DECLARATION
Towards African Renaissance: Renewed Partnership for a Unified Approach to End Hunger in Africa by 2025 under the Framework the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme
The High Level Meeting on Renewed Partnership for a Unified Approach to End Hunger in Africa jointly convened by the African Union, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Lula Institute.
We, the Heads of State and Government of African Union Member States, together with Representatives of international organizations, civil society organizations, private sector, cooperatives, farmers, youths, academia and other partners concerned with ending hunger in Africa, met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 30th June to 1st July 2013 to explore innovative and actionable measures for putting an end to hunger in Africa;
Recognizing that Africa has witnessed economic growth of unprecedented proportions, coinciding with improved governance contributing to significant achievements in the fight against hunger in a number of countries;
Recognizing that about 25 percent of the African population (around 245 million persons) do not have enough food to meet their basic nutritional needs and between 30 to 40 percent of children under 5 years continue to suffer from chronic under-nutrition;
Recognizing that a large number of households continue to face food insecurity and malnutrition due to low food availability, income and unemployment, risk and vulnerability, poor access to basic services, including health, water, sanitation and education;
Recognizing that women smallholder farmers, constitute the majority of food producers, but remain vulnerable and require targeted support;
Reaffirming the significant role of agricultural education, training and research and development in the evolution of African agricultural science agenda, technologies and innovation platforms in the advancement of the vision of a food-secure Africa…
Noting that, despite the tremendous potential of Africa for improving agricultural (crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry, in regard to crops) productivity in the continent remains on average the lowest among developing regions with only 6 percent of cultivated area equipped for irrigation onn the entire continent compared to 20 percent at the global level;
Noting that the African private sector is an under-utilized resource that needs to be leveraged to fully participate in African agricultural transformation;
Recognizing that an alarming number of rural households in Africa face economic marginalization due to limited access to critical inputs, resources, services, markets and infrastructure and exposure to risk;
Recognizing that the problems of hunger and food insecurity in Africa are multi-faceted and multidimensional and are likely to persist, unless we, as leaders work together with key stakeholder in the broader society to ensure that bold, urgent, determined and concerted actions are taken by our Governments and the broader society, given the anticipated increase in Africa's population and the pressure on natural resources including climate change;
Recalling the Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action (1996) for achieving food security for all through an ongoing effort to eradicate hunger in all countries, as well as our commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);
Recalling the July 2003 Maputo Declaration which adopted the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) as the framework for addressing Africa’s agricultural development and food security challenges in a coordinated fashion;
Recognizing that the development of CAADP was a unique collective achievement of Africa with the aim of reducing hunger and poverty through agricultural development;
Taking note of the United Nations Secretary General’s Zero Hunger Challenge (2012) and recognizing the successes of hunger eradication programmes in other parts of the world and the importance of social protection in achieving this objective;
Recognizing that sustainable food and nutrition security and social inclusion require that our economies grow and we eradicate poverty;
Recognizing the great potential for African Agricultural development, the growing youth population and the availability of large land and water resources that can be used for agricultural production at large including livestock, crop ,fisheries and forestry;
Recognizing that ending hunger in Africa requires renewed partnerships under a unified approach and with high level political commitment;
Noting that African Union, FAO, the Lula Institute and broader Non-State Actors are committed to actively supporting the implementation of this Declaration:
1. DECLARE our resolve to end hunger on our Continent by 2025 in line with the process of sustaining the CAADP momentum.
2. PLEDGE our political commitment to end hunger and, to this end, UNDERTAKE:
a. To work with and mobilize our societies and institutions, both public and private, for a renaissance in Africa that generates prosperity for all Africans;
b. To strengthen systems for inter-sectoral collaboration among institutions and for co-operation with non-state actors (farmers organizations, civil society, academia, and private sector) for the implementation of this agenda;
c. To increase and reprioritize public investment in agricultural development especially in elements that catalyzes private investment in the sector;
d. To compliment measures for increased agricultural productivity with social protection with attention to nutrition while ensuring environmentally sustainability;
e. To commit targeted budget lines within national budgets for social protection to enable the poor to re-engage in economic activity;
f. To increase support for youth as a guarantee for future agricultural prosperity as well as for smallholders, especially women, by making the sector attractive and by removing obstacles to effective performance.;
g. To guarantee the right of access to land and water resources and to improve capacity for their sustainable management.
3. REAFFIRM our commitment:
a. To accelerate implementation of the Maputo Declaration of July 2003 on Agriculture and Food Security in Africa as outlined within the CAADP framework;
b. To promote access to national funds as well as existing funds that support CAADP and to encourage Member States to also contribute to the catalytic Africa Solidarity Trust Fund for Food Security, launched in Brazzaville in April 2012 during the FAO Africa Regional Conference.
c. To initiate joint actions to mainstream and operationalize the Renewed, Unified Approach to End Hunger in Africa into the CAADP and related processes.
d. Ensure increased citizen participation in the design, development and implementation of policies and intervention as well as in monitoring delivery on commitments and accountability.
4. REQUEST AUC, FAO the Lula Institute with full engagement of Non- State Actors:
a. to support the Renewed Partnership to End Hunger in Africa by the year 2025;
b. to support the AU Member State Governments in the adoption, adaptation and up-scaling of best practices as appropriate towards advancing agricultural progress across Africa;
c. to promote and strengthen South-South cooperation by public institutions and Non-State actors for action and learning within the Renewed Partnership;
5. REQUEST Development Partners to strengthen the renewed partnership for ending hunger in their cooperation with Africa within the CAADP framework;
6. REQUEST the African Union Commission in co-operation with appropriate stakeholders including non-state actors:
a. Establish a multi-stakeholder platform, representative of the African society, which acts as an advisor for this renewed partnership and related matters.
b. Apply the CAADP mutual accountability framework to the monitoring and assessment of progress towards ending hunger by 2025 including facilitating and supporting adequate national joint sector reviews.
c. Develop advocacy strategies and messages in pursuing and Sustaining the CAADP Momentum
d. Honor every three years countries and selected stakeholder that makes significant progress or contribution towards ending hunger.
7. RENEW our commitment to achieving the objective of the High Level Meeting on Renewed Partnership to End Hunger in Africa, and COMMIT ourselves to the roadmap to be implemented primarily with our own resources and with the assistance of our technical and development partners.
Done at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this 1st day of JULY.2013
