The Facilitator of the Inter-Burundi Dialogue, Former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H. E. Benjamin William Mkapa has announced that the 4th Inter-Burundi Dialogue Session will be held in Arusha, Tanzania from 27th November to 08th December 2017.
This important Session will be all-inclusive and will bring together participants from the Government of Burundi, former Presidents and Vice Presidents, all the 32 political parties registered in Burundi, Key political actors resident in Burundi and those outside, civil society organizations, women, the youth, religious leaders from the Catholic Church, Protestant Churches and the Moslem Community as well as the Media.
It is expected that the two-week long session will allow the participants to seriously negotiate and reach tangible results.
The Facilitator and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania have assured all participants that adequate security arrangements are in place to guarantee their safety and a pleasant stay in the United Republic of Tanzania.
-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.
EAC Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 21st November 2017:
Three East African Community Organs – the EAC Secretariat, East African Legislative Assembly and the East African Court of Justice – are set to join other international, regional and sub-regional organizations based in Arusha to participate in the inaugural Open Day for International Organizations scheduled to take place on Saturday, 25th November, 2017 in Arusha.
The Open Day will be held at the premises of the UN-Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT or Mechanism) located in Lakilaki, Arusha.
The Open Day 2017 for International Organizations aims at increasing visibility and raising awareness on the mandates and functions of the respective organizations that make up the international community in Arusha. It is anticipated that the open day will also serve to improve the level of cooperation between the participating organizations and local Government authorities.
The event will further showcase the significance of the city of Arusha at both the regional and international levels.
Arusha is host to a number of key international, regional and sub-regional organizations that have, over the years, made it a prominent judicial, economic, political, tourism and cultural hub in the region.
Other Arusha-based organizations that will participate in the Open Day include: the MICT, the African Court for Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Institute of International Law, the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption, the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community, the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI), and the Pan African Postal Union.
The MICT has kindly offered to take the lead in the organization and hosting of the inaugural event, which will take place from 10:00 hours to 17:00 hours at the MICT premises at Lakilaki.
Senior Tanzanian government officials, Executives and Staff working in the participating organizations and their families, University students and members of the public are expected to attend the event.
The programme will start with welcoming remarks by the MICT President, Judge Theodor Meron, followed by remarks from the Heads of other international organizations’ and the guest of honour, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania, Hon. Dr. Augustine Mahiga, as well as the Regional Commissioner for Arusha and the Lord Mayor of the City of Arusha. The remarks will be followed by a variety of presentations through the course of the day and activities for all age groups.
Visitors will have the unique opportunity to visit the respective stands of the international organizations’ and learn more about the work of these organizations.
The programme for the day will also include guided tours of the UN-MICT courtroom where a moot court organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross will take place from 14:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs.
Other events planned include the screening of documentaries produced by the MICT External Relations Section and the Outreach Programme of the former International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
The EAC Organs will have an exhibition booth where they will display some of its documentaries and promotional materials. Additionally, there will be a Medical Camp and a children’s corner, with activities for young visitors.
Free Snacks and refreshments will be served. There will also be free transport to and from MICT premises at Lakilaki, Arusha. Branded buses (25-seaters) will move around the city with three (3) major routes, namely:
Njiro via Kijenge, Impala, Regional Commissioner’s office (garden), Naaz, friends’ corner, Kilombero market, Mbauda, to MICT;
The Buses will be leaving the starting points and the final destination after every 30 minutes. The trips will be monitored by the members of the organizing committee and the ushers who will be placed at every pick-up point in branded T-shirts to help people identify the buses.
The 4th Extraordinary Sectoral Council on Transport, Communication and Meteorology (TCM) to consider and approve status of implementation of the Directives of the 3rd Heads of State (HoS) Infrastructure Retreat, to update the HoS Priority Infrastructure Projects, and to approve proposed flagship projects was held on 13th – 15th November, 2017 at the EAC Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania.
Speaking at the opening session, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote informed the meeting that the implementation of the proposed flagship projects which have high impact on regional integration and social - economic growth of the region required an investment amounting to more than US$ 55 billion.
