Events
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December 03, 2015
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December 01, 2015
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November 20, 2015AUC-FSIN Technical Consultation Concludes with Recommendations for Harmonising and Improving Food and Nutrition...Addis Ababa: 20 November 2015 - Over the past three days, the African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with the Food Security Information Network (FSIN), a partner initiative between FAO, WF
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November 11, 2015
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November 04, 2015Continental SPS Committee operationalised
PRESS RELEASE Nº323/2015
Continental SPS Committee operationalised
Kampala, November 2, 2015. The Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee met at the Speke Resort, Munyonyo at the margins of the commemoration of the 6th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security. The meeting was convened to discuss the operationalization of the Committee and finalize and agree on its working Terms of References.
The specific task of the Continental SPS Committee is to promote the mainstreaming of SPS issues (food safety, plant and animal health) into the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) implementation and other agriculture, trade-related, health and environmental initiatives and frameworks.
The Continental SPS Committee Meeting was chaired by Dr. Josue Dione, representing the AUC’s Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, H.E Tumusiime Rhoda Peace.
Dr. Dione opened the meeting and gave a background on the formation of the SPS Committee and alluded to the official political launch of the Committee on 30th of October 2015 during the commemoration of the 6th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security.
The Committee in its maiden meeting had presentations on Agenda 2063, the Malabo Declaration, the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) and aligning SPS issues to the frameworks. The Committee also considered and adopted the Terms of Reference that would guide its work on the continent categorized around three broad areas including but not limited to:Capacity building; Coordination and harmonization of SPS matters and Policy guidance and advocacy.
The meeting included officials from key stakeholder institutions including the Regional Economic Communities (EAC, COMESA and ECCAS), African Development Bank (AfDB), International Organization for Animal Health (OIE), World Health Organization (WHO), African Standards Organization (ARSO), World Fisheries, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), World Food Programme (WFP) and members of the AUC – SPS Cluster.
For more information contact:
Ms. Diana Akullo
Policy Officer - Crop Production
Media Contact:
Carol Jilombo, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, AUC; Jilomboc@africa-union.org
Molalet Tsedeke; Directorate of Information and Communication, AUC; molalett@africa-union.org;
For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dinfo@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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Directorate of Information and Communication | Information and Communication | African Union CommissionTel: +251-11-5517700 | Fax: | E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org | Web:www.au.int
Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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November 02, 20156th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security commemorated
Press Release Nº317/2015
6th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security commemorated
Description: picKampala, October 30, 2015- The commemoration of the 6th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) took place on 30 October 2015 with a call for enhanced efforts to fight hunger and malnutrition in Africa, through women’s empowerment.
This year’s celebration themed “Empowering Our Women, Securing Our Food, Improving Our Nation,’’ is organized by the African Union Commission in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Uganda, New Partnership for Africa’s Development Agency, United Nations Agencies and other implementing partners, to cultivate collective responsibility toward increasing sustainable access to safe, nutritious and healthy foods amongst Africa’s countries. The ADFNS serves as a rallying point to intensify political and financial commitments at all levels in order to address current challenges of food and nutrition insecurity in Africa.
Officially opening the commemoration, President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E Yoweri Museveni, represented by Uganda’s Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, H.E Muruli Mukasa called for the empowerment of women in social, economic, environmental and political terms, for wealth creation and prosperity for all.
President Museveni further noted that sustainable food and nutrition security could only be achieved through social transformation.
‘’There can be no dignity for a hungry man, a sick child, a burdened and marginalised woman, handicapped person or an angry youth,’’ he said. ’In order to get a solution, we must harmonise our thinking….we must adopt a double approach, with developing and developed nations each taking responsibility.’’
President Museveni reiterated his Government’s commitment to the eradication of hunger and malnutrition and also to eliminate negative cultural practices that undermine nutritional security of sections of Uganda’s population.
Description: Pic 2Also speaking during the official opening, AUC’s Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, H.E. Mrs. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace reiterated that eradicating hunger was possible, if only countries could make interventions for improving food and nutrition security a priority.
