Events

AFRICA DAY: Ministers reconfirm Africa’s commitment to ensure sustainable development through sustainable land management

Windhoek, 25 September 2013- The African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) held the Africa Day high level meeting on, 25 September 2013 in Windhoek, Namibia. Under the theme sustainable land management: Africa on the front line, the high level meeting took place in the framework of the Eleventh Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP11). The event took place at the African Union pavilion.

The objective of the Africa Day was to showcase to the global community what Africa is doing in the domain of sustainable land management. The high level forum discussed issues related to the development of drylands, including sustainable land management (SLM), and drought mitigation from the African perspective within the context of sustainable development.

“Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity are among the greatest challenges to sustainable development especially in developing countries, and in particular in Africa”, said Dr. Khalil Timamy, Head of AUC delegation at COP11 of the UNCCD. He then stressed the urgent need for a strong global partnership to reverse and prevent desertification /land degradation as well as mitigating the effects of drought in affected areas in order to support poverty reduction and environmental sustainability.

Ms. Rudo Makunike, Head of NPCA delegation at COP 11 of the UNCCD said in her welcome remarks that “Africa’s progress towards addressing the twin issues of drought and desertification and improving sustainable land management practices has gained considerable support from all stakeholders, particularly African governments and institutions over the last few years”. However, these achievements, according to her, “need to be up scaled-up to realize the full socio-economic and environmental potential to the continent”.

In addition to the support of the secretariat of the TerrAfrica Programme to African Regional Sustainable Land Management initiatives, Ms. Makunike reconfirmed the NPCA’s “full commitment” to supporting African countries’ initiatives aimed at “improving land productivity and combating the scourge of desertification”.

In his opening remarks, H.E Mr. Uahekua Herunga, Minister of Environment and Tourism, Republic of Namibia whose country is President of the COP to the UNCCD until 2015 stated that “there is indeed an African renaissance starting to take place in the drylands” in which Namibia is taking part.

He acknowledged the National Action Programmes under the UNCCD, in which good practice approaches have reversed by 2012 the trends of desertification and land degradation in “some 260,000 hectares all over the country to the benefit of an estimated 230,000 Namibians”.

H.E Mr. Belete Tafere, Minister of Environment Protection and Forestry of Ethiopia, stressed that land degradation and deforestation need to be given prior attention as they constitute of the very serious challenges impeding the economic development of most of the sub Saharan-African countries. In this regard, he revealed that the annual economic loss in Ethiopia due to the land degradation and deforestation is estimated at 3% of the total GDP of the country, whereas agriculture supports more than 83% of the population’s livelihood.

Mr. Michel Tankoano, Coordinator of the Partnership Programme for Sustainable Land Management Project, Burkina Faso, underlined that partnership and coordination are critical for Sustainable Land Management.

In his brief presentation, Mr. Richard Mwendandu, Director of Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources of Kenya spoke about his country’s policies and programmes on sustainable land management and drought mitigation. He mentioned several institutional developments including the alignment of the National Action Plan to the Ten Year Strategy of the UNCCD.

Further information:
Mr. Almami Dampha,
Policy Officer, Forestry and Sustainable Land Management
Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, AU Commission
DamphaA@africa-union.org; www.au.int
Tel: +264-814442349

Mr. Molalet Tsedeke
Directorate of Information and Communication
AU Commission
molalett@africa-union.org
Tel: +264-856340495

Joint Press Release

ClimDev-Africa retreat agrees concrete actions on CCDA III, COP19, Special Fund

Debreziet, Ethiopia 07 September 2013- Representatives from partner institutions to the Climate for Development in Africa (ClimDev-Africa) programme today agreed to step up preparations for the two most important calendar events of the initiative for 2013 - the 2013 Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-III) billed for Addis Ababa next October and the 2013 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 19) scheduled for Warsaw, Poland in November.

