AU-IBAR Holds an Awareness Seminar on Animal Resources for Members of The Pan African Parliament

AU-IBAR recently led multi-stakeholder efforts to formulate the livestock Development Strategy for Africa (LiDeSA) and the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS). These two key continental frameworks will be instrumental in guiding and rationalizing efforts and resources toward the development of animal resources on the continent.

Considering the paramount role of legislators in the process of policies formulation and approval, and in the enactment of legislation related to animal resources, AU-IBAR, through the reinforcing of veterinary governance (VET-GOV) programme seeks to foster partnership with the Pan African Parliamentarians (PAP), by providing them with information on animal resources policies and legislation development process and progress at national, regional and continental levels in order to solicit and secure their full support in this area.

In this regard a high level seminar was held in Nairobi at AU-IBAR premises from 5th -6th November 2015 for engagement and creation of awareness amongst the members of Pan African Parliamentarians on the Livestock development Strategy for Africa (LiDeSA), the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS), the Reinforcing veterinary governance in Africa (VET-GOV) Programme and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) Activities with the view to establish a plan of action and roadmap for the members of PAP at national, regional and continental levels on the LiDeSA, PFRS, VET-GOV and SPS.

The seminar was attended by the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Rapporteurs and 16 Members of the Committee on Agriculture of the Pan African Parliamentarians and representatives from the Committees on, Finance, Trade, Health, Education, Cooperation, representatives of the Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern Regional Caucuses, CAADP Senior Programme Officer, and PAP staff. In attendance also were representatives from AUC, AU-IBAR, FAO, and the OIE.

The seminar whose broader agenda was to foster partnership with the Pan African Parliamentarians, was presided over by Professor Ahmed Elsawalhy the Director of AU-IBAR, the Commissioner Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA), Her Excellency Madam Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, the Chairperson of PAP's Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Jacqueline Amongin, and officially opened by the Representative of the Speaker of the Senate of Kenya Hon Dr Wilfred Mackage. They commended the cooperation received from Member States in implementing the AU-IBAR projects on animal resources development and hailed the support from the European Union (EU) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for providing financial support for the development of the Livestock Development Strategy for Africa (LiDeSA) and the implementation of the VET-GOV programme.

The members of PAP resolved to support the livestock policies and legislation process at national and regional levels and agreed with AU-IBAR to develop a result-oriented roadmap that will be the basis of the 2016 action plan