Final Communiqué - 7th Progamme Steering Committee for VET-GOV

The seventh VET-GOV Programme Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting was held at the Boulevard Hotel in Libreville, Gabon, on 13^th and 14^th April 2016. It was attended by the Steering Committee Members, participants from AU-IBAR, OIE, FAO, PROPAC, EAFF, EISMV, CEBEVIRHA-CEMAC, BRENTEC and RECs (COMESA, ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD and SADC) and invited representatives from countries such as Botswana, Kenya and Sao Tome and Principe.

The meeting was officially opened by Honourable Gabriel TCHANGO, State Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Republic of Gabon, following remarks from Professor Ahmed El-Sawalhy, the Director AU-IBAR representing the Commissioner of DREA, Mrs. Clotilde Niguizama, the ECCAS Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Diego Zurdo, representing the EU; Dr Cyprien Biaou representing the FAO and Dr. Karim Tounkara representing the OIE.

The 7^th PSC Meeting deliberated on the following:

• Matters arising from the previous meeting;
• Consolidated Progress report and harmonized calendar of events (AU-IBAR, FAO, OIE, RECs);
• Financial reports by the project partners;
• Updates on the IGAD studies on contribution of livestock to GDP;
• Updates on pilot activity on Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) Scientific Network in the SADC;
• Updates on pilot activity on Advocacy and capacity building to support policy reforms in veterinary services delivery in Sao Tome;
• Updates on the new EU – funded OIE project, i.e. “Strengthening Veterinary Services in Developing Countries + Rabies” (SVSDC+R) project (2015 – 2018).

Following fruitful deliberations and,

Considering the mandate of the PSC Meeting to provide strategic guidance to the Programme and oversee coherent implementation of the different contribution agreements;

Noting the progress made by the Programme after the 6^th PSC Meeting held in Port Louis, Mauritius (July 2015);

Taking cognizance of the Programme implementation approaching the end of the second term of implementation;

Considering the need to fast track the programme implementation, enhancing budgetary absorption and ensuring achieving the project goals and demonstrate evidence of sustainability;

The PSC appreciates the efforts applied by VET-GOV implementing partners and the important progress made since the last meeting in Port Louis, Mauritius (July 2015).

The PSC endorsed the following:

1. The minutes of the 6^th SCM
2. The progress on the implementation of the 6^th SCM recommendations;
3. The technical consolidated progress report;
4. The financial reports presented by project partners

PSC agreed on the following recommendations:

1. Programme sustainability and the exit strategy
   • AU-IBAR to convene a meeting to broaden the exit and sustainability strategy and circulate to steering committee members before end of June 2016;
   • Technical partners to critically analyse the remaining budget vis-à-vis the programme objectives and if need be submit a request for budgetary revision;
   • AU-IBAR and RECs to prepare addenda to the partnership agreements to be signed before the next steering committee meeting;
   • OIE to ensure seamless phase-over of some of its VETGOV activities into the new SVSDC+R project; and
   • FAO continue to support regional networks through EPT-2 and other projects including anchorage to RECs
2. Support to Regional Farmers Organizations (RFO)
   • Apex Farmers Organizations to report on the implementation of the action plan during the next steering committee meeting.
3. Regional Animal Health Centre (RAHC)
   • AU-IBAR to support the operationalization of the Central African RAHC through VET-GOV.
4. Support to the operation of National Livestock Policy Hubs (NLPH)
   • AU-IBAR and FAO together with RECs to conduct a thorough review/assessment of the National Livestock Policy Hubs in selected countries across the continent, develop a plan to address the gaps and report to the next steering committee.
5. Support the process of enactment of new and updated policies and legislation
   • AU-IBAR to allocate substantial resources and time to help the national policy hubs to engage cabinets and national assemblies for the enactment of policies and laws.
6. Animal health networks (RAHN, EAREN, EARLN)
   • FAO to engage RECs and report on the sustainability of networks during the next steering committee meeting.
7. Harmonization of veterinary legislation
   • Selected RECs to report on the implementation of the agreed veterinary legislation roadmaps (following joint regional seminars held in these RECs) during the next steering committee meeting.
8. The 8^th PSCM
   • The PSC decides to hold the next steering committee meeting in November 2016 in the IGAD region, i.e. in Khartoum, Sudan

Acknowledgement

The PSC Members thank the Government and people of the Republic of Gabon for hosting the meeting and ECCAS Secretariat for assistance provided in the organization of the meeting, AU-IBAR and partners for the support extended during the preparation and conducting the meeting, and the European Union for funding the programme.

Done in Libreville, Gabon on 14^th of April 2016