The 33rd Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa has concluded with a strong ministerial declaration that calls for greater support to build resilience in African countries against climate shocks, increase cooperation for Blue Transformation to intensify African aquaculture, a revival of underutilised African crops, and inclusive rural transformation.
The declaration comes at the end of a three-day conference in Rabat, hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco, that saw the 54 African delegations take part, including Ministers of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Forestry and other relevant portfolios. Civil society, private sector and development partner organizations and representatives also took part.
The unanimous declaration emphasized concerns over Africa’s progress towards the Malabo Commitments on food security and nutrition, and the targets underpinning the Sustainable Development Goals for food security, ending all forms of malnutrition, and sustainable agriculture.
The FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031 anchored the discussions across the three days. The framework features the four betters – better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life – which provide a roadmap through which FAO can support countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 1 No Poverty, SDG2 Zero Hunger and SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities.
Ministers renewed their commitment to implementing the four betters. They encouraged FAO to continue to support the African Union in the formulation of the post-Malabo strategy and action plan, welcomed FAO’s proposal for a reinvigorated business model for the evolution of the FAO Country Offices network, and called on FAO to provide special attention to agrifood systems transformation in Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries, and to support enhanced implementation of the Livestock Development Strategy for Africa.
During her closing remarks, FAO Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo, speaking on behalf of FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, underscored the urgency of collaborative and decisive actions needed to transform agrifood systems in Africa.
“We have just six years until the 2030 deadline. To a farmer this is six annual harvests. To ministers, it is six government budgets. Or six operational plans. We have just three more opportunities to meet in this forum before the end of 2030,” she said.
“It’s imperative, as we’ve discussed at this conference, that we leverage science, innovation, digital tools and strategic partnerships to drive agrifood systems transformation in Africa… We must walk the talk.”
Semedo also expressed deep thanks to the Kingdom of Morocco for hosting the conference, and the delegations for their rich ideas, contributions and experience-sharing. “Sharing and learning from one another is vital to lift up the whole continent and South-South collaboration is an important tool…Let’s move forward with a sense of urgency and a commitment to make real change for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life in Africa,” she concluded.
Mohammed Sadiki, Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests of the Kingdom of Morocco and Chairperson of ARC33 also thanked the delegates for making the conference a success and for forging ahead on the agenda of agrifood systems transformation in Africa.
Across the three days, the conference also highlighted FAO’s flagship initiatives, such as the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, One Country One Priority Product, the Green Cities Initiative and 1000 Digital Villages, as valuable country-led vehicles for accelerated development.
The outcomes of the conference will inform FAO’s strategic planning in Africa for the next two years, and will be tabled for consideration and endorsement at the FAO global conference later this year.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of FAO Regional Office for Africa.
Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is scheduled to visit Ethiopia from April 22 to April 26, 2024. His trip aims to meet with foundation partners and grantees who are at the forefront of addressing health challenges and creating economic opportunities in the country. Ahead of his visit, Mark Suzman shared insights in an interview with Capital’s Groum Abate on the foundation’s ongoing projects and future plans in Ethiopia and broader Africa. The conversation reveals the foundation’s strategies for engagement and its deep commitment to improving lives across the continent. Excerpts;
Capital: Welcome to Ethiopia. What brings you to the country and what are your plans during the visit?
Mark Suzman: Thank you. It’s truly a pleasure to be back in Ethiopia. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s commitment to the country – and the African continent – is integral to who we are.
Ethiopia has an incredible track record of progress, and despite real setbacks, it has enormous potential to save and improve even more lives. I’m excited to learn from our Ethiopian partners about what’s working well and what challenges still remain in key sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and digital public infrastructure, among others.
We’re proud of the partnerships we’ve built with Ethiopian leaders, innovators, and health professionals over the last two decades. Ethiopia’s most valuable asset is its people – and at the end of the day, all our work with the government, donors, and the private sector comes back to ensuring every Ethiopian can reach their full potential.
While I’m here, I’ll see some of the progress that has been made by the Health Extension Program an initiative that, together with Government investment in primary health care and expanding the health workforce, helped reduced maternal and infant mortality substantially from 2000 to 2015. Given recent shocks and the changing needs of the population, Ethiopia’s leadership is rightfully looking to evolve these programs, and other innovative service delivery approaches, to achieve more equitable, sustained progress.
Capital: With the global challenges we face today, what do you see as the most pressing issues for the Gates Foundation to address?
Mark Suzman: Over the last few years, the entire world – and Africa in particular – has experienced a confluence of crises. Two pressing issues stand out in particular: poverty and health. These areas are deeply intertwined— progress in one significantly impacts the other—and they also run the risk of being neglected.
It’s important to acknowledge the incredible progress that’s been made in Africa in recent years. Between 2000 and 2015, Ethiopia achieved most of the Millenium Development Goals and, across sub-Saharan Africa, we saw a significant decline in poverty rates and improvements in health outcomes during the same period.
However, significant challenges remain. Many countries are being forced to make impossible tradeoffs because of crushing debt and a lack of affordable financing. Others still bear scars from COVID and its health and economic shocks. Climate crises, conflicts, and displacements of people have led to backsliding against hard-won progress.
We will continue to invest in programs that build on the progress of the last two decades and address these ongoing issues directly through our partners by supporting access to vaccines, strengthening healthcare systems, and promoting economic development initiatives that empower individuals and communities to lift themselves out of poverty.
