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Statement by H.E. Dr. Nkozasana Dlamini ZUMA, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, at the 31st NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC)

Statement by H.E. Dr. Nkozasana Dlamini ZUMA
Chairperson of the African Union Commission
At the 31stNEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC)

Malabo, 25 June 2014

Excellency, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and Chairperson of the African Union

Excellency, Macky SALL, President of the Republic of Senegal and Chairperson of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee

Excellencies, Members of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee

Excellency, John Koufor, former President of Ghana and Special Envoy of the UNSG on Climate Change

My brothers and Sister, Dr. Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the UNECA, Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer of the NEPAD Agency and Dr. Rosetta Silva from APR

Dr. Jose da Silva, Director General of FAO

AUC Deputy Chairperson Erastus Mwencha and other Commissioners

Distinguished Heads of Regional Economic Communities and International Organizations

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am honored to address this 31th Session of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC).

A warm thank you to the Government and the people of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea for the kind hospitality accorded to all delegations since our arrival in the beautiful city of Malabo.

Our continued gratitude to the African Leaders in the Orientation Committee for their unwavering commitment to the implementation of NEPAD.

As we enter the next fifty years of our continental Union, the elaboration of Agenda 2063, The Africa we Want, marks a leap forward. It builds on our proud Pan African movement, that gave us the OAU Charter, Monrovia Declaration, the Lagos Plan of Action, the Abuja Treaty and NEPAD, with each of these as building blocks towards Africa’s renaissance.

The NEPAD Agency is a critical instrument of the Union, and will be a driving force for the implementation of Agenda 2063, building on the experience of its work in agriculture, science and technology, economic transformation and resource management and mobilisation, regional integration, and infrastructure and human development.

Having completed the Agenda 2063 work on aspirations and objectives for the next fifty years, we are shifting gear towards action on those immediate areas that will take our transformation to the next level, as NEPAD since its adopted in 2001. This includes Agriculture, Agro-processing and Food Security; it includes the skills, science and technology revolution and industrialisation and value addition. More specifically, we are looking at faster action on critical infrastructure issues: in energy, transport, ICT, irrigation, ports and exploring Agenda 2063 flagship projects, including the integrated high-speed rail network to connect our capitals in line with PIDA transport vision and a Pan African e-university, using technology to massify skills development.

Our annual theme is dedicated to Agriculture and Food security provides an opportunity to think and act together on the practical issues for take-off for our belated agrarian revolution, and build resilience against climate change. This must of necessity include the modernisation and mechanisation of agriculture. I was told that on average our farmers are 50 years and older. Agriculture is not attractive to the next generation, because it is still agriculture of yesteryear. We must also therefore faster on irrigation infrastructure; expanding women and young people’s access to land, capital and agricultural inputs; infrastructure for storage, transport and agribusinesses and developing our human resources, including training scientists and agronomists.

Your Excellencies, amongst NEPAD’s areas of expertise is in resource mobilisation, including the recent Dakar Finance Summit for Africa’s infrastructure held under the leadership of His Excellency President Macky Sall, which looked at various domestic financial instruments such as tax revenues, pension funds, remittances, earnings from minerals and fuels, sovereign funds, international reserves, stock exchanges and bond markets.
As we build the African Development Bank’s Africa50 Equity Fund, we must therefore call on Member States and the African private sector to invest in African infrastructure, where the returns are so much higher than elsewhere. In the same vein, we must support the initiatives of other regional financial institutions, the private sector, RECs and the investments by Member states in infrastructure in their countries and regions. It is encouraging to see how many countries are putting national resources into infrastructure, but this is not enough.

As we engage the rest of the world to attract foreign direct investments and build trade partnerships, this must be done in a manner that aid African industrialisation, that helps infrastructure development, its fair market share of global trade, beneficiation of its natural resources and economic transformation.
Excellencies, we will achieve our aspirations by acting together and learning by doing.
I thank you for your kind attention and wish the 31stNEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee fruitful deliberations.

Thank you.

Dates: 
June 25, 2014
English

Keynote Speech By H.E. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture onthe occasion of the Celebration of the hundred years of Dr Norman Borluag, Jinja, Uganda

Keynote Speech By H.E. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture
on the occasion of the Celebration of the hundred years of Dr Norman Borluag
Jinja, Uganda
10th July 2014

Your Excellency Edward Ssekandi, Vice President of the Republic of Uganda
Your Excellency NicéphoreDieudonnéSoglo, Former President of the Republic ofBenin and Member of the Board of the Sasakawa Africa Association
Honourable Professor Ruth Oniang’o, Chairperson of Sasakawa Africa Association and Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education

