Events

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Launches its CAADP Process
Rabouni, Algeria, 21 December 2014: The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) has become the latest Member State in formally committing to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Framework. This was following a visit of a delegation from the AU Commission to SADR, which met with the Minister of Cooperatives and senior government officials from the country’s development sectors. In April 2014 the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic wrote to the Commission requesting its support in implementing the CAADP Process.
The AU delegation made an orientation presentation to underscore the motivation behind CAADP, its value addition, processes and expected outcomes. The delegation highlighted the distinguishing characteristics of CAADP, namely; investment and strategic partnerships. The Mission was comprised of Mr. Lailá Lokosang, Senior CAADP Advisor and Mr. Abderrahmane Khecha, Senior Policy Officer, both in the AUC Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture.
On its part the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic team in attendance of the half-day engagement session cast some light on the developmental setups and the humanitarian situation in both the refugee settlements and in the Liberated Territories of the country. The Moroccan occupation in the larger part of the country, wide displacement of citizens, shortage water, and soil salinity, climate change and the effects of the global economic meltdown in donor countries featured as the major challenges to development in the country. Available opportunities and strengths include social cohesion and safety-nets and high literacy rates (95% among women). The Sahrawi population is largely nomadic pastoralists with camel providing the potential for export market.
The meeting agreed to follow the next steps for full implementation of the CAADP process leading to signing of the CAADP Compact in 2015. The AU Delegation inspected some agricultural projects including a large automated poultry and egg producing plant, a vegetable farm dependent on drip irrigation technology, an agricultural research and induction training station and family farming projects using climate smart technologies.
Contact:
Mr. Lailá Lokosang
Senior CAADP Advisor (Food & Nutrition Security) – LokosangL@africa-union.org.

Ministers of AU Member States and stakeholders exchange views on the African Common Position towards the new climate change agreement

Lima, Peru 10 December 2014- “I believe that the negotiations for a comprehensive deal on climate change next year in Paris have reached a critical stage and it is therefore imperative that we intensify our efforts for a much awaited New Climate Change Agreement to be realized in 2015 to salvage our planet from disasters, provide means of implementation and adaptation in the most vulnerable continent”. Commissioner Rhoda Peace Tumusiime of the African Union Commission, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture stressed. She added that the New Climate Change Agreement should also incorporate the aspiration of Africa including responses targeting women and youth.

Under the theme ‘Africa in a post-2015 new climate change agreement’ and in the Frame work of the 20th Conference of the Parties (COP20) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 10th Session of the Conference of Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (KP), COP20/CMP10, the Africa Day side event has been held on 10 December 2014 in Lima.

In her statement, delivered by Ms. Olushola Olayide, Officer in Charge of Environment, Climate Change, Water and Land Management; and AUC focal person to the UNFCCC;
Mr. Tumusiime expressed her satisfaction the way the different stakeholders are working vigorously in the global climate change negotiations, particularly; African Group of Negotiators (AGN) and African Ministerial Conference of Environment (AMCEN), under the leadership of the CAHOSCC. (The full statement of the Commissioner is available on www.au.int).

“Africa is attending COP20/CMP10 with great expectations as we anticipate that important milestones will be reached here in Lima that will lay a strong foundation for the adoption of a new Climate Change Agreement during COP21/CMP11 in Paris in 2015. I am therefore convinced that this COP is a major event which Africa should seriously proceed with the hope that significant progress will be made in the multilateral climate change process, building on what was agreed in Warsaw at COP19/CMP9 last year”, the Vice President stressed.
Dr. Bilal underscored the importance of the Africa Day side event since COP17/CMP7 in Durban, South Africa 2012, saying that the Day offers a unique opportunity for Africa to engage the global community in bringing into focus the peculiarity of Africa’s situation both in terms of challenges, opportunities and success stories, which is worth sharing with the international community. “In spite of the limited financial and human resources, Africa has been making positive responses by putting in place institutional mechanisms from the Summit to Ministerial and Expert levels to address this critical issue in terms of adaptation and mitigation of climate change”, he added. (The complete speech of the Vice President is available on www.au.int).

Representing the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Dr. Fatima Denton, Director of Special Initiatives Division at ECA, said “Today in Lima, Africa has to generate the same will, an equal compulsion and a strong enough resolve to say that we have come a long way since Kyoto, and we stand ready as 54 countries, united in our determination to negotiate a successor treaty that will be rooted in justice, equity and drawing on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility.”

Highlighting Africa’s interest in the post 2015 climate change negotiation, Dr. Denton said that Africa is encouraged to see new pledges of up to $9.3 billion made to the Green Climate Fund, and many African countries are already championing projects demonstrate that a low carbon development pathway will make investment and business sense, especially since the impacts of climate change are oblivious of boundaries. (The full statement is available on www.au.int).

