AFRICAN UNION RESEARCH GRANTS: OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSAL 2012

AFRICAN UNION RESEARCH GRANTS
OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSAL 2012 : DEADLINE 20 APRIL 2012 at 1700H (+3 GMT)

The African Union Commission is seeking proposals for research focusing on the following thematic priorities articulated in Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA) and its Lighthouse Projects: (a) Post-harvest and Agriculture, (b) Renewable and Sustainable Energy, and (c) Water and Sanitation in Africa. The programme is financed through the Financing Agreement between the European Commission and the ACP Group of States under the ACP Research for Sustainable Development Program of the 10th EDF Intra-ACP Envelop.

The full Guidelines for Applicants, Application form and other supporting documents are available in ENGLISH and in FRENCH

Increasing Agricultural Productivity and Enhancing Food Security in Africa: New Challenges and Opportunities

The November 1–3 conference “Increasing Agricultural Productivity and Enhancing Food Security in Africa: New Challenges and Opportunities,” was co-organized by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). Speakers and participants showcased opportunities to improve agricultural productivity and explored how they can be effectively implemented through the framework of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme.

Experts at the conference also examined issues related to:

• science, technology, and innovation in agriculture;
• rural services and access to inputs;
• markets, trade, and regional integration and value chains;
• investments, institutions, and policies for supporting agriculture;
• agriculture, nutrition, and health linkages;
• agriculture and climate change mitigation and adaptation;
• capacity development for agriculture through education and training; and
• the nexus of agriculture and the rural nonfarm sector in growth and poverty reduction

The keynote address - ‘harnessing the potential of science and the numbers’ was given by FARA’s Monty Jones. He emphasized the need for ‘radical approaches’ and ‘radical actions.’ Africa should come up with its own unique interventions, he said, and listen to the voices of the 600 million African farmers.

Stephen Muchiri of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation said:

“The major challenge in increasing agriculture productivity in Africa is low agro investment, markets are not well developed, there are market restrictions, farmers can’t easily access the market, and they don’t have power to have their own markets. If there is no access to markets, the entire value chain will be affected. Markets are the way to boost research, input, credit facilities and risk mitigation. When farmers are involved in value chains they are going to be able to access market information that helps them prepare their production in ways that suit market demand.”

Keynote Speech by Yusuf Abubakar, ARCN. Strengthening capacity for agricultural science and technology in Africa


Keynote Speech by Namanga Ngongi, AGRA. Delivering African agricultural productivity and food security through a Green Revolution: prospects and challenges

2010 Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research

February 4, 2010 - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The 2nd Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research” was organised by the FP7 EuroAfrica-ICT EU-funded project and was supported by the African Union Commission (AUC - HRST) and the European Commission (EC - DG INFSO - International Relations Unit) under the Information Communication Technology (ICT) theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). 

This 2nd Forum edition was organised as a post-event to the “AU 2010 Summit” and the “AU-ECA 2010 Summit Exhibition”.

This Forum was a practical, learning and interactive conference organised as a follow-up event of the 1st edition held in Brussels, Belgium in March 2009. The Forum brought together sub-Saharan African and European organisations for an interactive and a participative event with the following objectives:

• Reflect on progress made and lessons learnt on ICT research and development in Africa and its contribution through partnerships to economic growth, improved quality of life and efficient service delivery
• Gain insight on the status and perspectives of the 8th Partnership (“African-EU Partnership for Science, Information Society and Space”) and support its action plan
• Learn more about the status and perspectives of the EC/AUC/ACP Programmes
• Enhance the development of Euro-Africa collaborative ICT research projects and identify potential partners
• Highlight the range and excellence of ICT research in Africa and in Europe
• Allow participative and interactive working sessions on ICT research and development through panel debates and interactive thematic sessions
• Network with key stakeholders in the field (private/public bodies)
• Hear about opportunities to enhance African participation in FP7
• Get detailed information on successful EU-African FP7 cooperation projects and EU-African PPP (Public-Private Partnerships)

References:
Event Annoucement Flyer
Event Agenda

conference on Ghana's Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP),

27 - 28/1o/2009. The two-day conference Roundtable on Ghana’s Medium Term Agriculture Sector Investment Plan organised under the auspices of the ECOWAS Agriculture Policy Development Programme (CAADP) of the NEPAD, led to the signing by Ghana of the CAADP compact, which commits African governments to raising agricultural growth to at least six per cent a year.To achieve that target, African governments that have signed the compact have agreed to increase public investment in agriculture by a minimum of 10 per cent of their national budgets-substantially more than the four to five per cent average they committed previously.

