East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 17th November, 2017:
The Facilitator to the Inter-Burundi Dialogue and former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H. E. Benjamin William Mkapa, after consultations with the Mediator H. E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda called for a dialogue session to take place in Arusha from 27th November to 8th December 2017.
This Key Session will provide an opportunity to all Barundi, at home and abroad, to engage with each other in frank and meaningful deliberations on the political, social and economic problems facing their country.
It is expected that together they will reach a consensus on the way forward. The Facilitator will provide an enabling environment and guidance as necessary.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 18th November, 2017:
The Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko handed over the Chairmanship of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Task Force (TTF) to Mr Sindiso Ndema Ngwenya, the Secretary General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) on Friday 17th November, 2017.
Speaking during the handover ceremony , the EAC Secretary General and outgoing Chairperson, Amb Liberat Mfumukeko commended the incoming Chair for the various occasions he was able to step in on his behalf as TTF Chair during some important events that have taken place over the last few months.
“I wish to specifically make reference to the signing ceremonies of the Tripartite Agreement by the Republic of Madagascar and also the Republic of Mauritius’’
He said during the EAC’s tenure as Chair of the TTF from October 2016 to date, incremental progress has been made towards the realisation of the Tripartite vision of a developmental Free Trade Area that will promote economic development and growth in the 26 Partner States
The outgoing Chair highlighted the progress made during EAC’s tenure which includes negotiations on all the outstanding Annexes in the Tripartite Agreement; 21 Member States have now signed the Free Trade Area Agreement out of 26; Work and Infrastructure programmes has been developed and was considered during the first Tripartite Ministerial Committee Meeting on Infrastructure.
Amb Mfumukeko informed the participants who attended the ceremony that the Tripartite now entered a new phase towards the realisation of the Tripartite agenda in which the primary focus areas are; concluding the negotiations on the outstanding areas of Agreement such as the Rules of origin and Tariffs, commencing work on Phase 2 negotiations, concluding the Agreement on Movement of Business Person as well as concretizing the ongoing work on the Industrial and Infrastructure Pillars.
“I am happy to tell you that all the EAC Partner States have committed to ratifying the Agreement by December, 2017’’
He called for the incoming Chair to address the main challenge which arises from the lack of funds which has had a paralyzing effect on the implementation of the Tripartite work schedules across the board. “I am confident that the incoming Chair, will successfully pursue and deliver on our engagement with the bank and also explore other diversified source for budgetary support’’
On his part, the incoming Chair and Secretary General of COMESA Mr Sindiso Ndema Ngwenya thanked the EAC, as the outgoing chairperson, for the excellent work done and achievements that have been made during her tenure as chairperson.
Speaking on the challenge of funding Mr. Ngwenya informed the meeting that the African Development Bank (AfDB) has provided some financial resources to support efforts aimed at creating awareness on the importance of the Tripartite FTA Agreement and the need to have it ratified by Tripartite Member/Partner States that have signed it in order for it to enter into force.
He disclosed to the participants that the Agreement requires at 14 ratifications before it may become operational and so far it is only Egypt that has ratified with the EAC being in the process of ratification.
The incoming Chair said the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite is in dire need of financial resources to support proceeding with Phase II work as the budgetary support from cooperating partners that supported Phase I work has been exhausted
“I am confident that with the concerted effort and support of EAC and SADC in the Tripartite Task Force, the task of mobilizing for resources and clearing outstanding work will be manageable’’
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 18th November, 2017:
The People’s Republic of China has appointed Wang Ke, its current Ambassador to Tanzania, as a representative to the East African Community (EAC). Her Excellency Wang Ke presented accreditation letter to the Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko on 17th November, 2017, at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania
Speaking at the event, the Chinese envoy described the accreditation as an honour, commending the close and cordial relations between her country and the EAC.
H.E Ke noted the region’s positive economic development due to political stability and reiterated his country’s commitment to enhance further collaboration with the bloc.
On his part the Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko noted that China had continued to be a good partner of the region and EAC appreciates its contribution towards building the Community in various fields including infrastructure development.
The Secretary General underscored the importance of the accreditation which means more engagement of co-operation between the EAC and the People’s Republic of China for the development of the region.
Amb Mfumukeko briefed Chinese Envoy on the progresses being registered by the Community so far that include implementation of Protocols on the Customs Union, Common Market and East African Monetary Union.
Meanwhile, the East African Community and the People’s Republic of China signed a Financing Agreement of USD 200,000 for integration agenda. The EAC Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko signed on behalf of the Community while H.E Wang Ke, signed on behalf of People’s Republic of China.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 16th November, 2017:
The EAC Secretariat regrets to announce the postponement of the Joint EAC Heads of State Retreat on Infrastructure and Health Financing and Development that was scheduled for 28th to 29th November in Kampala, Uganda.
