of reforms and improvements to the customs regulatory systems as well as boosting intra-African trade;
21. Re-emphasize the positions held by the WTO African Group on Trade Facilitation specifically that it is not a self-balancing, win-win and a monolithic pillar in the DDA negotiations. We call for an internally balanced agreement, providing developing countries and LDCs with policy space and flexibility to adopt and implement commitments commensurate with their capacity to do so. We stress the need for achieving balance with other issues on the agenda of MC9, with a view towards fulfilling the development dimension of the Doha mandate. In this regard, the Bali outcome should result in substantive outcomes in the area of Agriculture and Development issues. Where a balance is not attained, negotiations on Trade Facilitation shall continue post-Bali, with a view to attaining a balanced agreement that fully and effectively reflects the principles of special and differential treatment under Annex D of the 2004 July Package;22. Further re-emphasize that obligations and measures being negotiated under the Trade Facilitation consolidated text must include binding, effective and operational rules on Special and Differential Treatment. The obligation on developing countries and LDCs to implement the Trade Facilitation Agreement should be based upon their acquisition of capacity to implement, including through fulfilling, by developed countries, the obligation of delivering binding, new and long-term technical and financial assistance and capacity building necessary for African countries to achieve full implementation capacity. We underline the importance of the principles of self-designation and self-assessment under Section II of the Draft Trade Facilitation Agreement by developing countries and LDCs in determining the acquisition of capacity to implement;
E. ACCESSION
23. Reaffirm our full solidarity with all African countries in the process of accession into the WTO and urge all WTO members to facilitate and accelerate their accession in line with their level of development and the contours of the current WTO rules. In this regard, acceding African countries should not be required to give concessions beyond their level of development.
24. Invite WTO members to adopt measures and decisions aimed at simplifying accession procedures and enhancing the existing institutional mechanisms including the definition of transparent rules for the implementation of the provisions of Article XII of the Agreement establishing the WTO, with the objective of providing the opportunity to acceding African countries to express their views on the conduct of their accession
25. Urge WTO members, WTO Secretariat and relevant international organizations to provide technical assistance and capacity-building prior to and during and in the follow-up to the accession process in line with their needs and development priorities.
F. OTHER ISSUES
26. Take note of the holding of 8 to 10 July 2013 in Geneva of the Fourth Global Review of Aid for Trade and emphatically reiterate our desire to see this initiative usefully support the efforts of the African Union, namely the implementation of its action plan to enhance intra-African trade and the creation of CFTA;
27. Express our deep concern over declining trends in Aid for Trade flows in particular financial resource allocations and disbursement. In this regard, call upon development partners to fulfill their commitments by providing predictable, additional financial resources with the effect of integrating the developing African countries into the multilateral trading system, in particular LDCs, Land-Locked Developing countries (LLDCs) and small and vulnerable economies (SVEs) in Africa by aligning their assistance to the regional and national priorities outlined by the Members;
28. Recall the decisions of the 8th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC8),particularly on TRIPS Non-Violation Situation complaints, the Work Program on Electronic Commerce, Work Program on Small Economies, Preferential Treatment to Services and Services Suppliers of LDCs and Trade Policy Review Mechanism and urge Members to ensure that requisite and decisive follow up actions are taken during the MC9 with a view to achieving their legitimate aims and objectives as stated therein;
29. Urge Members to refrain from making increasingly frequent recourse to the use of Non-Tariff Measures which are in ascendency, predominantly in markets of key export interest to Africa, at high costs and with a technical complexity in compliance with these meeting international standards;
30. Strongly Call on Members to design and strengthen existing tailor-made programs of assistance aimed at improving the capacity of developing countries, in particular, the African countries which face huge challenges in areas such as standards infrastructure including testing in general, the areas of conformity assessment, mutual recognition of standards and meeting technical regulations and international standards in key markets