Honourable Tress Bucanayandi, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of Uganda
Dr John Hardman MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Carter Center
MrYoheiSasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation
DrAmit H Roy, President and Chief Executive Officer ofthe International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC)
AmbKenneth Quinn, President of the World Food Prize FoundationSsekitoleko…
Honourable Victoria Sekitoleko, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of Uganda
Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honor, on behalf of the African Union Commission and on my own behalf, toregister appreciation for the opportunity to participate in this important Symposium on the Borlaug Legacy. I would like to thank the Government and people of the Republic of Uganda for the warm welcome and hospitality as well as the excellent arrangements for the success of this symposium and associated events. Starting from Makerere University on 8 July and then yesterday with the youth and later at the Agricultural and Trade Show in Jinja, the events do mark the road to ‘taking science, research, innovation and technology to the farmer’.
While I thank Uganda for graciously accepting to host this Symposium, I also wish to commend Sasakawa Africa Association for choosing Uganda to host. Uganda is one of the 40 AU Member States to have signed the Country Compact for the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) which as you know isour overarching continental framework for increasing agricultural production and productivity, improving food and nutrition security and eradicating poverty. We also saluteUganda for having formulated a credible Agriculture Sector Development Strategy and Investment Planthat is already under implementationto advance the agricultural transformation agenda. Furthermore, Uganda is nearly on track to reach the MDG target of halving hunger. In 1990, the child malnutrition prevalence was 20.6 percent. It has decreased since then, falling to 17.2 percent in 2007 and it has been continuing to decrease. For these and many other reasons the choice of Uganda for this Symposium is a perfect one.Indeed, Uganda is one the AU member States where the Borlaug legacy for agricultural transformation is being pursued. I must point out at this juncture that a number of AU member States where Sasakawa Africa Association has made interventions are emerging as champions of African agricultural transformation. And we find their best practices and success stories encouraging particularly theirremarkable work in supporting and promoting crop productivity enhancement, post-harvest loss reduction and agro-processing; public private partnership and market access; human resource development for agriculture and monitoring and evaluation for results and impact and especially promoting smallholder farmers and agricultural technologies. The African Union is keen to see these models upscaled and replicated especially in this 2014 Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa. Through the work of SasakawaAfrica Association and others we have noticed that Africa can make it the way Latin America, Asia and other parts of the worldmade it.Placingimportance on smallholders and the kind of relevant supportive policies, together with the inclusion of supportive institutions i.e. for inputs, for marketing, extension, for value chain development etc made countries like India attain the green revolution.
Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Fortunately, Africa has the potential and the opportunities are abound. Currently, Africa spends more than 40 Billion US Dollars a year on food imports but just imagine if this amount was invested in agricultural production!Africa’s population is growing by about 3 percent per year, among the fastest in the world, and so is their demand for food and hence a market for agriculture. The African market is now close to one billion people, including 123 million middle class consumers.Africa’s economic growth is strong, with 7 out of the 10 world’s fastest growing economies being in Africa. In addition, the growing urbanization in AU Member States augurs well for the agri-business and agro-processing industry, which in turn further catalyze agricultural production. All these are opportunities adding to the fact that Africa is endowed with abundant agriculturally suitable land that is yet to be fully and optionally utilized. It also has abundant water resources that can stimulate agricultural production through irrigation. Currently, only 4 percent of available water resources are being used for agriculture and only 6 percent of arable land is irrigated.
In addition, available technologies including those championed by SasakawaAfrica Association can significantly contribute in increasing agricultural productivity both on African farms and across different stages of agri-food value chain. A bulging population of increasingly educated youth and women are eager to be involved in innovative and gainful entrepreneurship and employment in this sector. Engaging and empowering them in order to bring their dreams into reality is a core objective of the AU through CAADP and is supportive of the long-term vision of Africa encapsulated in Africa Agenda 2063.
All these notwithstanding, Africa still leads the rest of the world as the most seriously affected by food insecurity: 1/4 of the world’s undernourished, despite progress made in the last 20 years; there are more stunted children in Africa today than there were 20 years ago.

Food insecurity is primarily a rural phenomenon but, urban populations are also increasing enduring the risk of food insecurity due to growing urban dwellers and the pace of food production being outmatched by the rate of population growth. As we heard at Makerere University, if food production is growing at a lower rate than population growth, there is a gap and it is a problem.

Therefore, we all need to deliver significant results and demonstrate impact to end hunger by 2025.

Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen

Aware of the potential of agriculture in eradicating hunger and poverty on our Continent, the African Union Heads of State and Governement endorsed CAADP in 2003 in Maputo where they committed to allocate at least ten percent of their annual public budget to agriculture.
In this continous effort to reduce hunger and poverty on the continent through an accelerated Agricultural Transformation, The Year 2014 was declared by our leaders as the African Union Year of Agriculture and Food Security to mark the tenth anniversary of CAADP. In taking this forward, since January 2014, the African Union Commission in collaboration with other Pan African institutions and with support from partners, has engaged in a series of major events for achievingbetter awareness and wider engagement with African Citizens on advancing agriculture for food and nutriton security as well as poverty eradication. African leaders have renewed their commitment by adopting an AU Declaration to sustain the CAADP Momentum through achieving specific goals and targets for agricultural transformation. Also, commitments have been taken by Partners in aligning, harmonizing and coordinating their program support and Mutual Accountability for results and impact on n the ground.

At the 23rd Ordinary Session of the African Union on 27 June 2014 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, our Heads of State and Government adopted the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods. The Commitments of our leaders included:
• The Recommitment to the principles and values of the CAADP process;
• The Commitment to Enhancing Investment Finance in Agriculture;
• The Commitment to Ending Hunger in Africa by 2025;
• The Commitment to halving poverty, by 2025, through inclusive agricultural growth and transformation;
• The Commitment to boosting intra-African Trade in Agricultural Commodities and services;
• The Commitment to enhancing resilience of livelihoods and production systems to climate variability and other related risks;
• The Commitment to Mutual Accountability to Actions and Results.

Committing to zero hunger would require that African Union Member States:

• At least double current agricultural productivity levels through inputs quality and affordable inputs for crops, livestock, fisheries, knowledge, information and skills, irrigation and mechanization;
• Reduce post-harvest losses (PHL) at least by half by 2025;
• Integrate measures for increased agricultural productivity with social protection initiatives focusing on vulnerable social groups through food and cash reserves, early warning systems, identified communities for interventions, and increased consumption of locally produced food items;
• Improve nutritional status, particularly for children who are the present and future of our continent that is rising.

Our leaders’ commitments and recommitments reflect the aspirations ofthe African citizens as we gathered from the consultations we; the African Union Commission, conducted with governments, private sector, civil society and our partners across the continent prior to the Malabo AU summit. This further reinforces the fact that the AU professes to be people centred in pursuit of the goal of a united, strong and prosperous Africa, a dynamic force in the global arena. The prusuit and achiement of these goals will also be in line with the Theme of the just concluded 50th Anniversary of the OAU/AU, which is Pan Africanism and African Renaissance. It is also part of the Africa Agenda 2063 on the Africa We Want.

Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen

Today, Sasakawa Africa Associationis celebrating the centenary of Doctor Norman Borlaug, the father of the “Green Revolution” in Latin America and Asia and an eminent personality of agricultural research and development in Africa through his leadership in conducting the work of Sasakawa and other similar dedicated approaches in other regions of the World.
His research on wheat and his efforts in strengthening the capacities of scientists and extension workers to bring the technologies and innovations to the farmers resulted into higher yield in wheat production in developing countries through double wheat seasoning, increased disease resistance among others.
Because of his achievements to use quality seed, fertilizer, appropriate technologies and irrigation to prevent hunger and povertyglobally, one has reason to believe what has been said by some that Dr. Borlaug has "saved more lives than any other person who has ever lived."
We highly commend Sasakawa Africa Association’s Mission in furtherance of the Borlaug legacy to transform African extension advisory services in partner countries to assure greater family food security and more profitable participation in commercial activities along the value chain, while respecting natural resources contributes to the Continental efforts in ending hunger in Africa.
Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen

This year, the AU Member States reaffirmed their commitment to the CAADP principles, and to new investments in agriculture that embrace the full value chain, improve markets and trade, and provide finance at a scale to meet the wealth and job creation potential of the continent.

