G/SPS/GEN/1629  
 
4 July 2018  
(18-4178) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 
INFORMATION ON SPS A CTIVITIES OF THE AFR ICAN UNION COMMISSION  
 
The following submission , received on 4 July 201 8, is being circulated at the request of the 
African  Union . 
 
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INTRODUCTION  
The African Union Commission Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture is responsible for 
coordinating continent -wide initiatives in agriculture, fisheries, food and nutrition security, 
strengthening the resilience of African food prod uction systems, facili tating harmonization of 
agricultural and knowl edge support systems policies, mobilizing resources to address 
implementation of priority issues in the continent and advocacy for implementation of priority 
programmes in Africa.  
The Fall Armyworm (FAW) is currently one of the biggest problems to agricul ture and food security 
in Africa. It feeds on most important staple crops including maize, rice, sorghum, millet, 
sugarcane, vegetable crops and cotton. It is officially reported in over 44 countries in Africa. FAW 
is therefore a setback to the Africa’s ag enda of ending hunger, boosting intra Africa and enhancing 
resilience of production systems to various vulnerabilities and risks. Since its outbreak, the 
Commission had undertaken the followin g: 
1. Organized a Press Conference to brief the A U member states Pe rmanent Repre sentative and 
the AU Security Council in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  
 
2. Organized a special session on Fall Armyworm during the Specialized Technical Committee 
(STC) on Agriculture, Rural Devel opment, Water and Environment. D uring that ministerial 
meeting of the STC, the framework for the management of FAW was adopted for use by 
different stakeholders, including updating of the National Agricultural Investment Plans.  
 
3. The Executive Council considered the challenges FAW presents to the continent during  the 
AU Summit of January 2018. There is a proposal to establish an emergency fund for FAW . 
 
4. In October 2017, the Commission and FAO sig ned a Technical Cooperation Pro ject (TCP) on 
reinforcement of plant health governance i n Africa through coordi nated mana gement of the 
Fall Armyworm. The project was officially launched in April 2018 and it will address; 
inadequate availability of early warning systems in many African countries; rampant pest 
outbreaks that make farmers rely heavily on the use of agrochemical s with its related 
economic and environmental costs; limited competitiveness of Africa’s agricultural produce 
in the regional and global trade due to increased use of pesticides and related risk of 
pesticide residue; and the high probability of pest introd uction in new areas with the 
relatively weak national plant protection and quarantine services due to increased trade and 
mobility of people . 
 
5. The commission led the delegation of African ministers to a FAW study tour in Brazil in 
March 2018 . 
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  6. The Commission led by the Inter Africa Phytosanitary Council (AU -IAPSC), the United 
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United States Agency for International 
Development (USAID) organized a special session on fall armyworm to create and enhance 
awareness on the spread and effect of FAW in Africa during the 14th Comprehensive Afr ica 
Agriculture Development Pro gramme Partnership Platform (CAADP -PP) meeting held in 
Libreville, Gabon in April 2018.  
 
7. The Commission also organized a special session to l aunch the Continental Strategy for the 
Geographic Indications in Africa during the 14th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture 
Development Programme Partnership Platform (CAADP -PP) meeting held in Libreville, Gabon 
in April 2018. Implementation of the strategy w ill promote protection of unique African 
commodities and make them more competitive on the global market.  
 
8. The African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU -BAR) organized the 10th Pan 
African Chief Veterinary Officers and Animal Health Expert  meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. 
Common Positions on draft OIE Chapters were developed and presented during the 86th 
General Session of the OIE World Assembly of Delegates in May 2018, in Paris, France.  
 
9. AU-IBAR is leading the development of an Animal Health S trategy for Africa. This strategic 
document will promote continental coordination of all animal health programmes and 
activities undertaken within Africa to control animal diseases.  
 
10. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC) and AU -IBAR in collaboration 
with other AU technical institutions are leading the development of an African -wide 
Antimicrobial Resistance Framework. The objective of this work is to ensure the mitigation 
and containment of the threat of antimicrobial resistance on a c ontinental level.  
 
11. AU-IBAR, the African Union Pan -African Vaccine Centre (AU -PANVAC) in collaboration with 
partners (FAO and OIE) are leading effort to eradicate "Peste des Petits Ruminants " (PPR) 
from Africa.  Twenty seven  African Union member states have been supported to develop 
their national PPR eradication strategies. Other specific support being given to AU member 
countries include:  
i. Strengthening national animal disease surveillance systems;  
ii. Strengthening of laborator y diagnostic capacities;  
iii. Enhancing PPR vaccine production laboratories capacities and quality assurance 
processes;  
iv. Supporting epidemiological surveillance and laboratory net -works at national, 
regional and pan -African levels.  
12. AU-IBAR organized Pan African expert meetings to support AU member states to prepare 
national positions on draft Codex standards for eight different Codex committees from 
October 2017 to April 2018. The 9th Pan African National Codex Contact Point Officers 
meeting was organized in May 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya to prepare Common Positions on draft 
Codex standards for the 41st Session of the Codex Aliment arius Commission organized 
from 2 to 6 July 2018 in Rome, Italy.  
 
13. AU-IBAR continues to coordinate electronic forum discussions on SPS issue s prior to sessions 
of the WTO SPS Committee and also support the physical participation of African Union 
member states in the work of the C ommittee.  
 
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