FAO meeting for Eastern Africa

Kampala , Uganda, 6^th March 2015 – Under the theme “Focusing FAO Work for Effective Delivery",  a three day-meeting brought together FAO Representatives from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda, and technical experts from the respective country offices and the  Sub-regional Office for Eastern Africa, based in Addis-Ababa (Ethiopia).

The annual gathering, held in Kampala this year, focused on ways to strengthen partnerships with the African Union, UN agencies and development partners in Eastern Africa to jointly eradicate hunger in Africa by 2025.

The Eastern Africa sub-region is still dealing with a high proportion of hungry and malnourished people. Lagging agricultural productivity, low rural incomes and high unemployment rates are also straining the region’s population, with the Horn of Africa being particularly vulnerable.

Uganda’s Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Mr Tress Bucyanayandi, in his opening remarks read by his representative, Dr. Patience Rwamigisa, pointed out that a stronger partnership between FAO and the African Union, Regional Economic Commissions,  other UN agencies and development partners in Eastern Africa is a critical factor in achieving the goal of eradicating hunger in Africa by 2025. 

“I am happy to note that the next Country Programming Framework (CPF), that will guide FAO’s work in Uganda in the coming five years (CPF 2015-2019), is in its final stages of approval by FAO and the government of Uganda. Uganda is still grappling with Agriculture Sector challenges and addressing them would require protracted efforts of all stakeholders – government, civil society, and development partners and the sustained contribution of FAO”, he noted.

On her part, Ms Susan Minae, in her capacity as Officer-in-Charge of the FAO Sub-regional Office for Eastern Africa and Interim Representative to the African Union/United Nations Economic Commission for Africa/Ethiopia, emphasized FAO’s commitment to strengthen food security in Eastern Africa sub-region – a task she noted may not easily be realized without strong and meaningful partnerships.

“As FAO, we commit to the goal of ending hunger in Africa by 2025. But this goal cannot be achieved with only our efforts. We need stronger partnerships with country governments,  development partners  and other UN agencies”, said Ms Minae.

The African region recognizes the great potential for  agricultural development through crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry with a growing youth population and available large loand and water resources.

Aligning with the Zero Hunger Challenge championed by the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, and in support of the African Union, FAO is committed to strengthen partnerships and technical assistance in the implementation of the AU Strategy and Roadmap for facilitating the 2014 Malabo Commitments on agriculture (Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods.).

Links:

http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/276266/icode/

http://www.au.int/ (African Union)

Contact:

Agatha Ayebazibwe

Communications Officer, FAO Uganda

Email:  [email protected]

Mob: +256 779442502

Eddy Patrick Donkeng

Communication, FAO SFE Addis Ababa

Email: [email protected]|

Mob: +251 924132360