Sub-Regional Office for West Africa
[Year]
ELECTRONIC BRIEF
implementation of work programme and technical assistance to ECOWAS and member States
January to June 2012
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Sub-Regional Office for West Africa
[Year]
ELECTRONIC BRIEF
implementation of work programme and technical assistance to ECOWAS and member States
January to June 2012
Sub-Regional Office for West Africa
ELECTRONIC BRIEF
Implementation of w ork programme and technical assistance to ECOWAS and member States
January to June 2012
2
1.0 Introduction
This elect ronic brief highlight s major act ivit ies of the Economic Commission f or Af rica, Sub-Regional Off ice f or West Af rica (ECA/SRO-WA) f or t he period bet w een January and June 2012, as part of it s w ork programme for 2012-2013. It also summarizes t he technical assist ance provided t o member St at es, ECOWAS, UEMOA, MRU, and other West Af rican Int ergovernmental Organizat ions (WAIGOs), during the same period.
2.0 ECA/SRO-WA meetings
2.1 The fifteenth Intergovernmental Committee for Experts (ICE) of West Africa
The f if t eenth Session of the ICE of West Af rica, held on 15 and 16 March 2012, in Bamako, Mali, w as of f icially opened by t he Secretary-General of the Minist ry of Economy and Finance, Mr. Abdoulaye Touré, w ho w as represent ing t he Malian Minist er of Economy and Finance. The meet ing w as organized a f ew days ahead of t he f ift h Joint AU Conf erence of Minist ers of Economy and Finance and the ECA Conf erence of Af rican Minist ers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, held on 26 and 27 March 2012, in Addis Ababa, Et hiopia, w ith t he intent ion t o ensure that outcomes and recommendat ions of the f if teent h ICE of West Af rica are taken into account in the Conference discussions.
Expert s f rom member Stat es and representat ives of WAIGOs f ocused their at tent ion on economic and social development s in the subregion, and shared experiences in addressing grow t h and development challenges. Participants deliberated on West Africa’s need to exploit agricultural potential as a springboard f or grow t h and development , in line w ith ECOWAS Vision 2020.
The ECA/SRO-WA present ed t he follow ing st at ut ory report s f or discussion: (i) St at us report on t he implement at ion of w ork programme of the ECA/SRO-WA; (ii) Report on the economic and social condit ions in West Af rica; (iii) Report on t he implementat ion of regional and int ernat ional agendas – progress and prospect s in t he implementat ion of MDG 3 (promot e gender equalit y and empow er w omen) in West Af rica. The subst ant ive comment s received are being incorporated int o t he document s bef ore their publicat ion by ECA.
Part icipat ing expert s commended ECA/SRO-WA f or the w ork accomplished bet w een April 2011 and March 2012, and agreed that t he Of f ice should cont inue to assist w it h building capacit y of member St ates, especially in data collect ion and t he harmonizat ion of data collect ion met hodologies. Recommendat ions w ere made t o st rengt hen collaborat ive links w it h research t hink-tanks in t he subregion, and t o ensure t imely publicat ion of research report s and disseminat ion of
f indings. ECA/SRO-WA
Experts participating at the fifteenth ICE for West Africa
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2.2 Ad Hoc Experts Group Meeting (AEGM) on “Promoting a regional value chain
approach to agricultural development in West Africa“
The object ive of the AEGM, organized at t he Internat ional Conf erence Cent re of Bamako, Mali, on 13 and 14 March 2012, w as to explore solut ions aimed at accelerat ing grow th in the agricult ural sect or t hrough t he implement at ion of t he value chain approach for st rat egic product s, w hich have a high potent ial f or creat ing w ealth in rural areas as w ell as in t he rest of the economy. The meet ing, off icially opened by t he Malian Minist er of Agriculture, Mr. Agatham Ag Alhassane, w as at t ended by expert s f rom t he Minist ries of f inance and economic development , planning, environment , indust ry, and agricult ure f rom ECOWAS member States, as w ell as representat ives of the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions, int ergovernment al organizat ions, and ot her development part ners f rom t he subregion.