Eng. Mlote called for joint efforts between all stakeholders including Partner States, co-operating partners and the private sector in order to realize the huge financial investments required for infrastructure development in the bloc.
On his part, the Chair of the Extraordinary Sectoral Council and Uganda’s Minister of State for Works and Transport, Hon. Aggrey Bagiire informed the meeting that infrastructure plays an important role in promoting regional integration hence the need to continuously enhance capacities of existing infrastructure to cope with future demands and to meet International standards and requirements.
The Sectoral Council reviewed the key achievements since the 3rd Heads of State Infrastructure Retreat held in November 2014, which include;
Construction of Makebuko – Butaganzwa and Ruygi - Cankuzo roads (Burundi);
Construction of Phase 1 of Standard Gauge Railway from Mombasa to Nairobi (Kenya);
Construction of 2nd Container Terminal – Kipevu West Phase I at Mombasa Port increasing container handling capacity by 550 TEUs.;
Construction of a new single point mooring, one stop centre, expanded gates and improved access roads at the Port of Da es Salaam;
Upgrading of the Ndumbi Port on Lake Nyasa (Tanzania); Construction of Voi- Taveta road (Kenya);
Construction of the road between Simiyu/Mara border and Sirari/Isebania (Tanzania);
Road upgrades in Dar es Salaam; and Construction of 120 KM of 10- inch diameter oil pipeline (i.e. line 6) parallel to existing one from Sinendet to Kisumu (Kenya).
Among the flagship infrastructure projects approved by the 4th Extraordinary Sectoral Council in a bid for intra -EAC bloc development/integration and connection to its neighbouring countries includes;
Construction of a new crude oil pipeline from Hoima (Uganda) to Tanga (Tanzania) (1,443km) plus Hoima Oil Refinery in Uganda;
Construction of Mombasa – Nairobi – Malaba – Jinja Expressway (Kenya and Uganda);
Development of EAC-based Airports and EAC Unified Upper Flight Information Region;
Construction to standard gauge railway of the Dar es Salaam – Isaka – Mwanza and Isaka -Kigali/ Keza –Gitega – Musongati (Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi);
Construction to standard gauge of Uvinza – Musongati Railway line (Tanzania and Burundi, Construction to standard gauge of the Mombasa – Nairobi – Malaba – Kampala-Kigali line with Malaba – Nimule Juba spur (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan) Construction of Dar es Salaam to Chalinze Expressway (144km) in Tanzania;
LAPSSET Corridor Development (Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia), the Construction of Rusizi Hydro power Project (Burundi, Rwanda and DRC), Construction of Rufiji Hydropower Project at Stiegler’s Gorge along the Rufiji River, 2100 MW (Tanzania), and Development of Zanzibar Ports among others.
The meeting also approved “Development of Resilient Infrastructure to Accelerate Industrialization, Support Trade to Foster Socio-Economic Transformation in the EAC’’ as the theme of the 4th HoS Infrastructure Retreat.
The meeting recommended to the Council to consider and adopt the proposed new projects and to request the Heads of State to champion the implementation of the proposed flagship projects.
-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, Tanzania, November 21st, 2017:
A two-day regional workshop on the establishment of Trade Information Portals (TIPs) organised by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is currently underway at Crowne Plaza hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.
Themed “Harnessing transparent trade information for effective trade facilitation in the East African Community,” which will run from 21st to 22nd November, 2017, the objective of the workshop is to assess the progress made in terms of the implementation of TIPs, and to identify how TIPs can best support and help monitor the implementation of national and regional trade facilitation agendas.
The workshop, among other things, specifically seeks to provide a forum for member states to share current status, challenges and achievements on the implementation of TIPs. The workshop will further formulate a regional Trade Facilitation Index and measurable targets for the online publication and simplification of trade procedures.
Also on the agenda of the Workshop will be the public launch of the Kenya Trade Information Portal hosted by the Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade) which is scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, 22nd November, 2017.
Participants at the workshop are drawn from each EAC Partner State’s National Trade Facilitation Committee, Single Window Project Coordinator/Customs Officer and the TIPs Project Coordinators.
