PAP, FAO take stock of their collaboration on food security and nutrition in Africa

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) met to appraise the milestones reached as part of their existing collaborative framework.

Technical teams from both parties held an engagement on lessons learned, and ways to sustain and amplify the collaboration in new areas of common interest.

As a background PAP and FAO signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2016, establishing the Pan-African Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (PAPA-FSN). The agreement seeks to position food security and nutrition issues at the highest level of the political and legislative agendas in line with Africa’s developmental objectives; and to strengthen the PAPA -FSN and related subregional as regional platforms for African Members of Parliament to discuss and agree on critical issues related to food security and nutrition.

The relationship has produced a Model Law on Food and Nutrition Security, adopted by the PAP Plenary in November 2022. PAP and FAO are currently exploring an additional four model laws – gender equality, soil management, climate change and the development of cooperatives.

The partnership between PAP and FAO aims to capitalize on the crucial role of Parliamentarians in setting the political and legislative agendas, enacting laws, and playing a budgetary and oversight role on public spending and public policies. This role is deemed significant in the broader process of eradicating hunger and malnutrition.

The evaluation meeting led by Mr. Gali Massa Harou, Acting Clerk of the PAP and Mr. Lot Mlati, Assistant FAO Representative (FAO) agreed to hold further internal consultations on both sides to fine-tune recommendations that will sustain and amplify the ongoing collaboration. These recommendations will be submitted to the leadership of both institutions for endorsement.

Source: Media and Communication Unit, Pan-African Parliament