This postponement comes following consultations and guidance from the Chairperson of the EAC Heads of State Summit, H.E President Yoweri Museveni. Convening the Joint EAC Heads of State Retreat on Infrastructure and Health
Development and Financing as earlier planned will coincide with the African Union Heads of State - European Union Summit due in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on 29th to 30th November 2017, where the EAC Heads of State are expected to attend.In a bid to give way for effective dialogue at both events for the benefit of the East African region, the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat in collaboration with Partner States are working on rescheduling the Retreat and a final decision on the new dates shall be communicated in due course.
The papers and registrations for participants and exhibitors received will retain an active status until the rescheduled date.
We greatly appreciate your support and understanding. We would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
For more information on the Joint Retreat, visit the retreat website: www.eacihr17.eac.int
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 14th November, 2017:
The African Development Bank East Africa Regional Resource Centre (EARC), and the East African Community (EAC) on Monday 13th November, 2017 signed a Financing Agreement of $1,151,515 to finance the Project Preparation Phase of three (3) key Multinational Road Sections between Masaka in Uganda to Kumunazi in Tanzania.
The Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko signed on behalf of the Community while Mr. Gabriel Negatu, Director General of the African Development Bank East Africa Regional Resource Centre (EARC), signed on behalf of African Development Bank.
The purpose of the Grant is to finance the Project Preparation Phase of three (3) key Multinational Road Sections between Masaka in Uganda to Kumunazi in Tanzania. The key Multinational Road Sections covered under this Grant for preparatory works include: Masaka to Mutukula Section (89.5km) in Uganda; Mutukula to Kyaka Section (30km) in Tanzania as well as Bugene to Kasulo to Kumunazi Section (133kM) also located in Tanzania.
At the same occasion, the EAC presented a list of 18 priority projects to be supported by the Bank under its Regional Integration Strategy Paper(RISP) 2017-2021
Presence at the signing ceremony were the EAC Deputy Secretaries General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure , Eng Steven Mlote, Counsel to the Community, Dr. Anthony Kafumbe, Executive Secretary of Lake Victoria Basin Commission( LVBC), Dr. Said Ali Matano and Executive Secretary of East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC), Prof Gibson Kibiki.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 13th November, 2017:
The EAC Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (SCTIFI) kicked off at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania today.
The SCTIFI meeting, which will run from 13th November to 17 November, 2017, has drawn participants from all EAC Partner States namely: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
The five-day meeting, which began with the Session of Senior Officials, will also include the Session of the Coordination Committee (comprising Permanent/Principal/Under Secretaries) and culminate with the Session of Ministers.
High on the agenda of the meeting are the consideration of Progress Reports on; status of the implementation of previous decision; update on the EAC-EU-EPA; AGOA Out of Cycle Review; Sectoral Committee on Investment and the Committee on Customs.
The meeting will also consider: implementation of the EAC Common Market Scorecard recommendations; Committee on Industry and small and medium enterprises sector and Withdrawal of Stay of Application on Crude Palm Oil (CPO) and use of Common External Tariff ( CET).
Speaking during the official opening session on behalf of the EAC Secretary General, Amb Liberat Mfumukeko, the Director General -Customs and Trade, Mr Kenneth Bagamuhunda said SCTIFI is one of the crucial and critical organ which sets directions and momentum of the integration agenda in the sector.
Mr. Bagamuhunda expressed the EAC Secretariat's commitment to work together with Partner States to spur efforts towards strengthening the regional integration agenda.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 11th November, 2017:
The East African Community (EAC) in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Government of Korea on Friday launched the EAC Industrial Competitiveness Report 2017 (ICR 2017) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Themed ‘Harnessing the EAC Market to Drive Industrial Competitiveness and Growth,’ the report assesses EAC’s industrial performance vis-à-vis other regions and role models in Asia and Africa and sheds light on strategic short- and long-term industrialization paths that the EAC should pursue.
ICR 2017 provides a compass to policy-makers, the private sector (in particular manufacturing firms and associations), and a wide range of stakeholders on the broader direction of the industrial development trajectory of the EAC and of the internal competitiveness dynamics among Partner States.
Speaking at the event, Uganda’s Minister of State for EAC Affairs, Hon. Julius Muganda, said that Industrialization in the context of the EAC region will depend on how the region strategically leverages itself to maximize on the opportunities created by the Common Market Protocol as a stimulus for demand, while simultaneously capitalising on other emerging markets for manufacturers.