The the signing of the Ghana CAADP highlights on the importance of the agriculture sector as a potential drive for economic growth, food and nutrition security across the continent. Ghana joins Rwanda, Togo, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Benin and Liberia to be among the first member states of the African Union to have signed their national CAADP compacts.

The Agricultural Transformation Program is the keystone of the Ghana Compact, and will modernize and encourage business in agriculture and reduce poverty in rural communities. It is designed to trigger a private sector-led transformation of Ghana’s agriculture and rural life and attract investment to increase farmer incomes, generate employment, and markedly reduce rural poverty.

References:

Ghana Gov Portal 28/10 Agriculture Sector Investment Plan Confab Held

Peace FM Online 27/10 Ghana to Reduce Poverty by 50%

Peace FM Online 27/10 Gov't to commence work on Accra Plains Irrigation Project

OIC International Given Lead Training Role in Ghana Agricultural Transformation Plan

Related: LIBERIA CAADP COMPACT

Remarks made by Dr. Janet Edeme of the African Union’s Department for Rural Economy and Agriculture at Liberia’s CAADP Compact signing ceremony. 15-16 October 2009. Monrovia, Liberia.


ECOWAS Commissioner for Agriculture Salifou Ousseni.
This clip highlights some of the remarks made by key participants at the Liberia’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Roundtable and Compact signing ceremonies. Monrovia, Liberia, 15-16 October 2009.


This clip highlights remarks made by the Vice President of Liberia Joseph Boakai as he officially opens Liberia’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Roundtable and Compact signing ceremony. Monrovia, Liberia, 15-16 October 2009.

Related: BENIN CAADP COMPACT

Interview with the Minister Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fishing–Gregoire Akofodji. Interview is in French.

AU honours first African women scientific researchers

9 September. The African Union Commission rewarded five African women researchers for their excellent research works.The award programme targets young researchers at African Union member state level, women at regional level and outstanding scientists at continental level.The awards acknowledged the contribution of the researchers to progress in science and are expected to raise the profile of women and young researchers.

The five women researchers, each of whom won a prize of US$ 20,000, are two from Mauritius, two from South Africa and one from Egypt.

• Professor Romeela Mohee, the first female professor in engineering and first female dean of Faculty of Engineering at the University of Mauritius , who is now Chair in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, won her prize in the Basic Science, Technology and Innovation Sector for her research on waste management practices.
• Professor Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Chair in Organic Chemistry at the same university, won the prize in the Earth and Life Sciences Sector. Ameenah created the first ever database on medical and aromatic plants for Mauritius and for the South West Indian Ocean.
• The only researcher from North Africa to win the prize, the Egyptian Sanaa S. Botros, Professor of Pharmacology at the Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, was selected for the Earth and Life Science Sector for her research on tropical diseases medication.
• Dr. Lee-Anne McKinnell and Dr. Brenda Diana Wingfield, both South Africans, won the same prize in the two respective sectors for contributions in areas of space science and research on the molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of tree photogenic fungi, respectively.

'They [the five women] are the real hope (who) can stimulate not only their work in the future but also future generations to go in this direction,' said Janez Potocnik, European Union Commissioner for Science and Research, during a press conference. Potocnik and Professor Jean-Pielle Ezin, African Union Commissioner for Human Resource, Science and Technology, presented the awards to the researchers.

