STATEMENT BY H.E MRS. TUMUSIIME RHODA PEACE, COMMISSIONER FOR RURAL ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE, AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION

AT THE OPENING OF THE MEETING ON HARMONIZATION OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL STRATEGIES WITH THE INTEGRATED AFRICAN STRATEGY ON METEOROLOGY (WEATHER AND CLIMATE SERVICES) AND VALIDATION OF THE DRAFT IMPLEMENTATION AND RESOURCE MOBILIZATION PLAN ON THE MARGINS OF 11TH MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE OF ECOWAS DIRECTORS OF METEOROLOGY

KAIRABA Beach Hotel, BANJUL

THE GAMBIA

15 – 16 MAY 2014
 

- Honourable Mass Axi Gye, Minister of Fisheries and Water Resources
- Madam Chairperson, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources
- Chair of African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) Expert (Dr. Amos Makarau ably represented by newly elected Chair of ECOWAS Committee of Directors of Meteorology, Mr. Bernard Gomez from The Gambian Meteorology
- Dr. Johnson Boanuh, Director, ECOWAS Commission
- Dr Joseph R. Mukabana, Executive Secretary – AMCOMET Secretariat
- Eminent Experts from African Union Member States
- Representatives of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and African Regional Institutions - ECOWAS, ECCAS, AMU, ACMAD, AGRHYMET and CILSS here present
- Representatives of the AU Commission, AMCOMET Secretariat
- Representatives of the Development Partners – UN agencies – WMO, here present
- Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen

It is indeed a great pleasure and honour for me to address the eminent gathering of experts gathered here in this beautiful city of Banjul at the opening of the Meeting on Harmonization of Regional and National Strategies with the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology (Weather and Climate Services) and the Validation of the Draft Implementation and Resource Mobilization Plan on the margins of the 11th Meeting of the Committee of ECOWAS Directors of Meteorology taking place from 15 – 16 May 2014.

Honourable Minister, Madam Chairperson, let me begin first and foremost, by transmitting the warm wishes of Her Excellency, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the Commission and H.E. Mrs. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union to you all. The Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture would have loved to be personally here but she had to attend to some pressing official work. I also want take this opportunity, on behalf of the Commission of the African Union to express our deep appreciation to the government and the people of The Gambia for hosting these two meetings here in Banjul. Allow me to particularly convey our profound appreciation to the Honourable Mass Axi Gye, The Gambian Minister of Fisheries and Water Resource for making time available to be at the opening of this meeting despite the Minister’s tight schedule. This is an attestation of the passion that The Gambia places on the issue of Meteorology. I would like to further use this medium to express our deep appreciation to the ECOWAS Commission for facilitating the organization of this meeting.

Honourable Minister, Madam Chairperson, permit me to welcome all delegates – the eminent experts from the Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) – ECOWAS, ECCAS and AMU, African Regional Institutions and Development Partners attending this meeting. I would like to state that we value your presence at this meeting that would be discussing the Harmonization of Regional and National Strategies with the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology (Weather and Climate Services) and the Validation of the Draft Implementation and Resource Mobilization Plan. I also want to once again acknowledge the excellent work done by the Commission of ECOWAS in preparation for this meeting; the Secretariat of the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) and the World Meteorological Organization for engaging Consultants to support the work of AMCOMET in preparation for the Third AMCOMET meeting that is scheduled to hold this year.