“The realisation of a fully functioning Common Market and the deepening of regional integration through a monetary union are crucial for providing the much-needed impetus for industrialisation in the region,” said Hon. Muganda, who represented the Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, Hon. Kirunda Kivejinja, Uganda’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for EAC Affairs.
Hon. Muganda further emphasized on the need for leaders and technocrats to think of a collective regional strategy to respond to unemployment including expanding the manufacturing sector capacity and promoting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and youth entrepreneurs.
In his remarks, the Director of Trade at the EAC Secretariat, Mr. Alhaj Rashid Kibowa, contribution of the manufacturing sector remains at paltry 10 percent, adding that the sector has been on a decline in the recent past.
“It is against this background and in recognition of the existing challenges that the region embarked on the programme “Strengthening Capacities for Industrial Formulation and Implementation in the East African Community,” said Alhaj Kibowa.
Alhaj Kibowa noted that the implementation of the programme had enhanced the region’s capacity for industrial policy design, monitoring and evaluation, culminating into the development of the ICR 2017.
“Consistent with the EAC Industrialization Policy and Strategy, the ICR 2017 has enhanced the region’s capacity to: design, manage and implement an industrial policy and collect industrial statistics and data. Further to this, it has strengthened the institutional capacity of the EAC Secretariat, Governments of all EAC Partner States and key private sector stakeholders,” said Alhaj Kibowa.
Also present at the launch of the report was South Korean Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Geum-Young Song who reaffirmed his country’s commitment to continue supporting the EAC in realizing its goal of industrialization.
Dr. Stephen Kargbo, UNIDO representative to Tanzania, Mauritius and EAC speaking at the ICR 2017 launch expressed hope that the EAC would use the findings of the report to revitalize the industrial sector in East Africa.
“While we conclude successfully the implementation of the current regional project, we are also exploring with our main counterpart, the EAC Secretariat, options for a phase II that would ensure produced diagnostics translate into concrete industrial policy processes, instruments and action plans creating significant positive impact for the industrial development in the region,” said Dr. Kargbo.
He also assured stakeholders that whereas UNIDO will continue to play its role, supporting relevant institutions in capacity building activities for strengthening industrial policy making capacities, it was the responsibility of Partner States’ governments and other stakeholders to transform the initiative into meaningful strategies for the attainment of sustainable and inclusive economic development in EAC.
Prof. Elisante Ole Gabriel, the Permanent Secretary in Tanzania’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, urged EAC Partner States to foster close cooperation in order to realize sustainable competitive advantage on the global market.
Closing the one-day event, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote, said that East Africa was on the way to becoming a regional hub for manufacturing and a gateway to investment in Africa.
“To be successful in this venture, our industrial policies should seek to promote structural changes,” said Eng. Mlote.
Implementation of phase two of the project will switch from diagnostics to industrial policy processes and instruments. This means that the focus will be on the establishing a regional industrial intelligence and policy advisory support, enhancing capacity for competitiveness analysis of the Industrial sector, putting in place a regional competitiveness framework to facilitate benchmarking and establishing an e-Industrial information Resource Centre.
Note to Editors:
The EAC Secretariat in collaboration with UNIDO is implementing a programme on “Strengthening Capacities for Industrial Policy Formulation and Implementation in the East African Community” which was approved by the Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment during its meeting held on 22nd May, 2015.
Through the Programme, specific trainings have been delivered at both national and regional levels to create, among other things, capacity for industrial competitiveness analysis as envisaged in the EAC industrialization policy and Strategy. As a result, the programme has greatly contributed to enhancement of capacity for industrial policy, analysis, design, monitoring and evaluation at Partner States and the Secretariat levels.
To ensure sustainability and full use of knowledge acquired in the trainings, the Secretariat in collaboration with UNIDO and a team of experts from Partner States took the initiative of preparing the EAC Industrial Competitiveness Report, 2017 (ICR-2017).
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 10th November, 2017:
H.E. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda together with EAC Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, East African Community Secretary General, on Thursday officially launched the Mutukula One Stop Border Post (OSBP) located on the Uganda/Tanzania border.
The construction of the Mutukula OSBP was carried out with funding of US$11.7million from the United Kingdom through the Department for International Development (DFID) while the systems and other related soft infrastructure equivalent to US$1.2million was funded by the Government of Canada, through Global Affairs, Canada.
The OSBP investment includes office buildings, roads and parking yards, cargo verification bays, scanner shed, passenger sheds, targeting booths, warehouse and canopies, ICT networks and hardware, furniture, and institutional support to the border agencies.
