EAC climate summit postponed

THE Climate Change and Food Security meeting that was to be addressed by five presidents of the East African Member states on Friday this week has been postponed.

The EAC Presidents were scheduled to address Food Security and Climate Change issues on March 26, 2010 at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge in Meru District during the 9th Extraordinary Heads of State Summit.

The EAC Secretariat Acting Communications Officer, Mr Owora Richard Othieno, said here that the summit has been postponed to a later date "To be communicated once consultations between Partners States have been finalized."

Meanwhile, the 20th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers is taking place at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC).

The session of the Senior Officials of the Co-ordination Committee, which started on March19, 2010 is currently preparing documents for consideration by the session of the Co-ordination Committee (Permanent Secretaries) to take place today.

The Ministerial Session will follow on Friday March 26, 2010. The 20th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers will be attended by ministers in charge of East African Co-operation, Dr Diodorus Kamala (Tanzania) who is also the Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers.

Others are; Monique Mukaruliza (Rwanda), Eriya Kategaya, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Affairs (Uganda), Amason Jeffah Kingi (Kenya); and Hafsa Mossi (Burundi).

The Council is expected to deliberate on several reports from EAC organs; the Secretariat, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the East African Court of Justice.

Other documents are on EAC institutions that include; Lake Victoria Basin Commission, Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization, the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA), the East African Development Bank, and the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA).

Other items due for consideration are the draft EAC Annual Reports for the fiscal years 2007/2008 and 2008/2009; and progress report on the implementation of the EAC Common Market Protocol. The EAC Council of Ministers is the Policy Organ of the Community.