On March 29-31, the first National Compact of the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) was signed in Kigali, Rwanda, by the Rwandan Ministries of Agriculture and Finance, the Africa Union, COMESA and national development partner representatives.
Nearly 200 participants gathered to discuss the progress of the CAADP implementation in the COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) region and in Rwanda particularly. The occasion was the COMESA-CAADP Partners Meeting and the Rwanda CAADP Roundtable, which culminated in the signature of the first National Compact to implement in the CAADP framework.
The progress of moving the CAADP agenda from a strategic document to real actions and decisions on the ground, as illustrated by the Rwanda round table outcomes, has indeed been a key achievement to foster African agricultural growth. The Compact specifies a set of concrete commitments and actions with respect to sector policies, budgetary allocations, investment needs, development assistance, and review process that are needed to reach the CAADP targets. In addition, if defines a shared, long term framework for development planning by the government of Rwanda as well as the planning of long term assistance to the sector by development partners and of investment by the private sector.
“Having just returned from the first, very successful country CAADP round table, which was organized by the government of Rwanda, in collaboration with COMESA, from March 29 to 31 in Kigali, I would like to share with the rest of the development partners the progress that has been achieved and reflect on the critical steps that have been taken in advancing the implementation of the CAADP agenda.
We have now firmly established CAADP as a credible agenda and framework among the large group of bilateral and multilateral development partners, most of whom have agreed to fully align their assistance to the sector with the agenda.
Two of the main regional economic communities, COMESA and ECOWAS, which together regroup about 40 African countries, have taken strong leadership and ownership of the agenda and are now working proactively with their member states on accelerating its implementation. About a dozen countries in the two regions are actively preparing the organization of country round tables to agree on investment programs, funding arrangements, sector policies, and review and dialogue mechanisms that are required to ensure that each country does achieve the CAADP growth and poverty reduction targets.
Rwanda has organized the first round table and singed the first Country CAADP Compact, a copy of which is attached. The Compact, which has formally been signed by Rwanda's ministers of finance and agriculture, the AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, the Assistant Secretary General of COMESA, the World Bank on behalf the group of development partners, and Rwanda's private sector, specifies a set of concrete commitments and actions with respect to sector policies, budgetary allocations, investment needs, development assistance, and review process that are needed to reach the CAADP targets. The Compact also specifies implementation and coordination procedures, as well as immediate steps to be taken and a time table to ensure full operationalisation. In addition, if defines a shared, long term framework for development planning by the government of Rwanda as well as the planning of long term assistance to the sector by development partners and of investment by the private sector.
The technical documents, which were prepared as input into the round table process, illustrate the level of expertise that is being put to use to support the implementation of the CAADP agenda and raise the chances of success.
They are part of the efforts under the agenda to promote the practice of evidence-based and outcome-oriented policy planning and design in order to improve development outcomes.
The progress of moving the CAADP agenda from a strategic document to real actions and decisions on the ground, as illustrated by the Rwanda round table outcomes, has indeed been a key achievement by the Secretariat in its facilitation role. We have now put all the necessary elements in place to create the opportunity for each country in Africa to achieve better agricultural growth and poverty outcomes. They have been tested in Rwanda and proven to be pragmatic and conducive. As more countries and their partners complete the round table process and take leadership of the operational aspects of the national investment programmes and development strategies, the focus of the Secretariat's role will gradually move to fostering the review and dialogue processes at the regional and country levels to ensure that commitments are kept and progress is sustained.
I would like to salute, at this juncture, the leadership of the regional economic communities, in particular ECOWAS and COMESA, and the government of Rwanda for its pioneering role, in particular the inspiring leadership of its ministers of finance and agriculture and the entire cabinet. I also would like to express my real appreciation of the strong support from the large and growing number of development partners who are providing the necessary financial resources to regional economic communities and their member states to implement the round table process. Their mobilization, individually and collectively under the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development, has taken the quality of partnership in the sector to new heights. Their designation of lead partners to coordinate their support in individual countries is a strong indication of their commitment to the CAADP agenda.
In closing, I would like to stress that for the first time in history, we have established a collective framework, shared across regions and countries, adhered to by the development community, supported by high quality research, and carried by the leadership of African countries at the highest level. This is indeed a real achievement and the beginning of the realization of AU's vision for the agricultural sector under the NEPAD initiative. I believe firmly that we are on the right path. Over the coming months, the RECs, their member states, and development partners will work to accelerate the round table process and reach the target of 20 countries, which will have launched and/or completed the process by December 2007.
I look forward to the continued support of the development partners in the forthcoming Round Tables processes.
Once again thank you all for your continued support.”
Richard Mkandawire
NEPAD Secretariat
Rwanda National Compact
COMESA