UGANDA: FOOD SECURITY INTIATIVE AND CAADP COMPACT UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KAMPALA 001247 SIPDIS DEPT FOR USAID/EA (TWAY, KADAMS) DEPT FOR USAID/AFR/SD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID EAGR UG SUBJECT: UGANDA: FOOD SECURITY INTIATIVE AND CAADP COMPACT UPDATE ¶1. Summary: The Ugandan Minister of Agriculture met with Development Partners to discuss plans to sign a Comprehensive African Development Plan (CAADP) Compact that had been scheduled for October 29, 2009. She agreed to postpone the signing ceremony of the Compact until it is linked with the Ministry of AgricultureQs Development Strategy and Investment Plan (DSIP). Both the Government of Uganda (GOU) and development partners are committed to making Uganda the first country in Africa to link its CAADP Compact with an agreed-upon DSIP, ensuring donor support and commitment from the beginning. End Summary. -------------- Getting It Right, From the Start -------------- ¶2. Uganda is on track for a signed CAADP Compact that is integrated with the Ministry of AgricultureQs donor-approved DSIP. The decision to pursue these two goals in tandem and tie them together will make for a much stronger Compact. It will also put Uganda in position to begin rapid implementation of a tangible, results-based, Ugandan-led strategy with assured strong support from development partners, the private sector, and civil society. ¶3. The Compact will allow all stakeholders involved in the agriculture sector to mutually pledge their support to a Ugandan-led agriculture development strategy designed to achieve a six percent rate of growth in the agriculture sector around four pillars: developing sustainable land and water management; improving rural infrastructure and trade capacity for market access; increasing the supply of food and reducing hunger; and improving agriculture research, technology, dissemination and adoption. -------------- Seeking Common Ground -------------- ¶4. On October 13, Ugandan Minister of Agriculture Hope Mwesigye and key development partners discussed the status of the Compact and the DSIP. The Development Partners present were the European Union, the World Bank, USAID, the Royal Danish Embassy, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and the African Development Bank. During this meeting, all stakeholders present agreed that the original date to sign the Compact, October 29, 2009, should be delayed until the Compact and the DSIP are more strongly integrated. ¶5. Stakeholders also agreed that signing a CAADP Compact along with an approved Ministry of Agriculture DSIP would make for stronger, more tangible commitments between all parties. Several countries in Africa have been quick to sign Compacts, but few if any countries have linked their Compacts with results-based, donor-supported DSIPs. -------------- The Way Forward -------------- ¶6. UgandaQs DSIP is nearly complete, but several substantive issues remain unresolved. These include the need to reform the organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture; more clearly defining the roles of the public and private sector; and prioritizing activities that can be undertaken pending different funding levels. Stakeholders agreed on a number of actions to complete the Compact KAMPALA 00001247 002 OF 002 and DSIP integration process. The Danish Embassy will provide consultants to analyze and present recommendations on the most appropriate and effective institutional structure to implement the DSIP. A GOU technical team will draft a matrix to better describe the roles and responsibilities of constituent stakeholders, including public and private sector, in the DSIP. Finally, more extensive consultations will be held with the private sector, civil society and farmer groups to ensure mutual understanding of their commitments and responsibilities under the Compact and the DSIP. -------------- -------------- Comment: Country-Led, Donor-Supported Plans Not Made Overnight -------------- -------------- ¶7. The Minister and her technical team initially did not want to postpone the CAADP Compact signing ceremony, but they recognized the interest of donor partners to have the Compact and DSIP fully integrated to avoid having a subsequently developed DSIP languishing for months in donor capitals pending approval. Donors did not want to stand in the way of this UgandaQled process, which has been ongoing for almost two years, and were very specific about what they felt were the critical pieces necessary for donors to provide agreement and support. Both sides are committed to finalizing this process in the weeks ahead. If the Uganda CAADP Compact and DSIP are signed at the same time, Uganda will be assured of a solid donor partnership with resources ready to move forward. LANIER