Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency, kicked off a panel discussion on the continent’s future, saying that since its inception in 2001, the Partnership had promoted innovative approaches to improving African economies. He was accompanied by Amos Namanga Ngongi, President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa; Cheikh Sidi Diarra, United Nations Special Adviser on Africa and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States; and Amos Sawyer, a member of the NEPAD African Peer Review Mechanism’s Panel of Eminent Persons.

Describing a number of NEPAD successes in response to questions, Mr. Mayaki cited a centre in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, that provided policy inputs for the use of biotechnology in the health and agriculture sectors. The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) focused on that sector as the best way to reduce poverty and create jobs, he said, recalling that before the Programme’s creation, agriculture had been neglected for 30 years and left off the agenda of donors. Additionally, the NEPAD-led Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa, in which the African Development Bank was involved, had designed a strategic framework for the development of regional and continental infrastructure.

Complementing those efforts, Mr. Sawyer added, was the African Peer Review Mechanism, an instrument born in 2003 and to which African Union member States had and voluntarily acceded. It encouraged conformity of political, economic and corporate-governance standards among African countries, he said, describing the Mechanism as a scientific, action-focused process that had culminated in a plan of action for each country, in the belief that self-assessment and good governance were closely linked to institutional development. “We go beyond words,” he added.

For its own part, Mr. Diarra said, the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa had provided an entry point for the United Nations to support NEPAD processes, notably through the interdepartmental Task Force on African Affairs, which worked with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) to ensure coherence.

Mr. Ngongi said: “There is no challenge greater for Africa than the capacity to feed itself.” As a NEPAD partner, the Alliance for a Green Revolution was a non-State actor working with farmers to transform the continent’s agriculture, he said, adding that the sector was vital to increasing the income of 70 per cent of Africa’s population.

Responding to a series of questions, Mr. Mayaki described a planning commission created in reaction to the “erosion” of strategic thinking resulting from International Monetary Fund (IMF) structural adjustment programmes. Stressing that planning was essential, he said it was taking on a new importance in the context of climate change, a multisectoral issue affecting agriculture, health, land tenure and infrastructure. Referring specifically to climate change, he noted that while Africa was the least responsible for pollution, it suffered the phenomenon’s greatest impacts. “We need to push our negotiating stance in the global negotiations arena” and to design adaptation strategies to help reach set objectives, he emphasized. Such strategies were already being launched in some countries, he said, adding that the challenge was one of financing. More domestic resources must be brought into policies.

Mr. Sawyer added that climate change was a potential source of intra-State conflict as it affected environmental and other resources.

Asked about the Peer Review Mechanism, Mr. Sawyer said every review ended with a programme of action laid out for the participating country. The concerned Government then filed a progress report highlighting successes and challenges. Countries including South Africa and Kenya had admitted that they had not initially adopted the Review’s findings, but they had later taken the reports more seriously. Implementation difficulties were often due to “competition” with other poverty-reduction or mid-term development plans, he said, adding that the challenge lay aligning all such plans with each other.

To a question about the world body’s work with the Bretton Woods institutions, Mr. Diarra said the United Nations was increasing its cooperation with them, notably through the Economic and Social Council’s special high-level meetings. The World Bank and IMF were also full members of the Task Force on African Affairs, participating in regional coordination mechanisms, he added.

As to whether he would assume a role in ECA, he said he was unaware of any openings in the Commission. “As a result, I have not applied and I am not a candidate.”

Asked whether NEPAD was primarily focused on planning, Mr. Mayaki said its development strategy was linked to a delivery process carried out in various subregions around the continent. In West Africa, for example, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme had been translated into a regional strategy for States. The implementation phase called for enhanced institutional ability to evaluate situations and increase both private-sector investment and human capital. In the infrastructure area, resources had been channelled through the African Development Bank, he said, describing that model as “unique worldwide”.

Turning to the issue of corruption, he said Africa was not the most corrupt continent, adding “Asia is as corrupt as Africa”. The difference was that the fruits of corruption in Asia stayed there, whereas in Africa they did not.

On that point, Mr. Sawyer said “we need to have institutional clarity, functioning judiciaries and strong political will”. Civil society organizations must do more to involve people in the fight against corruption, he added, pointing out that 30 countries had acceded to the African Peer Review.

Addressing other queries, Mr. Diarra described two processes affecting Africa today. Decentralization had allowed local communities to “take up their fate” on issues like education and health under central Government supervision, but with more space for local government. In addition, Africa’s regional integration had “softened” the grip of centralized power in many countries, especially in relation to regional agreements already ratified and awaiting implementation. Integration also cast light on how Governments spent money and made decisions, he added.

