Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA) workshop

INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA
What: 1st PACA Partnership Platform Meeting

When:
7- 9 October 2014
Opening ceremony: 9:00am
Press conference: 10:15

Where: African Union Commission New Complex, Addis Ababa

Who:
Organized by the African Union Commission (AUC) through its department of Rural Economy and Agriculture.

Objectives:

Expected outcomes: The 1st PACA PP will create a forum for the full array of stakeholders involved in the management of aflatoxins– including AUC, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), national governments, private sector, health organizations, regulators, civil society groups, and development partners to:

• Embrace the refined PACA Strategy as a driving instrument for attainment of results and impact;
• Share implementation challenges and receive input from stakeholders to enhance the effectiveness of PACA’s current activities;
• Exchange information, share experiences and lessons in aflatoxin mitigation and management, including evidence from recent studies;
• Identify and deepen partnerships to create synergies and strengthen programs aligned with the PACA Strategy; and
• Engage all stakeholders to support all efforts in the fight against aflatoxins on the African continent.

• Validation of the refined PACA Strategy;
• Input for improved implementation of current PACA activities;
• Experiences, lessons learned, best practices shared between RECs, countries, organizations, farmers and others;
• Enhanced collaboration that avoids duplication of efforts.
• Full commitment from all stakeholders on PACA’s strategy to tackle the aflatoxin problem.

Participants:

Background: The 1st PACA-PP gathers all stakeholders involved in mitigating and managing the aflatoxin problem in Africa to join this Platform Meeting. This includes Regional Economic Communities, government ministries from agriculture, trade and health, farmers’ organizations, the private sector, civil society, development partners, donor communities, and the African Union, among others.

PACA was established at the 7th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) Partnership Platform meeting as an innovative consortium that aims to coordinate aflatoxin mitigation and management across the agriculture, health and trade sectors. PACA’s mission is to support agricultural development, safeguard consumer health and facilitate trade by catalyzing, coordinating and increasing effective aflatoxin control along agricultural value chains in Africa. The PACA initiative seeks to catalyze and marshal efforts across Africa — capturing synergies, avoiding duplication and hence enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of implementation while also facilitating the mobilization of new resources.

PACA has developed ten-year Strategy 2013-2022, based on stakeholder input provided during the PACA Strategy Development Stakeholder Consultation Workshop held in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania in April 2013. In the Strategy, stakeholders have identified five complementary thematic areas as the focus of work for PACA: generating and promoting research and technology for the prevention and control of aflatoxins; developing policies, legislation and standards for the management of aflatoxins; growing commerce and trade and protecting human health from aflatoxins; enhancing capacity for effective aflatoxin prevention and control; and increasing public awareness, advocacy and communication. Within these strategic thematic areas, key results areas have been identified where interventions will be undertaken by the PACA Secretariat, strategic partners and stakeholders across Africa.

Journalists are invited to cover the opening event on Tuesday 07 October 2014 at 09:00am, followed by a press conference at 10:15am, at the AU Commission, in Addis Ababa.

Draft programme of the event is attached:

Contact person:

Mrs. Wazi Chunga-Sambo
Programme Officer, Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA)
Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, AU Commission
Tel: +251-912628834; Chungaw@africa-union.org

Mr. Molalet Tsedeke
Directorate of Information and Communication, AU Commission
Tel: +251-911-630631; molalett@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

Follow us
Face book: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AfricanUnion
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/AUCommission

Learn more at:
http://www.au.int