As education levels rise, civil societies become more vibrant and progress achieved in political and economic governance on the continent, Africans are beginning to and will demand more of their political leaders over the coming decade.

Political leadership is essential in the next decade to discern opportunities and threats, implement the vision for African development, and execute a strategy to both respond and lead others to take the steps necessary.

The African Union Commission pledges to the Republic of Uganda and all AU Member States, civil society organizations such asSasakawa Africa Associationand other agriculture sector actors commitment to the already mentioned goals for an Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods in Africaandcontinuedsupport toaccelerate the Countries CAADP National Agricultural Investment Plans and CAADP priority programmes implementation to end hunger in Africa by 2025.

Let us all contribute in eradicating hunger on our continent by 2025.
Definitely together we can do that.
I thank you

Dates: 
July 10, 2014
File: 
English

Statement By H.E Mrs. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture African Union Commission at the Opening of the Meeting of the Taskforce of the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET)

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

AT THE OPENING OF THE MEETING OF THE TASKFORCE OF THE AFRICAN MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON METEOROLOGY (AMCOMET)

CREST LODGE, HARARE

ZIMBWABWE

26 – 28 MAY 2014

- Mr. Chairman,
- Honourable Saviour Kasukuwere, Honourable Minister of Environment, Water and Climate of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Chair of the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET)
- Honourable Minister Mukhtar Abdulkarim Adam, Minister of Environment, Forestry and Physical Development of Sudan
- Honourable Yamfwa Mukanga, Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication of Zambia
- Ambassadors of Zambia and Namibia
- Honourable Ministers and Members of the AMCOMET Taskforces here present
- Dr. Amos Makarau, Director, Department of Meteorological Services, Zimbabwe and Chair of the Experts, African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET)
- Dr. Joseph R. Mukabana, Executive Secretary, AMCOMET Secretariat
- Eminent AMCOMET Experts and Permanent Representatives of WMO
- Representatives of the Regional Economic Communities here present – SADC, COMESA, CENSAD, ECOWAS, EAC, ECCAS, IGAD, AMU here present
- Representatives of the African Regional Institutions - ACMAD, AGRHYMET here present
- Representatives of the AU Commission, AMCOMET Secretariat
- Representatives of the Development Partners – UN agencies – WMO, here present
- Members of the Diplomatic Corps
- Members of the Press and Media Corps
- Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a pleasure and honour for me on behalf of the African Union Commission to address Honourable Ministers, members of the Taskforces of the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) meeting here in Harare from 26 – 28 May 2014 in preparation for AMCOMET Bureau meeting that is holding back to back from 29 – 30 May 2014.

Mr. Chair, let me begin first and foremost, by transmitting the warm wishes of Her Excellency, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the Commission and my own personal greetings to you all. I would have loved to be personally here but I had to attend to some unavoidable pressing urgent matter . Allow me to take this opportunity to express our deep appreciations to the government and the people of Zimbabwe for hosting these meetings of the AMCOMET Taskforce and Bureau here in Harare.

Mr. Chairman, at this juncture, let me recognize and welcome all delegates – Honourable Ministers – Chair and Members of the AMCOMET Bureau, Taskforces and eminent experts from the Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), African Regional Institutions and Development Partners participating at these meetings. Permit me also to use this forum to commend the AMCOMET Secretariat – the World Meteorological Organization for our continued collaborations; and for engaging Consultants to support the AMCOMET Taskforces – to develop the draft Implementation and Resource Mobilization Plan; and the facilitation of the establishment of the Regional Climate Centre in Central Africa in preparation for the Third AMCOMET session that is scheduled to hold this year. I have no doubt that the Consultants have done a thorough work and I am glad that the AMCOMET Secretariat would be reporting on progress at this meeting.

Honourable Ministers, I am delighted that AMCOMET in collaboration with the African Union Commission is implementing the Decision of the AU Executive Council adopted in January 2013 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, Zimbabwe from 15 to 19 October 2012. Allow me to take note of the various meetings held in February 2014 at the Headquarters of the African Union that assisted the Experts and Stakeholders’ to discussed the draft Implementation Plan and the subsequent meetings held at the level of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), first – East African Community (EAC) in Arusha, Tanzania, from 5 – 7 May 2014; and in Banjul, The Gambia, from 15 – 16 May 2014 that brought together RECs and Member States from the Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS) along with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS); and the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), which have facilitated the RECs to validate the draft Implementation and Resource Mobilization Plan.

Honourable Ministers, Mr. Chairman, the convening of the meetings of the AMCOMET Taskforces and Bureau are very unique and at a period in time when the AU Commission is hosting and co-convening many activities. The meteorology meetings would no doubt add value to the work of the Commission and facilitate the improvement of meteorological and earth observation data in the African continent thereby leading to poverty alleviation, improved livelihood of the rural populace and sustainable development.

Honourable Ministers, Mr. Chairman, allow me before I conclude to brief you that the Addis Ababa Declaration on implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) in Africa included the establishment of the Regional Climate Centres in Africa; and I would like to implore the Taskforce to consider the designation of Climate Centres of Excellence in the five regions of Africa, where inexistence including the Indian Ocean for effective implementation of the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology and improved climate services.

Honourable Ministers, Mr. Chairman, I would not want to take much of your time since you have a heavy agenda ahead for the next two days but to end my brief remarks by assuring you all that the AU Commission is fully committed to support AMCOMET activities particularly the implementation of the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology (Weather and Climate Services); the Implementation and Resource Mobilization Plan; the establishment of the Regional Climate Centre in Central African Region; the African Regional Space Programme; and the Implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services in Africa.

Honourable Ministers, Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish you productive outcomes at these Meetings of the AMCOMET Taskforces and Bureau.

I thank you all for your kind attention.

Asante sana!

