African Union Commission Hosts ‘Critical Analysis’ of the Biennial Review Process
Robert Ouma, Regional Director, Policy LINK (L), pictured with Hon. Gabriel Mbairobe, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cameroon.
The Biennial Review report is the primary mutual accountability mechanism for the African Union and its Member States to track progress against the 2015 Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth.
With support from Policy LINK, the African Union Commission (AUC) has concluded a five-day workshop in Yaoundé, Cameroon to analyze the results of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program’s 3rd Biennial Review (BR) and take a critical look at the process leading up to it. The BR report is the primary mutual accountability mechanism for the African Union and its Member States to track progress against the 2014 Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth.
The August 1-5 event followed a series of virtual meetings conducted by the nine BR Technical Working Groups (TWGs). The event brought together participants from AU agencies, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), technical and implementing partners, technical experts from the BR Task Force, and journalists, among others. The objectives of the meeting were to carefully examine the process used to collect data as well as the indicators and reporting of progress during the 3rd BR cycle — all with an eye to improving the completeness, timeliness, accuracy, and overall credibility of the next BR report.
Opening remarks were delivered by Hon. Gabriel Mbairobe, Cameroon’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director of Agriculture and Rural Development at the African Union Commission. Both reasserted the importance of maintaining the quality of the BR’s data. During the week, technical experts from diverse fields analyzed the BR process and data and made recommendations for improvement. TWG Team Leaders also shared data and evidence-driven findings anchored in the seven Malabo commitment areas.
The recommendations from the meeting included developing new:
Indicators, including for monitoring resilience capacity as well as communication and dissemination of the BR report.
Ways of collecting or disaggregating data.
Processes and strategies for training representatives of AU member states.
Participants also offered suggestions for improving timelines, reporting, data cleaning, report writing, and validation processes.
Policy LINK, working closely with the AUC, the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), and RECs, provides backbone support to CAADP implementation. CAADP is Africa’s policy framework for agricultural transformation, wealth creation, food security and nutrition, economic growth, and prosperity for all.
Resources
With USAID Policy LINK Support, AUC Launches 3rd Biennial Review Report