Posted in Press Release
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame is calling on the region to concert its integration efforts and to address challenging issues notably insecurity, bad governance and corruption as it garners to realise the regional economic bloc’s Vision 2050.
The President’s remarks were delivered by the President of the Senate, Rt Hon. Bernard Makuza, at the commencement of the 3rd Meeting of the 4th Session of the 3rd Assembly at the Parliament of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda, this afternoon.
He reiterated that all East Africans must eradicate the “business as usual” mindset and strive towards progress of strengthening integration. “As legislators, we must ask questions and keep searching for solutions for and on behalf of our people. We must identify and address whatever may divert the progress of the Community, and ensure that there are no obstacles to our co-operation for integration. And to start with, procedures and processes governing Organs of the Community should not be themselves an obstacle to the growth of the Community”, Rt Hon. Makuza said.
Rt Hon. Makuza tasked the EAC to involve all the people in the integration process for the tangible benefits to be realised.
“It is indeed common sense that our people must be consulted and involved in each step of integration programs as much as possible. The fact of the matter is that, the cost of failing to involve people widely enough, ultimately is much higher than what is required to invest, for people’s participation in the decision-making processes”, Rt Hon. Makuza told the House.
He called on the EAC Partner States to speedily implement the Common Market Protocol saying the delay had caused citizens a number of opportunities.
Rt Hon. Makuza further hailed EALA for the attention it is paying to issues of natural resources, environment management, food security and rural development. He said that Rwanda had after the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi, learnt vital lessons that essentially enabled the country to transform itself.
The country, Rt Hon. Makuza, added, understood that unity, security and good governance were key for survival and sustainability as a nation and that Rwanda had remained committed to the EAC.
He said Parliament of Rwanda had listened carefully to the will of the people regarding the country’s Constitutional Amendment.
“As legislators, there is no other voice to hear, other than our people’s will, both in decision-making and in accountability. People’s aspirations are the only argument against intimidations and prejudices. National sovereignty belongs to our people. We cannot afford to apologise for the very things that work for our people, and which make us stronger. This is the real expression of democracy”, Rt Hon. Makuza said.
The President of the Rwanda Senate further urged the Assembly to articulate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN in September this year, while placing people and the environment at the centre of the priorities.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the EALA, Rt Hon. Daniel F. Kidega noted that East Africans were interested in seeing more tangible benefits of integration through the various integration pillars.
“With regards to the Customs Union, we are glad the Summit is pushing for the operationalisation of the Single Customs Territory to streamline and enhance clearance of goods. The improvement at the Dar es Salaam and Mombasa ports will make both the Central and Northern Corridors attractive in terms of facilitation of trade”, Rt Hon. Kidega said.
The Speaker said the Assembly, was concerned about what is taking place in the neighbouring Republic of Burundi.
“Many lives have been lost, others maimed, peace disrupted, property damaged and the economy destabilised following the rapid escalation of violence and the instability over the last few months. The situation is worrying and could be dire and grave”, Rt Hon. Kidega said.
“I have recently had the opportunity of meeting with the President of the Senate of Burundi and called upon him to rally the country’s legislators to go above and beyond the call of duty in restoring stability”, Speaker Kidega added.
“As an Assembly, we have also debated on and passed the Report of the Goodwill Mission of EALA to the Burundi Refugees in Eastern Province of Rwanda and in Kigoma in the United Republic of Tanzania. Last week, the Assembly also received a petition from concerned East Africans keen to see the impasse resolved”, he remarked.
Rt Hon. Kidega added that EALA was further keen to buttress the mode of assent of Bills.
“We are of the view that the region takes advantage of the Summit sittings which can create opportune moment for the Summit Members to exercise their mandate as stipulated under Article 63”, Speaker Kidega said.
The Speaker further rooted for sustained funding for the Community saying it was time for the EAC Partner States to seek alternative mechanisms for funding.
