Events

Joint Press Release

The Commissioner of DREA meets with Scienza per Amore

Addis Ababa, 31 July, 2014: Her Excellency Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture at the AU Commission received Mr. Pier Paolo Dell’Omo, President of the Scienza Per Amore (science at the service of love for humanity) and his delegation on 31 July 2014 in her office at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The delegation, presented their technology to the Commissioner; it is called HYST which stands for Hypercritical Separation Technology. The main project is ‘’Bits for the Future: Food for All’’ for promoting the use of HYST. The project is already engaged with seven (7) AU Member States, namely: Senegal, Cameroon, Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda, Burkina Faso and Congo Brazzaville. The project seeks to roll this out to the entire Member States of the AU.

The project aims to provide new technological tools for: contributing to the growth and prosperity of concerned areas, making the best of local resources. The introduction of Hyst in Africa will favor a solid economy based on a synergy between industry, agriculture and trade, which will in turn stimulate investment.

To this end, Mrs. Tumusiime reaffirmed the Commission of the African Union and specifically the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA) commitment to continue collaborating with Scienza Per Amore. Scienza Per Amore will also continue engagements with other AU Member States. DREA will notify Scienza per Amore and invite them to the relevant AUC-DREA-coordinated fora to present this technology and project for AU Member States’ understanding and appreciation for eventual adoption.

The strength for sustainable development in Africa must stem from Africa itself, said Mrs. Barbara Carrubba, External Relations Officer at the Scienza per Amore. “The project is for Africa we don’t plan to sell the product to Africa we want to bring it and work in Africa to help the African continent”, she added.

This engagement augurs well for the on-going process of implementing the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated African Agriculture Growth and Transformation within the context of sustaining the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) momentum.

Scienza per Amore (Sicence for the Love of Humanity) is an Italian-based Non-Governmental Organisation focusing on food security and renewable energy through the use of agriculture bi-products and residues.

For further information please contact:
Mr. Molalet Tsedeke, Directorate of Information and Communication, AUC; molalett@africa-union.org

Mrs. Barbara Carruba, External Relations Officer, Scienza Per Amore; Barbara.carrubba@hyst.eu

www.au.int
http://bits.technohyst.com/african-union-meeting/
http://bits.technohyst.com

PRESS RELEASE
DREA holds retreat on the implementation of its Strategic and Operational plan 2014-17 and on strategies of delivery of relevant Decisions and Declarations of the Malabo AU Summit

Nairobi, Kenya, July 3, 2014- The Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA) is holding a staff retreat, to review progress and plan for enhanced implementation of its 2014-2017 Strategic and Operational Plan as well as to plan for the implementation of relevant decisions and declarations of the just ended 23rd AU Summit in Malabo.

The DREA Strategic and Operational Plan is based on the AUC’s Strategic Plan 2014-2017, endorsed by the AU Heads of State and Government during their Assembly on May 26, 2013.

Opening the retreat, DREA Commissioner H.E Tumusiime Rhoda Peace welcomed and thanked staff for attending the retreat which she said was timely and pertinent in DREA’s pursuit of strategic areas of intervention towards contributing to the realization of the overall AUC priority goals. She also commended their continued hard work and dedication.

DREA has a renewed spirit and is actively implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) while looking ahead to the next 50 years of African integration, self-reliance and prosperity within the framework of Africa Agenda 2063.

“This year has been particularly important for the department as the champion of 2014 which is the Year of Agriculture and Food Security and also the commemoration of 10 years of CAADP,” said DREA Director, Dr. Abebe Haile Gabriel.

DREA is further cognizant that its role on the continent will contribute to Africa’s pursuit of the goal of agricultural transformation and development, food and nutrition security, environmental sustainability and contribution to socio-economic stability.

Attending the retreat are all DREA staff from the headquarters and the six specialized technical offices of the department.

For further information contact:
Dr. Abebe Haile Gabriel
Director, Rural Economy and Agriculture
AbebeHG@africa-union.org

Ms. Carol Jilombo
CAADP Communications Officer
Jilomboc@africa-union.org

Press Release Nº19/23rd AU SUMMIT

Commissioner Tumusiime presents the theme of the 23rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU Heads of State and Government; urges leaders to recommit to the principles of CAADP

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – June 30, 2014 – On June 27 at the 23rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government, the Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, H.E Mrs. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace presented to the Heads of State and Government, the theme of the Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa; “Transforming Africa’s Agriculture for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods through Harnessing Opportunities for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development.”.

During her address, Commissioner Tumusiime, stated that the theme echoed the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the OAU/AU, centered on “Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance,” as well as the vision of the pan-African transformative Agenda 2063.