References:
Daily Nation - ‎Sep 9, EU donates $63 billion for research in Africa
Cordis News - ‎Sep 10, African Union awards women scientists, welcomes new EU funding ...
Le Mali en ligne - ‎Sep 10, AU honours first African women scientific researchers
UGPulse.com - ‎Sep 10, Uganda Education News: Pan African University for high science ...
Organisation de la Presse Africaine - ‎Sep 9, Ethiopia / Commissioner Potocnick briefed on African Union activities

EU Commissioner Potočnik gives a boost to the EU-AU cooperation S&T partnership

7 to 9 September. For the first time, EU Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potočnik paid an official visit to the African Union and Kenya. He held high-level political meetings visited EU-supported research centres in Nairobi (Kenya) and in Addis-Ababa (Ethiopia).

This visit took place in the framework of the Science & Technology Partnership established between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) in December 2007. This unique partnership between two continents aims to strengthen African research capacity in the area of science and technology, enabling Africa to produce and to use its own scientific knowledge to address its development challenges and emerge on the global scientific scene.

• On 7 th September, Janez Potočnik was in Nairobi where he met AMCOST (African Ministerial Conference on Science Technology) representatives, including Hon. O. Kamama, Assistant Minister, and Prof. C. Kiamba Permanent Secretary, of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology.
• He visited research infrastructures such as the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development in Nairobi, which promotes the development and use of geo-satellite images in the sustainable development of Africa , the National Agricultural Laboratory and the Kenya AIDS Vaccine Initiative.
• On the 8 th September he met with J. Ping, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and AU Commissioner for Human Resource Science and Technology, J-.P. Ezin, and visited the African Monitoring of the Environment for Sustainable Development (AMESD) centre.
• On the 9 th September, he presented the African Union Women Scientists Regional Awards to some African women researchers.

Reference:
CORDIS 10/09 African Union awards women scientists, welcomes new EU funding opportunities
Afrique en ligne 10/09 AU honours first African women scientific researchers

Find out more about:
The EU-Africa Partnership ; on the call for proposals ; the Scientific and technological Cooperation between Africa and the European Union

Announcement: High-level session of Africa Partnership Forum on Climate Change

September 3. The Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Mr. Meles Zenawi, will chair a high-level session of Africa Partnership Forum (APF) which will discuss the immediate concerns and expectations of Africa on climate change, especially as they relate to mitigation, adaptation, technology and finance.

African Partnership Forum co-chairs met already last week to prepare for the Special Session on Climate Change

The session, which will take place at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, will be attended by Ministers in charge of the environment from Sierra Leone, DRC, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Cameroon, Sudan, Kenya, Mozambique and Algeria.

Other high level participants include Mr. Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union, Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO of NEPAD Secretariat, Lord Nicholas Stern, Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and Abdoulie Janneh, UN Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ECA.

The Africa Partnership Forum (APF) was established in November 2003 to broaden existing high-level G8/NEPAD dialogue to include Africa's major bilateral and multilateral development partners. Its mission is to strengthen partnership efforts for Africa's development.

Related FARA blog post:
24 August 2009 Africa seeks common position on climate change
Reference:
Background documents can be obtained from UNECA

Africa seeks common position on climate change

24 August 2009. Addis Abeba. Ministers from 10 African countries have met in Ethiopia to try to agree a common position on climate change, months before a crucial UN meeting. Yhey were expected to renew demands for billions of dollars in compensation for Africa because of damage caused by global warming. And they are likely to ask rich nations to cut emissions by 40% by 2012.

One of the documents prepared for the meeting refers to the "dismal co-ordination" of the African negotiation process. So far, delegations from individual countries have had limited success in making the case that Africa needs special help to cope with climate change.
The "representatives and experts" of African Union (AU) leaders - who include environment and agriculture ministers from the 10 countries - are meeting in Addis Ababa under Libyan chairmanship in an attempt to change this.

Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, said all African leaders should support the AU's efforts to form a clear message. But she said Africa too had its responsibilities.

"We are all hoping we will develop and attain a higher quality of life, so there has to be a very serious commitment on the part of Africa that we will not be opting for development patterns that will reverse whatever other countries are trying to do," she said.