Dates: 
May 26, 2014
English

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

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.
`

Dates: 
May 15, 2014
English

Speech by H.E. Madam Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, Commissioner for Rural Econmy ond Agriculture at the Opening of the Sixth Panafrican Meeting of Chief Veterinary Officers (CVOs) on Coordinated Position on Animal Health Standards ot International Fora

SPEECH BY H.E. MADAM RHODA PEACE TUMUSIIME,
COMMISSIONER FOR RURAL ECONMY AND AGRICULTURE
AT THE OPENING OF THE SIXTH PANAFRICAN MEETING OF CHIEF VETERINARY OFFICERS (CVOs) ON COORDINATED POSITION ON ANIMAL HEALTH STANDARDS AT INTERNATIONAL FORA

6-7 MAY 2014, NAIROBI, KENYA

• Dr. Khadija Kassachoon, Principal Secretary, representing Hon. Felix Kosgei, Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Republic of Kenya;
• Your Excellency Ambassador Lodewijk Briet, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Kenya;
• Your Excellency , Kelbert Nkomani, Ambassador of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps in Nairobi,
• Your Excellences, Ambassadors and High Commissioners to Kenya representing the different African Union and EU Member States
• Distinguished Chief Veterinary Officers and the Delegates of the 54 African Union Member States to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE);
• Distinguished representatives of Regional Economic Communities;
• Distinguished participants from all partner organizations;
• Members of Staff of the African Union Commission;
• Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen;

It is an honor and a pleasure for me to welcome you to this celebration of the partnership between the European Union and the African Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), and the sixth Pan-African meeting of Chief Veterinary Officers (CVOs) on coordinated common positions on animal health standards.

On behalf of Her Excellency Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, allow me to convey to you her warm greetings and best wishes as well as her appreciation as follows::
• She appreciates His Excellency Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya and his Government for their hospitality to and continued support to the African Union, particularly the AU-IBAR and its programmes; and, as you heard from the statement made by the EU Ambassador, it is not the AU-IBAR only that the EU supports. There are for example also programmes in Somalia, whose support is coordinated in Nairobi. Let me also request, Madam Principal Secretary to transmit our greetings to Hon. Felix Kosgei, Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Republic of Kenya. We missed him last week in Addis Ababa during the Joint AU Conference of Ministers responsible for Agriculture, Rural Development, Fisheries and Aquaculture that prepared for the AU Summit scheduled for Malabo, Equatorial Guinea that will dedicate itself to the Theme of the 2014 AU Year of Agriculture and Food Security. We had hoped that Kenya would share its experiences at the Ministerial. I will be following up with the Cabinet Secretary especially in relation to the good programme on the Lamu corridor.
• Our appreciation extends to the people of Kenya for the warm welcome they always accord us whenever we come here since our arrival in this beautiful country; and to
• The European Union, our main donor for the various programmes currently under implementation and especially the Participation of African Nations in Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standard-Setting Organisations (PANSPSO), Reinforcing Veterinary Governance in Africa (VET-GOV) Programmes, under which the continental meeting of the Chief Veterinary Officers is funded. Your Excellency Ambassador Lodewijk Briet, I thank you for your statement on this occasion.

I would particularly like to highlight our continued partnership with the EU dating back to the days of rinderpest campaigns, during which the strong bond we are witnessing today was forged. Probably with a certain level of uncertainty as to how far the bond would last, together we endured a lot of seemingly insurmountable challenges from the Joint Programme (JP15) to the Pan-African Programme for the Control of Epizootics (PACE) programme, but today we can all celebrate the successful eradication of rinderpest from the continent and many other successes that have followed in recent years, such as the successful collaboration under the Support Programme to Integrated National Action Plans for Avian and Human Influenza (SPINAP-AHI), Vaccines for the Control of Neglected Animal Diseases in Africa (VACNADA), the Livestock for livelihoods project, the VETGOV project and indeed the PANSPSO project. It is a partnership that has lasted and passed the test of time and today we celebrate it with pride as we look at its history, its current state and the bright future ahead whose foundation it has laid.

Over the years, the partnership has been realized through the many projects that have been implemented. As we look ahead, issues of food and nutritional security are becoming cardinal and a pivot of the future state of the partnership, as highlighted in the recently concluded AU-EU Summit held in April in Brussels and as elucidated under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). CAADP to Africa is the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to Europe. In order for us to make the partnership even more effective and productive, it will be prudent that we crystallize it into a programmatic approach rather than the current project approach. This way we will be able to make it more sustainable and enhance its coherence and impacts on the continent as we continue to build ownership among AU Member States..

Excellences, Ambassadors, distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is of great significance that we celebrate the partnership between the African Union and the European Union at the time when we have also convened the Directors of Veterinary Services or Chief Veterinary Officers from AU Member States, for the purpose of coming up with common positions on animal health and welfare standards in preparation for the 82nd General Session of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) due later this month.

During the first meeting of Chief Veterinary Officers held at this venue in 2009, I did state that the PAN-SPSO Project which aimed at facilitating the effective participation of African countries in the activities of the OIE, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), in the formulation of international standards for terrestrial and aquatic animal health, plant health, and food safety, was the signal of the intention of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission, for improved Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) capacity of the AU Member States. In fact, as we were waiting for the beginning of this meeting, we reflected on different actions required for this sector and their critical nature that calls for greater synergies within the rural development sectors. We are all aware of the fact that SPS has increasingly become an entry point for access to international markets and compliance with international SPS standards is the only assurance for accessing highly demanding, but rewarding, markets. But also for support to intra-African trade. The PAN-SPSO project has also been a pioneer example of the implementation of project-related activities between AUC institutions and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) with the aim of strengthening technical capacities of the Member States.

As you are all aware, there is a lot of potential for the development of the livestock sector in Africa, especially through the promotion of intra and interregional trade in livestock and products, for which demand is growing annually, and we have not been able to meet this demanda; I throw the challenge to you Directors of Veterinary Services. One of the key entry points for enhancing regional and international trade is the development of coordinated policies and positions. Trade-facilitation policies, both at national and regional levels, can enormously have an important impact on the production of trade in livestock and livestock products.
Access to international markets for agricultural products requires compliance with World Trade Organization (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures that are designed to promote fair trade and to protect human, animal or plant life or health.
It is only by taking an active part in the formulation of the relevant standards that countries can appreciate the importance of the standards and henceforth institute actions to comply or demonstrate compliance with the SPS measures.
Today we are meeting for the sixth time to develop common positions on animal health standards. I am aware that the level and the quality of participation of African delegates in the three international standard setting organizations have tremendously improved particularly in the OIE and also in Africa. AU-IBAR is working with Member States towards the implementation of an exit strategy that will ensure the continuity of activities after the end of the PAN-SPSO project.
Excellences, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, allow me once more to express our gratitude to European Union for the tremendous financial support they continue to render to our organisation and I further wish to reaffirm our commitment to the ideals of our partnership as Africa marks 2014 the AU Year of Agriculture and Food Security and as we project the livestock sector in the Africa Agenda 2063 with a vision of “An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena” . And, I would like you all to contribute to this agenda as it is being debated so that we know your views on the Africa We Want.

