The 3rd Policy Coordination and Advisory Committee Meeting of GMES and Africa Focuses on Harnessing Space Science and Technology for Socio-Economic Development in Africa

Group Photo of the 3rd PCAC, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The third meeting of the Policy Coordination and Advisory Committee (PCAC) of the Global Monitoring for the Environment and Security, and Africa (GMES and Africa), is underway at the African Union Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting brings together representatives of key stakeholder who constitute the governing body of GMES and Africa, including the African Union Commission, the European Commission and affiliate institutions, African Regional Economic Communities, and other public sector operatives within the African Earth Observation industry. 

At the opening of the two-day meeting, the Director of Human Resources, Science and Technology at the African Union Commission, Dr. Mahama Ouedraogo, highlighted the vital role GMES and Africa plays in the implementation of the African Outer Space flagship and within the framework of AU-EU cooperation. He underlined the Commission’s continued commitment to harnessing space science and technology for the continent’s sustainable development. 

As the governing body of GMES and Africa, the PCAC steers action and ensures coordination among the various stakeholders to facilitate delivery and results. The European Delegation to the African Union is represented in the GMES and Africa PCAC by Pietro Nardi, who described the meeting as a platform to discuss policy issues and forge ahead with the active implementation of the programme. He noted that GMES and Africa represents a concrete step towards the realization of the African Outer Space Programme and contributes to achieving the goals that Africa and Europe have set themselves in the context of several collaborative frameworks. 

GMES and Africa is an Earth Observation programme of the African Union, jointly established with the European Union, and designed to strengthen capacities in Africa for the optimal exploitation and utilization of Earth Observation systems, data and technologies towards the continent’s sustainable development. The PCAC contributes specifically to the prioritization of regional policies and frameworks in the delivery of services by GMES and Africa, and to advising the African Union Commission on strategic issues pertaining to the programme’s implementation. During the two-day meeting, PCAC members will be briefed on ongoing key activities of GMES and Africa, including on training, infrastructure and data, as well as awareness and outreach.

More Photos of the 3rd PCAC