i. United Nations system-wide to the African Union and its NEPAD programme
In 2011, ECA continued to push for the enhancement of the coordination and coherence of United Nations activities in Africa through the Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM), which secretariat is hosted by ECA. Several projects and activities were undertaken in this regard, including (a) an Expert Group Meeting on Coordinating Development in Africa; (b) a group training on the implementation and appraisal of NEPAD related projects; (c) the provision of specific Capacity Building Support to various AU organs (d) the organization of the 12th Session of the RCM annual meetings; (e) the strengthening of the RCM secretariat; coordination of clusters’ activities; (g) participation in Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE) organized by SROs; experience and knowledge sharing among SROs on the establishment of subregional coordination mechanisms (SRCMs).
The task of developing a comprehensive work programme for the implementation of the Ten Year Capacity Building Programme for the African Union (TYCBP-AU) was the focus of the AU-UN retreat organized during the year, where the capacity needs of the AU Commission was elaborated and discussed. The retreat resulted in the adoption of a comprehensive programme of work in support of the AU-TYCBP. Similarly, a Multi-Year Programme (MYP) of support for the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) was finalized to optimize ECA’s support to NPCA and some RECs. In this context, ECA provided support to NPCA in the preparation of the Busan Forum on Aid Effectiveness, which resulted in exceptional contribution and performance of African countries at the event; and also contributed to a successful commemoration of the 10th anniversary of NEPAD organized by NPCA.
A draft work programme on capacity building for the AU Commission was presented at the 12th Session of the RCM-Africa annual meetings which provided guidance on its finalization, adoption and implementation. The meeting made several other recommendations, all aimed at enhancing the implementation and delivery of the TYCBP-AU. Among the recommendations were the need for the secretariats of MDG Africa Working Group, RCM Africa, and the Regional Directors Teams (RDTs) to review modalities for developing stronger synergies among themselves and possibility of “an extended RCM-Africa”.
ii. COALITION FOR DIALOGUE ON AFRICA
152. The Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA) is a new, independent, international, African-owned forum that identifies and discusses issues of importance to Africa’s development within a global context. CODA replaced the Big Table (Africa-OECD) policy forum and aims to leverage the convening power of the three Pan African institutions, namely AUC, UNECA and AfDB and their access to African leaders and policy makers. It is a think tank that advocates for the continent, brings together a range of stakeholders to promote dialogue and provides a platform for African voices to be heard. It is policy-oriented, and works in collaboration with other African and international organizations addressing issues of Africa’s security, peace, governance and development.
153. CoDA is governed by a Board of eminent African and non-African-personalities and receives support from the private sector. CoDA Board Members serve in their personal capacity.
The initial Chairperson of CoDA is H.E. Festus Mogae, the former President of the Republic of Botswana.
154. At its 5th meeting in November 2010 the Board reiterated that CoDA would focus on the following areas in 2011 and 2012: (i) promoting regional integration; (ii) promoting a regional dialogue/discussion on the issue of land policy (in particular, within the context of the controversial debate on the sale and lease of land to foreign investors) based on the findings of the joint studies that are currently being undertaken by the AfDB, AUC and ECA; (iii) advocating for African positions on the climate change agenda before and after the Mexico conference; (iv) good governance - collaborating with the AUC and other partners such as UNODC and OSI in order to “champion” and advocate for some of the key issues recommended in the report of the 22-23 October 2009 CoDA seminar on Transnational Trafficking and Political Stability in Africa held in Abuja; and reviewing and discussing the APRM process.
155. In light of the above, CoDA undertook the following seven activities in 2011: (i) Organised an advocacy event (working dinner) for African Union Heads of States and Government and other influential personalities during the January 2011 African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, (ii) Co-convened a policy forum (on Foreign Direct Investments in Land in Africa: “Risks, Opportunities, Challenges” as a side event of the 2011 AfDB Annual Meetings in Lisbon on 7 June 2011, (iii) Convened the sixth meeting of the CoDA Board in Lisbon on 8 June 2011, and (iv) Co-convened a LPI/CoDA High Level Forum on Foreign Direct Investment in Land in Africa in Nairobi, Kenya on 04-05 October 2011, (v) Participated in the AUC’s
“Continental Think-Tank Consultations to Fast Track and Facilitate Implementation of the African Union Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (2007-2012) at Continental, Regional and National levels”, (vi) Convened the seventh meeting of the CoDA Board in Tunis on 11 November 2011, and (vii) Organised a discussion forum on the theme:
“Two Decades of Democratic Transition in Africa”- From the National Conferences of the 1990s to the Arab Spring of 2011: Results and Prospects in Tunis on Saturday 12 November 2011.
156. CoDA organised a dinner event at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, on 29 January 2011, on the eve of the 16thOrdinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, to brief African Heads of State and Government as well as other influential stakeholders.
The core aim of this event was to introduce the new CoDA initiative to as many Heads of State and Government as possible from across the continent, and also to bring to their attention several key regional integration issues, which CoDA is advocating for. The dinner event which was co-hosted by H.E Ato Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, featured a statement from the Chairperson, President Mogae, on the overall aims of CoDA and its activities since its inception in 2009, the presentation of a short video film on CoDA; a power point presentation on regional integration prepared by Board member Dr.Mo Ibrahim (which highlighted the rationale for now seeking to move much faster to advance the regional integration agenda); and, statements in support of CoDA’s work by several attendees, including Prime Minister Meles. Other speakers at the event included the EU Development Commissioner, the UK’s Secretary of State for International Development and the Managing Director of the World Bank.