The ECA/SRO-WA presented a background report titled “ Promoting the value chain approach to agricultural development in West Africa,” w hich provided the basis for experts’ discussions. The report, incorporating experts’ technical input, w ill be prepared for publication by ECA. Discussions highlighted t hat West Af rica remains a net f ood import er, despit e it s vast agro-past oral and f orest ry pot ent ial, and t he exist ence of various policies and st rategies in the sect or.
The meet ing noted the import ance of implement ing t he value chain approach in West Af rican count ries, as an accelerated agricult ural development st rat egy. It also emphasized t he need t o boost invest ment s in subregional value chains in agricult ure, part icularly through public-privat e partnerships, as a w ay t o generate increased grow t h and reduce povert y. Part icipant s analyzed various successf ul examples and experiences f rom ECOWAS count ries and overseas set t ings, not ing the role of t he st at e and development part ners in t he creat ion of successf ul agricult ural value chains.
The meet ing recommended st rat egies tow ards addressing main w eaknesses of agricult ural value chains, both at nat ional and subregional levels: access t o input s and product ion factors, st akeholder capacit y building, inf rast ruct ure development , int er-St at e t rade f acilit at ion, and access t o inf ormat ion and f inancing.
The recommendat ions also emphasized t he importance of st rengthening good governance and int ernal resource mobilizat ion mechanisms in t he agricultural sect or. The background report, incorporating experts’
t echnical input received during t he AEGM, w ill be prepared for publicat ion by ECA.
2.3 Ad Hoc Experts Group Meeting (AEGM) on “Regional integration programmes and the West African Intergovernmental Organizations platform for regional cooperation”
The object ive of t he AEGM , organized in Lomé, Togo, on 4 and 5 June 2012, w as t o discuss regional int egrat ion issues in West Af rica, and t o develop st rategies t o st rengt hen the West Af rican Int ergovernmental Organizat ions (WAIGOs) collaborat ion and coordinat ion f or ef f ect ive delivery of regional int egrat ion programmes. The meet ing f urt her sought t o develop a w ay f orw ard f or t he formal establishment of the WAIGOs’ cooperation agreement. The meeting w as attended by representatives of
ECA/SRO-WA During a media interview , ECA/SRO-WA representative highlights the role that agricultural value chains can play in West Africa’ s development
4 major WAIGOs, and w as conduct ed in t he form of presentat ions follow ed by discu ssions and recommendat ions.
The meet ing w as inf ormed by ECA/SRO-WA presentation titled “ Overview and challenges of regional int egrat ion in West Af rica,” and IGOs’ presentations on recent regional integration programmes, monetary int egrat ion, f inancing of regional int egrat ion, and the need for st rengt hened collaborat ion in addressing challenges of development especially relat ing to w at er sources management, agricult ure and f ood securit y, and climate change. Part icipat ing expert s not ed t hat , despite ef f ort s, regional integrat ion in West Af rica has w itnessed slow progress reflected in the subregion’ s development status. To reverse this trend, expert s emphasized, WAIGOs need t o w ork closely t o take advant age of synergies and comparat ive st rengths in the implement at ion of regional programmes.
The meet ing recommended t hat all WAIGOs sign t he draft Prot ocol on Cooperat ion, w hich w ill provide a f ormal f ramew ork f or consult at ion and coordinat ion in t he implement at ion of development and regional int egrat ion programmes. Expert s underscored t hat collaborat ion among WAIGOs requires an innovat ive and sust ainable funding mechanism, w hich encourages resource mobilizat ion bot h f rom member Stat es and the private sector. The involvement of t he privat e sect or w as not ed as equal ly import ant in t he development of key economic sect ors. For example, private sector’ s support for the implementation of agricult ural init iat ives can address recurrent food securit y and nut rit ional problems in t he subregion.
