DECISION ON THE CONCEPT NOTE AND THE ROADMAP ON THE THEME OF
THE YEAR 2022 “BUILDING RESILIENCE IN NUTRITION AND FOOD SECURITY
ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT: STRENGTHEN AGRICULTURE, ACCELERATE
THE HUMAN CAPITAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Doc. EX.CL/1288(XXXIX)
The Executive Council,
1. RECALLS African Union (AU) Decisions and commitments on nutrition; established the African Task Force on Food and Nutrition Development (ATFFND) in 1987, the adoption of Maputo Declaration on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) under the NEPAD initiative in 2003 (Assembly/AU/Decl.7 (II); the endorsement of Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) in 2010 (Assembly/AU/Dec.327(XV); the adoption of Malabo Declaration in 2014 (Assembly/AU/Decl.4 (XXIII); the endorsement of African Union Nutrition Champion in 2014 (Assembly/ALJ/ /Dec.4 (XXIII); the adoption of revised African Union Strategy (2016-2025) in 2016 (Ex.CL/Dec.638); the endorsement of home-grown school feeding in 2016 (Assembly/AU/Dec.589 (XXVI); the endorsement of the Africa Leaders for Nutrition (ALN) Initiative in 2018 (Assembly/AU/Dec.681(XXX); and the launch of Continental Nutrition Accountability Scorecard in 2019 (Assembly/AU/Dec.681(XXX) among others;
2. APPRECIATES the efforts and contribution of the Government of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire led by H.E. President Alassane Dramane Ouattara in advocating for food security and nutrition and proposing the AU Theme for 2022 as Nutrition;
3. COMMENDS the ongoing efforts at the continental, regional and national level in the implementation of the above Decisions and commitments to address all forms of malnutrition. FURTHER COMMENDS the efforts of the African Union Nutrition Champion, His Majesty King Letsie III, Head of State and Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho, in sustaining advocacy for improved Food and Nutrition Security across Member States and globally;
4. NOTES WITH CONCERN the root causes and complex and increasing prevalence of malnutrition on the continent, as demonstrated in the findings of the Continental Nutrition Accountability Scorecard. The importance of linkages between agriculture production, supply and access of food is underscored recognising that among others, causes of malnutrition include adverse effects of climate change, insufficient food production, trade restrictions, and unsatisfactory involvement of women and youth in agriculture. NOTING WITH ADDITIONAL CONCERN that the COVID-19 Pandemic has created major global health and economic shocks, with unprecedented impacts on people’s health, nutrition and livelihoods, URGES all stakeholders to take urgent action in preserving the gains made, particularly among the poor and vulnerable in the area of food security and nutrition through designing needed, specific and appropriate nutrition interventions among them school feeding and school health and nutrition programmes;
5. TAKES NOTE of the findings of the Cost of Hunger in Africa (COHA) Study on the impacts of child under nutrition on health, education and productivity and underscores the importance of multisectoral collaboration between all sectors including agriculture, health, education, productivity, and trade among others while at the same time tracking nutrition finance and investment in nutrition. FURTHER APPRECIATES the twenty-one (21) member states who have so far completed the Cost of Hunger in Africa Study;
6. TAKES NOTE WITH APPRECIATION of the concept note and roadmap on the proposed African Union Theme of the year for 2022 as nutrition under the theme “Building resilience in nutrition and food security on the African continent: Strengthen agriculture, accelerate the human capital, social and economic development: FURTHER RECOMMENDS that the follow up mechanisms beyond the theme of the year to be put in place;
7. REAFFIRMS continued importance of nutrition especially child nutrition as a major pillar in human capital development, social and economic transformation of Africa and calls on all member states to continue prioritizing nutrition through the implementation of commitments and targets of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) framework and the Malabo Declaration, Africa Regional Nutrition Strategy (2016-2025) and the priorities outlined in the 2022 of the year action plan;
8. ENDORSES 2022 African Union theme as the Year of Nutrition theme “Building Resilience in Nutrition and food security on the African Continent: Strengthen agriculture, accelerate the Human Capital, Social and Economic Development
9. REQUESTS the Commission to:
a) develop and implement an advocacy strategy in support of the activities of the AU theme of the year and the All Nutrition Champion;
b) mobilize key partners in the nutrition sector in support of the implementation of the theme on Nutrition and food security.
10. WELCOMES the outcomes of National Dialogues held in the AU Member States held on Food Systems Sustainability during 2021, in preparation for adopting an African Common Position towards the Food Summit in September 2021 and Calling Upon Member States to take stock of the African Common Position and the outcomes of the Food Summit;
11. NOTING WITH CONCERN the growing impact of Climate Change on Nutrition and Food Security in Africa and Stressing the importance of Africa’s hosting of COP 27 to focus on adaptation efforts to Climate Change and Strengthening Agriculture Resilience for Nutrition & Food Security.