G/SPS/GEN/1430  
 
7 July 2015  
(15-3500)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 INFORMATION FROM THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION 
The following communication, received on 4 July 2015, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the African Union Commission (AUC). 
 
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1  AUC SPS-RELATED ACTIVITIES 
1.1.  The African Union Commission (AUC) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development 
(NEPAD) organized the 11th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development programme (CAADP) 
Partnership Platform meeting in March 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Partnership 
meeting was held under the theme, "Walking the Talk: Delivering on Malabo Commitments on Agriculture for Women Empowerment". 
1.2.  The last three CAADP Partnership Platfo rm (CAADP PP) Meetings (2012, 2013 and 2014) 
were dedicated to appreciating the challenges an d gains as well as learning from the experiences 
of CAADP in the first ten years of CAADP. It enable d partners to identify priorities, action areas and 
implementation strategies for CAADP in the 2
nd decade (2015-2025) and beyond. The AU Summit 
of June 2014 (Malabo Declaration, 2014) gave renewed legitimacy to CAADP as Africa's policy framework for agriculture growth and tran sformation for shared prosperity. The 11
th CAADP 
Partnership Platform - the first CAADP PP after the Malabo Declaration - was designed to help 
shape how the RESOLVE will be translated into ac tion, results and impact. The PP aimed to build a 
shared understanding of country and regional need s and expectations of them for rolling out the 
Implementation Strategy and Road Map (which identifies action areas for "Boosting intra Africa" 
and international trade) including launching efforts to form technical partnerships to align with and 
support implementation. 
1.3.  Within the context of examining "THE HOW"  and setting to "WALK-THE-TALK", the following  
sub-themes framed the 11th CAADP PP: 
 Sub-theme 1: Walk the Talk: Ending Hunger by 2025; 
 Sub-theme 2: Walk the talk: Inclusive Agricultural Growth and Transformation; 
 Sub-theme 3: Walk the talk: Boosting Intra-African Trade; 
 Sub-theme 4: Walk the talk: Building Re silience to Reduce Vulnerability; and 
 Sub-theme 5: Walk the talk: Mutual Accountability to Actions, Results and Impacts. 
1.4.  The African Union Commission (AUC) and the European Commission (EC) held it 7th College 
to College meeting in April 2015 as part of the implementation structure of the Joint Africa EU 
Strategy (2014-1017). The objectives of the 7th College-to-College Meeting were to: 
 Evaluate the challenges and perspectiv es of the cooperation between the two 
Commissions; 
 Assess the status of implementation of th e engagements taken by the two Commissions 
on joints issues; 
 Identify the emergent challenges and buil d a consensus on the potential solutions; 
 Share best practices of decision making and running meetings of the two organizations; 
 Discuss how best to implement the Africa-EU Joint Strategy and its Road Map; 
 Identify clear activities and actions for the year 2015 and beyond, Fostering operational 
links, stimulate joint strategic thinking an d explore synergies between the joint action 
priorities; and G/SPS/GEN/1430 
 
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   Consider consolidating the political, economic, social, technical and administrative 
cooperation of the two Commissions. 
1.5.  The outcomes of the 7th College to College meeting put sustainable agriculture at the 
forefront of cooperation between the two organizati ons. It endorsed the report of the Agriculture 
Contact Group on Agriculture, Food Security and Food Safety, particularly the commitment to 
prioritize Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) policy development and policy harmonization taking note of the steps taken by the African Union Commission to; harmonize trade policies, work 
towards a Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), develop a continental SPS strategy and further put 
in place an African Food Safety Authority (A FSA). The African Union and the European Union 
intend to collaborate on a multi-step approach towards assisting setting up an AU Food Safety Management Coordination Mechanism, leading to the future establishment of an operational AFSA. 
To address the continuing need for training and ca pacity building in the sanitary and phytosanitary 
area, the "Better Training for Safer Food" (BTSF) programme was scheduled and undertaken in June 2015 focusing on food safety in Africa, showcasing how food hygiene can be mainstreamed 
into food law and can foster intra-regional trade. 
1.6.  The AUC SPS Focal Person carried out a technical consultation with four RECs (IGAD, EAC, 
SADC and COMESA). These consultations ranged from meeting with senior officials, officers 
handling SPS matters and attendance of regional SPS meeting. The objectives of the consultations 
were to: 
a. Discuss the Terms of Reference (TORs) for the continental SPS Committee which is key 
to guiding the work of the continental SPS committee: 
i. Discuss with the RECs representative to the Continental SPS Committee and other 
officials handling SPS matters SPS related Mi nisterial and Heads of States decisions; 
and 
ii. role of the continental SPS  committee in leading and drafting SPS Annex for the 
CFTA protocol; 
b. Share with the RECs officers handling trade –related matters on the efforts of the DREA 
on the development of the continental Geographic Indicators (GIs) policy framework and 
identity areas of action; and 
c. Discuss with the RECs officials the development of the Continental SPS Strategy in view 
of the June 2014 AU Malabo Declaration on accelerated Africa Agriculture Growth and 
transformation. 
1.7.  The Assembly of the African Union in its Twenty-Fifth Ordinary Session of 14–15 June 2015 in 
Johannesburg, South Africa launched negotiations for the establishment of a Continental Free 
Trade Area (CFTA) (Doc. Assembly/AU/11(XXV)).  The assembly alluded to its decision 
(Assembly/AU/Dec.394 (XVIII)) adopted in Janua ry 2012 Summit on the establishment of the 
Continental Free Trade Area to be operationalize d by an indicative date of 2017. The Heads of 
State and Government of the African Union emphas ized their commitment to increase intra-African 
trade through the establishment of a CFTA that will foster economic growth, equitable development, and support integration through trade liberalization, industrialization and infrastructure development towards the full implementation of the Abuja Treaty Establishing the 
African Economic Community. The launch of the negotiations for the establishment of the 
Continental Free Trade Area aimed at integrating Af rica's markets in line with the objectives and 
principles enunciated in the Abuja Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community. 
1.8.  The Partnership for Aflatoxin Programme in Africa (PACA) continued to roll out its country 
programmes in six pilot countries focu sing on the following activities: 
 Activity 1: Establishing the Africa Aflatoxin Information Management System 
(AfricaAIMS); 
 Activity 2: Supporting the Country-led Aflato xin and food safety Situation Analysis and 
Action Planning (C-SAAP); 
 Activity 3: Mainstream aflatoxin control through the PACA initiative in CAADP National 
Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plans (NAFSIPs) in 2014 and in other relevant 
health and trade frameworks in the outer years. G/SPS/GEN/1430 
 
