6th CAADP Partnership Platform Meeting Ends
By Denis Jjuuko
The 6th CAADP Partnership Platform meeting has come to an end with African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Her Excellency Rhoda Peace Tumusiime emphasising the need for concrete plans and action to build capacity at country level.
Participants in attendance at the 6th CAADP PP
“This partnership platform meeting has highlighted our efforts to realize the CAADP objectives and has accorded us an opportunity to compare notes from different regions,” she added.
She expressed the need for the continued engagement of farmers’ organizations saying that “countries whose agricultural economies have developed have done so with support from such associations.”
She reiterated the commitment of the African Union Commission (AUC), Nepad Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in enhancing the need of having more countries sign CAADP compacts and to ensure that those that have signed move on to the next stage with their technical reviews and investment plans.
In a communiqué presented at the end of the meeting, delegates highlighting the need for CAADP implementers at all levels to acquire and improve CAADP related skills for the smooth delivery of the programme’s goals.
The participants also stressed the need for prioritizing the capacity support that will be delivered and differentiate between the support of existing capacities and the creation of new skills as well as addressing the different layers of capacity building at different levels and ensure that there is impact on the ground. The delegates further agreed that there is need to identify African institutions that will deliver on the capacity support and their ability to do so.
The delegates numbering over 200 from different parts of the world recommended the need for post-compact roadmap for the remainder of 2010 to focus on countries which have already signed compacts so that technical reviews and business meetings are carried out before the end of the year.
There was also recognition that all parties should ensure sufficient country leadership in the post compact process as well as inclusiveness to allow participation of farmer organizations, the private sector, and civil society organisations.