I thank you for your attention.

Dates: 
May 06, 2014
File: 
English

Closing Statement by H.E Tumusiime Rhoda Peace Commissioner Rural Economy and Agriculture African Union Commission at the Retreat of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, Nairobi, Kenya

CLOSING STATEMENT BY H.E TUMUSIIME RHODA PEACE
COMMISSIONER RURAL ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE
AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION
AT THE RETREAT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF RURAL ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE, 4 JULY 2014 NAIROBI, KENYA

The Director of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture
The Directors and Coordinators of the Specialised Technical Offices
The members of staff of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture
We have come to the end of two intense working days of our departmental retreat. I want to thank you all for your active participation and valuable contribution on the issues we had on our agenda.
This was not an easy period to hold a retreat. It has been extremely demanding on our time. But, the Management of the Department still thought it was necessary to have this retreat at this particular time. I know quite a number wanted to take leave and I thank you for opting to come here first.
I would also like to say that there is a paradigm shift in the way we are conducting business. I would like to appreciate that we did not delve into minor issues but strategic ones. I would like to request you to continue building on the substantive work we have built up together. It has been impressive to see you focus on issues, inputs, outputs, visioning and direction.
We have agreed on key issues in the context of the DREA Strategic and Operational Plan and the outcomes of the just concluded AU Summit in Malabo, you have all shown interest in the issues we are dealing with and these are important issues which require our individual and collective action. Let’s keep up the momentum.
Several of you may be going on leave from here; others may not. Either way, I wish to call upon you to take off time to reflect on your respective areas for action. Also guide and support one another and if one of you is not there he or she should have shown you where he or she stopped so that you carry on from there. That is the way we shall be able to accomplish the tasks that we have set for ourselves within the agreed time frames.
As you recall, we have developed a roadmap; we need to report quickly to help agreed actions move forward. The movement forward should reflect the very rich and highly interactive session we have had.
I know that there are issues of funding. I will try to do what I can at my level of responsibility though I know that begging everyday is not good.
Let me thank the specialised technical offices. I always present your case when there are high-level meetings like summits so that you attend and engage. The tendency has been to consider representational offices and not so much the specialised technical offices. This time round I made deliberate efforts to secure the extension of invitations to you as well. It was difficult but I am glad we managed and you came to the Summit in Malabo. I am sorry for those who experienced some constraints and those who had to cut short their stay. But I know that those who managed to persist and stay found it worth it.
Dr. Hassan Mahamat, Coordinator of PATTEC has thanked each and everyone while moving a vote of thanks. It has been an excellent engagement. I would like, in particular, to thank AU-IBAR, our host; they have put in a lot. I wish in particular to commend the arrangement that was made for those who were not eating with us to be able to break their fast in the evenings.
Now, as we go away, I can only say bon voyage. Coming together, thinking together and planning together is always good. I remember, Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, former Head of Agriculture and Food Security, when he was assuming his current position as Executive Director of FARA, he told his staff something to the effect that: ‘‘we need to work together, think together, move together and deliver together’’. This message has value. I see a linkage; I have seen you all building a family relationship together, chatting; it gives me encouragement.
Please send our greetings to your families. Travel well.
Thank you very much.

Dates: 
July 04, 2014
English

Statement on the Role of Non-State Actors in Shaping Africa’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda for the Next Decade

STATEMENT ON THE ROLE OF NON-STATE ACTORS IN SHAPING AFRICA’S AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENDA FOR THE NEXT DECADE DELIVERED BY HER EXCELLENCY TUMUSIIME RHODA PEACE COMMISSIONER FOR RURAL ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION

30 APRIL 2014
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

Thank you, Chair,
The President of the Pan African Farmers Organisation (PAFO).
The Representative of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency,
Distinguished Representatives of different institutions,
Members of the Non-State Actors in all your respective categories,
The Private Sector
I welcome you all to the African Union Commission.
Let me, first of all, apologise for the late start and initial inconveniences. This was not intended. It was occasioned by the series of meeting we are servicing using strained resources. I hope you bear with us. Things will be sorted out as we go along.
It is also not my intention to leave this important meeting early. I value your presence and your contribution to our common agenda. It is only that the Conference of Ministers of Fisheries and Aquaculture is also opening within the next few minutes and I am required there. But am glad I came here first.
I wish to begin by registering the appreciation of the African Union Commission to all Actors including Non-State Actors, (especially the Farmers, the private sector, the Civil Society Organisations and others ) also complementing one another, in advancing Africa’s agricultural transformation agenda in the last 10 years of implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). It is also noteworthy that the recent provision of space to you the Non-State Actors has been followed by your accelerated role through research, advocacy , lobbying and or complementing public and private investments in agriculture all in championing CAADP implementation. Indeed, the dialogue on CAADP goals, actions and targets has not involved only governments, and donors but also Non-State Actors in individual and collective capacities. I wish to say that your contribution has brought much value to CAADP implementation.
From our side as the African Union, we have taken good note of the fact that Non-State Actors have carried out parallel research that has challenged AU Member States on meeting the commitments undertaken;
Let me mention a few examples, I know there are many, here I single out a few but are not limited to these:
- The extensive work done by Action Aid on Public Expenditure Review has shaped the recent discussions;
- The commendable work done by ‘One Campaign’ on meeting the 10% target of national budgetary allocation to agriculture;
- The analytical work by ‘One Campaign’ on Gender Gap;
- The work done by Action Aid on Making CAADP work for small-holder farmers;
- Sasakawa Global 2000 significant work on value chains in developing countries;
- The private sector doing real investments on the ground.
- We know FANRPAN and Save the Children Fund in their specific interventions;
- Save the Children has been supporting many initiatives in this sector of agriculture;
- I am also aware of the good works of SOS SAHEL on Sustainable livelihoods and Water and Land management. areas in the Sahel Region;
- To the farmers and the farmer organisations – you have been the centre and pillars of agriculture and CAADP. We really salute you in these efforts and know that the Commission will not relent its effort in supporting you
-To the other categories of the private sector, just like farmers, you are the real agriculture drivers in -countries and we appreciate the efforts that have brought you here. I know you are here with us and we will continue to work together.
This is to mention but a few of the many examples of Non-State Actors’ that are actively engaged in the process for taking forward Africa’s agricultural transformation. Because of the Non-State Actors’ work, we have noted a change in the behavior of governments and other actors, and also in the way business in the agricultural sector is being undertaken. We salute you for this significant contribution and we look forward to a more robust role you can play.
We appreciate the constructive engagements we had with the Non-State Actors during the recent CAADP Partnership Platform where one of the measures of progress we witnessed was the number, quality and the effectiveness of the representation of the private sector including farmers, from grassroots level, through PAFO, and civil society including NGOs. All engaging in continental dialogue.
Going forward, as we further roll out the implementation of CAADP and as stipulated in the CAADP Results Framework and also contained in the National Joint Sector Reviews, the new shift on engaging Non-State Actors will be to have them and other actors make commitments and use scorecards to check the delivery on results and impacts. You will thus help us to track and monitor commitments. We will rely more on Non-State Actors to ensure that those who make commitments including Non-State Actors, themselves, do meet them. We also want you really to show results.
We, on our part as the Commission of the African Union working with the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency, before you, commit to provide due space for Non-State Actors to play their rightful role. We further commit to provide the necessary support for Non-State Actors in advancing their role.
I must add that we are moving into the next decade with goals, actions and targets as well as indicators upon which these are measured. This is to say that the phase we are going into is more challenging, and calls for double effort and more vivid inclusiveness with more private sector working closely with civil society in complementing government to advance our shared agenda for Africa’s agricultural transformation because I believe that it is agricultural transformation which is going to bring about inclusive growth.
In the course of this conference, I received a number of Non State Actors including the representatives of Farmer Organizations and NGOs and Individuals, we agreed on a number of concrete actions and a way forward. The AUC fully engages to work with Non State Actors in a more coordinated and more vigorous manner.
Having said this, I would like to officially declare this meeting open and wish you fruitful deliberations and also assure you that your recommendations will be drawn to the attention of the Honourable Ministers and subsequently to the Heads of State and Government to take into account in drawing the commitments for the next decade.
I sincerely thank you for coming and for listening to me.

Dates: 
April 30, 2014
English

Opening Statement by H.E Tumusiime Rhoda Peace Commissioner Rural Economy and Agriculture at the Retreat of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, 3 July 2014 Nairobi, Kenya

OPENING STATEMENT BY H.E TUMUSIIME RHODA PEACE
COMMISSIONER RURAL ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE
AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION AT THE RETREAT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF RURAL ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE
3 JULY 2014 NAIROBI, KENYA

The Director of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture
The Directors and Coordinators of the Specialised Technical Offices
The members of staff of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture
Good morning to you. Let me take this opportunity to welcome you all to this important retreat. It is now an established practice that twice a year we get together to reflect and focus on our own mandate as a Department. I would like to thank all those of you that have been working so hard to put this retreat together. I would also like to thank the Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) for hosting us. We need to get an offer, by the time we leave here, from another specialised technical office to host our next retreat.
I am happy you all look well and healthy. I also welcome those of you who have just returned from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea to attend the AU Summit. Those of you who were there must have seen DREA at work! I wish to thank the DREAM Team under the leadership of the Director, Dr Abebe Haile Gabriel; you made us proud. At the same time I must commend all of you for your individual and collective contribution to the successes achieved at the AU Summit and especially the areas concerning us given that the theme was ours.
We come in for a period. As we start thinking of winding up our stay, we will be vry happy. When I came in we used to sit and fit around a table. But now the department has grown in numbers, in business and in delivery. This foundation we have built together will take DREA to greater heights for the good of the continent. We should all think more about what happens at the grassroots.
We are all pleased with the outcomes of the Malabo Summit on all the issues that were deliberated upon concerning our Department ranging from agriculture, food and nutrition security, climate change, water and sanitation to wildlife flora and fauna and related areas including specialised technical committees, intra-African trade, Africa Agenda 2063, and post-2015 Development Agenda, among others.
I am sure you all know that the outcomes of the Summit place heavy responsibility on our shoulders especially in respect of developing the roadmap for implementing the Assembly decision and declaration on African Agricultural Growth and Transformation, which the Commission is required to present to the next Summit in January 2015.
This, as you are aware, also coincides and falls perfectly within our Departmental Strategic and Operational Plan whose implementation starts this year and we are expected to enhance our efforts and partnerships to deliver results and impacts in the areas of food and nutrition security as well as sustainable development. Once again, I thank you all for your active participation and valuable inputs in the formulation and finalisation of our Strategic Plan and for the efforts you are already deploying towards its implementation.
I trust that you are all ready to hit the road for its implementation in earnest and in the process, the implementation of the relevant decisions of the AU Policy Organs, particularly those emanating from the 23rd Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
As you continue to work hard you will be required to pay extra attention to reporting in a timely fashion and as per the formats agreed on. For managers, you will continue to coordinate and guide our work. All members of staff will be expected to enhance our interaction and mutual support to deliver on our common mandate.
With these few remarks, I am now opening the retreat officially and I wish you all the success.
Thank you.

