PRESS RELEASE

Finnish Government commits 2 million euros to Partnership Fund

East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, 2 September 2010: The Government of Finland has been formally admitted to the Lake Victoria Basin Partnership Fund. Antti Putkonen, the Second Secretary at the Embassy of Finland in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania yesterday presented the Instrument of Accession to the Lake Victoria Basin Partnership Agreement to Hon. Beatrice Kiraso, EAC Deputy Secretary General (Political Federation), who represented the Secretary General, Amb. Juma Mwapachu.

A letter from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland that accompanied the Instrument of Accession read in part: “We are delighted that Finland’s application to accede to the Partnership Agreement was considered and accepted during the 14th Meeting of the Partnership Consultative Committee”. The meeting was held 4 May 2010 in Kampala, Uganda.
 
The letter further stated that Finland looked forward to enhanced cooperation with the EAC and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) and added the Finnish Government remained “committed to promoting ecologically, socially and economically sustainable development of the Lake Victoria Basin.”

By acceding to the Agreement, Finland joins the Governments of France, Norway and Sweden, the World Bank and the East African Development Bank in pledging its support for the sustainable development of the Lake Victoria Basin. The Finnish Government has committed to disburse 2 million euros to the Fund.

Article 8(c) of the Partnership Agreement stipulates that if a request for accession by any party is approved by the EAC in consultation with the existing development partners, the Agreement enters into force for such a party thirty days after the same party deposits its instrument of accession.

The ceremony that took place at the EAC Secretariat headquarters in Arusha was also attended by the EAC’s Principal Resource Mobilization Officer Dr James Njagu.

Additional Information

The Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) Secretariat, recognizing the role played by other stakeholders in the developments in the Lake Victoria Basin, has entered into partnerships and signed Agreements with governments and institutions so as to build up synergies in the implementation of its interventions areas in the EAC Development Strategy by the stakeholders. Notable among these are:

The Partnership Agreement on Sustainable Development of Lake Victoria Basin signed by EAC with the Governments of France, Norway and Sweden, the World Bank and the East African Development Bank in April 2001. The Government of Finland joined the same Partnership in 2010. 

The Partnership Fund has played a big role in financing Projects in the Lake Victoria Basin, including Capacity Building of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission. The Partnership has also supported several short-term capacity-building projects hence providing the backbone for the growth of the LVBC.

These include: Harmonization of Regional Policies, Laws, Regulations and Standards. Others are: a Study on Technical Solutions for Maritime Communications for Lake Victoria; Investment Promotion in the Lake Victoria Basin; Implementation of some aspects of the Toxic Chemicals/Oil Products Spill Contingency Plans for Lake Victoria; support to the LVB Resource Centre activities; support to the Safety of Navigation Project including hydrographic surveys of the ports of Mwanza, Kisumu and Port Bell and, Support to National Focal Points for LVBC in the Partner States among others.

For more information visit the LVBC website: http://www.lvbcom.org

For more information please contact: Owora Richard Othieno, Ag. Head of Department; Corporate Communications and Public Affairs; Tel: +255 784 835021; Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it