Capital: How do you see the Gates Foundation evolving its strategies and priorities in the coming years?
Mark Suzman: For nearly 25 years, our mission has remained constant: to create a world where everyone has the chance to live a healthy, productive life. In the coming years, we will continue to focus on areas like global health, agricultural development and climate adaptation,, women’s economic power, and the digital public infrastructure that fuels financial inclusion and access to health and education. We’ll also continue working with our partners to advocate for development assistance and inclusive international financing models.
But we know that the best solutions to the continent’s challenges will come from African innovators leading the way to develop African solutions. That’s why we’ll continue to deepen our partnerships and collaborations with governments, nongovernmental organizations, donors, multilateral organizations, and the private sector—so that African innovators can develop solutions that help people not just today (for example, getting vaccines to children who need them), but for decades to come (developing the next generation of vaccines).
Capital: How does the Gates Foundation measure the impact of its initiatives and programs?
Mark Suzman: Everything we do comes back to impact, which we measure in lives saved and opportunities created for all to reach their full potential. That starts with access to essential healthcare, which translates to a decrease in maternal mortality rates, a reduction in preventable childhood deaths, and wider access to life-saving medicines and treatments. Alongside our partners, we’re working toward a future where mothers make it safely through childbirth, children grow up healthy, and everyone’s basic needs are met through robust healthcare systems. To get there, we support initiatives that strengthen healthcare infrastructure, train healthcare workers, and promote preventative measures.
We also recognize that societies can’t progress if women don’t have economic power. When women have equal access to financial tools and education, when they can start businesses and make and control their money, and when they can make decisions about their health, it’s not just the women themselves who benefit—so do their communities and even their countries. We support programs that help women break the cycle of poverty, through financial tools and financial literacy, access to loans and savings accounts, prenatal care and nutrition interventions, and other means.
The foundation also focuses on long-term food security and climate resilience. Success here involves not only increased crop yields for farmers but also the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. We do this by supporting the development and delivery of drought-resistant seeds and hardy livestock breeds, digital tools to help farmers get ahead of weather shocks, and other innovations that increase productivity.
Finally, we continue to fund and work closely with on-the-ground partners to support the country’s most vulnerable. This aligns with our commitment to promote diversity, equity and inclusion across the foundation and its operations. We are committed to building a workforce and partnerships that are representative of the communities we serve.
Capital: In what ways do you collaborate with other organizations to maximize your impact?
Mark Suzman: We do all our work with and through our partners – whether they’re local institutions, governments, or multilateral organizations.
In our priority countries, we work with local organizations – who know best what their communities need and want – to improve health and development outcomes. We also work with research institutions and government agencies to support national development priorities and advocate for policy changes that will help more people live healthy and productive lives.
We also frequently co-create and co-fund initiatives with other organizations, working collaboratively to pool resources and leverage our diverse strengths to achieve a greater impact than any of us could working alone. For example, we work closely with Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, providing funding for research and innovation that supports vaccine delivery to low-and middle-income countries. Our alliance with Gavi also enables us to complement and support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s work on strengthening routine immunization against polio in Gavi-supported countries.
Capital: Is your foundation doing anything to help mitigate the impact of the conflict in Northern Ethiopia?
Mark Suzman: Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the conflict. We understand that armed conflict of any nature can have a humanitarian impact on the most vulnerable communities. In just the past few years, the country has experienced COVID, drought, floods, a locust outbreak, a major conflict, and displacement of people. Taken together, these shocks have disrupted so many of Ethiopia’s hard-won gains.
We continue to work collaboratively with the Ethiopian government to improve health and economic development outcomes across the country and hope that individuals impacted by political instability and armed conflict can find peaceful solutions to these issues, as they are critical for the overall well-being of their citizens.
Members of the ‘EPLF-Hgdef Vision Paltalk Room’ group, residing in various countries, contributed a 4.4 kW solar system valued at 120,000 Nakfa to war-disabled veteran fighters at Denden Camp.
During the handover ceremony organized at the central office of the National Association of Eritrean War-Disabled Veterans, it was reported that the solar system will significantly contribute to facilitating the daily activities of the veterans.
The members of the ‘EPLF-Hgdef Vision Paltalk Room’ emphasized that supporting war-disabled veterans is the responsibility of every citizen and expressed their readiness to use everything at their disposal to support them.
Mr. Yemane Araya, head of the War-Disabled Veterans Camp, commended the initiative taken by the group and called on others to follow their noble example.
Documents indicate that the ‘EPLF-Hgdef Vision Paltalk Room’ group has been periodically extending material support to the National Association of Eritrean War-Disabled Veterans. Similarly, the Frankfurt branch of the National Association of Eritrean War-Disabled Veterans has donated 475,846 Nakfa to the association.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
The Ministry of Health has announced that a national measles and rubella vaccination program, which will also include the distribution of Vitamin A supplements, is set to take place from April 24 to April 28 across the country.
Mr. Tedros Yihdego, head of the National Vaccination Program, stated that vaccinations and Vitamin A supplements will be provided to over 520,000 children aged 6 months to 5 years. These services will be available at 302 permanent centers, 900 temporary sites, and 65 mobile units.
Furthermore, Mr. Tedros mentioned that more than 4,000 personnel from the Ministry of Health and local administrations are being deployed to support the program.
He also urged all area administrations to enhance their efforts in promoting and facilitating the program and encouraged parents to ensure their children are brought to the vaccination centers on time.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