For three days, senior officials and technical experts from the African Union Commission (AUC); the African Development Bank (AfDB); and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) stepped back from their daily activities (during a retreat in Debreziet, Ethiopia) and took a critical look at the programme delivery, new and forwarding looking programme strategies and all the administrative and technical preparations for the key events to maximize chances for success.
Participants took a critical look at concept notes, agenda and other relevant documents for CCDA-III; Africa’s participation at COP19; and agreed that the organisation of an Africa Day on the sidelines of COP 19 was both practical and feasible but needs sustained actions to ensure that Africa’s positions in all these events are informed by science and deep reflection.

Participants agreed on the need for more targeted assistance to the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) on climate change before, during and even after COP19 to improve on ClimDev-Africa’s visibility as an institution of choice on climate change issues on the continent.

The three institutions were represented by Dr. Abebe Haile Gabriel, Director of Rural Economy and Agriculture, at AUC; Dr. Samba Tounkara, Coordinator of ClimDev Special Fund, AfDB; and Dr. Fatima Denton, Coordinator for the African Climate Policy Centre at ECA.

A presentation on the current status of the ClimDev-Africa Special Fund by its Acting Co-ordinator, Dr. Samba Tounkara preceded a detailed discussion on how to promote the Fund’s unique features through targeted communication tools. The meeting called for urgent action on joint communication activities by the African Climate Policy Centre, the African Union Commission and the African Development Bank in this respect.

A senior consultant from the International Institute for Environment and Development (UK) presented a draft monitoring and evaluation framework for ClimDev-Africa and explained how it would ensure programme planning, implementation and tracking; the availability of timely of results to enhance the efficient management of ClimDev-Africa Special Fund; provide information and feedback for timely management decisions; and show how activities aggregate to outputs, outputs to outcomes.

The Climate for Development in Africa (ClimDev-Africa) Programme is mandated at the highest level of African political leadership (AU Summit of Heads of State and Government) to create a solid foundation for an appropriate response to climate change by Africa and its development partners. African Ministers of Finance, of Planning and of Environment have also recognized the potential role of the ClimDev-Africa initiative in combating the impacts of climate change.

The UN Economic Commission for Africa through its African Climate Policy Centre acting as the technical wing of the secretariat is responsible for establishing the policy basis for the programmatic orientation of ClimDev-Africa. The African Development Bank has a key mandate which is to manage the investment portfolio of climate investments based on empirical research work done by ACPC to identify gaps and niches in climate change response strategies. The African Union Commission provides the political platform and acts as a lever to distill key messages to member states on the value of investing in climate change as a precursor for good adaptation and mitigation.

The sustenance and evolution of this tripartite initiative is contingent on continuous renewal of processes on strategic orientation of climate change partnerships, and a coalition thinking that will enable the consortium to review their strategies through effective engagement and a shared vision on the cumulative value of the ClimDev mandate in terms of the “who”, “what” and “how” of policy influence and concrete action on the ground.

Meeting the aspirations of ClimDev will mean carving out a space where the purpose of the initiative, the interdependencies of partners within the consortium and their ability to retain their current relevance as well as forecast new roles in an increasingly complex and fluid terrain remains an imperative.

AUC holds Workshop on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

Arusha, Tanzania – 28th August, 2013: The African Union Commission (AUC), through its Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA), in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), held an interactive three (3) day workshop on mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in AU policies, programmes and plans, identifying stakeholder roles and responsibilities and making DRR an integral part of decision making.

Africa is faced with many climate and environmental challenges ranging from climate change, desertification, deforestation, biodiversity degradation, droughts, floods earthquakes and cyclones, amongst others that threaten to undermine the region’s sustainable development prospects and heavily impact population livelihoods. It is in this context that the workshop highlighted the importance of identifying key priority sectors within the AU 2014-2017 Strategic Plan and the necessity of integrating DRR in all decisions to strengthen frameworks and strategies at the continental level in view to mitigate the vulnerability of the Continent to natural disasters.

Hon. Jesca Eriyo, Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors of the East African Community (EAC), Dr. M.H. Khalil Timamy, AUC Head of Division on Environment, Climate Change, Water and Land Management and Ms Sophie Baranes of UNDP Regional Practice Coordinator opened the workshop by welcoming all participants.