She pointed out that Africa's Leaders had declared 2015 as the "Year of Women Empowerment and Development towards Agenda 2063, a fact, H.E Tumusiime said, underscored the realisation that with women empowerment, cutting extreme poverty and hunger was attainable.
‘’Under its commitment to reduce poverty by half by the year 2025, the Malabo Declaration categorically calls for supporting and facilitating women and youth in "gainful and attractive agribusiness opportunities," she observed.
Commissioner Tumusiime recognized and thanked H.E. President Museveni’s contribution to the Malabo Declaration and his guidance to build and support the agricultural transformation goals that were agreed upon in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, that define the next decade of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Plan (CAADP) within the context of the first 10 years of Agenda 2063 and Vision 2025.
Other dignitaries present during the official opening included, Uganda’s Permanent Secretary representing the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Mr. Vincent Rubarema, Acting Director for Monitoring from the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr. Ssansa Mugenyi, NEPAD Agency representative, Ms. Isatou Jallow, FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator and Representative of the Development Partners’ Group, Dr. Patrick Kormawa and Honorable Victoria Sekitoleko, Executive Director, Uganda Agribusiness Alliance.
Calls to action from the technical discussions held since October 28, include:
Ø Investment in nutrition
Ø Advocacy for nutrition
Ø Sustainability of nutrition programming
Ø Partnerships and mutual accountability
Ø Coordination and harnessing synergies
Ø Nutrition evidence
Ø Capacity building
Ø Community and women’s empowerment
Ø Adopt climate resilient agriculture in line with the Malabo declaration on climate change and adaptation
Ø Make agriculture work for nutrition.
The commemoration of the 6th ADFNS drew the participation of high-level leaders from global, regional and national agriculture associations, African and other governments, civil society and farmer organizations, the private sector, scientific and research institutions, and development partners.
CJ/MTS
For more information contact:
Mr. Laila Lokosang,
African Union Commission
Media Contact:
Carol Jilombo, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, AUC; Jilomboc@africa-union.org
Molalet Tsedeke; Directorate of Information and Communication, AUC; molalett@africa-union.org;
For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dinfo@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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October 29, 2015Women’s empowerment critical for fight against hunger and malnutrition
Press Release No. 313/2015
Women’s empowerment critical for fight against hunger and malnutrition
Kampala, Uganda, 28 October 2015- “Empowering Our Women, Securing Our Food, Improving Our Nation.” This is the theme of the 6th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS), a day commemorated on October 30 annually. Yesterday events leading up to the commemoration of the day were officially opened. The Africa Union Commission (AUC) and the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency in collaboration with the Government of Uganda (This year’s host country), kick-started the celebrations.
The ADFNS serves as a rallying point to intensify political and financial commitments at all levels in order to address contemporary challenges of food and nutrition insecurity in Africa. The ADFNS provides a platform at national, regional and continental levels to share experiences, knowledge and mutual learning, as well as measure progress in assuring food and nutrition security for all by governments and multi-stakeholder partners.
Officially opening the events to commemorate ADFNS, H.E Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda noted that resolving the challenges of hunger and malnutrition required multi-dimensional and multi-sectoral approaches, driven by local transformational leadership.
“Africa must feed itself in order to end hunger and poverty, we must break the vicious cycle of under-nutrition and poverty that continues to move across our generations.” he said.
He pointed out that hungry people could not be productive leading to nations’ economic growth being constrained.
H.E Rugunda said the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programe (CAADP), “offers a framework for us to act on hunger and malnutrition.”
Mr. Laila Lokosang, AUC’s Food and Nutrition Advisor, emphasised that women empowerment held the key to reducing child malnutrition and stunting in Africa.
Women’s empowerment is one of the focus areas of Africa’s Agenda 2063, and also a major component of the 2014 AU Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Africa Agriculture Growth and Transformation.
After the opening ceremony, the republic of Uganda launched a food and nutrition handbook for extension workers, to be used in the delivery of agricultural services in communities.
