25^th-27^th August, 2015. Nairobi, Kenya.

Introduction

The African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) in its effort to improve participation of African countries at the WTO –SPS COMMITTEE meetings and implementation of SPS Agreement has been conducting sensitization workshops. Three workshops have been conducted namely in Harare (2013), Nairobi (2014) and Geneva (March, 2015). The workshops have resulted in increased active participation of African countries at the WTO- SPS committee meeting and improved compliance to the transparency provisions of the SPS agreement.

This report covers activities that were conducted at the fourth workshop, which was held in Nairobi from the 25^th-27^th of August 2015.Participants included representation from 16 countries namely: Madagascar, Mozambique, Seychelles, Benin, Comoros, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea equatorial, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Zambia and Burkina Faso.

Objectives

The objectives of the meeting were as follows

1. Improve knowledge and understanding by participants of the provisions of the SPS Agreement of the WTO on transparency.
2. Improve knowledge and mastering of the main transparency tools (SPS –IMS, SPS-NSS).
3. Improve the participation of African countries in the activities of the SPS Committee of the WTO in general and its meetings, in particular.
4. Enhance the capacity of the African countries to resolve trade disputes in the SPS domain.

Activities

The trainers were national officers who have received training both from AU-IBAR and WTO. Various activities were conducted some of which include the sensitization of participants on the SPS agreement and its key provisions, principles of negotiating, introduction to the SPS information management system (SPS-IMS) and an interactive session in which participants shared their national experiences in the implementation of the transparency provisions of the SPS agreement, challenges and possible solutions.

AU-IBAR emphasised the need for countries to prioritize notifications to the WTO through the NNA and disseminate this information to concerned parties.

Countries lacking NNA were encouraged to establish the notification authorities and seek assistance for technical support from the bureau.

Agreement on Cooperation in Regional Fisheries Management and Development signed between ECCAS and COREP

© 2015 AU-IBAR. Mr. Ahmad ALLAM-MI, General Secretary of ECCAS (at left) and Mr. Emile Essema, Executive Secretary of COREP(at right), exchanging of the signed documents and mutual congratulations.The Secretary General of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), H.E. Mr. Ahmad ALLAM-MI, and the Executive Secretary of the Regional Fisheries Commission of the Gulf of Guinea (COREP). Mr. Emile Essema, concluded the official signing of the Agreement on Technical Cooperation between ECCAS and the COREP, on Thursday 17^th September 2015, in the Conference Room of the ECCAS Secretariat in Libreville, the Republic of Gabon.

The signature to this Agreement on Technical Cooperation formalized the relationship between ECCAS and the COREP, with COREP officially now recognized as the specialized recognized Regional Fisheries Body in fisheries and aquaculture matters for the Central African Region. This Agreement accomplished a major resolution by the highest authorities of ECCAS set out in the Decision No. 24 / ECCAS / CCEG / XIII / 07 of XIII th of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Community, held in Brazzaville, Congo, 30 October 2007 which calls for designation COREP as the specialized technical institution of ECCAS in fisheries and aquaculture matters.

It should be recalled that this Agreement on cooperation that formalized institutional collaboration between ECCAS and COREP in regional fisheries management is an initiative of the African Union which aims to bring coherence to respective interventions in the sector by the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Fisheries Organizations (RFOs) on the African continent; a vision that ECCAS shared with and duly embraced by COREP.

To facilitate institutional collaboration and coordination in the fisheries and aquaculture sector at regional level, the "African Platform for Regional Institutions in Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Systems (APRIFAAS)" has been established.