Dates: 
July 03, 2014
English

Presentation of the Theme of the Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa by H.E. Mrs Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture at the 23rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU

Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture
Presentation of the Theme of the Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa
by H.E. Mrs Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture
on “Transforming Africa’s Agriculture for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods through Harnessing Opportunities for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development”
at the 23rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union

26 June 2014
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

Excellency, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Excellency, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Chairperson of the African Union,
Excellences Heads of State and Government of the African Union,
Excellency Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission
Excellency Banki Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations
Excellences, Colleagues Commissioners
Excellency, Dr. Ibrahim Essane Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer, NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency
Distinguished representatives of Regional Economic Communities,
Excellences, Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Distinguished representatives of African and international organisations,
Distinguished representatives of Africa's development partner institutions,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
All protocols observed.
It is my singular honour to introduce, for Your Excellences’ debate, the theme of the Year of Agriculture and Food Security.
Excellences, would recall that at the 22nd Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly on the 30th of January 2014, you formally launched the process and roadmap for this defining year under the theme "Transforming Africa's agriculture for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods through capturing opportunities for inclusive growth and sustainable development."
This theme echoes well with that of the just-concluded year-long commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the OAU now AU, that is "Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance" as well as with the Vision of the pan-African transformative Agenda 2063 - “An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.”
This is because ensuring an inclusive and transformative agricultural growth that builds self-reliance of the African citizenry, including for food and nutrition security is central to re-asserting African dignity.
Your Excellences’ debate on this theme today is expected to provide strategic direction and guidance for renewed and heightened commitments on concrete goals and targets in advancing Africa's agricultural growth and transformation agenda for the next decade.
Excellences, my short presentation focuses on four interrelated aspects of the theme, notably the opportunities, taking stock of the progress made, the challenges, the vision and its realisation.
I will begin with the immense opportunities that the global and continental dynamics are presenting for Africa to harness as we embark upon a transformative agricultural development.
The best outlooks available today indicate that, the projected increase of global population from 7.2 billion today to 9.6 billion by 2050, necessitates an increment of food production globally by at least 60%. And since Africa is home to a population that is increasing the fastest, Africa’s demand for food is projected to almost triple by 2050, increasing by 178% compared to 89% in India and 31% in China. These are triggered, in addition to population growth, by rapid urbanization and income growth.
Sources such as the World Bank projects that the African urban food market will grow 4-fold to exceed a total annual worth of US$ 400 billion by 2030. The total value of the agri-food system business (from farm-to-table) that is required to meet Africa's booming demand is estimated at 1 trillion US dollars, including a potential for Africa to triple the value of its annual agricultural output from US$ 280 billion today to some US$ 800 billion by 2030.
Excellences, as you engage in today’s debate, this snap-shot of figures is intended to provide a clearer sense of the magnitude of the considerable opportunities that exist for African to seize and facilitate actions for accelerating the structural transformation of Africa's agriculture for food and nutrition security, broad-based and inclusive economic growth and shared prosperity. We recognize that some AU Member States are already positioning themselves in this regard and tapping on these opportunities and we recommend that many more do so at a heightened scale.
Excellences, the second aspect of my presentation relates to stock-taking of the progress made on CAADP since its adoption in 2003 in Maputo, Mozambique.
With the benefit of hindsight, your decision to adopt the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) at your 2nd Ordinary Session in 2003 in Maputo, Mozambique, as an Africa-owned and Africa-led framework to guide the agricultural development process, remains one of the monumental decisions to-date. Among other things, it has enabled agriculture to move to the centre of Africa’s development agenda. Ten years on, most of the AU Member States have formally embraced the CAADP framework and used it while reviewing and refining their policies, strategies and investment plans. Similar progress is being made at the regional level, with RECs having been active in rolling out the CAADP. It is encouraging to note that these policy and institutional interventions have spurred agricultural growth, as growth in the agricultural sector increased, under CAADP, from the historical stagnation or even decline of the previous few decades to an average of 4% per year.
Moreover, a few AU Member States have registered remarkable agricultural growth rates, exceeding the CAADP target of 6%, thus attesting clearly that the rest of the AU Member States can do it as well.
Similarly, we have witnessed progress on the allocation of public expenditures to agriculture, which has been increasing at an average rate of 7.4% per year since the adoption of the CAADP. While such an increase suggests doubling in volume of expenditures compared to the pre-2003 levels, comparatively, however, it has been increasing at a lesser rate than gross public expenditure during the same time. Several Member States have been making efforts to meet the CAADP target of allocating at least 10% of public expenditure to agriculture; and most importantly they are seeing the benefits of according primacy to this strategic sector. This needs to be encouraged and sustained if we are to optimally exploit the opportunities I just hinted on.
Excellences, at this juncture, please permit me to highlight some of the structural challenges and issues that call for urgent action.
While we recognize the encouraging performance of the agricultural sector over the last few years, we are also faced with the realities that hunger and malnutrition have still been prevalent in Africa; that dependence and vulnerability of economies and livelihoods on factors outside Africa’s control is increasing, seriously undermining our aspirations and efforts aimed at self-reliance. According to recent estimates, Africa’s agri-food import bill has increased stubbornly to reach an average of 45-50 billion US$ per year.
The fact that Africa is among the fastest growing regions in the world on the one hand, and, yet it is the most food insecure continent with more than a fifth of its population categorized as undernourished on the other hand, remains Africa’s Paradox today. We know that the root cause of this is to be ascribed to the low level of agricultural productivity, organized around a subsistence mode, which is also hampering sustainable structural transformation of Africa’s economies. Macroeconomic trends indicate that the share of agriculture in GDP has been declining and that of the service sector expanding in Africa, but with a stagnant or even declining share of industrial particularly manufacturing sector, thus leading to a big number of people remaining in agriculture.
Such an imbalance has effectively delinked the productive sectors, i.e., agriculture and industry, with serious repercussions on job creation, productivity, value-addition, competitiveness, and self-reliance. In the process, Africa is being converted into a dumping ground for imported consumer items driven by speculative rent-seeking trade practices. It is also draining our scarce foreign exchange and overshadowing our potential to meet our needs.
Worse still, some projections tell us that, under a "business as usual scenario," Africa's agricultural production will cover only less than 15% of the continent's needs by 2050! Heavy dependence on increasing imports that are becoming expensive, unreliable and volatile, to feed the continent’s fast-growing and urbanizing population in the face of considerable potential for increased production and intra-regional trade in food, can hardly be a sustainable food security strategy and, more so, in the context of climate change.