Listen to PODCAST "Does Wangari Maathai think Africa can speak with one voice on climate change? 3'.05''

References:

• BBC News Africa 25/08 Africa seeks climate change cash
• Reuters 24/08 Africa wants $67 billion a year to fight climate change
• African Partnership Forum co-chairs meet to prepare for the Special Session on Climate Change

Sierra Leone and CAADP

3rd August 2009. Freetown. A four-man delegation from the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development [NEPAD] met with President Ernest Bai Koroma.

According to the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Sam Sesay, who accompanied the delegation, the purpose of their visit was to assess and have first-hand information on agricultural development in the country. Briefing the President, head of delegation Prof. R M Mkandawire said he is proud to note that the nation is on the march towards recovery and no doubt has made a significant impact in the agricultural sector.

Responding, President Koroma welcomed the delegation and thanked them for appreciating the nation’s agricultural gains, adding that “it is because government has put agriculture top of her priority list, to help in the alleviation of poverty.”

President Koroma and the delegation including Prof. R M Mkandawire (NEPAD) FARA’s Director of Advocacy and Resource Mobilisation, Samira Hotobah During and the Senior Partnership Advisor for NEPAD, Angelline Rudakubana.

Reference:
CAADP 05/08 President Koroma assures, AU, NEPAD on food security

Related:
11/08 Members of Parliament in the Sierra Leone Parliament have benefited from a day’s sensitization workshop on the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP). Deputy Agriculture Minister, Alie B Mansaray explained that the sensitization workshop was held in order to keep parliamentarians abreast with the CAADP’s implementation in Sierra Leone. Mr. Joseph Koroma, the Focal Point Official in the Agriculture Ministry thanked FAO and the Forum of Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) for their contribution in supporting agriculture in the country. References:

• Awareness Times Sierra Leone 13/08 In Sierra Leone, Parliamentarians Schooled on Agriculture
• NEPAD 05/08 President Koroma assures, AU, NEPAD on food security

Related:
Agricultural experts, policymakers and representatives from Africa and the international community, will convene in Bujumbura, Burundi and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from August 24-25, 2009 and August 27-28 2009 respectively, for roundtables culminating into signing the African Union (AU)/ New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) Compact. Reference - CAADP 07/08 Burundi and Ethiopia to sign CAADP compacts

Promoting agro-businesses in Africa’s industrialization efforts

22-24 July. An eperts meeting at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, have called for the promotion of agro-businesses as an essential element of Africa’s industrialization efforts.

The expert meeting conclude with the preparation of a draft document on using public-private partnerships as a vehicle for promoting agro-industry and agribusinesses. Some key issues addressed by the experts included: the increasing disconnection of African farmers from both input and product markets; the extreme fragmentation of the African food and agricultural markets; how to improve the conceptualization of regional agricultural value chains; and inter-institutional collaboration for promoting regional value chains.

Reference:
Afrol News 28/07/2009. Agro-industries essential for Africa’s development – experts

L'Aquila Food Security Initiative

U.S. President Barack Obama, right, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, center, attend a meeting at the G-8 conference.

10th July. L'AQUILA, Italy -- The Group of Eight leading industrial democracies pushed many priorities of their summit to larger groups of countries, placing the next moves in trade negotiations, climate-change talks and containing Iran's nuclear program in front of the so-called G-20 and the United Nations in September.

The nations gathered in L'Aquila did achieve one parting success, a $20 billion pledge over three years to overhaul food and agricultural assistance to the poorest countries. Only about half that pledge is new money, according to the White House, but it roughly doubles nonemergency agricultural assistance.On Thursday, it had seemed that the total would be only $12 billion, below the level intended just days before. Instead, last-minute pledges came from Canada and the European Union, among other countries.

Mr. Obama, in a Friday morning session, made an emotional, personal appeal, saying richer nations had an obligation to act. But he also said recipient nations had to acknowledge that they were complicit in their poverty, through corruption, a lack of transparency and other barriers to growth.

