STATEMENT ON THE ROLE OF NON-STATE ACTORS IN SHAPING AFRICA’S AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENDA FOR THE NEXT DECADE DELIVERED BY HER EXCELLENCY TUMUSIIME RHODA PEACE COMMISSIONER FOR RURAL ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION

30 APRIL 2014
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

Thank you, Chair,
The President of the Pan African Farmers Organisation (PAFO).
The Representative of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency,
Distinguished Representatives of different institutions,
Members of the Non-State Actors in all your respective categories,
The Private Sector
I welcome you all to the African Union Commission.
Let me, first of all, apologise for the late start and initial inconveniences. This was not intended. It was occasioned by the series of meeting we are servicing using strained resources. I hope you bear with us. Things will be sorted out as we go along.
It is also not my intention to leave this important meeting early. I value your presence and your contribution to our common agenda. It is only that the Conference of Ministers of Fisheries and Aquaculture is also opening within the next few minutes and I am required there. But am glad I came here first.
I wish to begin by registering the appreciation of the African Union Commission to all Actors including Non-State Actors, (especially the Farmers, the private sector, the Civil Society Organisations and others ) also complementing one another, in advancing Africa’s agricultural transformation agenda in the last 10 years of implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). It is also noteworthy that the recent provision of space to you the Non-State Actors has been followed by your accelerated role through research, advocacy , lobbying and or complementing public and private investments in agriculture all in championing CAADP implementation. Indeed, the dialogue on CAADP goals, actions and targets has not involved only governments, and donors but also Non-State Actors in individual and collective capacities. I wish to say that your contribution has brought much value to CAADP implementation.
From our side as the African Union, we have taken good note of the fact that Non-State Actors have carried out parallel research that has challenged AU Member States on meeting the commitments undertaken;
Let me mention a few examples, I know there are many, here I single out a few but are not limited to these:
- The extensive work done by Action Aid on Public Expenditure Review has shaped the recent discussions;
- The commendable work done by ‘One Campaign’ on meeting the 10% target of national budgetary allocation to agriculture;
- The analytical work by ‘One Campaign’ on Gender Gap;
- The work done by Action Aid on Making CAADP work for small-holder farmers;
- Sasakawa Global 2000 significant work on value chains in developing countries;
- The private sector doing real investments on the ground.
- We know FANRPAN and Save the Children Fund in their specific interventions;
- Save the Children has been supporting many initiatives in this sector of agriculture;
- I am also aware of the good works of SOS SAHEL on Sustainable livelihoods and Water and Land management. areas in the Sahel Region;
- To the farmers and the farmer organisations – you have been the centre and pillars of agriculture and CAADP. We really salute you in these efforts and know that the Commission will not relent its effort in supporting you
-To the other categories of the private sector, just like farmers, you are the real agriculture drivers in -countries and we appreciate the efforts that have brought you here. I know you are here with us and we will continue to work together.
This is to mention but a few of the many examples of Non-State Actors’ that are actively engaged in the process for taking forward Africa’s agricultural transformation. Because of the Non-State Actors’ work, we have noted a change in the behavior of governments and other actors, and also in the way business in the agricultural sector is being undertaken. We salute you for this significant contribution and we look forward to a more robust role you can play.
We appreciate the constructive engagements we had with the Non-State Actors during the recent CAADP Partnership Platform where one of the measures of progress we witnessed was the number, quality and the effectiveness of the representation of the private sector including farmers, from grassroots level, through PAFO, and civil society including NGOs. All engaging in continental dialogue.
Going forward, as we further roll out the implementation of CAADP and as stipulated in the CAADP Results Framework and also contained in the National Joint Sector Reviews, the new shift on engaging Non-State Actors will be to have them and other actors make commitments and use scorecards to check the delivery on results and impacts. You will thus help us to track and monitor commitments. We will rely more on Non-State Actors to ensure that those who make commitments including Non-State Actors, themselves, do meet them. We also want you really to show results.
We, on our part as the Commission of the African Union working with the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency, before you, commit to provide due space for Non-State Actors to play their rightful role. We further commit to provide the necessary support for Non-State Actors in advancing their role.
I must add that we are moving into the next decade with goals, actions and targets as well as indicators upon which these are measured. This is to say that the phase we are going into is more challenging, and calls for double effort and more vivid inclusiveness with more private sector working closely with civil society in complementing government to advance our shared agenda for Africa’s agricultural transformation because I believe that it is agricultural transformation which is going to bring about inclusive growth.
In the course of this conference, I received a number of Non State Actors including the representatives of Farmer Organizations and NGOs and Individuals, we agreed on a number of concrete actions and a way forward. The AUC fully engages to work with Non State Actors in a more coordinated and more vigorous manner.
Having said this, I would like to officially declare this meeting open and wish you fruitful deliberations and also assure you that your recommendations will be drawn to the attention of the Honourable Ministers and subsequently to the Heads of State and Government to take into account in drawing the commitments for the next decade.
I sincerely thank you for coming and for listening to me.