2.4 Ad Hoc Experts Group Meeting (AEGM) on “Strengthening the capacity of West African States to harness renewable energy for electricity supply, poverty reduction, and climate change mitigation”
The ECA/SRO-WA organized an AEGM on 7 and 8 June 2012, in Lomé, Togo, to discuss w ays to strengthen the West African States’
capacit y t o harness renew able energy for elect ricit y supply, povert y reduct ion, and climat e change mit igat ion. The object ive of the AEGM w as t o review and share experiences and know ledge in t he promot ion of renew able energy in West Af rica, in order to ascert ain and promote t he best pract ices in accessing and ut ilizing renew able energy sources and services.
The meet ing w as of f icially opened by t he Minist er of Mines and Energy of t he Republic of Togo, Mr.
Dammipi Noupokou, and brought t oget her expert s f rom West Af rican count ries and represent at ives f rom subregional inst it ut ions. The experts’ presentations and deliberations highlighted the need for States to set binding t arget s for energy access, energy ef f iciency, and access t o elect ricit y, and t o develop monitoring and evaluat ion f ramew orks. Among t he key recommendat ions t hat emerged during t he AEGM is t he need f or West Af rican Stat es to st rengthen cross-border cooperat ion in the energy sect or, in order t o ensure t hat renew able energy cont ribut es to w ealth creat ion, economic grow th, and povert y reduct ion in the subregion. Expert s also recommended the update of t he ECOWAS/UEMOA Whit e Paper t o ref lect development s in t he renew able energy sector and climat e change issues, and it s t ranslat ion int o nat ional energy policies, programmes, and project s. The out put s of the meet ing and t he nat ional report s present ed during t he AEGM are used by ECA/SRO-WA as input s into a technical publicat ion on t he promot ion of renew able energy in West Af rica.
ECA/SRO-WA West African energy experts deliberating during the
tw o-day AEGM
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3.0
Technical assistance to member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and
other IGOs
3.1 Support to the Government of Niger
Follow ing t he visit of the Execut ive Secretary of the ECA t o Niger in August 2011, t he SRO-WA provided f inancial and technical assist ance t o support the eff ort s of t he Government of Niger in implementat ion of its vision “ Niger 2035.” In this context , assistance has been provided to the High Commission for the St ate Modernizat ion/ Of f ice of Prime Minist er, in recruit ing a nat ional consult ant and an int ernat ional consultant f rom June t o July 2012. This led t o t he f ormulat ion and validat ion of a project document (ProDoc) t hat w ill enable t he preparation of public institutions’ procedures manuals. Support is also given t o t he Planning Minist ry in recruit ing consult ant s to f acilit at e the planning process. Similarly, SRO-WA, in collaborat ion w it h t he Af rican Inst itut e f or Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), w ill organize t raining sessions f or Government of f icials involved in prospect ive st udies and economic grow th forecasting in t he cont ext of the long-t erm st rat egy plan of t he count ry (SDDCI 2012-2035).
3.2 West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) annual meetings
The ECA/SRO-WA part icipated in the annual st atutory meet ings of t he WAMZ, organized bet w een 16 and 20 January 2012 in Freetow n, Sierra Leone. The meet ings had the overall object ive t o deliberat e on t he status of implementation of the WAMZ w ork programme. On the basis of reports’ analysis and ensuing discussions, part icipant s recommended, among ot hers, t hat the member States priorit ize prudent macroeconomic policies t o ensure sust enance of the primary convergence crit eria. They also noted t he need to redouble ef fort s t o sat isf y t he secondary convergence crit eria, and t o ensure that government expenditure is channeled t ow ards grow t h promot ing act ivit ies and sect ors. The WAMZ member Stat es expressed an appreciat ion f or ECA’ s continued support, and the need to further collaboration.