Note for Editors:
The World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), adopted by the WTO General Council on 27th November, 2014 came into force on 22nd February, 2017. The TFA aims to create a more efficient trade environment by targeting administrative barriers to trade – unnecessary border inspections, excessive document and data requirements, manual processes, lack of coordination among border authorities and complex and inefficient rules and procedures.
The EAC Secretariat has partnered with UNCTAD to assist, with the financial support of TMEA, EAC Member States efforts to comply with, and benefit from, the provisions of the TFA through a Trade Facilitation Programme. One of the Programme’s key objectives is to increase the transparency of trade procedures by supporting the establishment of national Trade Information Portals (TIP). TIPs are currently being installed in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda while the TIP will be implemented on a larger scale at a later stage in Burundi and South Sudan.
Once they are fully operational under the supervision of the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC), TIPs are expected to provide trade operators with all the necessary regulatory and practical information on import, export and transit procedures, and governments with a powerful tool to simplify procedures and to support improved national trade facilitation policies.
-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 Africa Youth Leadership Summit is set to be held from 27th November to 1st December, 2017 at the Training Center for Development Cooperation (MS-TCDC) Campus in Usa River and at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
Themed Unlocking Youth Leadership Potential: Youth at the Centre of the East African Integration, the Summit is being organized by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with MS TCDC.
The Summit, abbreviated as YouLead, has been organized in line with the provisions of the EAC Youth Policy (2016) Priority 14 which mandates the EAC Secretariat to build networks and partnerships and particularly to “institute an annual youth leaders’ forum with the EAC Secretary General as a regional platform for youth engagement with the EAC leadership.”
The objectives of the East African Youth Leadership Summit include; facilitating a step-by-step appreciation of the current opportunities within and beyond the region; challenging young people to think and act beyond conventional takes, and; creating an opportunity to deepen the partnership and cooperation among youth from participating sectors/countries.
Other objectives are to: encourage youth to develop sustainable projects by rolling regional and global issues, and; to nourish constructive exchange of ideas and good practices, hands-on skills development among the youth in the region.
The Summit will feature myriad stakeholders including youth leaders from business, government and civil society sector, policy-makers, thought-provoking academics, daring social entrepreneurs, media people, CEOs, civil society advocates, and other inspirational practitioners.
Participants will range between 15 and 35 years of age with at least 30 representatives from each EAC Partner State. To attain the ultimate goal, but at the same time maintain the youthful aspect, there will be a series of activities and break-out sessions including: workshops, group discussions, dialogues, symposiums, presentations, and formal and informal chats. All the activities will be tailored to ensure maximum interactions among participants.
Partner States’ Ministries responsible for Youth and EAC Affairs, National Youth Councils, Youth Networks, institutions of higher learning and all stakeholders and champions of Youth are expected to fully and actively mobilize participation in the Summit.
Notes to Editors
As of 2014 and 2016, MS Training Center for Development Cooperation (MS TCDC) hosted two remarkable programmes: Youth Governance Festival (YGF14) and the Regional Youth Seminar (RYS16) respectively. The YGF14 aimed at propelling the urgency to involve youth in critical decision-making processes and stimulate their consciousness to proactively integrate their contributions into ongoing governance and development processes at the EAC level.
On the other hand, RYS16 aimed at bringing together youth and youth representatives who took part in the YGF to showcase their works, evaluate progress on the steps taken since the festival, and share their perspectives on addressing the Leadership challenges facing the region. Both programmes managed to attract more than 400 youth from the East African region and beyond.
The programmes are premised on the cognizance that East Africa is one of the sub-regions in Africa in which an estimated 60% percent of the population are youth, described in the EAC Youth Policy as those aged between 15 and 35 years old. The programmes further recognise that as the EAC integration widens and deepens, there is a growing need to bring the youth, present and future leaders, on board to engage with them on issues pertinent to regional integration.
In recognizing that youth are a crucial asset and an important key resource in social economic and political development of the community, MS TCDC in partnership with the EAC Secretariat are undertaking various initiatives to promote continuous dialogue among the youth and incite their interest in advocating for regional integration.
