AU SAFGRAD TO ATTEND THE SECOND CONFERENCE OF THE SPECIALIZED TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE RURAL DEVELOPMENT, WATER AND ENVIRONMENT (STC ARDWE): 2-6 OCT. 2017
Dr Ahmed ELMEKASS, AU SAFGRAD Coordinator leads the delegation of the Bureau that comprises also senior officers
.The African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government adopted the configuration of the Specialised Technical Committees and the modalities of their operationalization through Decisions: Assembly/AU/Dec.227 (XII) and Assembly/AU/Dec.365 (XVII) in January 2009 and July 2011, respectively as Organs of the Union in accordance with Article 5 (1) (g) of the Constitutive Act.
Among the Specialized Technical Committees recommended for establishment is the Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (ARDWE). It includes Ministers and/or Senior Officials who cover the following sectors:- Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock, Rural Development, Water, Environment, Climate Change and Meteorology, Disaster Risk Reduction, Forestry and Wildlife. They are responsible for preparing projects and programmes of the Union and submitting them to the Executive Council. They also have the duty to ensure the supervision, follow-up and evaluation of the implementation of decisions taken by the organs of the Union and the coordination and harmonization of projects and programmes of the Union. The STC is also expected to carry out any other functions assigned to it for the purpose of ensuring the implementation of the provisions of relevant AU Acts.
The STCs are expected to meet at least once every two years in order to discharge the responsibilities entrusted with them by the AU Assembly.
Following the inaugural meeting of the Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment held from 5-9 October 2015, the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture has scheduled to convene the second meeting of the Committee from 2-6 October 2017 at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting will bring together ministers, senior officials and experts from the Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment ministries. They will use the opportunity to deliberate on key documents and issues emerging in Africa pertaining to environmental sustainability and sustainable transformation of agriculture in order to achieve food security, improved nutrition, and rural development.
During the meeting AU SAFGRAD will make two presentations. The first one will be on Agricultural Value Chains and the second one on Envrionmental issues.
