OPENING REMARKS

By Dr. Janet Mfon Edeme, Head, Rural Development Division (RDD) / Ag. Head, Agriculture, Food and Security Division (AFSD),
African Union Commission (AUC).

High-Level Dialogue and Workshop on Dissemination and Implementation Planning for the CAADP Kampala Implementation Guidelines and Domestication Tools
17–19 March 2026, Yaoundé, Cameroon
 

Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Representatives from our Member States and Regional Economic Communities, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

I bring you warm greetings from H.E. Moses Vilakati, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) of the African Union Commission (AUC), and warmly welcome you all to this important High-Level Dialogue on the CAADP Kampala Implementation Guidelines and Domestication Tools.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to AUDA-NEPAD for the efforts invested in bringing together such a large number of stakeholders—particularly our Member States, Regional Economic Communities, and partners in the CAADP process—to this landmark gathering. I would also like to thank the Government and people of Cameroon for their warm reception.

Excellencies,

The CAADP Kampala Declaration and its associated CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035) were endorsed by the Extraordinary Session of the African Union Heads of State and Government Assembly in Kampala, Uganda, in January 2025, and officially launched in May 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The development of the Kampala Declaration, Strategy, and Action Plan was a highly inclusive process led by the African Union Commission, bringing together stakeholders from across the agri-food systems landscape on the continent.

The Commission recognizes the important foundation laid by all of you during the development of the CAADP Declaration, Strategy, and Action Plan. The CAADP Kampala Declaration, Strategy, and Action Plan were therefore developed to address the challenges and implementation gaps observed over the previous 20 years of CAADP implementation. They were designed and built on lessons learned from the Maputo (2003) and Malabo (2014) eras. The Biennial Reviews show that, although the Malabo targets were not fully met, the continent as a whole made commendable progress, with a clear trajectory of improvement and growth.

The Kampala Declaration, Strategy, and Action Plan provide Africans with a renewed opportunity to build on past gains, address existing challenges, and remodel, adapt, or revise investment plans with a stronger focus on agri-food systems and implementation. The CAADP domestication and implementation guidelines to be shared over the next three days will provide a harmonised framework and clear processes to enable all African Union Member States and Regional Economic Communities to move in tandem towards achieving the CAADP Kampala targets, as articulated in the Declaration.

Successful implementation of the Kampala Declaration, Strategy, and Action Plan (2026–2035) will require strong leadership, political will, inclusivity, and robust partnerships within the agri-food systems arena. Furthermore, harmonised implementation and collective commitment by all relevant stakeholders, anchored in clearly defined and shared goals and targets agreed upon by Ministers of Member States during the Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment, will provide a solid foundation to propel Africa towards significantly higher levels of achievement.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

The urgency to implement the Kampala Declaration has become even more pronounced in the context of current geopolitical developments. The ongoing Russia–Ukraine conflict, compounded by the conflict in the Middle East, continues to affect global food systems, with impacts felt thousands of kilometres away. Africa must strengthen its food security to mitigate these external shocks. Now is the time to implement the CAADP Kampala Declaration, Strategy, and Action Plan.

AUDA-NEPAD led the development of the CAADP Kampala domestication and implementation guidelines that will be discussed and validated during this meeting. Coordinated implementation of these guidelines, alongside collective efforts to achieve the CAADP Kampala targets, will transform Africa’s agriculture, rural livelihoods, and agri-food systems. The domestication and implementation of CAADP Kampala is also one of the priority focus areas under the Commissioner for ARBE’s rolling 100-Day Plan of Action, and his support for this process can be fully relied upon.

Excellencies,

Each year, the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government adopts a theme to guide policy and implementation efforts across the continent. This thematic guidance will also apply throughout the Kampala Declaration era. The theme for the year 2026 is “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.” As you are all aware, water is a foundational and critical driver of agri-food systems. Accordingly, the African Union has identified water as a key focus area as we embark on the implementation of the CAADP Kampala agenda.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

As I conclude these opening remarks, I encourage all participants to actively engage in the discussions over the next three days and to prepare to carry forward the process of domestication and implementation of the CAADP Kampala Declaration, Strategy, and Action Plan at both Regional Economic Community and Member State levels.

I take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to the teams at the AUC–DARBE and AUDA-NEPAD for their coordination efforts, as well as to our partners in agri-food systems development at continental, regional, and national levels for their unwavering support. The work undertaken here will ensure continuity and credibility in the effective transition to the Kampala era.

The African Union Commission–DARBE looks forward to leading and guiding the next Biennial Reviews, with optimism that performance measurements under the CAADP Kampala agenda will demonstrate greater improvements and meaningful progress towards transforming agri-food systems, eliminating hunger, reducing poverty, and boosting economic growth in Africa by 2035. This will significantly contribute to the realization of the goals of Agenda 2063 and the vision of “The Africa We Want.”

I wish you productive deliberations and successful outcomes.

Thank you.

Merci, Shukran, Gracias, Obrigado, Asante Sana