Introduction

1. The 1^st Continental Symposium on honey production, bee health and pollination services in Africa was held at the Safir Hotel, Cairo Egypt from 6-8 September, 2015.
2. The specific objectives of the Symposium were to provide an opportunity for highlighting recent developments, exchanging knowledge and new ideas between MS representatives of the relevant ministries, CVOs, beekeepers, representatives of national beekeepers associations, scientific research community, legal experts on honeybee production, bee health and pollination services in a stimulating environment.
3. The Workshop was attended by 101 participants including Member States, Regional Economic Communities, private sector practitioners, eminent scientist s and researchers, and sector experts. Forty Member States, four RECs and international organizations were represented. Member States represented included Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Maurtania, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. There was also representation from Germany. RECs in attendance were COMESA, IGAD, ECCAS, CEBEVIRHA. AU technical agencies included AU-IAPSC and AU-IBAR. There was a strong attendance from the Arab Beekeepers Union and the host country.
4. Opening Ceremony: Dr. Simplice Nouala, Chief Animal Production Officer AU-IBAR Introduced the Symposium by welcoming participants and highlighting the need for participants to reflect on the Symposium theme of the Future of the African Honeybee within the context of Africa’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda which set out the aspirations of Africa’s political leadership for the continents agricultural sector development over the next decade. Dr. Nouala also outlined the objectives and structure of the Symposium. This was followed by a Welcome Speech by Prof Ahmed A. El-Sawalhy, Director of the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR). The workshop was officially opened by the representative of the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of Egypt, Prof. Abdelmenem El Bana.
5. The First Plenary Session was a platform for two keynote addresses that set the scene of the rest of the workshop. The keynote by Dr. Wolfgang Ritter on Bee Diseases: Examining Options for their Management gave an overview of honeybee diseases on the African continent, and an analysis of the impact of diseases of global economic importance on the African honeybee with the observation that while these diseases such as American foul brood have been present in the continent for a long time, they do not impact on African honey bee population in the catastrophic proportions evident in other regions. He emphasized the need for Africa to examine and replace some of the traditional beekeeping practices such as night harvesting that mask diseases, and to develop its own surveillance systems and to base models for response on a deeper understanding of the African honeybee and the management practices on the continent rather than indiscriminate adoption of practices from other regions. The second keynote by Prof. Peter Kofi Kwapong on the Bee Pollination Industry in Africa: Status, Challenges and Options for Enhancement underlined the fact that growth and harnessing of Africa’s honey bees is imperative if Africa is to feed her growing population. The presentation outlined the important roles of the honey bee in crop, livestock and natural ecosystems, and focused on the Global Apiculture Pollinator Initiative which facilitates awareness raising, networking and policy engagement, with projects in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. He emphasized the need for Africa to conduct research and generate data to understand the African honeybee and harness it for pollination, and for integration of the beekeeping and crop sectors, and for policies and incentives to promote pollinator friendly practices.
6. Terms of Reference of the Parallel Sessions. Dr. Simplice Nouala provided guidelines for the three parallel sessions: Parallel Session I: Trade and Market Access and Impact of Environmental Stresses. Parallel Session II: Honey Bee Diseases and Capacity, Technology Development and Transfer and lastly Parallel Session III: Beekeeping Industry in Africa, Policy, Institutional Environment & Livelihoods, and Pollination Industry. The aim of the parallel sessions was to create space for delivery of presentations on focused topical areas, engagement and discussion. Group work would focus on capturing areas where there was knowledge and the enablers were known and which could easily be leveraged for the development of the sector; areas where information was lacking, highlighting the gaps; and priority areas for action.

Communiqué - The 1st Continental Symposium on Honey Production, Bee Health And Pollination Services In Africa, 6-8 September, 2015
2015-09-17   English  267.85 KB

© 2015 AU-IBAR. Participants at the meeting at Fish Eagle Inn, Naivasha 27th-29th July 2015.The meeting was officially opened by the Director A-IBAR professor Ahmed Elsawalhy, who welcomed all participants to the meeting and wished them fruitful deliberations.

The Director commended the existing partnership between World Animal Protection and other partners and emphasized the need for Africa to lead the way in promoting AW and for AU-IBAR to take the lead by providing leadership and resources. The director, however, observed that promotion of AW has not received adequate attention and resources especially in areas of policies and legislation; while much attention has been concentrated in the areas of companion and draught animals it may provide useful experience.

The Director said that in order to fill any existing gaps and improve advocacy, policy/strategy and legislation in animal welfare; AU-BAR has taken AW as a key result area. This will lead to enhanced compliance of AW in Member States (MS).

In his remarks, the OIE Sub-Regional Representative for Eastern Africa, Dr. Walter Masiga indicated that animal welfare was first identified as a priority in the OIE Strategic Plan 2001-2005 and emphasized the role of OIE as the international reference organization in providing standards, recommendations and guidelines covering animal welfare practices. He said that many OIE standards and actions have been developed and that the scope of AW developed by OIE provides a suitable framework for developing actions for AW. He emphasized the fact that AW standards should be science based, copying and pasting AW regulations from other regions may lead to negative effects in terms of adoption and implementation.