Excellences, if I may read your minds, the bottom line is that the current production trend is not sustainable at all! And clearly such a gloomy future can simply not be part of our Vision of the Africa future We Want!
The good news is that Africa can rise up to the challenges of realizing its potentials and its vision through harnessing the domestic and global opportunities, by embracing an Agenda for Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods – which is the theme of Your Excellence’s debate today.
This brings me to the third aspect of my presentation: that is, our vision of the Agriculture Future We want for Africa to prevail in a decade’s time (by 2025): a vision that is articulated through a series of broad-based consultations carried out by the AU Commission and the NEPAD Agency with key stakeholders and partners, as part of our commemoration of the Year of Agriculture and Food Security. I will sum it up in four aspirations: modernization, business, resilience and realization of potential.
First, we want a future Africa that has modernized its agricultural and food sector so that it becomes a highly productive, competitive, profitable, rewarding and, therefore, attractive to those who are engaged in it, in particular the youth and women. Clearly hand-hoe based agriculture is not compatible with the transformation agenda.
Second, we want a future Africa that has organized its agriculture as a viable business that is contributing to and benefiting from the industrialization and an economy-wide transformation agenda; which can be achieved through deliberate actions to develop agro-processing, agro-industries and agribusinesses. The agenda of agricultural transformation is about walking up the value-chain ladder along agro-industrial and agribusiness development patterns that contribute to further job-creation and income-generation and, therefore, shared prosperity, as these in turn catalyse production to greater heights. I have already mentioned the huge potential of these sub-sectors in revolutionarising change and development in Africa.
Third, we want an Africa that has significantly built its resilience capacity to mitigate and adapt to shocks that prey on its high vulnerabilities to natural and human made risks, including climate change, and/or economic shocks, including unsustainable dependence on food imports.
Fourth, we want an Africa that harnesses its immense potentials, including its markets, the resourcefulness of its people, and its huge resource abundance, in driving its transformation agenda.
Excellences, now I turn to my fourth and last, but not least, aspect of my presentation: that is, on the crucial significance of translating the vision into reality, that of transforming potentials into possibilities. Yes, we can choose to realize our vision, and the extensive consultations conducted in the context of Africa Agenda 2063 have shown us that we know what it takes to get there! And most importantly, we believe that there is enough knowledge and experience around to capitalize on to realize our vision of the agriculture future we want.
As I mentioned above, the elements of what it takes to realize our vision have also been subject to scrutiny at different levels of stakeholders’ consultations, involving experts from AU Member States, the private sector, civil society, farmers organisations, women and youth, as well as our partners. The key issues that have been formulated and examined at several fora, including the 10th CAADP Partnership Platform meeting that was held in March 2014 in Durban, South Africa, a forum of over 650 participants from all categories of key stakeholders of Africa's agri-food system, were considered by your ministers at the AU Joint Conference of Ministers of Agriculture, Rural Development, Fisheries and Aquaculture held on 1st and 2nd of May 2014 at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa. The said Ministers adopted Resolutions and Key messages for Your Excellences’ consideration, as you debate on the theme here in Malabo.
Excellences, an important aspect of our knowledge of what it takes to realize the potentials and the vision relates to the most fundamental driver of change and development in Africa; that is political determination, for which we are confident that it exists right here. Your Excellences have the political will accompanying your sense of mission. And, therefore,, as you debate on the theme, I wish to draw Your Excellence’s consideration to the clarion calls for your exceptional leadership and guidance on the following six (6) set of commitments that are absolutely necessary in our collective struggle to realize our visions and goals.
1. Agricultural growth and transformation, first and foremost, must address the challenges of hunger and malnutrition. To this end, we need the actualization of Your Excellences commitment to Ending Hunger in Africa by 2025, which can be achieved through several interventions pertaining to accelerating productivity growth, reducing post-harvest losses and enhancing nutrition, among others.
2. It is inconceivable that most value-added in African global agricultural value chains occur outside of Africa, effectively forcing Africa to lose from foregone employment, skills and incomes opportunities. Yet, these have the most profound impact on the largest number of people. Your Excellences, we seek your commitment to an inclusive Agricultural Growth and Transformation that can contribute to poverty reduction by at least half, by the year 2025, through various actions in the areas of commodity value chains and empowerment of women and youth.
3. Africa's agri-food systems need to become not only more productive, but also competitive, with a view to stemming the continent's heavy dependence on food imports, meeting the fast-growing and diversifying demands of intra-African local, national and regional markets and beyond, responding to the demands of a growing and exigent global market. We need Your Excellences demonstration of commitment to boost intra-African Trade through: tripling, by the year 2025, intra-African trade in agricultural commodities and services; and creating and enhancing policies and institutional conditions and support systems especially those related to agribusiness and agro-industries.
4. Africa's agricultural transformation should aim at enhancing the resilience of the livelihoods and production systems of rural households (including farmers, pastoralists and fisher folks) to climate and other related risks. To this end, we need Your Excellences’ heightened commitment towards building resilience and reducing vulnerability.
5. We strongly believe that Africa's agricultural transformation must rest first and foremost on Africa's own resources and resourcefulness as Pan Africanism and African Renaissance has at its core not only self-determination but also self-reliance. This is the most powerful and candid way to demonstrate not only our resolve but also our ownership and leadership of the African agricultural transformation agenda. As Africans, we must first look within ourselves, mobilise and harness public and private domestic resources, before seeking external help. To this end, we seek Your Excellences’ renewed commitment to enhance Investment Finance, both public and private, in Agriculture through upholding earlier commitments but also through creating and enhancing necessary appropriate policy and institutional conditions and support systems for the facilitation of private investment in agriculture, agri-business and agro-industries. This will be instrumental in leveraging private sector investment finance, through effective public-private partnerships, well beyond the current low level of 5.8% of total commercial lending to agriculture -- to a scale that is commensurate with the wealth and job creation potential of transformed agri-food systems that Africa cannot afford to miss in the next 10 years.
Your Excellences’ leadership and guidance on actions in the five areas I just outlined are definitely key for realizing our vision of the agriculture future we want. However, effective delivery on such commitments will require improved sector governance, coordination and capacity strengthening, which in turn entail several actions.

To this end, therefore we need Your Excellences’ commitment towards Mutual Accountability to Actions and Results through a periodic, possibly biennial Agricultural Review Process akin to the existing African Peer Review Mechanism; fostering alignment, harmonisation and coordination among multi-sectorial efforts and multi-institutional platforms for peer review, mutual learning and mutual accountability; and strengthening national and regional institutional capacities for knowledge and data generation and management that support evidence based planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
And finally, in recognition of the instrumentality and the added value that CAADP has been demonstrating over the last decade of experience, we need Your Excellences’ recommitment to the Principles and Values of the CAADP Process and for sustaining the momentum.
Once again, Your Excellences, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, it has been a singular honour for me to highlight key outcomes and messages of a highly inclusive consultative process on sustaining the momentum of Africa's agricultural transformation agenda for your highest consideration, deliberations and strategic guidance.
I thank Your Excellences for your kind attention.

Dates: 
June 26, 2014
English

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