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Issue #126 - Friday 19 October Issue 279 - 21st January 20112007
ZAMBIA Signs CAADP Compact
Z
ambia has become the eighth Member State of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to sign the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) compact. At a colourful ceremony in Lusaka on Tuesday 18th January 2011, the Zambian Government, cooperating partners, the civil society, farmers and Regional Economic Organisations appended their signature to the Zambia CAADP Compact. COMESA Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya, signed on behalf of COMESA. CAADP is an initiative that aims at accelerating Africa’s development by using agriculture as the engine to drive development. Under this programme, each African country should allocate at least 10% of the country’s total annual budget to the sector. Zambian President Rupiah Banda was represented at the official opening ceremony of the signature by His Vice President George Kunda.
Zambia’s Ministers of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Finance and National Planning, Livestock and Fisheries signing the CAADP compact
consecutive food crop surpluses and controlled animal diseases in recent years. However, we have also encountered some challenges such as poor state of infrastructure – roads, bridges and storage facilities, limited access to agricultural markets – both domestic and international, limited development in irrigation farming and reduced fish catches from our natural water,’’ President Banda added.
In his speech, the Head of State revealed that his government is committed to start implementing well focused and comprehensive programmes that will help speed up the development of the agricultural sector in Zambia.
The other challenges that Zambia and most African countries are facing is lack of adequate and affordable credit to agriculture, inadequate investment in agricultural research, lack of adoption of new technology and poor livestock productivity.
“As a country, we have come a long way in terms of improving our agricultural sector. We have recorded
However, the Zambian Government has embarked on a vigorous programme of constructing and
rehabilitating roads, bridges, storage facilities and markets. A new ministry of Livestock and fisheries development is also in place to address the challenges facing the livestock and fisheries sectors. To this effect, a livestock disease free zone is being created which aims at controlling and preventing livestock diseases. This will enable Zambia export livestock and livestock products within the region and other foreign markets. Zambia’s Ministers of Finance and National Planning, Agriculture and Cooperatives, Livestock and Fisheries and Foreign Affairs attended the signing ceremony. Other organizations that committed to and signed the compact are cooperating partners, the African Union, civil society, the Zambia National Farmers Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
This bulletin is published by the COMESA Secretariat Public Relations Unit but does not necessarily represent views of the Secretariat. For Feedback: pr@comesa.int Contact Address : COMESA SECRETARIAT, COMESA Center , Ben Bella Road P.O. Box 30051, 260 1 229 725, 260 1 225 107 www.comesa.int, e.COMESA@comesa.int
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‘Allow trade in staple foods’ – Ngwenya tells Member States COMESA is also implementing the Programme for Building African Capacity to Trade (PACT II), an initiative aimed at increasing the regions competitiveness through effective value chain development including agro-processing.
CBT WHO ARE WE?
COMESA Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya, signing Zambian CAADP compact
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region needs to allow trade in staple agriculture products in the open market because agriculture, to give enhance incentives to agribusiness. COMESA Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya says if exports of staple foods are not liberalized, then commercial farmers will only grow non staple crops which they can sell to forward markets even before they plant the crops. This provides certainty to farmers due to the high risk involved in farming. “This, therefore, means that only small scale farmers can grow staple products which they cannot sell above the cost of production. The implications are that the small or peasant farmer is caught in a perpetual poverty trap,” Ngwenya added. Secretary General Ngwenya made this call at the signing of the Zambia CAADP Compact that took place early this week. Mr. Ngwenya commended the Government of Zambia for its www.comesa.int
commitment to developing the agriculture sector. “This event is taking place at a time when Zambia’s agriculture potential has been clearly demonstrated by the recent bumper harvest of 2.7 million metric tonnes of maize collected in the last agriculture season 2009-2010 compared to 1.8 million metric tones in the previous season,” He pledged that COMESA Secretariat as the lead Secretariat in assisting Member States to prepare national CAADP Compacts is readily available to provide technical, logistical, and financial and any other form of support needed to ensure the smooth implementation of CAADP Compacts. To fast track the implementation of some CAADP Pillars, COMESA established the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA). ACTESA aims to develop efficient and effective regional markets through the promotion of agriculture inputs use and to integrate smallholder farmers into national and regional markets.
