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NOW

  • 2025-08-13 African Union-AIP Water Investment Summit 2025
  • 2025-07-25 Call for Expression of Interest: Host Side Events at Africa Pavilion during ACS2
  • 2025-06-23 Joint ClimSA & SEWA Forum
  • 2025-06-16 Invitation for the Second Africa Climate Summit Joint Media Briefing
  • 2025-06-02 8th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction
  • 2025-04-14 African Union Agribusiness Youth Strategy (AAYS) Dialogue for Island States
  • 2024-05-09 Heads of State and Government Session of the AFSH 2024
  • 2024-05-08 Ministers of the Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Session of the AFSH 2024
  • 2024-05-08 Ministers of the Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Session of the AFSH 2024
  • 2024-05-07 Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit
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      Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE)

      Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE)
      Directorate Tags
      Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE)
      Agriculture and Food Security
      Rural Development
      Blue Economy
      Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy (SEBE) Directorate
      About

      The Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) leads the efforts to promote sustainable environmental management and agricultural development by boosting member states’ rural economy development and agricultural transformation by supporting the adoption of measures, strategies, policies and programmes on agriculture.

      The mandate of the department includes:

      • Promoting implementing of Agenda 2063 Continental Frameworks such as Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)
      • Promoting agricultural and rural development
      • Promoting policies and developing strategies and programmes to ensure food security and nutrition
      • Helping members states to achieve sustainable growth and improved livelihoods through sound environmental and natural resources management.
      • Promoting rural community initiatives and transfer of technologies
      • Coordinating efforts to eradicate poverty
      • Promoting efforts to combat desertification and drought including implementation of key projects such as the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI),
      • Promoting Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEAs), Land Policy Initiative (LPI), Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR
      • Promoting the Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA), African Fertilizer Financing Mechanism (AFFM), and the African Seed and Biotechnology Program (ASBP).
      • Promoting policies and strategies to mitigate disasters;
      • Supporting harmonisation of policies and strategies among the RECs
      • Initiating research on climate change, water and sanitation, and land management.

      The department has five regional technical offices: the AU Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (IAPSC); AU–Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU–IBAR); Pan African Veterinary Vaccine Centre (PANVAC); Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign (PATTEC); and Semi-Arid Food Grain Research and Development (SAFGRAD).

      Structure

      Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE)
      H.E. Moses Vilakati

      Director: Godfrey Bahiigwa (Uganda)

      Divisions

      • Agriculture and Food Security Division;
      • Rural Development Division;
      • Sustainable Environment Division; and
      • Blue Economy Division.

      News & Events

      Event
      African Union-AIP Water Investment Summit 2025
      African Union-AIP Water Investment Summit 2025
      13 August 2025

       The African Union- AIP Water Investment Summit 2025 is being convened in the context of South Africa’s G20 Presidency and will advance efforts towards inclusive and sustainable economic growth and social advancement.

      Announcements
      Call for Expression of Interest to host Side Events at the Africa Pavilion during ACS2 Scheduled for 8-10 September 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
      Call for Expression of Interest: Host Side Events at Africa Pavilion during ACS2
      25 July 2025

      Introduction

      Event
      Joint ClimSA & SEWA Forum Theme: Accelerating Access to Climate and Weather Services for Resilient African Economies and Communities
      Joint ClimSA & SEWA Forum
      23 June 2025

      INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

      THE SECOND CONTINENTAL JOINT CLIMSA AND SEWA FORUM

      Event
      Invitation for the Second Africa Climate Summit Joint Media Briefing
      Invitation for the Second Africa Climate Summit Joint Media Briefing
      16 June 2025

      The African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) will host the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) from 8-10 September 2025, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

      Event
      8th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction   “EVERYDAY COUNTS, ACT FOR RESILIENCE TODAY”
      8th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction
      2 June 2025

      African Union Commission Participation on the Eighth Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR_2025) to be held under the theme “Everyday Counts, Act for Resilience Today”.   

      Event
      African Union Agribusiness Youth Strategy (AAYS) Dialogue for Island States
      African Union Agribusiness Youth Strategy (AAYS) Dialogue for Island States
      14 April 2025

      What:                  African Union Agribusiness

      MORE

      Latest videos

      Africa Climate Week video message by Commissioner  for  Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment
      Africa Climate Week video message by Commissioner for ARBE
      2021-09-14
      MORE

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