Concept Note - Retreat of the AUC department of rural economy and agriculture and the chairs of the AU Member States’ parliamentary committees on agriculture and environment

This is a Concept Note for the retreatof African Members of Parliament on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) scheduled to take place 21-22 November 2012 in Johannesburg South Africa. The Concept Note provides the background on CAADP and the sensitization workshop its objectives, structure and budget. The meeting will be preceded by an AUC-NPCA retreat starting on 18^th of November 2012.

The overall objective of the Pan African retreat is to carry out a high political mobilization, initially targeting the Members of Parliament who are responsible for agriculture/environment with a view of sustaining the CAADP implementation momentum created so far. It is also intended to raise the profile of CAADP in the build-up to 2013, where Africa Union will be commemorating 50 years since its formation and to 2014, when AU will commemorate ‘Ten Years of CAADP’. The retreat will be part of AUC efforts to leverage increased political commitment and policy leadership at all levels of the African constituency to accelerate CAADP implementation.

The retreat is also in line with the, Cape Town Proclamation (2006) with Parliamentarians’ recommendations supporting CAADP goals in championing agricultural success for Africa’s future.  The proclamation details, out among other areas, the roles of different stakeholders required to achieve CAADP goals. The roles of parliamentarians were specifically defined as:    

• To designate the agriculture and associated committees of parliament to monitor progress towards the CAADP goals.
• To annually verify the implementation of the CAADP programme, including progress towards the Maputo Declaration by reviewing annual budget allocations and actual expenditure.
• To engage in sub-regional dialogues.
• To alert constituencies, including the youth, men, women and political parties, to the importance of agriculture and increased investment in agriculture.
• Require briefing by the executive to parliament on all initiatives related to agriculture.
• To monitor government progress in achieving the Maputo Declaration.
• To introduce private member resolutions advocating achievement of the MD.
• To Parliamentarians should take a leading role in fighting HIV/AIDS.
• To encourage exchanges of experience and mutual learning with other parliamentarians and technical experts.