At the EALA Session, the following matters form notable business:
- The EAC Forest Management and Protection Bill, 2015 - 2nd and 3rd Reading
- The EAC Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Bill, 2015 - 2nd and 3rd Reading
- Debate and adopt Reports of various Committees of the House.
A number of Reports are also expected to be debated and adopted.
In her remarks, the Speaker of the Rwanda Chamber of Deputies, Rt Hon. Donatile Mukabalisa, hailed the existing relations between the Parliament of Rwanda and EALA. She said Parliament of Rwanda had focused on the speedy harmonisation of the country’s laws with those passed by EALA.
She mentioned that Parliament of Rwanda was also readying itself for the Inter-Parliamentary Games’ Tournament on 4-11th December 2015, which brings together EALA and National Assemblies.
Moving the vote of thanks, Hon. Dora Byamukama said the Assembly would deliberate on the message of H.E. Paul Kagame and to find the mechanisms to implement the directives.
Hon. Byamukama said the EAC was yearning for accelerated pace of implementation of laws to speed up integration in the EAC region. She hailed the Secretary-General of the EAC, Amb. Dr Richard Sezibera for introducing the scorecard on Non-Tariff Barriers.
Hon. Byamukama maintained that issues concerning human rights needed to be addressed as a matter of priority.
Posted in Press Release
Representatives from the East African Community (EAC) Partner States, government officials, international development agencies and civil society organisations gathered in Arusha, Tanzania for a one-day workshop on Climate Change.
The Climate Change, Renewable Energies and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in East Africa - The Role of Climate Finance workshop, which was organised by the EAC, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and Tanzania Civil Society Forum on Climate Change (Forum CC).
Putting a spotlight on the current climate finance architecture and its opportunities for use in East Africa, the delegates looked at ways in which climate finance mechanisms can help boost the sustainable use of natural resources and renewable energy in the region, with an emphasis on the perspectives of the civil society.
Delivering the keynote address, the EAC Director for Productive Sectors, Mr Jean Baptiste Havugimana reiterated the effects of climate change on agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, fishing, wildlife and the health sector.
Mr Havugimana said that the EAC has initiated regional climate finance readiness activities that aim at having the EAC Secretariat and the East African Development Bank accredited as Regional Implementing Entities to the Adaptation Fund and the Green Climate Fund so as to directly access international climate change financing for the mitigation of climate change.
“The acceleration of human-induced changes in the climate system, including sea level rise, with negative implications and projections for the African continent”, said Mr Havugimana.
He said that the adverse impacts of climate change were a major challenge to socio-economic development in East Africa due to the region’s heavy dependence on natural resources which are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
“The impacts affect key economic drivers such as water resources, agriculture, energy, transport, health, forestry, wildlife, land and infrastructure, and disaster risk management, among other things”, said Mr Havugimana.
Speaking at the forum, Mr Jackson Muro, the Director of the Tanzania Civil Society Forum for Climate Change, cited the drastic change in weather patterns in East Africa as one negative effect of climate change.
“In Tanzania, for example, rainfall has become less predictable and droughts have become both frequent in occurrence and last longer compared to a few years back. Sea levels are rising at an alarming pace and several parts of the coastal region are at risk of being submerged like Pangani town in Tanga. There are already some parts that are now completely under the sea as is the case of Mazwe Island near Pangani”, Mr Muro said.
“In many parts of Tanzania, temperature has increased by about 0.2 to 0.6 degrees Centigrade for the past 30 years. The impact of increased temperatures is evidenced by the fast decline of snow on Mount Kilimanjaro and other mountains in the region”, he added.
The EAC Secretariat was officially accredited as an observer to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by the 18th Conference of Parties (COP18) in Doha, Qatar. Since then, the EAC has been playing a key role in the international climate change policy discourse through providing leadership on regional climate change policy setting and mainstreaming of climate change adaptation and mitigation in regional integration programmes, projects and other initiatives in accordance with the EAC Climate Change Policy adopted by the EAC Heads of State in April 2011.