AU-IBAR Workshop on Genetic Resources - VET-GOV programme steering committee

 

AFRICAN UNION INTERAFRICAN BUREAU FOR ANIMAL RESOURCES (AU-IBAR)

Le 6eme Veterinary-government Steering committee se rencontre à Maurice pour un échange d‘information et d’expérience entre les membres de l'ÁUIBAR, l'African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources. Ils sont quelque 25 représentants des pays africains a Maurice pour faire des réflexions sur l’importance de l’élevage dans la survie de l’humanité. Des centaines de projets pilotes lances ou L’élevage s’avère crucial dans la lutte contre la pauvreté. A conditions que les gouvernements africains y accordent le budget nécessaire selon le coordinateur de l’AU IBAR- lÁfrican Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources. Lors du Lancement, le ministre Mahen Seeruttun a souligné l’importance d'encourager de jeunes entrepreneurs dans ce secteur et Maurice depend encore trop de l’importation. Parmi les autres sujets qui seront abordés pendant ces 2 jours, le financement,les subsides et la formation des leaders dans le secteur de l’elevage pour la région. Source (MBCTV,


​GIS – 23 July 2015: The 6^th steering committee meeting of the “Reinforcing veterinary governance in Africa” also known as the VET-GOV programme is being held from 22-24 July 2015 at Sofitel Hotel, Flic-en-Flac. The meeting is organised at the initiative of the African Union- Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) to implement the VET-GOV project whose objective is to improve the contribution of livestock to food security, safety, economic growth and wealth creation in Africa.

 

Some 40 participants from African countries and international organisations, such as FAO, COMESA, SADC and the Organisation Internationale des Epizooties, are attending the meeting. The VET-GOV programme aims at improving aspects of governance and institutional reform which are necessary for the provision of public and private veterinary and livestock services in Africa.

 

The VET-GOV Programme has three main expected results: enhancing knowledge and awareness for institutional strengthening; improving institutional capacity for livestock policy formulation, animal health strategies and legislation; and upgrading institutional capacity for the implementation of policies and enforcement of regulations.

 

The AU-IBAR is in charge of the overall coordination of the programme, with assistance from FAO, amongst others. The Steering Committee, representing all relevant key partners, is responsible to provide overall guidance and oversight for the implementation of the VET-GOV programme. 

The Programme provides for the setting up of a National Livestock Policy Hub in each country and this national hub is to be a multidisciplinary group of persons created to ensure broad stakeholder participation in policy design and formulation.

The Minister of Agro-Industry, Mr Mahen Kumar Seeruttun, was present at the opening ceremony yesterday and in his address he recalled that Mauritius is a net food importing country and except for poultry, meat, eggs and venison. The country depends heavily on imports of livestock based food items, he pointed out.

 

He gave the assurance that Government will continue to provide the necessary support to farming community through the introduction of new schemes as and when required to give further boost to the development of the sector. Incentives will also be extended to attract young entrepreneurs in this line of business, he said.

According to Mr Seeruttun, the AU-IBAR could also finance other projects under the Vet Gov Programme in Mauritius so that the Livestock sector could be further strengthened to respond to the needs of consumers and help in achieving the ten percent objective of milk and meat production.

The AU-IBAR is already financing the ‘Evaluation of Basic Veterinary Care’ project which aims at improving the effectiveness of basic veterinary care in the country by engaging public-private partnership in the delivery of veterinary services.

Government Information Service, Prime Minister’s Office, Level 6, New Government Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius. Email: gis@govmu.org  Website:http://gis.govmu.org