Description

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  MIGRATION: after some follow-up to the Valletta Summit between EU and African heads of state last year, we will compare legal migration policies and approaches in both continents. Kenya belongs to the East African Community (EAC) where some labour mobility applies, therefore there is room for analysing opportunities for collaboration between the 2 continents, including youth policy, education and social protection aspects.
  

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  CLIMATE CHANGE AND AGRICULTURE: After the COP21 in Paris came up with a number of commitments, the COP22 in Morocco (November 2016) will examine how to really put in place the measures decided. Multiple funds have been established, but access to these funds by civil society organisations is not always clear, and some have called for an increased knowledge of these funds. Indeed, African farmers' associations have an interest to see how the available resources will trickle down to help them cope with the effects of climate change on their daily lives. Potential collaborations that could ensure implementation of projects on the field with local players will be explored. The strategies discussed may also serve as best practices for other non-state and socio-economic actors.
  

In order to ensure that the voices of the social and economic stakeholders are heard, the European Economic and Social Committee, together with other EU and African partners, will organise a meeting bringing together the representatives of the employers, workers and various interests' group (particularly farmers) from both continents. This is consistent with the goals of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy, which aims to create, inter alia, a "broad-based and wide-ranging people-centred partnership".

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  Reinforce cooperation among European and African socio-economic actors;
  
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  Raise awareness of the financing needs for farmers and other socio-economic players to adapt to climate change
  
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  Improve knowledge and understanding of available sources of financing to tackle climate change
  
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  Identify strategies and partnerships for African socio-economic players to have better access to these funds
  
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  Adopt a joint declaration among African and EU socio-economic players to feed into the COP22 in Morocco (November 2016);
  
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  Help to consolidate and strengthen the capacities of socio-economic and other non-state stakeholders;
  
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  Exchange knowledge and best practices.
  

The conclusions of the economic and social stakeholders' meeting will be summarised in a document that will be sent to political bodies and the main EU and African partners.

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  Ms Dilyana Slavova, President of the External Relations Section
  
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  Mr Ismael Noo, Deputy Presiding Officer (East Africa Region), Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union
  

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  Ms Mary Kawar, Director, ILO Country Office for Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda
  
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  Ms Mary Makoffu, Director of Social Sectors, East African Community Secretariat
  
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  Ms Brenda King, EESC Member and rapporteur on several opinions related to migration
  
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  Mr Austin Muneku, Executive Secretary, Southern Africa Trade Union Coordination Council
  

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  Ms Hanne Knaepen, Policy Officer, Food Security Programme and Institutional Relations, European Centre for Development Policy Management
  
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  Dr Richard Munang, Coordinator, Africa Regional Climate Change Programme, UNEP
  
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  Representative from the EU Delegation or DG DEVCO (tbd)
  
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  Mr Ekhosueyi Iyahen, Director, African Risk Capacity
  

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  Mr Ibrahima Seck, Fédération nationale pour l'Agriculture biologique (Sénégal): the role of Agro-Ecology in addressing climate change
  
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  Mr Abdoulaye Sene, President of the Global Local Forum
  
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  Mr Pedro Almeida Freire, EESC member, Confederation of Portuguese Commerce and Services (tbc)
  
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  Mr Stefano Palmieri, EESC member, Italian General Confederation of Labour
  

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  Yves Somville, President of the EESC ACP Follow-Up Committee
  
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  Mamadou Cissokho, Honorary President, Réseau des Organisations paysannes et des Producteurs de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (ROPPA)