With the previous experience and consultations made from our stakeholders, and in an effort to implement the EAC Youth Policy (2016) priority 14 which calls on the EAC Secretariat to build networks and partnerships, the organizing team has decided to merge the two programmes and come up with one programme – The East Africa Youth Leadership Summit shortly known as “YouLead”. This program, in line to the previous ones, aims at continuing with the efforts of inspiring and challenging young people to play their role in changing their societies for better.
-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, 20th November, 2017:
The East African Community (EAC) and the Federal Republic of Germany signed a government agreement today in support of health and education in the EAC. EUR 35 million will be invested in vaccination programmes as well as a scholarship programme for East African students.
In appreciation and acknowledgement of the EAC’s efforts to immunize every child, Germany has been supporting the immunization programme in the region in close collaboration with the EAC and Gavi, the vaccine alliance, since 2013. The region has made great progress in introducing new, life-saving vaccines.
However, challenges remain in reaching out to children in remote areas, achieving high coverage rates for newly introduced vaccines and acceptable coverage rates in the new EAC Partner State South Sudan. Therefore, Germany is contributing EUR 30 million to immunization programmes in the EAC with the signed government agreement. The project is successfully being implemented by Gavi, the vaccine alliance, in close collaboration with Unicef, WHO and the Partner States’ immunization programmes. Germany’s total contribution to the EAC immunization programmes thus amounts to a total of EUR 120 million.
Furthermore, Germany will be contributing EUR 5 million to the EAC for a scholarship programme in cooperation with the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA). Goal of this programme is to promote EAC’s regional integration agenda by supporting higher education students and their role in fostering awareness for the East African integration process, creating social change as well as economic growth.
The scholarship programme is designed as a regional approach supporting East African students with academic talent and leadership qualities. Beyond the provision of scholarships, the EAC scholars will be actively promoted through programme activities such as regional leadership seminars and mentoring schemes. After graduation beneficiaries of the EAC Scholarship Programme will become highly-skilled ‘change agents’ for their home communities as qualified professionals with a strong understanding of regional challenges, approaches and expertise in their respective subject fields.
HE Dr. Detlef Wächter, German Ambassador to the East African Community: "The new commitments underline that Germany continues to be a strong partner for the EAC in pushing the integration process forward. Education and health are core pillars of sustainable economic development and we are glad to be able to contribute to that in this regional context."
For almost two decades, Germany has been supporting the EAC through financial as well as technical cooperation. Germany's contribution to the EAC amounts to a total of almost EUR 285 million.
In his remarks, EAC Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko noted that the EAC and the Federal Republic of Germany have been cooperating in different areas with notable achievements being realized.
“These include Health and Pharmaceutical Sectors; Trade and Customs; Promotion of Gender and Education; Monetary harmonization, Institutional Capacity Strengthening and support to the EAC Partnership Fund;” said Amb. Mfumukeko.
The Secretary Genera thanked Germany for her generous support to the EAC, adding that the collaboration between the two parties continues to grow and become stronger.
Also present at the function were the First Secretary and Head of Regional Cooperation (EAC) at the German Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Ms. Norzin Grigoleit-Dagyab, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, the DSG-Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote and Dr Anthony Kafumbe, the Counsel to the Community.
-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
OR
John Merikion Phone: +255-(0)22 211 740 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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.
‘Diseases don’t have passports – they can cross borders’, the Hon. Jesca Eriyo, Deputy Secretary General Finance and Administration of the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat, reminded the participants of a three-day regional conference on ‘Lessons for the Future – What East African Experts learned from fighting the Ebola epidemic in West Africa’. The conference was the first of its kind that brought together 50 of the 500 East African doctors, nurses, epidemiologists and many other health specialists who risked their lives by volunteering to be deployed to West Africa to fight the Ebola epidemic between 2014 and 2016. According to the World Health Organization, the epidemic killed over 11,000 people and more than 30,000 were infected, and there were real fears that the disease could spread to East Africa and beyond.
The conference, with participation from the African Union, from Regional Economic Communities and Regional Health and Development Organizations, from the WHO AFRO office, the UN and other international development partners as well as representatives from Doctors without Borders and others bodies, was held from 6th to 8th November at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) Duduville Campus in Nairobi, Kenya.
The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat decided to host the conference so that the invaluable experiences and knowledge of these East African health experts could be heard, properly documented, and used to inform lessons for the future for preventing, combating and mitigating future outbreaks of infectious diseases.
Over the three days, participants shared their first-hand experiences, discussed the lessons learned and came up with constructive recommendations for future responses. ‘There are some things you can’t learn in a classroom – you only learn from experience,’ said Dr Monica Musenero, WHO’s Field coordinator in Bombali, Sierra Leone and one of the 500 experts from East Africa who volunteered to be deployed to West Africa to help during the Ebola crisis of 2014-16. ’Never in my life did I imagine such an epidemic. It dwarfed everything that had gone before…When I arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone I was unprepared for the horror of what I encountered.’ She compared the experience of fighting Ebola to being at the frontline of a war – ‘except you can’t see the enemy – it’s everywhere.’
Participants discussed the lessons learned from this ‘frontline’ experience and came up with many constructive lessons for improving future responses, including:
Political will is very important for timely declaration and management of epidemics.
Regional and national contingency plans need to be developed and implemented, with adequate resources to prevent and react to future epidemics.
There is a need to establish national and regional teams of experts that can be rapidly deployed in an emergency.
Community engagement is crucial if disease outbreaks are to be effectively contained.
Health systems need to be strengthened and work effectively with other sectors and areas of expertise to ensure a holistic and effective response.
The Hon. Jesca Eriyo said that the lessons learned from the deployed experts’ first-hand experiences would help to strengthen the continents’ future response to outbreaks, and their recommendations would inform the East African Community’s commitment to strengthening health systems and responses, and be presented to the forthcoming East African Head of States summit. She particularly welcomed the participants’ enthusiasm for establishing a pool of experienced experts for rapid deployment in the event of a future emergency.
Dr Zabulon Yeti, head of the WHO AFRO Office in Brazzaville, DRC, welcomed the meeting as an opportunity for deployed exerts to come together and be ‘debriefed’ and talk freely about their experiences. He said he would take five key messages away from the meeting:
Nobody can tackle infectious diseases like Ebola alone. It needs to be a team effort.
Working together leads to better coordination and synergistic actions.
Better local action and early reporting is crucial: the Ebola outbreak in West Africa started with just one case but quickly crossed boundaries and continents.
Ebola is a disease that crossed from animals to humans, so animal and human health and the effects of the environment and climate change are all closely related and need a multi-sectoral ‘One Health’ response.
The key lesson is that containing future outbreaks will need community engagement, and that entails better understanding of culture and traditions and more effective risk communication. Dr Yoti said that some community responders working in West Africa had been stoned and threatened ‘because we did not understand the community.’
Dr Babatunde Jegede from the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health in Lagos spoke on behalf of the West African experts who fought Ebola in the affected countries. During a press briefing he stressed the importance of continuous exchange and close cooperation between and among the African regions for better future preparedness. He and his colleagues present at the conference contributed their experiences from fighting the epidemic and said they would take home the lessons learned from their East African sisters and brothers.
Jesca Eriyo concluded the meeting by thanking all formerly deployed East African experts present who had risked their own lives in the fight against Ebola: ‘From deep down in my heart I thank you and applaud your sacrifice … you will always be celebrated as heroes.’
The conference was organised by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the Federal Government of Germany through the GIZ coordinated ‘Support to Pandemic Preparedness in the EAC Region’ project and in cooperation with GIZ’s Epidemic Preparedness Team (Schnell Einsetzbare Expertengruppe Gesundheit, SEEG) and the German Development Bank (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, KfW) supported ‘EAC Regional Network of Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases’.
Contact: Othieno Richard Owora: EAC Secretariat
Video and audio interviews with health workers who worked in West Africa, and photos of the conference are available on request.
Kenneth K. Byoona, Risk and Crisis Communication, Support to Pandemic Preparedness in the EAC Region, GIZ Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: +255 27 250 123
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 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.