Belittle us at your own peril. We do not own big chain stores but we make a big chain to supply big chain stores. We do not own big fat bank accounts, but big fat people bank on us. Why? Because we provide the just-in-time delivery to their businesses We are adept to adapt to any prevailing situation We are the unofficial backbone of most African economies Some use us while some abuse us You may call us informal but we are informed Informed of where to get the goods you so dearly need. Our identity is how we identify areas of surplus. Surplus to supply areas in need When life gets tough you need us. Why? Because we are old and experienced enough to pull through tough situations We are like bees, we know where and which trees are blossoming We are bees of the economic eco-system There is no distance too far for us. Determination is what oils our wheels Giving us the will to cross borders and bridges Yes we salute COMESA. Hats off to COMESA For recognizing and rewarding us For recognizing that we deserve a simple system of paying tax at the border A system exclusively for use by us A simplified tax regime A Simplified Trade Regime We do not deserve to continue crossing the border while cross Who are we? We are the small CROSS BORDER TRADERS! Help us to help ourselves CBT Poem by Ephias Mambume
COMESA AT COP 16, CANCUN MEXICO financial resources, technical and technological support to developing countries Parties in accordance with national circumstances and respective capabilities. The proposal for establishment for a REDD+ was adopted in principle, with final details to be developed further and opened up for discussion by Parties at the next COP, with the hope to start implementing REDD+ as a climate change mitigation mechanism after COP17 to be held in Durban, South Africa in 2011. Assistant Secretary General Stephen Karangizi (left), led the COMESA delegation
The United Nations Conference of Parties (COP16) took place in Cancun, Mexico from 29 November to 10 December, 2010. This was sixteenth Conference of The Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the sixth Conference of Parties serving as the meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/ MOP6). One hundred and ninety-four Parties attended the conference. COMESA was one of the official observer organisations that attended the COP16/CMP6 meetings. The COMESA team was led by Stephen Karangizi, the Assistant Secretary General responsible for Programmes and included 18 sponsored delegates from COMESA member states. The Conference took place at two levels, namely, meeting of experts (Parties) and the meeting of Ministers (high level segment). During the negotiations informal meetings took place in group sessions consisting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, signatories to the Convention and representatives of regional groups. Notable regional groups included, the EU, Africa Group, G77+China, Association of Islands States (AOSIS)
group of least developed countries (LDCs), several umbrella groups, just to mention a few. Exhibitions and numerous side meetings and events played an important role in information sharing, networking and alliance building, project promotion as well as resource mobilization. A Tripartite (COMESA-EAC-SADC) side event on “REDD Without Borders” was held on 4th December 2010 where country experiences from Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Kenya were shared and presentations made by the Regional Economic Communities (RECs). This event was organized by the SADC Secretariat with the support of GTZ. COP16 saw the adoption of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation plus (REDD+) as one of the potential climate change mitigation mechanisms. The objective of REDD+ is to enhance forest carbon stocks using forests as sinks thereby advancing the sustainable management of forest resources. The motivation under the REDD+ mechanism will be that the developed Parties will provide adequate and predictable
The Parties also adopted proposals for the establishment of a Technology Executive Committee (TEC) and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) as well as the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Capacity building would strengthen endogenous capacities at sub-national, national or regional levels as appropriate taking into account gender aspects, to contribute to the achievement of full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention. The governance structures of the Fund and institutional arrangements will be finalized at COP17. There are still divergent views on the quantified levels of emission reductions under the shared vision. There was talk of limiting global temperature increase to no more than 2°C when parties especially from the developing world are demanding not more than 1.5°C increase. The modalities on the Operationalisation of the Adaptation Fund remained unresolved as Parties sought more clarity on guidelines and who the Trustee should be, arguing that the World Bank could not be the Trustee for the Adaptation Fund. It is evident that Climate Change is no longer just an environmental issue to page 4
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THE TENTH FORUM ON THE AFRICA GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT 6-8 JUNE 2011, LUSAKA, ZAMBIA The COMESA Council of Ministers
by policy makers and implementers
at its Twenty Ninth Meeting on
in the Member States.
6 December 2010 requested the Secretariat to assist the
It is important to have these
Government of Zambia and the
papers in good time to assist the
Member States to adequately
preparatory process. To this end,
prepare for the Tenth AGOA Forum,
the Secretariat welcomes papers
which the Honourable Minister of Trade of Zambia will host and co-chair. The Forum is planned for 6-8 June 2011 and will be held in Lusaka. The US market remains an important export market for eligible COMESA countries,
on AGOA, and requests that the papers be finalised and submitted by Thursday 31 March 2011. The submissions should be sent to the COMESA Director of Trade Customs and Monetary Affairs, Francis Mangeni, at fmangeni@comesa.int. The summary of The Honourable Amos Kimunya in closing the Eighth Forum and the Declaration
though there is a lot of room for
of the African Trade Ministers,
improvement of utilisation, which
meeting in their Sixth Ordinary
requires that key constraints
Session, are available on request.
be satisfactorily addressed. The
Available as well as are an update
Eighth AGOA Forum hosted by the
on AGOA and the COMESA Editorial
Trade Minister of Kenya in August
Policy.
2009, and the African Union Trade Ministers at their Sixth Ordinary
The papers should deal with
Session held in Kigali in November
topical issues on the AGOA
2010, have both identified key
agenda, providing empirical case
constraints and called upon Africa
studies, and making concrete
to work together in engaging the
recommendations that can
US to address them.
be considered in formulating programs to be implemented.
In order to adequately prepare to elaborate concrete issues and workable solutions and programs, it is important to have technical and practical papers that deal with specific areas and that are usable www.comesa.int
The papers should be concise and preferably not more than 10 pages. The Secretariat will select up to 12 papers for publication at the Forum. A selected paper will get an honorarium.
COMESA AT COP 16, CANCUN MEXICO from page 3
but one that impacts all aspects of the human experience. Climate Change is now all about development and the future has to be looked at through the Climate Change lens, as the world is on the verge of a major paradigm leap into low carbon growth and development. The African group is becoming more coherent and vocal in the process. The RECs are fairly advanced in facilitating their Member States positions. The African Union Commission has applied for its status in the UNFCCC to be upgraded from observer to Party. This will pave the way for the AU (supported by its constituent RECs) to better co-ordinate and represent the interests of Africa and its people. While the negotiations proceeded smoothly, the numerical representation of Africa negotiators remained low. Within the G77 + China Group, Parties from Latin America, Arab States and India dominated the discussions by virtue of their numbers, with the voices from the African States being out-numbered. This may be an indication of financial constraints among Africa Group Parties in mobilizing enough funding to support a large number of negotiators. It was also observed that legal expertise within the African Group negotiators was visibly low judging by the respective capacities displayed by other Parties when it came to articulate the negotiating texts. The full decisions adopted by the COP 16 and CMP 6 can be found on their website www.unfccc.int.