Sessions focusing on topics ranging from Understanding DRR; Disasters, Climate Change and Resilient Development linkages; Economics of Disaster; Disaster Risk and Development in Africa; DRR Mainstreaming and more specifically into AUC Priority Sectors; Mainstreaming country examples were moderated by representatives from UNDP, the United Nations Center for Disaster Risk Initiative (UNCADRI) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and the AUC.

The workshop stressed the need for proper risk and preparedness assessments on key entry points in order to build a comprehensive national and continental plan of action (NPA), based on the 2004 AU DRR Strategy and recommendations from the 4th Africa regional platform on the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), with aims to alleviate population exposure and vulnerability as well as increase resilience to natural disasters.

The workshop emphasized the need for proper coordination, resource allocation, sensitization and advocacy within private, civil and public sectors as well as the need to provide experience-sharing opportunities with concrete examples of successful implementations within the region. The workshop further tapped into ways of lobbying for DRR with concerned ministries and institutions by accurately showing the human, economical and environmental impacts and benefits.

Due to the cross-cutting nature of DRR mainstreaming, the workshop was attended by representatives of key AUC programmes and departments such as Agriculture, Food Security, Environment, AU-SAFGRAD, PATTEC, IBAR, PANVAC, Infrastructure and Energy, Peace and Security, Political Affairs, Economic Affairs and Information and Communication.

AU Commission holds consultative meeting with the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)

Addis Ababa, 19 August 2013– The African Union Commission and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), held today 19 August 2013 at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Organized by the Department for Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA) of the AUC, the meeting discussed on opportunities and areas of collaboration between AUC and RUFORUM.

The meeting was chaired by DREA Commissioner, H.E Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, while the RUFORUM delegation was lead by Prof. Levi Nyagura, Chairman, RUFORUM.
Commissioner Tumusiime emphasised the importance of higher educational institutions engagement towards the implementation of different programmes that the AUC is involved. “Strengthening the knowledge base is very important for the implementation of our programmes, specifically the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), and we want you to assist us”, she added.
Mrs. Tumusiime also reassured the commitment of DREA/AUC to work together with RUFORUM and emphasised the importance of strategic partnership.
Representing RUFORUM Prof. Nyagura underscored the commitment of RUFORUM to support the AUC in the area of agricultural programmes, including training and staff exchange programmes, among others.
RUFORUM is a consortium of 32 universities operating within 18 countries in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa established in 2004. The consortium had previously operated as a programme of the Rockefeller Foundation beginning in 1992. RUFORUM is registered in Uganda as International Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). It has a mandate to oversee graduate training and networks of specialization in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) countries.

EAFF congress calls for economic sovereignty of farmers to enhance agricultural development

Bujumbura-Burundi, August 5, 2013-The Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) opened its 3rd Farmers Congress with a call for famers to be financially independent as a means to achieving agricultural development.

The Congress themed, ‘Towards economic sovereignty of the Eastern African Farmer,’ was officiated by Burundi’s second Vice President, H.E Dr. Gervais Rufyikiri, Burundi’s Minister of Agriculture, Hon Odette Kayitesi, the African Union Commission and key agricultural stakeholders from Africa and beyond.

Officially opening the congress, Burundi’s second Vice President said achieving economic sovereignty for the African farmer was cardinal as it obliged participants to propose ways and means of achieving the goal.

He called for an agricultural transformation of agriculture from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture, one that takes into account the environment and effects of climate change.

African Union Commission Head of Rural Economy division, Dr. Janet Edeme said farmers’ organisations play a key role as strategic partners in the agriculture and rural development sector as they are the legitimate voices of farmers.

She noted that farmers’ organisations involvement in the goal of reducing hunger and poverty by 2015, was pertinent as they are at the core of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)’s conviction that Africa’s development challenges could only be effectively addressed by the continent’s own commitment and action through inclusive approaches and partnerships among African stakeholders.

EAFF’s president, Mr. Phillip Kiriro said, “Our ultimate goal as we improve our incomes and livelihoods is to enhance the dignity of our citizens. This will only happen by ensuring that our region is not only food secure but achieves sustainable food sovereignty.”