African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture Tumusiime Rhoda Peace has said that the specialized technical committee (STC) on Agriculture is critical in reviewing African Union strategies and in identifying common policies within the region.
Speaking at the official opening of the inaugural conference of the STC on Agriculture , Rural development, water and Environment in Addis Ababa on Monday, Peace said those to be elected in the committee will be responsible for preparing projects and programmes and will work as an organ of the AU.
“Previously, we have been hosting conferences of Ministers responsible for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Water, Environment, all but at different times and with different themes. The AU organs considered the need to streamline the operations of these conferences and adopted the configuration of these STCs as Organs of the Union in January 2009 and modalities for their operationalization in July 2011.”
“Therefore, the STC will facilitate mutual accountability and identify synergies, linkages and complementarities in on-going agriculture, rural development, water and environment related initiatives, and their implications on the achievement of the overarching goals set as spelt out by the Comprehensive Agriculture African Development Programme (CAADP)” she said.
According to Rhoda Peace, the STC will further supervise and
evaluation of decisions taken by the organs of the Union and the
coordination and harmonization of projects and programmes, while reviewing the emerging guidelines and terms of reference on how to institute and ensure a mutual accountability architecture including your respective country Joint Sector Reviews (JSRs) and the continent-wide Biennial review.
Representing donor partners, Head of Operations, EU delegation Anna Burylo, said; “The STC committee will frame the mutual accountability system which [Donor partners] DPs will adhere too along with all other African CAADP and stakeholders, seeking to coordinate and harmonise projects and programmes across Africa, as well as ensure that food security and agriculture actions in global processes such as G8 and G20 align with African priorities and needs.”
