ASARECA General Assembly Business Committee assembles ahead of Council of Patron Ministers meeting
BY BEN MOSES ILAKUT
Members of the ASARECA General Assembly Business Committee met on February 7, 2023, in Entebbe, Uganda, ahead of the upcoming 2nd ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers’ Meeting and 4th General Assembly, which is slated for May 3-5th at Speke Resort, Munyonyo in Uganda.
The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) is a sub-regional inter-governmental organization of the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) of 14 member countries. These include: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. ASARECA is mandated to coordinate and convene human, physical, financial and institutional capital to implement Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) initiatives in Eastern and Central Africa.
National stakeholder categories comprising the Business Committee at the meeting in Entebbe, Uganda
ASARECA is governed through a hierarchy of three constitutional Organs and these are: (i) The Council of Patron Ministers; (ii) the General Assembly; (iii) the Board of Directors; and (iv) the Secretariat.
The ASARECA Constitution, designates the Council of Patron Ministers (CPM) as the highest Organ of the Association with a clear mandate to provide guidance to the Association on regional and national strategic matters in Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D). The CPM comprises the Ministers responsible for agricultural research in each Member State.
Dr. Enock Warinda (C) ASARECA ED confers with the chief guest, Dr. Deus Byamugisha (L) of MAAIF, Uganda, and Dr.
Imelda Kashaija, the newly elected Business Committee Chairperson
The General Assembly is the second highest Organ of ASARECA. It comprises stakeholders from Members admitted to the Association. The General Assembly is composed of the Plenary Assembly and the Business Committee. The Business Committee of the General Assembly convened on February 7, to discuss and take decisions of issues to be presented to the Plenary Assembly.
(L-R) The General Assembly Vice-President, Dr. Eve Kasirye Alemu, and President Prof. Joseph Bigirimana
Based on the foregoing, the Minister of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF)-Uganda, Hon. Frank Tumwebaze on January 30, 2023 agreed with the ASARECA Secretariat, to jointly convene the 4th ASARECA General Assembly and 2nd ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers Meeting on May 3—5, 2023 at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Uganda. The Business Committee deliberated on and approved: The admission of new entrants, Cameroon and Central African Republic, into ASARECA; increment of annual membership contributions from USD 50,000 to 100,000; election of new Business Committee leaders.
Delegates from Uganda salute their colleagues from the other 13 Member States
The new leaders elected are: Dr. Imelda Kashaija from Uganda as the Business Committee Chairperson; Prof. Stephen Severin Nijimbire from Burundi as Vice-Chairperson and; Mr Mr. George Mbanda Njile from Madagascar as Secretary. These decisions are expected to presented to the Plenary of the General Assembly on May 3, 2023 and subsequently ratified by the Council of Patron Ministers on May 4, 2023. The other organs of ASAECA the Board of Board of Directors and the Secretariat headed by the Executive Director.