The 8th VET-GOV Programme Steering Committee and the 6th Steering Committee of the Consolidation phase of PAN-SPSO meetings were held at Safir Hotel in Dukki, Cairo, Egypt, from 20th to 22nd March 2017. The meetings were attended by the Steering Committee Members, participants from the African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nation (FAO), the African Union Interafrican Phytosanitary Council (AU-IAPSC), Regional Economic Communities (COMESA, EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD and UMA) and invited representatives from Member States (Kenya, Mauritius and Tunisia).
The meetings were officially opened by Professor Mumtaz Shaheen on behalf of HE Professor Abdel Monieum Albanna, Minister for Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Arab Republic of Egypt following remarks from Professor Ahmed El-Sawalhy, the Director AU-IBAR representing the Commissioner of the African Union Department for Rural Economy and Agriculture (AU-DREA), Dr Yilma Makonnen, representing the FAO, Dr Samuel Wakhusama representing the OIE, Mr Timothy Wesonga, EAC representative on behalf of the COMESA, EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD, UMA, and Mr. Sebastian Trenner representing the EU.
The two steering Committee Meetings, which were held back-to-back, provided strategic guidance to the two programmes on the course of implementation of the different contribution agreements.
Cognizant that the VET-GOV Programme implementation approaches its closure by August 2017, the Steering Committee Meeting recommended the implementing partners to take into consideration the need for achieving the project goals and demonstrating evidence of sustainability while planning for the project closure and developing the way forward.
The PAN-SPSO Steering Committee Meeting approved the final evaluation report and recommended that, for sustainability, the core activities implemented under the project to be phased over to the AU-IBAR Secretariat for Standards and Trade.