“Ensuring an inclusive and transformative agricultural growth that builds the self-reliance of the African citizenry, including food and nutrition security is central to re-asserting African dignity. The debate between member states, public and private organisations culminated in the provision of strategic direction, guidance for renewed and heightened commitments on concrete goals and targets in advancing Africa’s agricultural growth and transformation agenda for the next decade,” she said.

AU Member States were also urged to recommit to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) as it had helped elevate agriculture to the center of Africa’s development agenda.

“We have witnessed progress on the allocation of public expenditures to agriculture, which have been increasing at an average rate of 7.4% per year since the adoption of CAADP”, said Mrs Tumusiime. “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.”

The address by Commissioner Tumusiime preceded a high-level panel discussion facilitated by Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency with the Executive Secretary of UNECA, Dr. Carlos Lopes, President of IFAD, Dr. Kanayo Nwanze and Director General of FAO, Dr. José Graziano da Silva. This culminated into a debate by Heads of State and Government which among other conclusions, noted that Africa’s leaders needed to commit to interventions for the realization of a food and nutrition secure and poverty free Africa and also towards mutual accountability to actions and results through a periodic, possibly biennial agricultural review process.
CJ/WZM

For more information, please contact:
Ms Carol Jilombo
Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, AUC
E-mail: Jilomboc@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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Press release Nº144/2014

Capacity Development Training on European Development Fund (EDF) Rules and Procedures comes to an end

Addis Ababa-16 June 2014- A four day training workshop aimed at building the capacity of pertinent AUC personnel came to an end on Friday 13 June 2014, at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa. The training workshop sought to build better understanding of the European Development Fund (EDF) rules and improve the utilization of European funded projects.

Opening the four-day training (10-13 June 2014), Professor Khalil Timamy, Head of Environment, Climate Change, Land and Water Management Division, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, recalled that the Service Contract for the Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA) programme aims to provide technical and development assistance to the implementation of the programme across the participating African regions and to the AUC. During the design of the MESA programme, lack of knowledge and understanding of EDF rules and procedures was foreseen to be the main potential risk to affect programme implementation. Professor Timamy then applauded the MESA Programme for conducting the training in all participating African regions where representatives of the regional implementation centres (RICs) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) participated.

He also expressed AUC’s commitment to execute the MESA Programme in accordance with signed contractual agreements and rules and procedures of the EDF. The training covered the topics: historical background and introduction of EDF rules, and Financial Management and Procurement Procedures, accompanied by practical exercises. 24 trainees from different departments of the AUC who are involved in implementing European Union funded projects participated in the training which is organized by the MESA Programme and Human Dynamics.

The MESA program was proposed through the Ouagadougou Declaration (September 2010) by the African Union Commission, the ACP Secretariat and the African Regional Economic Communities. The aim of the program is to support African decision-makers and planners in designing and implementing national, regional and continental policies and development plans towards sustainable development, thereby advancing the socio-economic progress and well-being of African populations towards achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The program ensures continuity of past investments on use of Earth Observation data in Africa and to provide an initial contribution to the GMES Africa initiative, which was called upon through the Maputo Declaration (October 2006) and included in the Joint EU-Africa Strategy as of December 2007.

Beneficiary countries of MESA program are 48 ACP countries of five African regions, namely Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and The Southern African Development Community (SADC). The AUC is the contracting authority for the program which is funded by the European Union through the 10th EDF with a budget of 37 million euros.

For More Information
AU-MESA Communication Officer
Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture
Email: hailu.wudineh@hd-mesa.org

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Press release No. 140/2014

DREA Commissioner and World Bank discuss agricultural transformation in Africa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – June 11, 2014 Her Excellency Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture yesterday met with Colin Bruce, World Bank Director for Regional Integration in Africa, to discuss World Bank enhancing collaboration on sustaining the momentum of the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

He was accompanied by Waleed Malik, Senior Public Sector Management Specialist and Ms. Aileen Marshall, Partnerships Specialist.

Commissioner Tumusiime and Mr. Bruce discussed strategic areas of cooperation and support by the World Bank ranging from livestock and pastoralism, fisheries and aquaculture, to agricultural research and innovation, gender and women’s empowerment as well as the land policy initiative.

Mrs. Tumusiime expressed the AUC’s appreciation for the support of the WB especially in managing the Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF), in support of AU Member States and coordinating Pan African Institutions for agricultural transformation towards the attainment of the vision of a food and nutrition secure and poverty-free Africa in the context of Africa Agenda 2063.

Mrs. Tumusiime further encouraged the WB team to consider strengthening their involvement in country processes especially by linking Ministers of Finance and those of agriculture in furtherance of the national policy and institutional reforms for agricultural transformation.

They agreed on more regular and closer interface taking advantage of the momentum generated by the AU Year of Agriculture and Food Security also marking the 10th Anniversary of CAADP as the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture implements its Strategic and Operational Plan 2014-2017.
CJ/wzm

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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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