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  2  AU-IAPSC SPS-RELATED ACTIVITIES 
2.1.  AU-IAPSC (African Union Interafrican Phytosanitary Council) organized its 9th Steering 
Committee and 26th Session of the General Assembly (GA) in Douala, Cameroon, 1-5 June, 2015. 
The 9th Steering Committee made recommendations that were submitted to the 26th General 
Assembly for review and adoption including those listed below:  
a. The GA adopted the IAPSC's strategic plan 2014-2023 and appreciated the role of FAO in 
availing the resources and technical support needed for the development of the plan; 
b. The GA urged IAPSC and DREA to take the necessary action for the plan to be presented 
and endorsed by the AU assembly and Heads of states and Governments; 
c. The General Assembly called upon International partners and United Nations agencies 
particularly FAO to support the initiative; and 
d. The general Assembly welcomed the proposal by CABI to assist IAPSC to develop Plant 
Health Information System and a taskforce to develop a project proposal was appointed. 
3  AU-IBAR (AFRICAN UNION INTE RBUREAU FOR ANIM AL RESOURCES) 
3.1  SPS ACTIVITIES 3.1.  African Union, with the technical assist ance of the WTO, organised a workshop on the 
transparency provisions of the SPS Agreement an d on the improvement of the participation of 
African delegates in the meetings of the SPS Committee in Nairobi in December 2014. The workshop was conducted around two modules namely: 
a. Module 1 Objectives, on transparency provisions of the SPS Agreement; 
b. Module 2 objectives, on participation in the SPS Committee. 
3.1.1  ANIMAL HEALTH 
3.2.  Meeting of African animal health experts to analyze and comment on OIE proposed changes 
to the Terrestrial and Aquatic Codes held in December 2014 for the meeting of the Codes 
Commissions in February 2015: A meeting on the same took place on 8 and 9 April 2015 in Nairobi, Kenya and enabled identification of animal health issues of common interest to African 
countries and proposition of coordinated positions. 
3.3.  The 7
th Panafrican meeting of Chief Veterinary Officers on Africa's coordinated position on 
animal health standards was held in Nairobi, Kenya in May 2015 and it was aimed at preparing 
strategic attendance of African OIE Delegates to the 83rd Session of the World Assembly of OIE 
delegates in May 2015 in Paris, France. 
3.1.2  FOOD SAFETY 
3.4.  From 11 to 13 February 2015, African food safety experts on contaminants in food and on 
food additives met in Nairobi to examine items of the agenda of the Codex Committee on 
Contaminants in Food for its 9th session, and on the Codex Committee on Food Additives for its 
47th session. 
3.5.  From 16 to 18 March 2015, African food safety  experts on pesticide residues and on residues 
of veterinary drugs in foods met in Nairobi to examine items of the agenda of the Codex 
Committee on Pesticide Residues for its 47th session, and on the Codex Committee on Residues of 
Veterinary Drugs in Foods for its 22nd session. 
3.6.  The meetings of food safety experts are to provide scientific advice to African Union member 
states in collaboration with the Coordinator of CCAfrica during their preparation of national 
positions. This is an effort of African Union to improve the effective participation of its MS in the work of the Codex. 
3.7.  AU-IBAR organized two Task Force meetings for the establishment of the Africa Food Safety 
Coordination Mechanism. The meetings have had re presentation from the European Union, UNIDO, 
FAO, and WTO/STDF amongst others. 
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