AGRICULTURE, FOOD SECURITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT CLUSTER (AFSRDC) CLUSTER KEY MESSAGES (ACHIEVEMENTS & CHALLENGES) 13 TH MEETING OF THE UN REGIONAL COORDINATION MECHANICANISM FOR AFRICA ADDIS ABABA NOVEMBER 2012

ACHIEVEMENTS TOWARDS THE CAADP IMPLEMENTATION: 1. ACTIVE CLUSTER: LEADERSHIP OF AUC/DREA STRONG COMMITMENT OF SOME MEMBERS (WFP, FAO, UNWOMEN, IFAD, ILO) INCREASED NUMBER OF MEMBERS (UNWOMEN, IOM, WMO, OSAA) 2. TEN YEAR CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMME (TYCBP)-RCM Recommendation : TO OPERATIONALIZE THE TYCBP, A TAILORED MTCCBP PROPOSAL FOR DREA & NPCA HAS BEEN FORMULATED A RESOURCE MOBILIZATION STRATEGY FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION HAS BEEN PREPARED

countries and 1 REC(ECOWAS) have signed CAADP Compact, IGAD, COMESA and SADC have prepared their Compact 24 countries have developed Investment Plans 17 countries have conducted technical review and organized business meetings 11 countries have secured GAFSP funding. 4. INTER-CLUSTER COLLABORATION HAS INCREASED- RCM Recommendation : GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT SUB-CLUSTER TO MAINSTREAM GENDER IN THE AFSRDC WORK SUPPORTING THE CAADP ITMA CLUSTER TO STRENGTHEN SYNERGY IN THE VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT AND AGRIBUSINESS (CAADP PILLAR II)

. 5. SHARING INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT HAS IMPROVED: THE AGRIKNOWLEDGE SHARE FAIR, JOINTLY ORGANIZED IN OCTOBER 2012 AND HELD IN ADDIS BY IGAD, WFP, IFAD AND FAO HAS PROMOTED THE EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCES BETWEEN THE HORN OF AFRICA AND THE SAHEL COUNTRIES, BETWEEN IGAD AND CILSS AS FIRST STEP OF MUTUAL COLLABORATION TO STRENGTHEN RESILIENCE AND ACHIEVE FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY. NETWORKING FACILITATION BETWEEN THE HoA AND THE SAHEL

. 6. CLUSTER ACTIVITIES RESPOND TO THE EMERGING ISSUES ADDRESSED DURING THE CAADP PP MEETING HELD IN NAIROBI IN MAY 2012: CLIMATE CHANGE ASSOCIATED CHALLENGES THROUGH THE CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE PROGRAMME GENDER AND YOUTH DIMENSION IN THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH INITIATIVES IN COLLABORATION WITH UNWOMEN AND AU WOMEN, GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORATE (WGDD) AND WITH ILO FOOD PRICES VOLATILITY AND INSTABILITY THROUGH REGIONAL AND NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTATION WORKSHOPS THESE ARE ONLY FEW EXAMPLES OF THE MANY JOINT ACTIVITIES THE CLUSTER HAS UNDERTAKEN.

CHALLENGES : 1. FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS: MANY CLUSTER MEMBERS HAVE NOT ALLOCATED SOME RESOURCES FOR THEIR ENGAGEMENT IN CLUSTER ACTIVITIES THE RE- ENGAGEMENT OF MEMBERS WILL FACILITATE RESOURCES MOBILIZATION 2. PROMOTION OF BETTER COMMUNICATION STRATEGY : TO ADVOCATE AND MOBILIZE RESOURCES FOR THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CLUSTER IN SUPPORT OF THE AFRICAN AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA  It took some time, but now the Cluster has settled down and the achievements reached so far will reinforce the collaboration and cooperation among the members.

WAY FORWARD: 1. FOCUS ON THE COMPLETION OF THE MTCCBP AND USE THE RESOURCES MOBILIZATION STRATEGY FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION 2. TO ADVANCE WITH THE MONITORING OF THE PROGRESS AND IMPACT OF THE JOINT ACTIVITIES 3. TO UTILIZE BETTER COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 4. TO CONTINUE AND REINFORCE THE INTER-CLUSTER COLLABORATION