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For further information please contact:
Mr. LailaLokosang, Food and Nutrition Advisor; Lokosangl@africa-union.org
Media contacts and interview requests:
Ms. Carol Jilombo; Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture; Jilomboc@africa-union.org
Mr. Molalet Tsedeke, Directorate of Information and Communication; molalett@africa-union.org
For further information contact
Directorate of information and communication /African union commission/ E- mail:dinfo@africa-union.org/Web site: www.au.int/ Addis Ababa / Ethiopia
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Directorate of Information and Communication
Directorate of Information and Communication | Information and Communication | African Union CommissionTel: +251-11-5517700 | Fax: | E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org | Web:www.au.int
Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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October 28, 2015 to October 30, 2015
Commemoration of the 6th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security
“Empowering Our Women, Securing Our Food, Improving Our Nutrition”
28-30 October, 2015
Kampala, Uganda===========================
Save the date: 6th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) 28th - 30th October, Kampala, Uganda
Why the Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS)?
The main purpose of ADFNS is to serve as a rallying point to intensify political and financial commitments at all levels in order to address contemporary challenges of food and nutrition insecurity in Africa. The ADFNS provides a platform at national, regional and continental levels to share experiences, knowledge and mutual learning, as well as measure progress in assuring food and nutrition security for all by governments and multi-stakeholder partners.
Theme and commemoration of ADFNS 2015
The 6th ADFNS will be commemorated under the theme, “Empowering Our Women, Securing Our Food, Improving Our Nutrition”. This theme ties neatly with the declared AU 2015 “Year of Women Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063".
Building on the selected theme, the following four sub-themes represent areas for technical and policy discussions as well as streamlining messages on the commemoration of ADFNS 2015:
Sub-theme 1: Accelerated action toward improved maternal, adolescent and child nutrition;
Sub-theme 2: Harnessing opportunities for production, access and consumption of nutritious, safe and diverse diets;
Sub-theme 3: Improving and promoting smallholder farmers particularly women farmers’ capacity to access markets;
Sub-theme 4: Strengthening institutional capacities and systems, partnerships and knowledge sharing for enhanced delivery of food and nutrition security interventions.
ADFNS Host Country Uganda will host the 2015 ADFNS continental-level commemoration on the 28th - 30th October, in Kampala. Member States of the African Union are also expected to commemorate the ADFNS in synchrony with the continental-level event and relevant stakeholders are encouraged to support the organisation of the ADFNS at the national level.
Who should attend the ADFNS?
The ADFNS is expected to include a wide range of stakeholders, such as civil society, the private sector, the scientific community, farmers and development partners. As befitting the focus of the commemoration, women groups, women organisations and entrepreneurs will be specially invited to participate.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Laila Lokosang
E-mail: Lokosangl@africa-union.org -
October 27, 2015 to October 30, 2015Continental SPS Committee for Africa and the AUC- SPS Cluster Meeting
MEDIA ADVISORY
Continental SPS Committee for Africa and the AUC- SPS Cluster Meeting
INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA
What: The Meeting of the Continental Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee
for Africa and the AUC- SPS Cluster MeetingWhen: 27th – 30th October 2015
Where: Munyonyo Resort, Kampala, Uganda
Objectives: The main aim of the Continental- SPS Committee is to support the implementation of Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) through ensuring the coordination of SPS matters. The specific task of the Continental SPS Committee would be to mainstream SPS issues (food safety, plant and animal health)into CAADP implementation and other Agriculture, Trade-related, and environmental initiatives within its Results Framework.
The meeting of the Continental SPS Committee scheduled for October 28-30 2015 in Kampala, Uganda aims to attain the following objectives:
a. Review implementation of the AUC- SPS activities
b. Review activities of the Continental SPS Committee
c. Agree on the modus operandi of the Continental SPS Committee including the rules and procedures governing its work.
Participants: The participants will be the AUC- SPS Cluster members, NEPAD and representative of RECs and relevant organizations on the Continental SPS Committee.
Background: The African Union Commission recognizes that addressing Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) matters is critical in boosting intra Africa and economic growth as articulated under pillar two and three of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and the recent 2014 Malabo Declaration. It is in this context that the AUC and the NEPAD established a Continental SPS Committee through a consultative process at the recommendation of the 7th CAADP Partnership Platform meeting held in Yaounde, Cameroun in March 2011.The Continental SPS Committee is constituted of (full members and observers) Regional Economic Communities and relevant partners and institutions active in areas of SPS. At the Commission level, there is the AUC SPS cluster constituted of members from the Departments of Trade and Industry, Social Affairs and Rural Economy. The AUC SPS Cluster serves as the secretariat to the continental SPS Committee.For more information on the SPS Meetings contact:
Ms. Diana Oyena Akullo
Policy Officer - Crop Production
Rural Economy and Agriculture Department, AUC
Email: AkulloD@africa-union.orgFor media enquiries/interview requests, contact:
Mr. Samuel Onyenobia
CAADP Communications Consultant, AUC
Email: samuelonyenobia@gmail.comMr. Molalet Tsedeke
Directorate of Information and Communication, AUC
Molalett@africa-union.orgFor further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dinfo@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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October 21, 2015COP 12 event calls for enhanced efforts towards the Great Green Wall initiative‘When Africa Calls, The World answers’
PRESS RELEASE Nº288/2015
COP 12 event calls for enhanced efforts towards the Great Green Wall initiative‘When Africa Calls, The World answers’
Description: 11111Ankara, Turkey 21 October 2015 -H.E. Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) on Thursday 15 Oct 2015 called for “Scaling up Africa’s Great Green Wall for the Sahel and Sahara Initiative. This was during a side event organised within the margins of the Twelfth Conference of Parties of the UNCCD (COP12) which brought together a multitude of partners involved in implementing numerous initiatives in support of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative.
The event organised by the Africa Union Commission, UNCCD and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) was designed with the two-fold aim of sharing with the international community the results achieved so far under the Pan-African initiative, and sharing thoughts on the way forward.
H.E. Monique Barbut took the floor with a passionate appeal on the strategic importance of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative and her personal commitment to ensuring its success.
“My heart has always been on this initiative. The Great Green Wall is the modern world’s greatest endeavor that symbolizes man and nature coming together to overcome some of today’s most urgent challenges: climate change, food security, migration and, of course, land restoration.” She declared. “The Great Green Wall is far more than simply growing trees, it is about growing solutions and opportunities; growing resilience to climate change; growing ‘green’ jobs that provide a stable income for African women and youth; about growing food security where 20 million people in the Sahel still go to sleep hungry every night.”
Ms. Barbut committed the UNCCD to embarking on scaling up the Great Green Wall Initiative through partnership with the AUC and stakeholders involved in the cause.
Description: 2222AUC Senior Policy Officer for Forestry and Land, Mr. Dampha Almami welcomed the participants and presented a summary of the key achievements of the Initiative to date. And AUC Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative Coordinator, Dr. Elvis Paul Tangem pointed out that the initiative had become a global platform for combating land degradation and desertification. He reiterated the general call for a similar initiative in other regions of Africa and taking best practices to the Caribbean and Pacific regions, noting that, “the GGWSSI will play a central role in promoting Global Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
A panel question and answer session involving key players in the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative followed the opening session.
By the end of the meeting, the message was clear, “The potential that exists both at the local, national and regional levels needs to be tapped to develop Public and Private partnerships so that through Africa’s Great Green Wall we can ‘grow a world wonder’ –that serves all humanity for generations to come.”
