Addis Ababa, 3 October 2017 -The experts’ session of the second meeting of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment under the theme: “Enhancing environmental and agricultural transformation to achieve food and nutrition security in advancing Agenda 2063,” commenced yesterday, at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The STC experts’ session will review the relevant strategic goals and linkages in ongoing agriculture, rural development, water and environment related initiatives and their implications on the achievement of the overarching goals set out in the ten-year implementation plan of Africa’s Agenda 2063, to transform Africa.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, H.E Josefa Sacko, AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture urged the meeting, in reviewing national development strategies, to respond to emerging threats and challenges hampering the agricultural transformation agenda such as climate change, man-made and natural disasters and the Fall Armyworm infestation, while harnessing opportunities in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment Sectors.
Commissioner Sacko further stressed on the June 2014 AU Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agriculture, Growth and Transformation and its commitments towards curbing hunger and poverty, among others.
“It will be important that you discuss the findings of the Malabo Biennial Review report and the Africa Agriculture Transformation Scorecard because the report provides the status of the progress implementation of the Malabo commitments for AU Member States,” she said.
The Malabo Declaration Biennial Review report and Africa Agriculture Transformation Scorecard will be presented to the AU Heads of State and Government Summit in January 2018.
Officially opening the meeting, Mr. Zena Habtewold, Director of Planning and Programming Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resource, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, cited the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and the Malabo Declaration, as exemplary commitments by Africa to act on agriculture and agriculture-led development.
“The CAADP Framework and the Malabo Declaration are a clear determination to put agriculture at the center of efforts to address food security, environment, water and climate change, poverty eradication and socio-economic growth,” he said.
The five day meeting is expected to identify linkages in ongoing agriculture, rural development, water and environment initiatives to agree on areas of follow up actions at various levels in a concerted manner that will harness synergies among the inter-related sectors.

Media contact:
Ms. Carol Jilombo, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, E-mail: Jilomboc@africa-union.org

For further information contact:
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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