At the end of the panel discussion, moderated by Mr. Alex Rugamba, Director of Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department, at AfDB, the Ministers and the negotiators underscored imperatives of having a new climate change agreement in Paris in 2015, and that this agreement should address the specificities of the African continent.

Further information;

Ms. Olushola Olayide,
Officer In Charge, Environment, Climate Change, Water and Land Management; and AUC focal person to the UNFCCC;
African Union Commission; E-mail: OlusholaO@africa-union.org

Media Contact:
Mr. Molalet Tsedeke,
Directorate of Information and Communication,
African Union Commission; E-mail: molalett@africa-union.org; Tel:

For more information please contact:

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

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MEDIA ADVISORY
COLLOQUIUM ON THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS ON MEAs
INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA
What: Parliamentarian Colloquium on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) - Biodiversity and Chemical/waste Clusters
Theme: “MEAS, a Vehicle for Environmental Sustainability in Africa”

When:
3rd – 5th December 2014 at 9:30am
Where: AUC Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Who:
Organized by the African Union Commission (AUC), through its Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture in collaboration with the United Nations Environment program (UNEP).

Objectives:
The Colloquium is primarily aimed at creating greater awareness and enhancing capacity of Parliamentarians with agriculture and environmental portfolios. It will also propose a program of work for Green Birds Africa, building on the efforts already undertaken by the Network.

The specific objectives of the colloquium are to increase capacity and awareness of Parliamentarians and participants on:
• Environmental issues, focus on biodiversity and chemicals/waste;
• The role of parliamentarians in mainstreaming the target MEAs in developmental plans and policies;
• The role of Green Bird Africa in environmental sustainability in Africa
• the importance of networking
Expected outputs: The Colloquium will focus on achieving the following results:

a) Increased knowledge and empowerment of Parliamentarians so that they are more proactive supporters of sound environmental management, particularly in biodiversity conservation and its sustainable use, and chemicals and waste management;
b) A more streamlined and coherent program for GBA
c) Enhanced capacity of Parliamentarians with regard to the execution of their roles in ensuring compliance with, and enforcement of environmental laws, policies and conventions at regional and national levels;
d) Improved networking and cooperation between parliamentarians to achieve better cohesion on the continent.

Participants:
The participants will be drawn from regional and national parliaments; the core founding members of GBA; MEAs experts on biodiversity and chemical/waste issues; relevant CSOs and institutions; AU Member States; RECs and Coordinators of the Caribbean and Pacific Hubs of the ACP-MEAs programme, among others.
Background:

The ACP Capacity Building Project on Multi-lateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) Project was established at the African Union Commission (AUC) in 2009 with objective to build the capacity of African Member States and Regional Economic Communities to implement MEAs. The Project which is funded by the European Union (EU) and facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is focusing on the biodiversity and chemical/waste clusters of conventions, for the next four years. The choice of these clusters is also driven by policy decisions taken by the African Union (AU) Assembly to streamline biodiversity within the priorities of the AU. The choice is also in line with the implementation of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) Decisions 14/8 on Management of Biodiversity and 14/9 on Engaging Parliamentarians in MEAs, as well as Declarations 19 and 20 which call for the sound management of chemicals and waste in Africa. In this context, the MEAs Project is implementing activities related to capacity enhancement exercises in the fields of; negotiation and implementation; enforcement; mainstreaming; development of tools, guidelines and legislation; promotion of ratification and implementation of conventions; information dissemination and exchange and awareness creation; and training and sensitization for target groups such as Parliamentarians.

Journalists are invited to cover the opening ceremony of the Colloquium for Parliamentarians on Wednesday 03 December 2014, at 9:00am at the AU Headquarters.

The draft programme is attached:

Media contact:

Mr. Molalet Tsedeke, Directorate of Information and Communication, Tel. +251 911 630631, e-mail: Molalett@africa-union.org

For more information please contact:

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

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Delivering Africa’s future through science-led agricultural transformation

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, November 26, 2014 - “The world’s future food basket” is Africa. By 2030 the continent needs to become food and nutrition secure, as well as a global scientific player. Africa possesses 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land and 70% of its water as well as human capital. These are some of the critical elements for a successful production system but is Africa lacking in technology and mechanized systems to fully gain momentum as a global producer and supplier?

As the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) celebrates its 15th Anniversary, over 570 delegates from across the world have gathered in Johannesburg this week to generate the answers to these questions. Indeed, as Dr. Charity Krugar, Chair of the FARA Board, said quoting Nelson Mandela, poverty just like apartheid is manmade and not divine ordained, therefore, men and women can address and overcome poverty, hunger and malnutrition once they resolve to do so.

African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, H.E Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, was among the dignitaries at the opening ceremony of the FARA celebration. She commended FARA for having traversed over the years in coordinating and advocating for agricultural science, research, technology and innovation.

“We are very happy that, indeed, FARA has been a credible and formidable pillar institution in our common pursuit of the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP),” said Commissioner Tumusiime. “It is a positive coincidence that FARA’s 15th Anniversary is, indeed, coinciding with the 10th Anniversary of CAADP and within the 2014 AU Year of Agriculture and Food Security and also the International Year of Family Farming.”

