G/SPS/GEN/1453  
 
5 October 2015  
(15-5162)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 INFORMATION FROM THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION 
The following communication, received on 3rd October 2015, is being circulated at the request of 
the African Union Commission (AUC). 
 
_______________ 
 
 
1  AUC SPS RELATED-ACTIVITIES 
1.1.  The African Union Commission (AUC) organize d the Inaugural Conference of the Specialized 
Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rura l Development, Water and Environment from 
5-9 October, 2015. The STC reviewed the relevant strategic goals, facilitate mutual accountability 
and identify synergies, linkages and complementarities in on-going agriculture, rural development, water and environment related initiatives, and their implications on the achievement of the 
overarching goals of Africa Accelerated Agricultur al Growth and Transformation (3AGT) agenda for 
attaining food and nutrition security, reduce po verty, boost intra-African trade, and enhance 
resilience of production systems and livelihoods to climate change and related shocks. The 
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Livestock and Fisheries considered a total of 
32 documents for endorsement and implementation  and 12 of these were directly aimed at 
facilitating trade. 
1.2.  The African Union Commission (AUC) and UNCTAD organized a training workshop on Trade in 
Services for CFTA negotiators (English) from 24-28 August 2015 in Nairobi-Kenya. The aimed at 
enhancing the capacity of the African CFTA negotiator to have a common understanding of critical terminologies and operating principles governing trade in services in preparation of the CFTA 
negotiation starting in April 2016. 
1.3.  The African Union Commission (AUC) faci litated the development of the Continental 
Agribusiness Strategy. The strategy outlines mechan isms of mobilizing different partners including 
the AU, RECs, member States, farmer organizations, private sector, development partners and 
other actors around a set of high priority strategies designed to support the growth of a robust and inclusive private sector-led African agribusiness.  When implemented, the strategy will provide 
significant impetus in contributing to the goals outlined in the Malabo Declaration, including 
boosting intra-African trade. Whereas the strategic thrusts identified by the continental 
agribusiness strategy will be the foundation for vibrant agribusiness and agritrade promotion in Africa, the strategy builds on existing initiatives at continental, regional and national levels. 
Further, the continental agribusiness strategy seeks to improve coordination, mobilization, 
advocacy, and communication among various actors in the agribusiness landscape in Africa by proposing key institutional developments. 
1.4.  The African Union Commission through the Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA), 
a consortium coordinating aflatoxin mitigation and management across health, agriculture and trade sectors in Africa continued to provide consistent coordination and coherent leadership to the continental efforts on aflatoxin control. The AUC through the PACA Secretariat directly supports 
governments to achieve large scale change in aflatoxin control in Africa. It also forges strong 
partnerships and works jointly with RECs, privat e sector and other key stakeholders to improve 
governments’ effectiveness. Amongst other activities implemented in this period, PACA convened 
the regional workshop on "Revamping the Groundnut Value Chain in West Africa through aflatoxin 
Mitigation" 1-2 September 2015, Dakar Senegal. G/SPS/GEN/1453 
 
- 2 - 
 
  1.5.  The European Commission, in partnership with African Union Commission, the ACP 
Secretariat, the European Investment Bank and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) organized a conference on Agri-Business Investments in partnership with farmer organisations in ACP countries, 14-15 October 2015. The aim of the conference is to 
engage stakeholders and partners to work on a common blue print for smart agri-business 
investments in ACP Countries in partnership with farmers' organisations. The event will build on examples of agri-business investments, and de velopment in Africa; success stories and lessons 
learnt on gaining access to regional and international markets for farmer organisations in ACP 
countries among others. The results of the conference will guide European Union and AUC future activities in this area. 
2  AU-IAPSC SPS RELATED ACTIVITIES 
2.1.  The AU-IAPSC (African Union Interafrican Phytosanitary Council) provided technical 
backstopping in prioritizing the capacity buil ding areas under the Australia – Africa Plant 
Biosecurity Programme. 16 African experts will be trained in Australia in different areas of plant 
biosecurity. 
3  AU-IBAR (AFRICAN UNION INTE RBUREAU FOR ANIM AL RESOURCES) 
3.1.  African Union Commission and its technical office IBAR have supported the training to 
improve the quality and effectiveness of participatio n of African member States in the activities of 
the WTO SPS Committee. The specific training objectives were to: 
 Improve communication and circulation of information between relevant national 
stakeholders within African countries prior to the regular meetings of the WTO 
SPS Committee; 
 Improve communication and circulation of information between African countries before 
the regular meetings of the WTO SPS Committee; 
 Identify potential Specific Trade Concerns that could be raised by African countries or 
against African countries (by third countries), and prepare coordinated action by/support to the African countries involved; and 
 Harmonize/coordinate the submission of information to the SPS Committee made by 
countries, RECs and the AU. 
 
__________