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06.10.2015 Africa

Meeting of the STC on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment towards accelerated actions for improved livelihoods in Africa kicks off

06.10.2015 LISTEN
By African Union Commission (AUC)

The experts' session of the Inaugural Meeting of Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment under the theme: “Advancing concerted action for improved livelihoods in Africa,” commenced today 5, October 2015 at the Mandela Hall, African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The STC experts' session will review the relevant strategic goals and linkages in ongoing agriculture, rural development, water and environment related initiatives and their implications on the achievement of the overarching goals set out in the Malabo declaration on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the ten-year implementation plan of Africa Agenda 2063 to transform Africa.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, H.E Tumusiime Rhoda Peace Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture outlined the overarching efforts by AU Member States in reviewing national development strategies to respond to emerging threats and challenges as well as harnessing opportunities in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment Sectors. The Commissioner stressed on the June 2014 AU Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agriculture, Growth and Transformation and its commitments towards curbing hunger and poverty, among others.

Commissioner Tumusiime, in her remarks, underscored the role of African Union Agenda 2063 and its corresponding ten-year implementation plan as well as the Malabo declaration in shaping the way forward for inclusive growth, sustainable development and shared prosperity.

Speaking at the opening, the representative of the EU Chair of the Development Partners Task Team, Anna Burylo reaffirmed the Development Partners commitment to support the Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environmental sector.

She cited the Malabo Declaration with its Implementation Strategy and Roadmap, Programme of Work and the CAADP Results Framework, as key policy frameworks demonstrating African leadership framing all stakeholders' actions through a set of headline indictors.

Ms. Burylo assured the delegates that Development Partners are conscious of the importance of filling the agricultural financing gap as well as devising strategies, tools and new sustainable financing architecture for the Malabo process to drive its implementation at continental, regional and national levels, but also called for, “effort to be paid to policy renewal and implementation within and beyond Africa.”

The four-day meeting is expected to identify linkages in ongoing agriculture, rural development, water and environment initiatives so as to agree on areas of follow up actions at various levels in a concerted manner that will harness synergies among the inter-related sectors.

From 5 to 9 October, responsible ministers, senior experts and stakeholders will meet to internalize the strategic and operational modalities for coordination between the various sector ministries so as to effectively deliver on the goal of a food and nutrition secure and poverty free Africa within a sustainable environment.

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