Declaration of the General Assembly

Introduction

The fifth ordinary session of the General Assembly of the Pan-African Farmers Organization (PAFO) was held in Kigali, Rwanda on October 22 and 23, 2021. The session was chaired by Madam Elisabeth Nsimadala, President of the Board of Directors, assisted by Mr. Nga Célestin, Executive Secretary of PROPAC and Norbert Tuyishime, Program Officer of EAFF, as rapporteurs.

The agenda for the session was structured around the following points:

  1. An opening ceremony under the very high support of the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Head of State
  2. A plenary session animated around the studies and analyzes carried out by PAFO
  3. A round table of partners
  4. Presentation and validation of reports
  5. A closed session for the renewal of the Board of Directors.

The work took place in hybrid format with, in person at the Park Inn by Radisson hotel in Kigali and also in virtual mode through the electronic zoom platform.

Participants

All the PAFO members networks:

  • Eastern African Farmer Federation (EAFF)
  • Plateforme Régionale des Organisations Paysannes d’Afrique Centrale (PROPAC)
  • Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs Agricoles de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (ROPPA)
  • Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU)
  • Union Maghrébine et Nord-Africaine des Agriculteurs (UMNAGRI).

In addition to the delegates from the 28 African countries present, the General Assembly saw the massive participation of Technical and Financial Partners (TFP), as observers. The partners physically present were:

  • AGRA
  • Agricord
  • Agriterra
  • Collectif Sécurité Alimentaire (CSA)  
  • Fédération Vallonne de l’Agriculture
  • International Land Coalition (ILC)  

Online partners were :

  • AFDI
  • COLEACP
  • FAO
  • FIDA
  • FFF
  • ICUN
  • Terra Nuova  

Summary of the work

At the opening ceremony, the participants took turns following the speeches of:

  • A word of welcome from Mrs. Césari Kantarama, President of INGABO,
  • The moral speech of Madam Elisabeth Nsimadala, President of PAFO,
  • A word from Mr. Jean-Philippe Audinet of IFAD,
  • The opening speech of Mrs. Geraldine Mukeshimana, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources of the Republic of Rwanda, Personal Representative of His Excellency Mr. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic.  

The plenary session made it possible, through the working groups organized with the support of PAFO experts, to deepen the reflection on the themes of the studies carried out by PAFO, namely: the impact of covid19 on African farmers; the African Continental Free Trade Area; African food systems; and the land issue in connection with family farming.

The partners round table served as a forum for the regional networks that are members of PAFO to present their strategic plan underway, and for partners to share opportunities for collaboration with PAFO and its members.

The report presentation and validation session focused on:

  • The minutes of the General Assembly of July 2019
  • The technical report of the Board of Directors
  • The 2019 and 2020 financial audit reports.

The General Assembly was preceded by additional activities including the African Rural Women forum, the knowledge management event, the PAFO-COLEACP coordination meeting.

Decisions and resolutions

The General Assembly validated:

  1. The minutes of the General Assembly of July 2019, subject to the incorporation of small modifications made to the document,
  2. The technical report of the Board of Directors covering the period 2019-2021,
  3. The 2019 and 2020 financial audit reports,
  4. The appointment of the ONCG audit firm as PAFO auditor for the year 2021

Under resolutions,

The Assembly recommended to the Board of Directors the revision of the basic constitutive texts of PAFO, in particular, the statutes and internal regulations.

The General Assembly recommended to the President and the Executive Secretary of PAFO to monitor the partnerships under negotiation or under execution.

The General Assembly approved the office presented by the Board of Directors composed as follows:

  • President: M. Buka Mupungu Nathanaël, PROPAC
  • Vice-president: M. Abdelmajid Ezzar, UMNAGRI
  • Treasurer: M. Ibrahima Coulibaly, ROPPA
  • Women Focal Point: Mrs. Elisabeth Nsimadala, EAFF
  • Youth Focal Point: Dr Sinare Yusuf, SACAU

The General Assembly took note of the resignation of Mrs. Fatma Ben Rejeb, Executive Secretary.

The General Assembly addressed motions of thanks to the President of the Republic of Rwanda, HE Mr. Paul Kagame; to technical and financial partners, to the outgoing Board of Directors, and to the outgoing Executive Secretary.

Done at Kigali, October 23, 2021.