The President of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Professor Vital KAMERHE, arrived on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, in the City of CAN THO, VIETNAM.
At the head of a strong delegation composed mainly of Congolese Parliamentarians including Rapporteur Jacques Djolie, the Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament will participate, on Wednesday, January 22, in the Meeting of the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie.
This Meeting comes after the Parliamentary Conference on French-speaking cooperation in sustainable agriculture, food security and response to climate change held on the same Tuesday, still in CAN THO. This is a framework for exchange and sharing of experiences between parliamentarians and experts from French-speaking countries on actions to be taken to promote environmentally friendly agriculture and strengthen adaptation to climate change, while ensuring securityeating.
This conference also aimed to strengthen cooperation between various actors, including States, International Organizations such as the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), Donors, Financial Institutions, and the private sectors. It was also a question for participants to share good practices in legislation and policies aimed at developing sustainable agriculture, with particular emphasis on innovative partnerships, to increase resilience to climate challenges.
In his opening speech, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie, Hilarion ETONG, underlined the crucial role of parliaments in responding to global challenges, while promoting cooperation between parliaments to transform commitments into concrete actions.
“Our legislative institutions are the guardians of the laws and policies which structure our societies. They are also forums for dialogue, sharing of experiences and good practices”, he declared
Hilarion ETONG, also revealed that the legislative corpus of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie on climate change provides a solid framework for concerted actions within the French-speaking area in order to support French-speaking Parliaments in their legislative work, inwith a view to implementing the Paris Climate Agreement.
Thus, the Meeting of the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie will therefore have to consider in particular the recommendations contained in “the CAN THO declaration”, adopted on Tuesday, on French-speaking cooperation in the areas of sustainable agriculture and food security. and ofresponse to climate change.
This is a good opportunity for French-speaking countries to collaborate and find innovative solutions to current environmental and food challenges.
The participation of the DRC in this meeting is justified in particular by its crucial role as a solution country facing the challenges of climate change, sustainable agriculture and food security. The country has one of the largest tropical forests in the world, which plays a vital role in climate regulation.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is home to exceptional biodiversity, with numerous plant and animal species. Protecting this biodiversity is essential to maintaining healthy ecosystems which in turn support sustainable agriculture and food security.
With a growing population, currently estimated at more than one hundred million inhabitants, the DRC wants to diversify its economy, in accordance with the commitments made by the President of the Republic Félix TSHISEKEDI. To this end, it gives priority to investments in sustainable agriculture, not only to feed its population, but also to create jobs and develop the national economy.
Legrandpays/Communication Unit/NATIONAL ASSEMBLY