JOINT MEDIA ADVISORY

The 2018 Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) Annual Conference
‘Experts review the Role of Social Protection to Boost Growth to End Hunger by 2025’

What: The International Food Policy Research Institute, in partnership with the African Union Commission, is convening the 2018 ReSAKSS Annual Conference to promote review and dialogue on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) implementation agenda among policymakers, development partners, researchers, advocacy groups, farmers’ organizations, the private sector, and other key stakeholders from within and outside Africa. The conference will take place at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 24-26 October 2018. The theme of the conference is “Boosting Growth to End Hunger by 2025: The Role of Social Protection.” The discussions during the conference will be based on the 2017-2018 Annual Trends and Outlook Report (ATOR). The report takes an in-depth look at social protection in rural Africa to address crucial questions about the available evidence on successful implementation of social protection programs in rural Africa; investigates ways to maximize the role of social protection in reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience of rural households; and analyses policy implications to guide the design and roll-out of national social protection programs for rural Africa.

Why: Two major trends will determine the future demand for social protection in African countries. One is the persistent high rates of poverty that are the result of decades of economic decline and stagnation that preceded the recent economic recovery. The other is the transition toward more democratic, pluralistic political systems combined with faster economic growth and a more vocal urban segment of the poor and vulnerable population.
This combination is bound to lead to growing demand for social protection and increasing pressure on governments to respond or face certain social upheaval. These two trends suggest that African countries will confront a two-fold challenge: finding sufficient resources to invest in both accelerating growth and meeting the cost of providing social services to large numbers of poor and vulnerable people.

Who:
• H.E. Amb. Josefa L. C. Sacko, Commissioner, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission (AUC-DREA), Ethiopia
• H.E. Eyasu Abreha, State Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Ethiopia
• Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director, AUC-DREA, Ethiopia
• Ousmane Badiane, Director for Africa, IFPRI, USA
• Fleur Wouterse, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI, Senegal

Where: African Union Conference Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
When: Journalists are invited to attend the opening ceremony of the event on October 24th at 2:30 p.m.

For more information about attending the side event please contact Mrs. Hawa Diop or MS. Carol Jilombo on the details below.

Hawa Diop | H.Diop@cgiar.org | +221775150812 / Carol Jilombo Jilomboc@africa-union.org

Media enquiries:
Molalet Tsedeke, Directorate of Information and Communication, AU Commission- M.: +251-911-630 631 /molalett@africa-union.org

About IFPRI
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. IFPRI was established in 1975 to identify and analyze alternative national and international strategies and policies for meeting the food needs of the developing world, with particular emphasis on low-income countries and on the poorer groups in those countries. www.ifpri.org.
About AUC
The African Union, established as a unique Pan African continental body, is charged with spearheading Africa's rapid integration and sustainable development by promoting unity, solidarity, cohesion and cooperation among the peoples of Africa and African states as well as developing a new partnership worldwide. Its headquarters are located in Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia. The vision of the African Union is that of: “An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in global arena”. The AUC mission is to become “An efficient and value-adding institution driving the African integration and development process in close collaboration with African Union Member States, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens”.

About ReSAKSS
Established in 2006 under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) supports efforts to promote evidence- and outcome-based policy planning and implementation. In particular, ReSAKSS provides data and related analytical and knowledge products to facilitate CAADP benchmarking, review, and mutual learning processes. ReSAKSS is facilitated by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC), the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), and leading regional economic communities (RECs). At the regional level, ReSAKSS is supported by three Africa-based CGIAR centers: The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Kenya, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in South Africa, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria.