East African Legislative Assembly, Doha, Qatar: 8th April, 2019: The 140th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly commenced in Qatar, this week (April 6-10, 2019) with over 1000 MPs from 160 Parliaments globally, in attendance to deliberate on issues under the umbrella theme of “Parliaments as platforms to enhance education for peace, security and the rule of law”
EALA Speaker, Rt Hon Ngoga Karoli Martin, is represented by EALA Member and Commissioner, Hon Dr Oburu Oginga. Hon Dr Oginga addressed the congregation this morning (April 8h, 2019) urging parliamentarians to enact legislation and provide oversight on policies on the education sector that build and enhance sustainable peace. Hon Dr Oginga termed access to education, resources, respect for diversity and identity as well as equal and equitable participation in decision making at all levels as critical. He further called for measures to address the historical and contemporary injustices.
The EALA Member said Parliaments need to be more impactful in their approaches to addressing peace and ensuring rule of law. Hon Dr Oginga told legislators to advocate for targeted education and initiatives that abhor violence, enhance peace-building tools and support human security around the globe for positive societal impact.
Hon Dr Oginga said EALA had continued to play a critical part in so far as peace and security is concerned. “The Assembly has passed the EAC Human and Peoples’ Rights Bill, 2012 and about 12 Resolutions on the subject matter. The Assembly further works with the EAC Secretariat and other institutions in promoting research, building pertinent partnerships and peace initiatives as measures to curtail forms of insecurity and thus promote peaceful co-existence of communities”, he said. The Member called for full implementation of the Peace and Security Protocol including the setting up of an EAC Security Council and an EAC Stand-by-Brigade as well as the institutionalization of the Panel of the Wise and other related institutions.
He further called for effective oversight on the projects of the agencies that ensure cohesiveness and concerted efforts towards ensuring humanity issues are addressed.
The 140th Assembly is covering multiple subjects including role of fair and free trade and investments in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially that which regard economic equality, sustainable agriculture, industrialization and innovation. A number of emergency items are further expected to be tabled during the week-long event as is provided for under Assembly Rule 11.1 and Article 14.2 of the IPU Statutes. The items proposed include a call for urgent international action to support Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, hit by the cyclone Idai and another on preventing and combating racism, intolerance, islamophobia and xenophobia.
Other EALA Members in attendance are, Hon Dr Francois Kalinda, Hon Rose Akol, Hon Dr Gabriel Garang Alaak, Hon Pamela Masaay and senior EALA Parliamentary staff.
The 140th IPU edition has also attracted over 50 Speakers of Parliament and 40 Deputy Speakers. Of the MPs in attendance, 20 per cent are young MPs under 45 years of age and 33 per cent are women.
Other EAC Speakers and Parliamentarians are also in attendance. The Republic of Kenya is led by the Speaker of the Senate, Rt Hon Kenneth Lusaka. Rt Hon Nyabenda Pascal, Speaker of the Burundi National Assembly leads his delegation as Rt Hon Job Ndugai, Speaker of Parliament of Tanzania leads legislators from the Parliament of Tanzania. Delegations from the Parliament of Uganda, Parliament of Rwanda and the Transitional National Legislative Assembly of the Republic of South Sudan are also in attendance.
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For more information, please contact:
Bobi Odiko Senior Public Relations Officer East African Legislative Assembly Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255-27-2508240 Fax: +255-27-2503103 Cell: +255-787-870945, +254-733-718036 Email: BOdiko [at] eachq.org Web: www.eala.org
About the East African Legislative Assembly:
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is the Legislative Organ of the Community and has a cardinal function to further EAC objectives, through its Legislative, Representative and Oversight mandate. It was established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.
The Commemoration event took place at the EAC headquarters on 7th April, 2019 and was attended by 400 people largely students from nearby secondary schools and universities, Staff from EAC and United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (UN IRMCT) members of Rwanda Community in Arusha- Moshi and friends of Rwanda;
The Commemoration event was preceded by a Walk to remember and laying of wreaths on the Commemoration monument at the EAC gardens.
The Longido District Commissioner, Mr. Frank Mwesumbe who represented the government of United Republic of Tanzanian stressed that it is the duty of everyone in the world in our various capacities, to spare no efforts in fighting against genocide ideology in all ways of its manifestation. He emphasized the importance of actively involving the youth in all affairs as they constitute a big population and equipping them with necessary skills needed to develop their countries but also educating them about the dangers of harboring such ill motives and backward destructive ideologies like genocide ideology, revisionism and divisionism.
The main discussant Hon. Fred Mukasa Mbidde, member of East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) from Uganda presented about the role of politicians in curbing genocide ideology and ensuring peaceful co-existence in which he highlighted the misdeeds of the genocide government and commended the current government of Rwanda led by H.E Paul Kagame for the many economic miracles, recovery and harmonious living amongst Rwandans. He said that as EAC commemorate the genocide against the Tutsi the region should be happy for what Rwanda has achieved so far especially for turning around the country where its mention in any international sphere is equated to growth, peace, development and visionary leadership. He emphasized that solving genocide is also equal to solving state of affairs by putting everything to do with politics of exclusion and ethno classes out of our political equation. Thus, Rwanda should take credit for what they have achieved in their response to genocide. He further strongly called on EAC Partner States to support Rwanda’s bid to restoring Peace and stability by prosecuting or extraditing a huge number of genocide perpetrators reported to be hiding in the EAC region. He emphasized that in the EAC oneness, EAC Partner States should be happy of what their neighbor nations in the region are doing rather than masterminding wars and creating unnecessary insecurity blunders in an effort to destabilize the other nations and thus fomenting genocidal conducive environment. He concluded by strongly recommending that EAC Partner States should swallow their pride and agree to establish a protective wall against anything that might lead to genocide happening again anywhere in the EAC region.
On his part, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo who represented the EAC Secretary General reminded the audience that it was at this time of the year in 1994 that the world witnessed the beginning of one of the most horrible atrocities in the Human history. He said that in only 100 days over a million of innocent men and women lost their lives as the world watched in total inactivity. Yet, we all know that we are all created equal and have the right to life and that no one has a right to take another person's life. He however added that though Rwanda has made tremendous strides to rebuild the societal fabric and create pragmatic pace for healing where the impossible became possible and the unexpected became reality, Rwanda has yet fully recovered from this barbaric act. He reminded the audience that the commemoration by EAC Secretariat call for the region to keep on supporting Rwanda on its path to total healing and also at the same time care about genocide and fight against its ideology because what happened in Rwanda in 1994 and its consequences can happen anyway in the EAC Community if people do not stand and vehemently own the fight against it together as one people working for one destiny. He recalled the chronology followed by EAC to directly own the commemoration processes at regional level. EAC recognized the genocide as a crime against humanity and erected a monument in the EAC gardens and set April 7th every year in the calendar as a special day for commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi. Currently, EAC is considering possibilities for setting the day as an EAC day for commemoration and setting aside a budget in the EAC annual budgets.
Ms. Tembile who represented UN IRMCT recalled the importance of commemoration to reaffirm the commitment to stop and prevent genocide. She said that the International community salute and recognize the courage of those who stopped the genocide and provided immediate support to genocide survivors. She further noted that the International Community’s direct contribution came in form of setting up an Intentional Criminal Tribunal Court for Rwanda to bring the genocide perpetrators to book and thus promote rule of law. In addition, the International Community also in unison declared the Genocide against the Tutsi as a crime against humanity and set the 7th April every year as an International Remembrance Day. She however reminded people that out of 300 genocide perpetrators identified in the EAC region and 805 in Africa, only 100 were apprehended and brought to book and faced justice. She ended her remaks by emphasizing on the pending files of three major genocide perpetrators that the Mechanism is looking forward to deal with any time when the fugitives are arrested.
Eng. Daniel Murenzi, the Diaspora Chairman called on members of the Rwandese community in Diaspora to embrace Ndumunyarwanda program as a unifying factor for all Rwandans across the globe, and harness the fight against genocide ideology.
Eng. John Kizito, who represented the Rwanda High Commissioner in Tanzania, recounted how Rwanda government has restored the broken Society fabric in the last 25 years through unity and reconciliation and the invisible hand of the international community in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and called them all to stand against genocide ideology by responding to indictments, enacting and enforcing laws that fight impunity, Genocide revisionism and denial. He emphasized that this can be possible if done through Young people who constitute a very big force to reckon with in every life aspects.
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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, 4th April, 2019: The 30th meeting of the East African Community Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence is currently underway in Arusha, Tanzania. The Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defence has been convened pursuant to Article 10 of the EAC Protocol on Cooperation in Defence Affairs.
On the Agenda of the Meeting are various items related to strengthening and widening the regional integration agenda in the Defence sector, namely: the Status of Implementation of Previous Decisions of the Sectoral Council; Reports of the After Action Review for the 11th EAC Armed Forces Field Training Exercise USHIRIKIANO IMARA 2018; Evaluation of the 11th EAC Armed Forces Field Training Exercise USHIRIKIANO IMARA 2018, and; the Report of the Initial Planning Conference for the 12th EAC Military Games and Cultural Event 2019.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 30th March 2019: The 50 Million Speak Project (50MWS) conducted a user training on the Digital Platform from the 25th to 29th March 2019, in Lusaka-Zambia, aimed at providing women with access to information on financial and non-financial services while creating a community of women who will act as peers, advisors and mentors to each other.
The training was organized by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which is the Coordinating Regional Community in the implementation of the 50MWS Project.
The objective of the training was to equip the users with the required skills in managing the Platform ahead of the official launch planned in a few months.
… As Council of Ministers and Heads of EAC Organs and Institutions meet to chart ways to accelerate regional integration.
East African Community Secretariat, 29th March, 2019: The Chairperson of the Summit of East African Community Heads of State, H.E. Paul Kagame, has urged EAC Partner States to urgently address all matters impeding the swift implementation of the various regional integration projects and programmes.
“There is urgent need to take ownership of this integration agenda, and this includes Partner States remitting our statutory contributions on time,” said President Kagame. “As the African continent is coming together, the EAC has all that is needed and all that it takes to lead this process at the continental level,” he added.
President Kagame was speaking when he officially opened a Strategic Retreat of the EAC Council of Ministers and Heads of EAC Organs and Institutions at the Kigali Convention Center in Kigali, Rwanda. The 29th March, 2019 Retreat is themed: “Renewing our commitment to the objectives of the Community, accelerating our integration agenda.”
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 7TH EAST AFRICAN HEALTH AND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE 29 MARCH 2019
Based on the Keynotes Speech, Parallel Sessions and Symposia Presentations, the conference recommends that EAC should:
Expedite development and application of innovative approaches (such as the cross boarder health unit model) to cross boarder health, disease outbreak, preparedness and response in boarder areas while adding values to the national health system.
Promote establishment of national bio banks and data repositories among the Partner States and develop a regional policy for guiding the use and security of the repositories.
Urge the Partner States to participate in development, evaluation and formalization of emerging technologies intended for promoting digital health.
Harmonisethe regional IP policy to guide development and uptake of digital health technologies.
Strengthening platform for digital inclusion where communities have full access to information on surveillance and disease management.
Urge the Partner States to fast track the adoption and implementation of Evidence Based Surveillance and enhance mechanisms of sharing information and best practice.
Enhance coordination and collaboration between East African countries and international Institutions involved in diseases control including African CDC.
Urge the Partner States to promote the involvement of frontline healthcare workers in the design of digital health tools to ensure readiness, for easy adoption, decreasing cost, and increased sustainability.
Develop and adopt innovative Regional PPP policies and models specific to digital health Technologies.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 29th March, 2019: A four-days Competition Experts Consultative Meeting to draft the East African Competition Authority (EACA) Outreach and Advocacy Strategy (2019/20 – 2024/25) concluded today in Bujumbura, Burundi.
The 26th – 29th March, 2019 meeting was attended by Competition and Communication Experts from all the Partner States and staff from the EAC Secretariat.
East African Community Secretariat, 29th March, 2019:EAC Partner States are committed to the multilateral trading system and are therefore reviewed after every six years by the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Policy Review Mechanism.
It is in this context that the EAC Partner States underwent their Third joint Trade Policy Review from 20th to 22nd March, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. The objective of the review is to achieve greater transparency in, and understanding of the EAC’s trade and trade related policies on the Customs Union and Common Market by the WTO Members and to enable a multilateral assessment of the adherence by EAC Partner States who are WTO Members, to the rules, disciplines and commitments made under the WTO Agreements.