She called for sustained efforts to scale up agricultural research, innovation and technology and making them accessible to a greater majority of African farmers and especially smallholder farmers with a view to increasing their production and productivity with the ultimate objective of ensuring a food and nutrition secure and poverty free Africa.

“The role of science in enhancing agricultural productivity, competitiveness and market access in Africa is too important for it to be outsourced,” said Dr Yemi Akinbamijo FARA’s Executive Director. “Without the catalytic role of a science agenda, the transformation dream will only be a mirage.”

He noted that no nation has achieved social and economic growth without using the power of science saying, “Africa needs to use science and technology to leverage more value out of the resources available on the continent and African leaders will have to invest more of their own resources in this area. Being able to demonstrate the power of science to support agriculture and development is at the heart of this FARA event.

Other speakers at the opening ceremony included Dr. Shadrak Moephuli, Head of the Agricultural Research Council and Dr Jimmy Smith, Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute.

The FARA celebration has brought together key industry players to review the progress made at country, sub-regional and continental levels. Lessons will be drawn from milestones reached and discussions will be held to come up with solutions that will set the strategy for delivering Africa’s future over the next decade through science led agricultural transformation in line with the AU Malabo Declaration on Accelerated African Agricultural Growth and Transformation.

Some of the world’s top opinion leaders in Agriculture in Africa will be presenting over the 3-day period including Professor Calestous Juma, an internationally recognized authority on the application of science and technology to sustainable development. He was named one of the most influential 100 Africans in 2012 and 2013 by the New African magazine. His keynote address amongst the impressive list of guest speakers will be: Smart Harvest: the role of science, technology and innovation advice in African Agriculture. Other discussions will include climate change, food sovereignty vs. food security and a focus on the promotion of youth engagement with the creation of the Youth Agripreneur Model. There is also a running Exhibition showcasing technologies and innovations capable of spurring African agriculture.

A CALL TO ACTION: Conservation of Biodiversity, a necessary ingredient to attain sustainable development, reduce poverty and conflict in Africa.

Addis Ababa, 18 November 2014 – While Africa has significant resources in respect to the wild flora and fauna - 25% of the world’s mammal species and 22% of plant species are in Africa, illegal trade of wild flora and fauna in Africa is a serious economic and environmental problem which threatens potential economic development and ecosystems management, and reduces future options for the use of resources.
Globally Illegal wildlife trade is recognized as the fourth largest global illegal trade closely behind illegal drugs, humans and arms trafficking. Of particular concern in Africa is the current poaching crisis affecting elephants and rhinos to supply ivory and horn to markets in Asia. Furthermore, many other species of wildlife are also affected, including great apes, birds, fish and timber species.
“It is now time to move into action – there has been enough talking, enough decisions, resolutions and meetings” stated H.E Honorable Henri Djombo, Minister of Forest Economy and Sustainable Development for the Republic of Congo, during a Technical Committee Meeting held at the African Union Commission in preparation for an International Conference on the Illegal Exploitation and Trade of African Wild Flora and Fauna to be hosted by the Republic of Congo in 2015.
The proposed conference constitutes one of the actions indicated in the Decision on the African Wild Flora and Fauna Conservation and Illegal Trade in Wildlife adopted at the 23rd AU Summit, held in June 2014 in Malabo Equatorial Guinea. The Decision further recognized the need to strengthen environmental governance systems to prevent illegal trade in wild flora and fauna and trafficking that threaten global peace and security. It called for the development of strategies for fighting against the illegal trade.
The Minister highlighted the key challenges as lack of political will to commit to action the decisions made and inadequate capacities and resources. As a way forward, Honorable Minister called for a coordinated action by countries as no country can solve the problem on its own, and strengthening of technical, financial and human capacities, providing incentives and facilitating the mobility and means of communication of the rangers.
Dr. Abebe Haile Gabriel, speaking on behalf of H.E The Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture commended the Government of Congo for taking the lead on behalf of Africa in driving the process forward. “The International Conference is a major milestone in combatting the illegal exploitation and illegal trade in wild flora and fauna in Africa” He said. He further expressed the willingness and commitment of the AU Commission to work will relevant partners to have a successful conference and called for the involvement of all stakeholders in the conference.
The UNEP and FAO representatives pledged their full support to the Commission and the Government of Congo especially in the area of technical expertise.
In his concluding remarks, Minister Djombo explained that the Brazzaville conference would be solution oriented with proposed actions to reduce the illegal exploitation and illegal trade of Africa’s wild flora and fauna.
…..
For additional information please contact:
Republic of CONGO
Dr. Rosalie MATONDO
Email: rosalie_mat@yahoo.fr

African Union Commission
Leah Wanambwa
Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture
Email: WanambwaL@africa-union.org

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

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