Honourable Minister, Madam Chairperson, allow me at this juncture to recall that the Executive Council at the Twentieth Session of the African Union Assembly in January 2013 adopted the Decision on the Report of the Second Session of the African Union Conference of Ministers responsible for Meteorology and the African Ministerial Conference on the Meteorology (AMCOMET) held in Victoria Falls, Republic of Zimbabwe from 15 to 19 October 2012. The EXCO Decision – EX.CL/Dec.744(XXII) endorsed amongst others things; the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology (Weather and Climate Services); the establishment of a Task Force to draft the Implementation Plan for the Integrated Strategy on Meteorology (Weather and Climate Services) with detailed annual operational plans; and the drafting of the Resource Mobilization Strategy for the Implementation Plan, to be submitted for consideration at the Third Session of AMCOMET in 2014. Eminent Experts, this meeting is being convene to harmonize the national and regional strategies on Meteorology with the continental strategy and also validate the draft Implementation and Resource Mobilization Plan for the continent strategy. The Experts and Stakeholders’ Meeting held in February 2014 in Addis Ababa at the Headquarters of the African Union Commission deliberated on the draft Implementation and Resource Mobilization Plan hence this meeting is therefore very timely as it would afford the opportunity for the Member States from the ECOWAS, ECCAS and AMU region to discuss validate the draft Implementation and Resource Mobilization Plan in preparation for the next meeting of the AMCOMET Bureau taking place later this month in Zimbabwe and subsequent presentation to the Third AMCOMET meeting that is scheduled to hold later this year.

Honourable Minister, Madam Chairperson, the development of the Implementation Plan for the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology cannot be underscored as it would help to improve the generation of climate information on the African continent; enhance the capacity of our National and Hydro-Meteorological Services to explore the potential of Earth Observation (EO) technologies in monitoring droughts, floods, weather, climate, fisheries, rangelands, forests, etc as a tool for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The Project on the African Monitoring of the Environment for Sustainable Development in Africa now succeeded by the programme Monitoring of the Environment for Security in Africa (MESA) is now finalizing the Grants Preparation Stage and it is expected that MESA’s products and services will benefit Africa as regards their use in early warning systems, predictions in agricultural production, disaster risk reduction, and management of natural resource as tools for policy makers. The validation of the draft Implementation and Resource Mobilization Plan for the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology is further timely as Africa is currently discussing the African Agenda 2063 on: Pan Africanism and African Renaissance; and in addition we are commemorating the Tenth Year of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

I have no doubt that the validation of the Implementation Plan will also support our climate change negotiators in the run up to the Twentieth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 20) that is scheduled to take place in December 2014 in Lima, Peru.

Distinguished Delegates, as you all aware, the AU Commission along with the African Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for African / African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) is also implementing a climate related programme on Climate Information for Development in Africa (ClimDev-Africa) to support the Regional Economic Communities and Member States and effectively integrate climate information and services into development planning and also ensure the mainstreaming of climate considerations into policies and programmes directed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the post 2015 Sustainable Development Target and sustainable development in Africa. ClimDev-Africa Programme is the collective effort of the three key African Regional institutions to foster a common and coordinated response to climate change throughout the continent. In particular, it will build the capacities of relevant African institutions for enhanced information generation; analysis; and policy-making.

The ClimDev-Africa Programme will thus help to build lasting policy capacities to adequately respond to the challenges of climate change, adding distinct value to the many ongoing activities related to climate change in Africa. As a strategic complement to these climate – related programmes and other initiatives, ClimDev-Africa seeks to directly fund adaptation projects and activities; focus on enabling climate-related information for multi-stakeholder decision-making; and funding pre-investment activities in the climate sensitive sectors.

Currently, the African Group including Ministers are meeting in Abuja to garner the contribution of Africa to the global efforts on the post 2015 Hyogo Framework for Action. Madam Chairperson, All these Programmes and events taking place at the same period set the stage for advancing a transformative development agenda that can serve the needs of climate resilient economic, environmental, and social systems in Africa, while sharing and clarifying messages from Africa regarding meteorological information, climate change and development.

Honourable Minister, Madam Chairperson, I would like to conclude by assuring you all that AU Commission is fully committed to supporting the activities of the meteorology on improved weather and climate services in Africa; the activities of AMCOMET; and the implementation of the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology (Weather and Climate Services).

Honourable Minister, Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, I look forward to your active participation and the fruitful outcomes of your deliberation at this Meeting.

I thank you all for your kind attention.
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