AU COMMISSION SIGNS CAADP COMPACT AGREEMENT WITH THE REPUBLIC OF TOGO

PRESS RELEASE No. 150/2009. Addis Ababa, 04 August 2009 -The African Union Commission (AUC) has signed a Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Program (CAADP) country compact agreement with the Republic of Togo. The event took place on 30 July 2009, in Lome, capital city of Togo, in the presence of H.E Mrs. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture; Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Executive Secretary of NEPAD; Representatives of the Government of Togo; the ECOWAS, the World Bank and the International Organizations amongst others.

Addis Ababa, 04 August 2009 -The African Union Commission (AUC) has signed a Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Program (CAADP) country compact agreement with the Republic of Togo. The event took place on 30 July 2009, in Lome, capital city of Togo, in the presence of H.E Mrs. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture; Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Executive Secretary of NEPAD; Representatives of the Government of Togo; the ECOWAS, the World Bank and the International Organizations amongst others.

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The signing ceremony was preceded by a round table discussion chaired by Commissioner Tumusiime. The Commissioner stressed on the need to accelerate actions in order to attain greater progress towards meeting the objectives of the CAADP framework given the challenges posed by the global high food prices, compounded by climate changes and its implication on the continent’s development,

She noted that the signing of the Togo CAADP Compact, was a landmark in the implementation process, as it is taking place a few weeks after the 13^th Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union which took place in Sirte, Libya, under the theme: “Investing in Agriculture for Economic Growth and Food Security”, during which, African leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the objectives of CAADP as contained in the Maputo Declaration”.

Commissioner Tumusiime pointed out the bigger challenges ahead, “including the famine being experienced in East Africa and the issue of desertification in ECOWAS region”, she noted. (The complete speech of Commissioner Tumusiime is available on the AU Website: www.africa-union.org ).

Addressing the participants on behalf of the President of the Republic of Togo, H.E Mr. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said the project of the CAADP reflects a fundamental change in the manner in which agriculture is considered as well as its potential contribution to the elimination of poverty and hunger, and the opportunity to accelerate economic growth. (The complete speech on the AU Website: www.africa-union.org )

Dr. Mayaki on his part explained that CAADP has been conceived to create a political setting for agricultural development at the continental level. “What we aim is to use this political setting to define some regional and national strategies,” he said.

Representing ECOWAS, Mr. Salifou Ousseini, Commissioner in charge of Environment Agriculture and Water Resources stressed that the National Program of Agricultural Investment (NIPA) is indispensible with the regional investment programs and the setting up of policy instruments to come with the national efforts.

Worth mentioning Togo is the second country to sign the CAADP compact country agreement after Rwanda, which signed in 2006.