East African Community Secretariat, 28th March, 2019:The 18th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council on Health concluded at Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.
The meeting reviewed progress made in implementing the previous decisions and directives of the Council and Sectoral Council and also considered other issues of importance in the area of health in the region.
…As Digital REACH initiative Strategic Plan 2019-2018, East African Web Portal for Health Information and Young East African Research Scientists (YEARS) forum launched
East African Health Research Commission, 27th March 2019, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: The Vice-President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E, Samia Hassan Suluhu, has called on East African Community Partner States to invest in Digital Health Technology if the region is to fully implement the Sustainable Development Goals and address all aspects of poverty.
“Investing in Health Sector and relevant digital technologies is key for our development that we need to pursue more aggressively as a region,” said Hon. Suluhu.
The Vice-President was speaking during the official opening ceremony of the 7th East African Health and Scientific Conference (EAHSC), which is taking place at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
She said Science and technology is an important and vital tool in addressing fundamental gaps in the health sector.
“I wish to commend the organizers for the timely and relevant selection of the theme. Technology for health systems transformation and attainment of the UN-Sustainable Development Goals. This theme comes at an opportune moment as the world is in its fourth industrial revolution where science and technology is taking the lead in all aspects,” added the Vice President.
The Vice president informed the conference that the approval of the Digital Regional East African Community Health (Digital REACH) 10 years strategic plan by the Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health held in Kigali on 26th October, 2018 was an important step towards achieving transformation in the sector.
“I expect that Digital REACH will support the development and implementation of regional health programmes, within existing EAC Regional policies and legal frameworks as provided by the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community and as desired by each of the EAC Partner States,” said.
H.E. Hassan told the participants at the conference that Digital health has been proven as one of the enablers of Sustainable Development Goals in developed countries and a lot of pilot projects all over the world are confirming the same to be the case in low- and middle-income country settings.
‘’I therefore encourage Partner States to support the new development in EAC Partner States and call upon the region to work together through Digital Health Technology and reiterate the commitment of the United Republic of Tanzania to take advantage of Digital Health technology to improve implementation of health sector interventions, with the aim of accelerating attainment of the Universal Health Coverage and SDGs.’’
On his part, the Chairperson of the Sectoral Council on Health and Ministers of State of Public Health and Primary Health Care, Dr. Patrick Ndimubanzi, said the digital age was transforming the entire health sector and how healthcare was delivered.
“In fact Digital Health solutions can increase access to health services, deliver training for health professionals, provide better diagnostics and health information,” said Dr. Ndimubanzi, who is also Rwanda’s Minister of State in charge of Public Health and Primary Healthcare.
Dr. Ndimubanzi told the conference that ICT and digital health solutions offered the prospect of bringing into reach universal health coverage and the prospect of making health and well-being for all a reality by 2030.
“I am glad to note that the 19th Ordinary Summit of Heads of EAC Partner States held in Kampala in February 2018, committed to invest in Digital Health Technology, as one of the health sector investment priorities for the region for the next 10 years; for better research for health, health services delivery and health outcome,” said Dr. Ndibumanzi.
The Chair the Sectoral Council call upon the region to put in place strategic policies and practical interventions that can help the EAC Region to boost the uptake of digital health technology.
Representing the EAC Secretary General, Amb Liberat Mfumukeko, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote, said Conference contributes towards strengthening regional cooperation in health in line with Article 118 of the Treaty that established the EAC as well as relevant provisions of the EAC Common Market Protocol which provides a platform or knowledge sharing among health professional in the EAC region.
He urged the EAC Partner States to align their Digital Health strategies and activities with Digital REACH Initiative and to support initiative that complements the national initiatives.
Eng. Mlote said that the conference is expected to come up with the relevant and realistic recommendations for the improvement of health care and delivery through application of technologies for the improvement of the health and the well being of citizens of the Community will be made.
During the official opening, the Vice-President also launched the Digital REACH initiative Strategic Plan 2019-2018, East African Web Portal for Health Information and Young East African Research Scientists (YEARS) forum.
The East African Health and Scientific Conference is biennial and organized on rotational basis within the EAC Partner States.EAC Technical Working Group Meeting on Pilot Testing of Harmonized Pesticides Guidelines fro Efficacy Trials
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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.
