The European Union as Chair of the Development Partners Task Team and the World Bank presented a statement agreed by development partners affirming their support to the Malabo Declaration on “Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods”. The Declaration was approved by African Heads of State and Government during the June 2014 AU Summit in Malabo.

The African Union partners welcomed the Malabo Declaration and its focus on agriculture’s central role in promoting sustainable development on the continent. The Malabo Declaration revitalizes the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) as the overarching framework for increasing investment in the agricultural sector and for using sound, evidence-based approaches to inform policymaking.

The Malabo Declaration is timely as the “2014 Year of Agriculture and Food Security” draws to a close and there is a need to redouble efforts to make broad-based agricultural development a stronger tool in the fight to end poverty and boost prosperity on the continent.

The African Union partners committed themselves to enhancing their collaboration with African nations for the transformation of the agriculture sector in a consultative and coordinated manner taking into account the existing frameworks for continental, regional, and country-level cooperation. The results of their support will be communicated through the commonly agreed CAADP Results Framework.

Speaking on the occasion on behalf of the Partners, EU Ambassador said that the Malabo Declaration priorities are perfectly in line with Partners priorities for Food and Nutrition security. Malabo represents a paradigm shift insofar as the ‘political development targets’ set at continental level have taken over the ‘investment’ targets of the first 10 years of CAADP. He acknowledged the focus of the Declaration on African resources and efforts which demonstrates real African leadership and ownership. He strongly welcomed African Union Member States to take greater responsibility, within their countries, for pursuing the Malabo Declaration, for reaching the 10% allocation of public expenditures to agriculture, and for continuously improving their agricultural policies.

The Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mrs. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, in her statement, acknowledged the collaborative endeavors which led to the Malabo Declaration and emphasized the significance of supporting accelerated implementation at the country level through a coordinated and harmonised approach at different levels, which partners can facilitate actions at country levels in their bilateral cooperation.

The Malabo declaration emphasizes ending hunger and malnutrition, enhancing growth and shared prosperity, enhancing intra-African trade, enhancing resilience of production systems and livelihoods, and mutual accountability for actions and results.