157. Similarly, on 7 June 2011, CoDA and the Secretariat of the AUC- ECA-AfDB joint Land Policy Initiative organized a policy forum on “Foreign Direct investments in land in Africa:
risks, opportunities, challenges”. The forum, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal, as a side event of the 2011 annual meetings of the AfDB, brought together a diversity of African
stakeholders including representatives of continental institutions, regional farmers’ platforms and other civil society organizations, private sector leaders, as well as representatives from African centres of excellences. Several members of the CoDA board, including the CoDA Chairperson, as well as representatives of development agencies and the international media also participated in the policy forum. The key objectives of the forum were: (i) To engage African institutions and stakeholders in the ongoing international reflection and debate on the issue of recent increases in large scale land acquisitions in Africa; and (ii) To help provide an appropriate, factually based, and cogently presented, response to the concerns expressed by African stakeholders regarding the current phenomenon of large scale land acquisitions in Africa; (iii) To prepare the ground for the development of clear guidelines and recommendations on the issue of FDI in land in Africa, based on the principles set out by the AU-led “Framework and Guidelines on land policy in Africa” (F&G).
158. The sixth meeting of the CoDA Governing Board convened in Lisbon, Portugal, at 15:30 local time, on 8 June 2011, under the Chairmanship of H.E. President Mogae. Participants included six members of the Board or their representatives, the Interim Executive director, Joint AfDB/AUC/ECA Secretariat members and one guest. Ambassador John Shinkaiye, the African Union Commission (AUC) Chief of Staff, represented the Chairperson of the AUC, Dr. Jean Ping, and Mr. Bobby Pittman, Vice President, Infrastructure, Private Sector and Regional Integration (AfDB) represented the AfDB President, Mr. Donald Kaberuka. The incoming Executive Director, Ambassador Gaetan R. Ouedraogo, participated in the meeting after the Board had discussed the agenda items related to the Executive Director Recruitment process and agreed to offer the position to him. Apart from the appointment of the new CoDA Executive Director, the board membership of CODA expanded as a result of the meeting and included Mr.
Tawanda F. Mutasah, Director of Programmes, Open Society Foundations, New York.
159. In collaboration with the LPI, CoDA convened a High Level Forum on Foreign Direct Investment in Land in Africa on 4- 5 October 2011, in the Kenyan capital. The Forum had the following objectives: (i) share information and experiences on Foreign Direct Investment in land, (ii) develop an African perspective on land-based investments in Africa, and (iii) propose concrete interventions in the framework of the implementation of the AU declaration on land issues. Participants resolved to promote land-based investment models that increase agricultural
productivity and maximize opportunities for Africa’s farmers.
The Forum’s outcome - dubbed the Nairobi Action Plan - underscores the need to minimize the negative impacts of large-scale land acquisitions (see: http://www.uneca.org/coda/Oct2011- Nairobi/Nairobi%20Action%20Plan%20Final_English.pdf).
160. A member of the CoDA Secretariat participated in a meeting on the AU Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (AUPA) (2007-2012). AUPA has the fundamental objectives of reversing current trends of drug abuse and trafficking, organised crime, corruption, terrorism and related challenges to socio-economic development and human security, and achieving improvement in the social well-being of the people of Africa.
161. The seventh meeting of the CoDA Governing Board convened in Gammarth Tunis, Tunisia, at 14:00 local time, on 18 November 2011, under the Chairmanship of H.E. President Mogae. Participants included ten members of the Board, the CoDA Executive Director, AfDB/AUC/ECA Joint Secretariat staff and two guests. It was agreed that CODA should: (i) embrace the African Mining Vision and offer it unequivocal support, (ii) work to support the AMV on several fronts, namely: advocating for the Vision and publicising it at national, continental and international levels; mobilising support for the implementation of the AMV
Action Plan and for the establishment of the Africa Mineral Policy and Resources Development Centre (the one-stop shop to operationalise the Vision); and keeping the issue of resource-based industrialisation (a central pillar of the vision) in the global agenda and securing the necessary policy space to advance it. Regarding the G20, it was agreed that CoDA should consider involvement in the “G20 network of think tanks” to deal with substantive issues that Mexico (the next chair of the G20) was planning to create, as it will be important for Africa to be represented at that level as well.
162. The year 2011 was marked by a period of dramatic change, as well as agitation for political change in many parts of Africa, in particular in the North of the continent. Events of the so-called “Arab Spring” provoked intense discussion, in the region and internationally, of the dynamics of this revolutionary momentum that has seen the departure from power of three of the region’s longest serving heads of state. Against this background, CoDA convened a half-day discussion forum on 12 November 2011 on the following theme: ‘Two Decades of Democratic Transition in Africa. From the National Conferences of the 1990s to the Arab Spring of 2011:
Results and Prospects.’ It forum was structured around a panel discussion, and sought to address issues related to the myriad experiences of democratic transitions in Africa since 1990.
The forum was convened by the Executive Director of CoDA and chaired by His Excellency Festus Mogae For the discussion forum summary report and list of participants and more see http://www.uneca.org/coda/111118NC-ArabSpring.html