Reference:

The joint statement on global food Security by world leaders gathered in the Italian town of L'Aquila for the G8 summit

The Joint Statement on Global Food Security ("L'Aquila Food Security Initiative") is endorsed by the G8 and by Algeria, Angola, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Libya (Presidency of the African Union), Mexico, The Netherlands, Nigeria, People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Senegal, Spain, South Africa, Turkey, Commission of the African Union, FAO, IEA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, OECD, The Secretary General's UN High Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis, WFP, The World Bank, WTO who attended the food security session at the G8 Summit in L'Aquila on 10 July 2009 and by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Bioversity/Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), Global Donor Platform for Rural Development , Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR).

CAADP DAY

FARA stand at the CAADP day

27th of June 2009 . Tripoli, Lybia. The African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) convened a ‘Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme’ “CAADP DAY” prior to the start of the 13th Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of African Union to be: “Investing in Agriculture for Economic Growth and Food Security”.

The following sub themes will be discussed during the 13th Session:

• Climate Change: Opportunities for enhanced investments and growth of African Agriculture
• Regional Agriculture trade and market systems: Issues and challenges for stimulating economic transformation and growth in Africa
• Investment Financing: Making African Agriculture a viable investment option
• Stimulating participation of the ultra-poor in rural economic activities.

In his address, Mr. Richard Mkandawire, Agriculture Adviser to NEPAD, underscored the need for African countries to develop this important sector in their respective governments, as it will help fight hunger and improve the living standard of Africans. The CAADP DAY is meant to act as a conversation day between African political leaders, farmers, private sector representatives, leaders of think tank institutions, representatives from the diaspora and the development partners. This CAADP Day will afford our leaders, the AU-NEPAD and even the development partners an opportunity to engage each other on progress achieved in the implementation of CAADP since 2003 and also explore the challenges that will delay the process, if not addressed.

More than 200 participants participated including the CEO of NEPAD Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Commissioners from the AU, African Ministers of Agriculture, development partners and farmers organisations.

During the Thematic Session (II): The African non-state sector and the CAADP Agenda, Dr. Monty Jones of FARA presented: The role of academic and research institutions in advancing CAADP: Past and future.

Dr Jones with Madam Hope Mwesigye, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Republic of Uganda.

References:

See Agenda +the speeches are posted on the AU website: http://www.africa-union.org/

• Organisation de la Presse Africaine 29/06 CAADP Day / African Union Promotes Agricultural Development in Africa
• Organisation de la Presse Africaine 29/06 African Ministers renew their commitments to CAADP
• Organisation de la Presse Africaine 29/06 CAADP Day / Striving to place agriculture as top priority on ...
• Le Mali en ligne 28/06 'Africa needs cross-border markets to stem food insecurity'
• Le Mali en ligne 27/06 AU: Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme opens
• Le Mali en ligne 27/06 AU: Peace pleads for more investment in African agriculture

CAADP calls for more private sector involvement

June 17 to 18, 2009 in Dakar Senegal. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) brought together representatives of the public and private sectors, including farmer’s organizations, development partners and civil society to propose a framework for integrating the private sector into the CAADP Agenda.

The workshop was aimed at creating specific public-private alliances in the areas of smallholder-friendly value chain development through enterprise growth and finance in major commodity sectors for the purposes of boosting economic growth and competitiveness.

• Deliberations were held on how regional and domestic market development through policy reforms, institutional innovations, and infrastructure investments could be directed towards raising supply, improving quality whilst also reducing the cost of moving modern inputs and products across local and trans-border markets.
• Participants at the workshop were also keen to explore the issue of institutional development and capacity building to overcome tariff and technical barriers to accessing global markets.
• The meeting reflected on the value of existing partnerships, alliances and developments such as those concerning the Hewlett Infrastructure Project, ReSAKSS, AGRA’s announcement of an agreement with Standard Bank and private equity investments in agri-related projects.
• It is within this context that the key issue of public sector investment in support CAADP was also reviewed with many participants arguing that African agricultural stakeholders and leaders need to push for more private-public partnerships in agriculture in order to sustain Africa’s recovery plan.

Participants at the workshop included CMA / AOC, the Government of Senegal, AU / NEPAD / ECOWAS, the World Bank, IFPRI, USAID, AfDB, ECA, the private sector, AGRA, FAO, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the EU and farmers organizations.