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For more information contact:
Dr. Elvis Paul TANGEM
Coordinator, GGWSSI
Almami Dampha
Sr. Policy Officer Forestry and Land, AUC
Media Contact
Ms. Carol Jilombo, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture; AUC; jilomboc@africa-union.org
Mr. Molalet Tsedeke; Directorate of Information and Communication, AUC; molalett@africa-union.org;
For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dinfo@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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Directorate of Information and Communication
Directorate of Information and Communication | Information and Communication | African Union Commission
Tel: +251-11-5517700 | Fax: | E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org | Web:www.au.intAddis Ababa | Ethiopia
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October 11, 2015 to October 14, 2015
MEDIA ADVISORY
Commemoration of the 2015 International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) in Ethiopia 11-14 October 2015
INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIAWhat: Celebrating International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) in Ethiopia
Theme: “Knowledge for Life”
Who: African Union Commission and the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
When: 14th October 2015 from 9.00 A.M
Where: Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Objectives:
i. To promote the importance of IDDR in advocating the culture of prevention and reduction of disaster risks in the context of sustainable development and thus strengthening the resilience of persons, communities, countries and their assets; and
ii. To raise awareness and generate political commitment for effective implementation of the Sendai Framework on the African continent with full engagement of local people and use of indigenous and traditional knowledge.Expected Outcomes:
i. The event is expected to create awareness on existence of plenty of (currently used & other untapped) indigenous and traditional knowledge and local experiences which should form the basis of local level decision making in disaster risk reduction for resilience and hence play a crucial role in the implementation of the Sendai Framework
ii. The event is also expected to provide a unique opportunity to update participants including African Permanent Missions on progress made so far and follow-up actions identified to effectively implement the Sendai Framework in Africa thereby helping generate increased awareness and political commitment to effectively implement this global framework across the continent. Above all the event will help raise awareness and generate commitment to promote risk informed development planning and investment thereby contributing to the achievement of sustainable development..hhhhParticipants: Over 250 participants representing Federal and Regional government institutions, AUC, African Permanent Missions in Addis Ababa, UN-agencies, World Bank, NGOs, diverse media groups, and other institutions are expected to attend the event.
Background: The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia will celebrate the IDDR for the 6th time and for the 2nd time jointly with the African Union Commission (AUC) with participation of the African Permanent Missions. This year’s IDDR will be the first to be celebrated after the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 at the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held from 14 to 18 March 2015 in Sendai, Japan. There will, therefore, be a dedicated session on the Sendai Framework where progress made so far and follow-up actions identified to ensure effective implementation of the Framework on the African Continent will be discussed.
Media representatives are invited to cover the event.
For media enquiry pleases contact:
Ms. Carol Jilombo, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture; AUC; jilomboc@africa-union.orgMr. Molalet Tsedeke; Directorate of Information and Communication, AUC;molalett@africa-union.org;
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October 08, 2015
INVITATION TO THE MEDIA
PRESS BRIEFING OF COMMISSIONER FOR RURAL ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE
Within the frame work of the Inaugural Conference of the AU Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment H.E. Mrs. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, at the AU Commission together with representatives of Ministers for Agriculture, Rural Development and Water and Environment, will on Thursday 08 October 2015 at 10:30 hold a media briefing. The agenda on the press conference will be:
- Outcomes of the STC expert meetings and objectives of the ministerial session.
The briefing will be held in Briefing Room 1, at the new AU Conference Center, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Journalists are invited to take part in the press briefing tomorrow 08 Oct 2015 at 10:30. The Official opening of the Ministerial Conference will be on 08 Oct 2015 at 9:00am
Media Contact
Mr. Molalet Tsedeke; Media Center Coordinator ; Directorate of Information and Communication; AU Commission ; Tel: +251911630631; E-mail: molalett@africa-union.org
Ms. Carol Jilombo, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture
Email: jilomboc@africa-union.org
For further information contact
Directorate of information and communication /African union commission/ E- mail: dic@africa-union.org /Web site: www.au.int / Addis Ababa / Ethiopia
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Directorate of Information and Communication
Directorate of Information and Communication | Information and Communication | African Union Commission
Tel: +251-11-5517700 | Fax: | E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org | Web:www.au.intAddis Ababa | Ethiopia