3.3 Technical cooperation with the Gender Ministry of the Government of Liberia
As part of t he t echnical assist ance provided by ECA t o t he Government of Liberia, t he SRO-WA part icipated in a monitoring mission organized bet w een 3 and 6 April 2012. The main object ive of t he mission w as t o review progress made tow ards t he implementat ion of the Nat ional Gender Policy (NGP), and t o discuss w it h the Gender Minist ry areas of challenges and future collaborat ion. As a result of consultat ive discussions conduct ed w ith st akeholders, t he mission recommended an even closer collaborat ion w it h t he UN syst em and t he gender focal person f or UNMIL as the w ay f orw ard f or NGP implementat ion.3.4 Review workshop on implementation of ECOWAS Mineral Resource Development Programme
The ECA/SRO-WA w as invit ed t o part icipat e in the w orkshop organized in Lomé, Togo, f rom 26 t o 30 March 2012. The w orkshop, opened by t he Togolese Minist er of Mines and Energy, evaluated progress in t he implementat ion of ECOWAS Mineral Resource Development Programme, in preparat ion of t he report of t he President of ECOWAS Commission t o t he Council of Minist ers. The sessions included present at ions and experts’ deliberations. The ECA/SRO-WA made a presentation on the Africa Mining Vision and Regional Policy Harmonizat ion, as part of popularizing t he Vision in ECOWAS. Among t he main out comes
UN Photo/Christopher Herw ig
6 of t he w orkshop w ere the adopt ion of t he draf t ECOWAS Regional Mineral Cadast re Syst em, and the draf t ECOWAS Regional Mineral Observatory. The mission recommended ECA’ s ongoing involvement in th e disseminat ion of the Af rica Mining Vision Act ion Plan in the subregion, w orking closely w it h the ECOWAS Mines Direct orate.
3.5 Collaboration with RITD
As part of a st udy supervised by ECA’ s Regional Integration, Infrastructure and Trade Division (RITD) on t he ext ent of Af rican integrat ion, SRO-WA administ ered a survey quest ionnaire on mainst reaming of regional integrat ion int o nat ional development plans and st rat egies. The dat a w as obtained f rom the Minist ries of Foreign Af fairs, Finance and Economy, Planning, Trade and Transport , during missions organized in t he follow ing ECOWAS member States: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’ Ivoire, and Niger. It is expect ed t hat RITD w ill collate and analyze t he national level inf ormat ion and evidence t o come up w ith recommendat ions t o accelerat e Af rican int egrat ion.
3.6 Second Cameroon Mining Sector Knowledge Sharing Forum
The SRO-WA represent ed ECA in t he Forum, organized by t he World Bank in collaborat ion w ith t he Cameroonian Government in Yaoundé, bet w een 29 and 31 May 2012. The Forum discussed opport unit ies f or minerals development , regional int egrat ion, inf rast ruct ure development, and governance in the sect or in Cameroon. The meet ing also discussed t ransparency issues along t he mineral value chain, and review ed t he sect oral challenges in t erms of legal and regulatory f ramew orks and t he operat ion of the private sect or. For ECA/SRO-WA, t he mission recommended t he need f or cont inued collaborat ion w it h t he Cameroonian Government and ot her st akeholders in Cent ral Af rica on t he domest icat ion of t he Af rica Mining Vision.
3.7 Consultative meetings on mineral sector governance in Africa
The SRO-WA represented ECA in t w o meet ings held in Maput o,Mozambique, on 9 t o 12 June, and in Dakar, Senegal, on 12 to 15 June 2012, w it h t he purpose t o reinf orce st rat egic, organizat ional, and technical capacit ies of civil societ y in Af rica in t he promot ion of more t ransparent and account able ext ract ive sectors. The mission t ook part in discussions on mineral policy development at cont inent al and subregional levels, and delivered a presentat ion on the Af rica Mining Vision. The mission ident if ied t he need f or t he Of f ice t o cont inue the provision of technical assist ance, and t o support collaborat ion bet w een civil societ y organizat ions and ECOWAS in t he implement at ion of t he ECOWAS Mineral Development Programme.
3.8 Consultative meeting on the Africa Mining Vision (AMV)
The SRO-WA represented ECA in the meet ing organized in Accra, Ghana, on 26 t o 29 June 2012, w hich reunited pan-Af rican netw orks of civil societ y organizat ions w orking on mining and development . The meet ing sought t o discuss t he Af rican Mining Vision and the role of citizens’ organizations in its realizat ion, and to deliberat e on t he w ay forw ard in t he est ablishment of t he Af ric an Minerals Development Cent re (AMDC). The mission noted t hat t he meet ing w as a key avenue t ow ards increasing t he know ledge
UN Photo/B Wolff
7 of the Vision, and recommended that the ECA ensure t hat civil societ y organizat ions platf orm is aligned w it h development s in t he implement at ion of t he Vision.