The OSBP ensures effective border control mechanisms are in place. It will boost trade by cutting the time taken to clear goods between the two Partner States, thus contributing to a reduction in transport cost, whilst increasing volumes of transhipment cargo through the Central Corridor. It is expected that time to cross the border will reduce by at least one third.
An OSBP is a “one stop” form of border crossing point jointly managed by adjoining Partner States, where multiple border agencies cooperate and collaborate with each other, and effectively coordinate their activities to maximise their operational efficiency. OSBP arrangement brings together under one roof, all the Government agencies performing border crossing controls procedures, doing away with need for motorised traffic and persons to undergo clearance twice at both sides of the border. This arrangement expedites movement, release and clearance of goods and persons across borders, by streamlining border procedures, automation of the border processes and simplification of trade documents.
“I want to thank the British government who have supported us through TMEA, in the construction of the one stop border post making it easy to cross the borders and also to do business with Tanzania. Trade is a means that will help us create prosperity for the people. My government is committed to creating wealth and jobs for the people through creation of enabling environment for services, Information Communication Technology, commercial agriculture and industries,” said President Museveni.
Addressing the crowd in Kiswahili and directing that only three police road blocks between Dar-es-Saalam and Mutukula are official, President Magufuli commended TMEA for its support to the government and underscored the importance of the OSBP saying
“Since time immemorial, Mutukula has been and remains an important node of Tanzania and Uganda. Its importance goes beyond the residents of the two countries as I understand that over 400 World Food Programme trucks carrying food aid for refugees go through here, so the faster clearance is benefiting not only our traders, but also persons in need, and that is important. I am happy that as a result of the OSBP in Mutukula, Tanzania is now able to collect revenue from agencies like Tanzania Bureau of Standards, who were initially not represented at this border point, but are now here because of the OSBP,” said President Magufuli.
In his remarks, EAC Secretary General Amb. Mfumukeko said that the framers of the EAC integration instruments envisioned the OSBPs and embedded them in the EAC Customs Union Protocol at the time of its negotiation.
“The first OSBP operations was at Malaba railway station between Uganda and Kenya over ten years ago. At the same time Customs Departments having realized that multiple examination of goods at our internal borders was wasteful and caused unnecessary costs to business, started joint examination of cargo of which Mutukula Border was a pioneer. These pilot programmes provided a practical justification for upscaling the One Stop Border program in the entire region,” said Amb. Mfumukeko.
UKAID has provided over US$52million to the East African Transit Improvement Programme (EATIP) through TMEA, as a contribution to the World Banks’ East Africa Trade and Transport Facilitation Project (EATTFP).
Speaking at the event, the UK High Commissioner to Uganda, Peter West said that increasing Uganda’s trade with its neighbours and the rest of the world was vital for generating growth, promoting job creation and reducing poverty.
“Increasing Uganda’s trade with its neighbors and the rest of the World is vital for generating growth, promoting job creation and reducing poverty. The UK government is proud to have contributed over £90 million through TradeMark East Africa to support Uganda and Tanzania to reduce the barriers to trade. By cutting red tape, reforming customs processes and improving roads, ports, and border posts, the UK is supporting the creation of an environment essential for businesses to grow,” said West.
The envoy added that the completion of the Mutukula border post marks an important milestone towards our goal of reducing by a third the time to import from the EAC and the rest of the world.
Over the years, delays in cross border clearance were attributed to duplication of handling procedures on either side of the border, poor institutional arrangement and cargo management systems inadequate physical infrastructures and services and immigration management. The new established OSBP has already addressed some of these challenges. Surveys indicate that since operationalisation of the OSBP early this year, the time to cross from Uganda to Tanzania has reduced by 66% from 10 hours in 2011 to 3.4 hours 27 minutes in June 2017. Whereas, crossing from Tanzania to Uganda has reduced by 90% from 46 hours to 4.5 in June 2017.
Trade Mark East Africa CEO Frank Matsaert said that the completion and operationalisation of the Mutukula OSBP is a crucial milestone in increasing access to markets and the facilitation of the movement of cargo along the Central Corridor.
“When initially investing $12 million with our donors, the United Kingdom and Canada, greater access to markets, increased efficiency that would reduce costs by reducing time and improved infrastructure were just a few of our end goals. Ultimately, our projects in physical infrastructure and automation of key government trade processes like customs, have complemented each other to reduce the cost of doing business and boost trade volumes, increasing both Uganda’s and Tanzania’s overall trade competitiveness. Most importantly, they have contributed to governments being businesses being able to expand thus creating jobs, said Matsaert.
Official data shows that an average of 542 vehicles (310 of those cargo trucks) pass through the Mutukula-Mutukula crossing from Central Corridor into Uganda.