Developing African Agriculture through regional value chain

28th May. New York. launch of the 2009 Africa Economic Report..

Agriculture was a mainstay of development in Africa, but was also a neglected sector, Robert Vos, Director, Development Policy and Analysis Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, told correspondents at the launch of the 2009 Africa Economic Report, adding that “regional value chains” could enhance African agricultural markets through cooperation, rather than focusing on competition between African countries.

Introducing the joint African Union/Economic Commission for Africa report entitled “Developing African Agriculture through Regional Value Chains”, Lila Ratsifandrihamanana, Permanent Observer of the African Union (AU), said that one of the main goals of the economic reports on Africa was to identify policy challenges in Africa and to suggest practical solutions.

This year’s report’s focus on agriculture tackled a major sector of the African economy and would be relevant to the theme of the AU Summit in Cirte, Libya, with the theme: “Investing in Agriculture for Economic Growth and Food Security”.

The report is available on www.uneca.org/era and http://www.africa-union.org/

Download ERA 2009 Full Version

References:

28/05/2009 United Nations Radio: Developing African Agriculture through ...
28/05/2009 FANRPAN Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network ...
28/05/2009 PRESS CONFERENCE TO LAUNCH REPORT: 'DEVELOPING AFRICAN AGRICULTURE ...
28/05/09 ReliefWeb » Document » Press conference to launch report ...

Climate Change sub-theme stakeholder workshop at AMCEN

25-30 May, Nairobi - Kenya. AMCEN Meeting/AU Summit Preparations: 3rd Special Session of AMCEN on Climate Change.

On 29 May, ministers from more than 30 African countries adopted the Nairobi Declaration on climate at a weeklong special session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya.

The landmark document highlighted the major challenges and opportunities that African countries face in the upcoming negotiations in Copenhagen on a climate agreement that will succeed the Kyoto Protocol. The Declaration urges all parties - and particularly the international community - to base increased support for Africa on the priorities for the continent, which include adaptation, capacity-building, financing and technology development and transfer.

Reference
Nairobi Declaration on the African Process for Combating Climate Change
UNEP Press Release 2 June African Ministers Adopt the Nairobi Declaration on Climate

Background AMCEN at a glance The African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) was established in December 1985, following a conference of African ministers of environment held in Cairo , Egypt . Its mandate is to provide advocacy for environmental protection in Africa; to ensure that basic human needs are met adequately and in a sustainable manner; to ensure that social and economic development is realized at all levels; and to ensure that agricultural activities and practices meet the food security needs of the region.

First European-African forum on ICT research

For the first time in Europe, sub-Saharan African and European policy-makers were brought together with ICT research organisations to address the development of collaborative projects.

This 2-day event (Brussels March 25-26) was organised by the European Commission (DG INFSO) with the support of the African Union Commission and the EU-FP7 EuroAfrica-ICT project.

This event was a unique opportunity for event attendees to:

• Network with key stakeholders in the field (private and public)
• Identify potential cooperation partners
• Learn more about the “EU-AU Partnership on Science, ICT and Space” (the 8th Partnership) and the EC/AUC Programmes
• Hear about opportunities to enhance African participation in FP7
• Learn more about successful EU-African FP7 cooperation projects and EU-African PPP (Public-Private Partnerships)

Reference:

ITNews Africa 24/03 European, African forum on research cooperation starts this week

4th CAADP Partnership Platform Meeting

Hosted by NEPAD Secretariat, the Fourth CAADP Partnership Platform ( CAADP PP) Meeting was convened in Pretoria, South Africa on the 26th and 27th March 2009.

The CAADP PP is a senior level mechanism instituted to facilitate a common understanding on the progress of, and challenges facing, CAADP and to advise on CAADP implementation priorities. The CAADP PP has evolved into a key instrument for peer interaction and sharing among key African Union institutions (including the African Union Commission, NEPAD Secretariat and Regional Economic Communities), continental and regional farmers’ organisations, leading African academic and research institutions, African private sector representatives and CSO representatives with direct stake in the promotion of agriculture in Africa and development partners.

