An African Platform for Regional Institutions for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Systems (APRIFAAS) has been established by key stakeholders in fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa. The platform is the outcome of a series of stakeholders’ consultations, facilitated by the African Union Commission (AUC), African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA), that took place across the continent from 2012 to 2015 in South Africa, Ghana, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire culminating in the formal establishment of the Platform. The Platform is established within the framework of the African Fisheries Mechanism Reform (AFRM) which was endorsed by the Summit of African Heads of States and Governments in June 2014 as a mechanism for coordination and coherence in African Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector.
The establishment of the African Platform for Regional Fisheries Institutions is against the background of weak regional collaboration and coordination in the sector as recognized by the Conference of African Ministers for Fisheries and Aquaculture in 2010 and 2014.
The Platform is a mechanism established to strengthen regional institutional coordination and collaboration with respect to fisheries and aquaculture development matters in Africa.
The specific functions of this platform are to:
- Coordinate and facilitate systematic exchange of information between regional fisheries, aquaculture and aquatic institutions, across the continent;
- Improve dialogue between stakeholders;
- Coordinate and facilitate the elaboration of harmonized work programme;
- Strengthen the capacity of the African continent to speak with one voice on fisheries and aquaculture matters in regional, continental and international fora and in dialogue processes with partners; and
- Monitor and coordinate evaluation and implementation of the harmonized work programme.
Members of this platform include all African Union institutions, regional institutions in Africa and development partners with mandate and initiatives in fisheries, aquaculture and aquatic systems.
The Bureau of the Platform was elected by stakeholders during a dedicated session of stakeholders in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, July 2015 and has the following membership:
BUREAU
Chair - Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
1st Vice Chair - Southern African Development Community (SADC)
2nd Vice Chair - Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO)
Rapporteur - Commission Economique du Bétail, de la Viande et des Ressources Halieutiques (CEBEVIRHA)
Vice rapporteur - To be determined
The Secretariat of the Platform is the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).
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2015-08-25 French 186.29 KB