The post NEPAD outlines achievements in Africa’s development first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

NEPAD week at the United Nations Headquarters, New York

Theme: “Reflecting on a Decade of Change/Progress – Moving forward Africa‟s development agenda through strengthening NEPAD-UN Partnership”

Indicative dates: 6 to 11 October 2011 (NEPAD Week during the 66th UN General Assembly)

Venue: AU Permanent Observer Mission, New York; UN Headquarters, New York; Columbia University, New York

Core Objectives:

• To engage the global development community including the UN system towards strengthening partnerships in the implementation of NEPAD as the flagship socio-economic development programme of the African Union, and achieving the MDGs;
• To firm up support of UN system Agencies and other organizations working in Africa for the new NEPAD mandate and programmatic implementation;
• Raising awareness on NEPAD agenda and its achievements and remaining challenges among African policy makers, scholars, diplomatic corps, the youth and Africans in the Diaspora; and
• To popularize the work of NEPAD governance structures and related institutions and raising support for the newly established NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA).

Event Configuration

A NEPAD Week will be observed with the following key events/activities:

1)     06 October (15:00-18:00): Special Briefing of the African Group by NEPAD on “Advancing NEPAD Implementation over a decade of opportunities” at the AU Permanent Observer Mission to the UN located 305 East 47th Street, 5th Floor, New York, followed by a reception hosted by the AU Observer Mission [CLOSE EVENT];

2)     07 October (10:00-12:15): Panel Discussion on “NEPAD and the MDGs: Progress, Challenges and the Way Forward” at ECOSOC Chamber, NLB, UNHQ, New York [OPEN EVENT WITH UN ID & OPEN EVENT WITH REGISTRATION];

3)     07 October (12:30-13:00): Press briefing / media advisory at Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, UNHQ, New York, followed by bilateral interviews by NPCA CEO and lead media houses (CNN, TV5, Le Monde, NYT, UNU, Africa Renewal magazine) to be determined [OPEN EVENT WITH UN ID];

4)     07 October (15:30-17:30): Special Briefing of the UN Inter-Agency / Departmental Task Force on Africa on “Strengthening the UN – NEPAD Partnership” at Conference Room DC1-1235 [CLOSE EVENT];

5)     10 October (10:00-13:00): Briefing to the UN Member States on: (i) the reports of the Secretary-General on NEPAD and Causes of Conflict and promotion of durable peace in Africa; and (ii) by the NEPAD/NPCA CEO on “Progress and forward looking approaches in NEPAD Implementation – Reflecting on a Decade of Change” at Conference Room 6, NLB, UNHQ, New York [OPEN EVENT WITH UN ID];

6)     10 October (18:00-20:00): Special commemorative lecture on “Africa‟s Decade of Transformation – The NEPAD perspective” at School of International and Public Affairs Columbia University located 420 West 118th Street, 15th Floor, New York, followed by a cocktail hosted by Columbia University [OPEN EVENT WITH REGISTRATION];

7)     11 October (TBC): First statement of the NEPAD Agency as an Observer Mission (African Union status) on the occasion of the UN General Assembly Debate on NEPAD or “NEPAD DAY” at the UN General Assembly Hall, UNHQ, New York [OPEN EVENT WITH UN ID];

8)     11 October (12:30-13:00): Press briefing / media advisory at Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, UNHQ, New York, followed by bilateral interviews by NPCA CEO and lead media houses (CNN, TV5, Le Monde, NYT, UNU, Africa Renewal magazine) to be determined [OPEN EVENT WITH UN ID].

Other related activities:

• Short video documentary on “NEPAD – The Journey So Far” screening
• NEPAD@10 in 10 Pictures Exhibition on the theme “A decade of change and progress”
• Youth Competition pictures exhibition: projection of a PowerPoint show
• NEPAD Informative Documentation distribution
• MDGs in Africa UNECA Report launch
• Secretary-General Reports on NEPAD and Causes of Conflict and promotion of durable peace in Africa
• “Invest in Africa” AU publication launch

Expected Participants

High ranking representatives of UN Member States, UN Agencies and Organizations, African institutions, the international development community, African Permanent Representatives to the UN and Ambassadors in the US, the private sector, civil society organizations, the African Diaspora, and Media

Key sponsoring partners: AUC, NPCA, UN-OSAA, UNECA; UNDPI, Columbia University

For information on NEPAD’s 10^th Anniversary, please  click here>>>

Best wishes,

The NEPAD Communications Team.
www.nepad.org 

The Communications Team.

The post NEPAD celebrates 10 years anniversary first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.