Preamble
The Ministers responsible for Agriculture and representatives of Countries present at the African Ministerial Conference on Climate-Smart Agriculture – “Africa: A Call to Action”, held in Johannesburg, South Africa on 13 to 14 September 2011 have agreed to this communiqué:
Recognising the role of agriculture in generating economic growth and raising incomes among the very poor and small holders, as well as contributing to sustainable development
Recognising that food security, poverty and climate change are closely linked and should not be considered separately
Recognising that climate-smart agriculture offers integrated approaches to green growth, food security, adaptation and mitigation, and is important in building resilient landscapes and communities’ adaptive capacity
Affirming that Africa’s priorities are to implement climate change programmes and projects to attain development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, in particular to eradication of poverty with emphasis on achieving food security, especially for the most vulnerable groups
Recognising that without strong adaptation and mitigation measures, and the financing to support them, poverty eradication and food security goals will not be reached
Guided by the role played by the Committee of Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), the African Union Commission (AUC), and the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in providing political guidance and leadership in forging common African positions in the on-going international climate change negotiations under the UNFCCC
Recalling the outcomes of the 13th session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment in Bamako, Mali, June 23 to 25 2010, which re-affirmed that adaptation is the priority for Africa and that there is an urgent need for immediate support for the continent’s implementation of adaptation measures;
Affirming Africa’s commitment to the allocation of at least 10 % of national budgetary resources to agriculture and rural development policy implementation
Recalling the Monterrey Consensus on Financing for Development, which committed to a broad-based development agenda taking into account poverty eradication, environmental sustainability and economic growth and which called upon donors to commit to a target of 0.7% of GDP towards official development assistance
Recalling the collective commitment as per Cancun Agreement by developed countries to provide new and additional resources and investments through international institutions, approaching USD 30 billion for the period 2010-2012, with a balanced allocation between adaptation and mitigation. Recognizing that developed countries commit to a goal of mobilising jointly USD 100 billion per year by 2020 to address the adaptation and mitigation actions of developing countries
Emphasising that as per Cancun Agreements, adaptation funding will be prioritized for vulnerable developing countries, such as the least developed countries, small island developing States and Africa
Affirming the importance of implementing the AUC-NEPAD Agriculture Climate Change Adaptation-Mitigation Framework
Recognising the importance of cooperation with non-governmental and civil society organisations, as well as the private sector, in implementing agriculture and rural development programmes and activities
Expressing appreciation for the efforts and support of all partners to promote climate-smart agriculture and food security
Affirming the important role that women, the youth, farmers, civil society, and the private sector play in sustainable development, and the need for their effective involvement in driving Africa’s climate-smart agriculture and food security agenda
Hereby:
1. Call on African countries and partners to accelerate the implementation of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), by increasing financial support to country agricultural investment plans towards climate-smart agriculture, in particular food security interventions
2. Call on the African Union and other partners to mainstream climate change principles into the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) and to further support the implementation of the AUC-NEPAD Agriculture and Climate Change Adaptation-Mitigation Framework
3. Call on developed countries and other partners, to support the implementation and scaling-up of early action programmes, including best practice and technologies in climate-smart agriculture and food security, through regional, sub-regional and national programmes and institutions as a matter of priority
4. Urge African countries to invest in research, technology and information dissemination to facilitate the adaptation and application of climate-smart agriculture
5. Further and as a matter of urgency, call on the African Union and partners to note the development of an Investment Platform for African Climate-Smart Agriculture in support of the implementation of the AUC-NEPAD Agriculture and Climate Change Adaptation-Mitigation Framework with a view to launch the Platform and mobilise donor support at the COP17/CMP7; Stress the importance of approaching and conducting the negotiations at COP17/CMP7 in Durban in the spirit and context of sustainable development, and in accordance with universally accepted principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities
6. Call upon the COP17/CMP7 in Durban, South Africa to establish an agriculture Programme of Work that covers adaptation and mitigation
7. Call on African countries and the international community to ensure that financial support to climate- smart agriculture benefits smallholders, pastoralists and other stakeholders, with a special focus on youth and women
8. Reiterate that developed countries and partners should provide scaled-up, new and additional, predictable and adequate financial support to developing countries, taking into account the urgent and immediate needs of developing countries that are particularly vulnerable such as the least developed countries, small island developing States and Africa to enable countries to tackle the adverse effects of climate change
9. Emphasise the importance of government-led partnerships with non-state agencies in designing strategies, policies and appropriate market based approaches to promote climate-smart agriculture
10. Encourage countries to leverage private sector investments through public private partnerships in support of climate-smart agriculture
11. Call upon the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in approving the design of the Green Climate Fund to ensure recognition of the importance of adequate financing for agriculture in both adaptation and mitigation
12. Call on development partners to provide adequate funding that is favorable and tailor-made for increasing climate-smart agriculture, and easily accessible by the developing countries
13. Urge the African Union Commission, NEPAD Agency and national governments to strengthen synergies with the Ministries of Environment in the implementation of climate-smart agriculture and food security programmes and initiatives at the national, sub-regional and regional levels in support of green growth and sustainable development for Africa
14. Call on Ministers responsible for agriculture to brief their respective colleagues involved in COP17/CMP7 on the above matters, and to mandate the South African government to forward this communiqué to the African Ministers Conference on Environment (AMCEN) for consideration and further processing; and to other relevant structures and processes, including the UN General Assembly
15. To request the African Union Commission to consider the establishment of a technical working group to give direction and content to the intended Programme of Work
16. To use every opportunity to ensure that African negotiators at COP17/CMP7 engage with representatives of the agriculture sector.
Ministers and countries represented
Ministers:
1. Honourable Eva Ortet: Cape Verde
2. Honourable Jean Marc Telliano: Guinea
3. Honourable Ould M’Barek Brahim: Mauritania
4. Honourable Satya Veyash Faugoo: Mauritius
5. Honourable John Mutorwa: Namibia
6. Honourable Tina Joemat-Pettersson: Republic of South Africa
7. Honourable Clement Dlamini: Swaziland
Deputy Ministers:
1. Salih Omar Abdu: Eritrea
2. Kareke Mbuiki: Kenya
3. Honourable Yaw Effah Bafi: Ghana
4. Dr. Pieter Mulder: Republic of South Africa
Embassies and Foreign Missions
1. Algeria
2. Benin
3. Burkina Faso
4. Democratic Republic of the Congo
5. Egypt
6. Ghana
7. Kenya
8. Malawi
9. Tunisia
10. Rwanda
Countries represented
1. Algeria
2. Angola
3. Benin
4. Burkina Faso
5. Burundi
6. Cape Verde
7. Democratic Republic of the Congo
8. Egypt
9. Eritrea
10. Ghana
11. Guinea
12. Kenya
13. Malawi
14. Mauritius
15. Mozambique
16. Namibia
17. Nigeria
18. Republic of South Africa
19. Rwanda
20. Seychelles
21. Swaziland
22. Tanzania
23. Tunisia
Enquiries:
Selby Bokaba
Cell: 082 778 0245
