//  Preparing the transition

A formal handover is scheduled to take place at the CAADP Partnership Platform (PP) meeting in March in Addis Ababa. CIDA will work closely with the EC to ensure a smooth transition. For the Business Meeting, that takes place right after the PP meeting, the EC will be co-chairing.

Chairing the DPTT is considered a challenging task. The EC expressed that they hope to serve the donor community well in this endeavor, providing support to the progress of CAADP.

// Contact points

Marie-Helene Novak (marie-helene.novak@ec.europa.eu) will be the main point of contact at the EC, and she will be assisted by several colleagues including in particular Bernard Rey, Deputy Head of Unitand also Platform focal point for the EC.

//  Challenges in establishing country SAKSS nodes

ReSAKSS – facilitated by IFPRI -- supports the establishment of country SAKSS nodes to strengthen national capacity for policy analysis, dialogue and review. So far, SAKSS nodes have been established in four countries: Rwanda, Uganda, Mozambique and Ghana.

Yet, in some countries -- such as Uganda and Mozambique -- sustaining the operations of the SAKSS nodes has faced some challenges. ReSAKKS is therefore undertaking Country Needs Assessment (CNA) studies in 15 countries, including those in which SAKSS nodes are operational.

//  Country assessments to be complete by June 2013

The objective of each study is to understand the policy needs of the country as well as the existing institutional architecture relevant for agriculture to function as a system. The studies are expected to be completed by June 2013 in all 15 countries. The outcomes of the studies will be used to develop a capacity building strategy.

//  ReSAKKS work in 2013__ Establishing nodes in more countries

In the first half of 2013, ReSAKSS will work in six countries in the following ways:

• Strengthening SAKSS nodes in Rwanda and Ghana
• Re-establishing the SAKSS nodes in Mozambique and Uganda
• Establishing SAKSS nodes in Togo and Senegal

In the second half of 2012, new SAKSS nodes will be established in six more countries: Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Over the next two years, ReSAKSS will help to establish SAKSS nodes in more countries, including Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Niger and Tanzania, bringing the total to 18 countries over a three-year period.

//  Partnering with AGRA and FANRPAN

AGRA and FANRPAN are involved in similar efforts as ReSAKKS and there are efforts to harmonise and coordinate work around the country SAKSS nodes. In order to explore how to improve coordination among the various initiatives at country level, a meeting is scheduled for 11-12 March in Pretoria. The outcome of the meeting should help bring common understanding of the country needs as well and develop a harmonized approach to country support, working together to strengthen SAKSS nodes.

//  Improving food security through better fisheries management

Liberia, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria, forming the The Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), have come up with project proposals for fisheries management and are advertising for donor engagement. The topics are:

1. Improving of policies and legislative and regulatory framework of maritime fisheries management
2. Integratign of migrant fishermen in the management of maritime artisanal fisheries
3. Developing sub regional trade fisheries products
4. Increasing market access to the international market of fishery products
5. Supporting co-management for maritime artisanal fisheries
6. Strengthening of the regional legal framework to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing
7. Developing of a regional center for processing and disseminating satellite data to fight IUU fishing
8. Creating fishing vessels registers in the FCWC member countries
9. Assessing fish stocks and climate change understanding

//  Cooperation in African fisheries management

Most of the member countries of FCWC, which was founded in 2006, have no substantial coastal fishing fleet (except Ghana) and are net-fish-importers. There is also a massive problem with illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing with foreign fleets at the same time. All of this creates pressure within the West-African region to jointly address fisheries management.

Ghana has a substantial small-scale fishing fleet with pirogues and migrating local fishermen. In all other member countries, the very destructive and inefficient beach seining is used predominantly. This method requires the lowest investments in gear and is most easily accessible, but it targets undersised juvenile fishes and uses the fisheries resource very inefficiently.

The 5th Ministerial Conference of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) took place in Lomé, Togo from 13-15 December 2012.

//  Download

Project proposals__ PDF

//  Sources

FCWC

FAO website about FCWC

//  Sustaining CAADP momentum

Ministers felt that the continuation of the exercise should come from the perspective of their own commitments to implementation. They requested a systematic review of the last ten years of CAAPD and identify which measures had been effective and what could be done to scale them up.

A revised "Sustaining CAADP Momentum" document is due to be circulated beginning of January, incorporating the issues raised by the ministers – viz. clarity on agricultural commodities and enterprises relevant in different countries, for example irrigation, livestock or regional trade.

//  Mandate for AU Trade Department and NEPAD

A general agreement was made to bring together trade and agriculture, which has given the AU Trade Department and NEPAD a mandate for collaboration. A joint report will be prepared for the AU Summit in January 2013. The AUC and NPCA are currently developing a roadmap on how to take the agreements from Addis Abeba forward - both for the AU Summit in January 2013 and for implementation. This includes working with non-state actors at country, regional and continental level.

//  Concerns about collaboration of RECs

High level engagement between the CEO and the Commissioner will be made to address concerns about collaboration of the RECs which were raised at the Joint Conference. Plans are being made to bring executive secretaries from all the RECs to the Partnership Platform meeting in March 2013 to discuss their responsibilities in CAADP.

//  Downloads

Concept note__ PDF

Draft agenda __ PDF

//  Source

AU

AU Summit in January 2013

//  Input from RECs requested

The main focus of the concept note is on lessons around functions and responsibilities of functioning JAGs and the establishment of new ones. Communication has taken place with the RECs to increase their involvement in driving the JAGs.