South Africa / African leaders, Development Partners and Civil Society Renew Commitment to Agriculture at the 4th CAADP PP
PRETORIA, South Africa, March 27, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The fourth Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Partnership Platform (CAADP PP) opened today in Pretoria, South Africa.
The meeting which runs from March 26-27 2009 is aimed at reviewing and discussing CAADP implementation and progress on the African continent.
The CAADP PP has evolved into a key instrument for peer interaction and sharing among the core institutions and partners’ involvement in CAADP implementation.
The CAADP PP provides for collective multi-partner peer review of the CAADP implementation process including highlighting emerging issues and lessons.
At the meeting, official opening remarks where made by Hon. Lulama Xingwana, Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, South Africa; Her Excellency Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, the AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, His Excellency Dr. Joseph Sam Sesay, the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security, Sierra Leone and Dr. Karen Brooks, of the World Bank on behalf of the development partners.
Officially opening the meeting, South African Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Hon. Lulama Xingwana urged the meeting to build on the African Union’s (AU’s) plans to promote and advocate for key Africa-wide policies including environment, land tenure, water and fertilizer usage as the framework for implementation of CAADP.
In addition, she called for enhanced institutional capacity of NEPAD, RECs and national governments for improved co-ordination and implementation.
“We need to enhance Africa’s capacity to build strong and effective partnership with the Global Economic Fund (GEF) and others for resource mobilization,” Hon. Xingwana said.
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security in Sierra Leone, Dr. Joseph Sam Sesay, highlighted the importance of political will at ministerial and presidential levels in moving the CAADP agenda.
“We are undertaking the CAADP process with commitment, determination and unprecedented speed,” he said.
Her Excellency Tumusiime Rhodah Peace, AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture highlighted several issues to be addressed and implemented, such as advancing a clear and concrete strategy, on how to advance CAADP implementation at country level.
In addition, she highlighted the importance of endorsing the governance arrangements for the CAADP Multi-donor Trust Fund.
Representing the development partners, Kareen Brooks of the World Bank, said it was pertinent that CAADP redefines itself as a process, largely at the national level, of good agricultural programming, downplaying key events, and emphasizing the substantive process, engaging more actively with the private sector and civil society, particularly smallholder farmers and strengthening the role of the lead pillar institutions in the national processes.
She also called on institutions running the CAADP agenda to identify trans-boundary investments, activate the peer review mechanism, advocate for agriculture’s importance as a constructive response to the financial crisis and more significantly, develop a position on trading in soil carbon.
Meanwhile, the meeting recognised the progress made by the regional economic communities in advancing the CAADP Agenda.
Key participants at the meeting included:
Civil Society Organisations
Development partners
CAADP Pillar lead institutions
Regional Economic Communities (RECs); COMESA, ECOWAS, SDA
Private sector representatives
AUC Commission
NEPAD Secretariat
UN Agencies
IFPRI
and other stakeholders.
SOURCE : African Union Commission (AUC)