The Meeting was officiated by South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Hon. Lulama Xingwana, and had a record turn out of 210 participants on the first day. The meeting reviewed and discussed the following issues;
· Progress and status in CAADP implementation and support focusing on identifying key lessons and defining strategies and critical measures to be taken to accelerate implementation at country level.
· Operationalisation of the CAADP Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF).
· Progress on the implementation of some CAADP “early actions”.
· Preparations being made for the upcoming African Ministers of Land and Agriculture Conference and the AU Heads of State and Government Summit.
· CAADP links to global deliberations on agriculture, food and nutrition security
· Preliminary outcomes of the CAADP review.

Reference:
Rural Development Donor Platform 03/04 The IVth CAADP Partnership Platform Meeting Concluded
African Press Organisation 27/03 South Africa / African leaders, Development Partners and Civil Society Renew Commitment to Agriculture at the 4th CAADP PP

Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Summit of the African Union Heads of State and Government

26th January - 3rd February. The summit's theme is "Infrastructure Development in Africa" with a focus on transport, energy and investment issues against a negative international financial background.

AU Commission Chief Jean Ping said the current global economic downturn would also come under the spotlight. "African economies and African people will suffer the full wrath of the crisis for which they are not responsible." Mr Ping argued that the financial crisis would divert the international community's attention from funding development to rescuing banking and financial institutions. However, he noted that conflicts have deepened Africa's vulnerability to the global economic slump. The AU Summit holds according to the following schedule :

• The 17th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC): 26-27 January 2009;
• The 14th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council (EC): 29- 30 January 2009; and
• The 12th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government: 1-3rd February 2009.
• The theme of the 12th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government is: “Infrastructure Development in Africa”.

AU Conference of Ministers of Agriculture Preparatory Meeting

20 January 2009. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting was arranged with the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA) of the African Union Commission (AUC) and NEPAD to discuss and strategize on the road map for organizing the 4th Conference of Ministers of Agriculture.

The 4th Conference of Ministers of Agriculture is scheduled to take place April 22-24, 2009 as a prelude to the AU July 2009 Summit in Madagascar.

It was agreed that since NEPAD will engage a facilitator for the process of organizing the conference and because the AUC and Madagascar must endorse a theme, the propositions should be left to the AUC and Madagascar. 3 sub-themes were accepted with the acknowledgment that they need further refinement:

• land degradation and climate change or land use and climate change;
• Regional markets on strategic products for investment and trade and
• strategies to leverage increased investment financing in African agriculture. Partnerships, capacity strengthening and policy cut across all conference themes.

FARA Delegation Visits AU and CHFI in Addis Ababa

A FARA delegation, including the Executive Director, Monty Jones went to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, January 14-15, 2009, to attend various meetings.

Meeting with the AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture
The Executive Director of FARA gave a brief history of the establishment of FARA in 2002 and the mandate given to it by AU- NEPAD through the signing of an MOU for the coordination and implementation of CAADP Pillar IV which has four thrusts: integrated natural resources management, improvements of germplasm, developing functional markets, and developing appropriate policies.

Meeting with the AU team in the Department of Human Resources Science and Technology (HRST)
The meeting focussed on the African Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy Platform (ABBPP) and Building African Scientific and Institutional Capacity (BASIC) initiatives of FARA that are currently being submitted to the EC through the AU.

Meeting with the Economic Commission for Africa team at the United Nations Office
This meeting was conducted to determine areas of collaboration on Pillar IV activities. The ECA team was updated on FARA activities, the progress made so far and FARA's path to achieving the Pillar IV objectives.






Meeting with the Celestial Humanitarian Foundation International, Inc (CHFI)
The Director of Network Support Function 3 (Regional Policies and Markets) met with a team from CHFI to discuss the work of the foundation and possible collaboration with FARA.

Background: CHFI
The CHFI is a charitable and religious foundation registered in the United States to operate in Africa. Its mission is to eradicate poverty through productive agricultural and social development. CHFI uses a “One Village at a Time” approach modeled after the Korean Saemaul Undong approach.
Related blogpost about Korean Saemaul Undong approach:
Expert Group Meeting on SMART Indicators and Lessons