G. CONCLUSION
31. Commit ourselves to speak with one voice on all the above issues.
Done in Addis Ababa, 25th October 2013
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October 25, 2013
CONFERENCE OF THE AFRICAN UNION
MINISTERS OF TRADE
24th - 25th October 2013
ADDIS-ABABA (ETHIOPIA)AU/TI/TD/CAMoT-8/AGOA/DECL.FINAL
Original: EnglishDECLARATION ON THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT
DECLARATION ON THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT
WE, the Ministers of Trade of the Member States of the African Union, meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on October 24-25, 2013 in our 8th Ordinary Session;
Taking into account Africa’s international trade relations and economic partnerships particularly in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa-U.S. Trade and Investment Relations and its cornerstone policy, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA);
Welcoming the US Administration’s renewed engagement and the strong Congressional bi-partisan support to bolster partnership with Africa, spur economic growth, support regional integration, and encourage US companies to trade with and invest in Africa;
Expressing appreciation of President Obama’s announcement to host the next Summit of Heads of State from sub-Saharan Africa in the US, as a platform of engagement in a greater political dialogue on issues of common interest and concern, including AGOA at the bilateral, regional and international levels;
Commending also President Obama’s recent new initiatives: Trade Africa and Power Africa intended to boost trade with sub-Saharan Africa and which have an important potential to usher in a new model of collaboration that could be replicated across the continent in the coming years;
Taking into consideration the positive contribution of AGOA since its enactment in 2000 on economic growth, job creation, improvement of the business environment and stability in Sub-Saharan Africa, its transformation of the way Africa and the U.S. engage on trade and economic issues as well as the need for scaling up efforts in order to harness its full potential;
Welcoming the positive outcomes of the 12th AGOA Forum, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on August 12-13, 2013, under the theme “Sustainable Transformation through Trade and Technology” marked by a dynamic discussion on how AGOA can be better utilized to sustain Africa’s future growth, development and global economic integration and how to move Africa up the global value chain;
Referring to the recommendation of the Ministerial Consultative Meeting of the 12th AGOA Forum which underscored that AGOA should be reauthorized for at least 15 years for all eligible countries and that additional African countries should be offered eligibility;
Reaffirming the need for greater predictability and certainty in unilateral trade preferences schemes, as a necessary condition for sustained investment and growth;
Reiterating the high importance attached to the timely and seamless reauthorization of AGOA by 2014, and the major contribution it could make in supporting Africa’s economic transformation and deepening regional integration processes in order to enhance regional economies of scale, integration into global production chains and intra-African trade;
Hereby adopt the following as a consensus position, henceforth called “Declaration on the African Growth and Opportunity Act”, and:
1. Recommend the development in eligible countries of a national AGOA Export Strategy and the setting-up of a mechanism that can monitor and evaluate the implementation of AGOA as well as the outcomes of its annual Forum at the national level on a voluntary basis, and establish an annual evaluation report at the continental level that could serve as a valuable tracking tool for decision makers;
2. Direct the African Ambassadors Group in Washington, D.C., to continue engaging actively the U.S. Administration and members of Congress on the way forward for a timely, seamless and meaningful reauthorization of AGOA by October 2014 for a period of at least 15 years to ensure that trade with the U.S takes place on a predictable, reliable and legally secure basis in order to inspire investors’ confidence;
3. Recommend that the Third Country Fabric provisions should be made coterminous with AGOA since undue delay of the extension of that provision has devastating effects on loss of orders, jobs, business and investment in both the U.S. and Africa;
4. Also direct the African Ambassadors Group in Washington, D.C to mobilize the support of key stakeholders in the U.S. Administration, the Congress, private sector, civil society and think-tanks on the importance of developing an AGOA compact for the Eligible countries which have effectively developed and implemented a National AGOA export strategy, while underscoring the importance of the inclusive aspect of any project in order to allow the expansion of AGOA ‘s benefits to more countries;
5. Call upon the U.S. Congress to reauthorize the extension of AGOA by October 2014 for at least another 15 years, in an integrated and all-inclusive approach, so as to guarantee the predictability and certainty required for long-term investment and economic growth both in the U.S. and across the African continent, based on mutually reinforcing U.S.-Africa relations;
6. Deeply concerned by any development (including any possible studies) that undermines the seamless renewal of AGOA by 2014, and negatively affect the benefits to eligible countries, Call Upon the US to fast-track the seamless renewal of AGOA by October 2014;
7. Welcome the US Power Africa Programme and call on the US to use this as a model to support broader infrastructure development in Africa;
8. Also Call upon the U.S Administration and Congress to maintain and expand U.S trade preferences to ensure that African products remain competitive and improve rules of origin for some products with high export potential, and that AGOA preferences are not eroded in the context of bilateral or multilateral trade negotiations;
9. Further Call upon the U.S. Administration to integrate AGOA into an inclusive, predictable and sustainable framework that would promote industrial, commercial and agricultural development in the beneficiary countries, expand targeted tradecapacity building and technical assistance in quality assurance and standards, simplify compliance requirements, improve trade-related infrastructure and trade facilitation; enhance trade support and trade finance; and strengthen the regional integration processes in Africa;
10. Recommend the provision of higher visibility for AGOA in the U.S. Congress through the organization of Congressional Delegations to African Regions;
11. Suggest the establishment of a special fund, with the support of African Institutions, to finance advocacy efforts of the African Ambassadors Group in Washington D.C. in respect of AGOA-related trade and investment opportunities and regional integration;
12. Reaffirm our commitment to remain actively seized with this matter which has important implications for the establishment of a sustainable and mutually beneficial economic partnership between the U.S. and Africa based on shared values and common interests; and
13. Commend the strenuous efforts of the African Ambassadors Group in Washington, D.C., in particular the co-Chairs of the Ambassadors’ Working Group, Ethiopia and Mauritius, for their valuable contribution in developing a set of recommendations which have become an important roadmap for engagement with the U.S. side.
Done in Addis Ababa, 25th October 2013
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September 23, 2013
Expert’s Review of African Transitional Justice Framework, Lome, Togo, 5 August 2012