4. 0 Upcoming publications
The follow ing report s are current ly under review f or publicat ion:
i. Report in collaborat ion w it h ECOWAS on key economic and social development s and prospect s f or regional integrat ion in West Af rica
ii. Progress report on the MDGs and ot her regional and int ernat ional agendas and special init iat ives in t he subregion – MDG 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empow er Women
iii. Report on regional value chain approach to agricult ural development in West Af rica: agro-based indust ries and public-privat e partnerships
iv. Report on st rengt hening capacit y of West Af rican States on harnessing renew able energies f or elect ricit y supply, poverty reduct ion, and climate change mit igat ion
5.0 Technical assistance to UN Country Team (UNCT) 5.1 UNCT
As a member of UNCT in Niger, t he SRO-WA designat ed a st af f member to join the t echnical commit t ee charged w it h addressing t opics included in t he UN Development Assist ance Framew ork (UNDAF) and in t he 2012 act ion plan.
5.2 Participation in UN Gender Thematic Group/ Human Rights (UNGTG/HR)
In line w it h it s mandat e, the SRO-WA part icipates in a number of act ivit ies list ed in t he UNGTG/HR Act ion Plan for 2012. These act ivit ies include capacity building programmes, know ledge gen erat ion, and advocacy init iat ives t o promot e gender equalit y and human right s in Niger. The SRO-WA is current ly analyzing t he UNGTG/HR concept note relat ed t o the proposed implementat ion in Niger of the global UN Adolescent Girls Init iat ive. Niger w ould t hus become the fourth “ champion country” in West Africa (after Mali, Burkina Faso, and Liberia) t o be engaged in this init iat ive, w ith a nat ional focus on early marriages.
The Off ice w ill ident if y possible levels of part icipat ion in this new init iat ive, con sidering it s st rong component relat ed t o nat ional policy ref orms, and advocacy aimed at decision makers on issues pert aining t o girl adolescent s in Niger.
6.0 Capacity building
6.1 Training on archiving and library management
The ECA/SRO-WA organized t he t raining of one st af f member in archiving and library management, in view of t he reopening of t he documentat ion center of t he UN syst em in Niamey, Niger . The t raining w as
8 f acilitated by expert s f rom IDEP and t ook place in Dakar, Senegal, bet w een 18 January and 3 February 2012.
6.2 Training on results-based management (RBM)
The SRO-WA w as represent ed by one st af f member in the RBM t raining organized in Addis Ababa, Et hiopia, f rom 21 t o 24 February 2012. The object ive of t he t raining, conduct ed in a part icipat ory manner, w as t o provide part icipant s w it h t he f undament als of RBM and a set of kills and tools f or project /programme design and management .
6.3 Project management training
The ECA/SRO-WA part icipated in a project management t raining organized in Addis Ababa, Et hiopia, bet w een 26 and 30 March 2012. The object ive of t he t raining w as t o f amiliarize project f ocal point s f rom SROs and ECA Divisions w it h RBM principles and approaches. The skills acquired w ill allow f or improved designing and report ing of project s that require ext ra-budgetary resources.
6.4 Knowledge management training
Tw o st af f members represent ed ECA/SRO-WA in the t raining organized in Dakar, Senegal, f rom 8 t o 12 May 2012. The object ive of t he t raining w as t o provide an underst anding of t he concept s of Know ledge Management (KM) and their applicat ion in ECA, as w ell as t o develop pract ical online facilitat ion and communities’ management skills, and to netw ork w ith peer KM professionals.
6.5 Training on competency-based interviewing and selection
The t raining w as organized in Rabat , Morocco, on 11 and 12 June 2012 w it h t he int ent ion of providing st af f engaged in interview ing candidat es, or likely t o do so in t he f ut ure, w it h t he skills t o conduct int erview s, part icipat e in an int erview panel, and provide object ive assessment s. ECA/SRO-WA w as represent ed by t w o st af f members.
