African leaders have vowed to end hunger on the continent by 2025 by sustaining the momentum of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). Working with international organisations, civil society organisations, private sector, cooperatives, farmers, youth, academia and other partners concerned with ending hunger in Africa, they committed to 'innovative and appropriate' ways to end hunger in Africa.

This was contained in the declaration following a one-day meeting they held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Monday.

The meeting, held within the framework High Level Meeting of African and international leaders to end hunger in the continent, was organised by the African Union (AU), the Lula Institute in Brazil and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

It follows earlier meetings of the African ministers and other senior officials at the AU headquarters also in Addis Ababa, as well as a Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on 29 June, attended by more than 100 representatives of civil society, producer organisations, the private sector, cooperatives, the research community in Africa and other non-state actors.

In the declaration, a copy of which was obtained by PANA here Wednesday, the leaders pledged their political commitment to end hunger by, among others, strengthening systems for inter-sectoral collaboration among institutions and for co-operation with non-state actors (farmers’
organisations, civil society, academia, and private sector) for implementation of this agenda.

They also promised to increase and reprioritise public investment in agricultural development, especially to catalyse private investment in the sector; Complement measures for increased food and agricultural productivity with social protection, with special attention to
nutrition while ensuring environmental sustainability, and commit targeted budget lines within national budgets for social protection to enable the poor to better engage in economic activity.

The seven-point declaration also includes commitment to implementing the Maputo Declaration of July 2003 on Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, as outlined in the CAADP framework,  and a request for the AUC, FAO and the  Lula Institute, with the full engagement of Non-state Actors to support the building of the Renewed Partnership to End Hunger in Africa by the year 2025.

The leaders requested the AUC, in co-operation with appropriate stakeholders, including non-state actors, to establish a multi-stakeholder platform, representative of African society to advise this renewed partnership and on related matters; Apply the CAADP mutual accountability framework to monitor and assess progress toward end hunger by 2025, including facilitating and supporting adequate national joint sector reviews; And develop advocacy strategies and messages in pursuing and sustaining the CAADP Momentum

The AUC was also requested to honour, every three years, countries and selected stakeholders
who make significant progress or contributions toward ending hunger.

Pana 04/07/2013