TMEA through its donors and in partnership with the East Africa Community has since 2010 supported 15 OSBPs in East Africa including South Sudan and has invested about US$117 million in OSBPs and access roads. They are: Kenya and Uganda’s Busia/Busia, Kenya and Uganda’s Malaba/Malaba, Rwanda and Uganda’s Kagitumba/Mirama Hills, Tanzania and Uganda’s Mutukula/Mutukula, Kenya and Tanzania’s Holili/Taveta, South Sudan and Uganda Nimule/Elegu, Burundi and Tanzania’s Kobero/Kabanga and lastly Tunduma on the Tanzanian side.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The East African Community Secretariat is taking part in the ongoing 23rd Session of the Conference of Parties (COP 23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the 13th Meeting of Parties to Kyoto Protocol (CMP13) and the 2nd Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, that is taking place from 6th - 17th November, 2017 in Bonn, Germany.
The COP 23 is being organized by Fiji and hosted at the headquarters of the UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn, Germany, with the aim of launching nations towards the next level of ambition needed to tackle global warming and put the world on a safer and more prosperous development path. The Conference, coming just two years after the landmark adoption of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, is expected to fuel momentum among cities, states, regions, territories, business and civil society in support of national climate action plans, the internationally-agreed temperature goal and the wider objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The EAC Secretariat has an observer status to UNFCCC processes and is participating in the several COP 23 sessions and is showcasing the milestones, achievements and lessons learned from the implementation of climate change programmes in the region.
As part of the preparations for the forthcoming conference and with financial support from the US Government, the EAC Secretariat organized and facilitated national and regional climate change consultative meetings. The national and regional consultations were undertaken from 12th to 31st October, 2017 with a view to identify national climate change priorities that would inform development of the regional position paper to guide negotiations.
The national consultations devised measures for realization of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and aligned Partner States’ priorities to the EAC roadmap for implementation of the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with GiZ (Uganda) organized and facilitated advocacy and capacity building workshops for the regional Climate Negotiators on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement as part of pre-COP 23 preparations.
EAC Secretariat participation is an opportunity for the EAC delegation to share experiences, success stories and best practices in implementing its Vision 2050, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
Beside the official side events and other events coordinated by the UNFCCC Secretariat, Parties and observer organizations are organizing their own events relating to the climate change negotiation process in different Pavilions and outside the conference premises.
The EAC Secretariat will take this opportunity to engage in bilateral discussions with new and existing Development Partners to assist in implementing the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, 10th November, 2017:
A four-day training workshop of media practitioners from the Republic of South Sudan on the East African Community integration came to a close Friday at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The workshop, which attracted participation from 23 Public Communications Officers and journalists from media houses in South Sudan, is part of efforts by the EAC Secretariat to build capacity for RSS stakeholders in the integration process and ensure the smooth entry of the world’s youngest nation into the Community.
Among the resolutions at the end of the workshop was that the Government of South Sudan should urgently strengthen the communications function in its Ministry of Trade, Industry and East African Community Affairs and equip it with the tools and resources that will improve access to information on EAC by the media.
It was further agreed that the EAC Secretariat in close collaboration with the RSS Ministry of Trade, Industry and EAC Affairs avails updated documents and timely information to the media for purposes of sensitizing citizens of South Sudan on the integration process.
It was resolved that media houses encourage objective, accurate and responsible coverage of EAC issues free of distortion of facts on the integration.
It was also agreed that public educational materials on the EAC integration and its benefits be developed and distributed to members of the public and other stakeholders in South Sudan.
The objective of the workshop that was organised by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with GIZ, the German Technical Cooperation Agency, was to engage Public Communications Officers and journalists from South Sudan with a view to enhancing their understanding and appreciation of the integration process.
In remarks read on his behalf by the Director of Infrastructure at the EAC Secretariat during the closing session of the workshop, Dr. Kamugisha Kazaura, EAC Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko said that the integration of RSS into the Community would not only bring tangible political, socio-cultural and economic benefits to the South Sudan but to the region as a whole.
“The enlargement of the Community will invariably increase intra-regional trade; cross-border investment; elimination of non-tariff barriers to trade, and; enhance economic growth within the region. Our countries stand a better chance to create a globally competitive East Africa as envisioned by the Founding Fathers,” said Amb. Mfumukeko.
Amb. Mfumukeko urged the participants to be at the forefront in promoting the EAC integration in to the people of South Sudan.
“As communication cum media practitioners, you will be at the frontline of efforts by the EAC to sensitize the people of South Sudan on the integration process. I urge you to be good ambassadors of the EAC by reporting effectively and with accuracy on EAC issues,” said the Secretary General.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
