African leaders approve new agency to replace NEPAD Secretariat
ECA Press Release No. 06/2010
Addis Ababa, 1st February (ECA) – African leaders meeting at the 14th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, today approved the establishment of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) as a technical body of the AU to replace the NEPAD Secretariat, which, until now has not been directly involved in implementation of projects at country level.
The leader's decision mandated NPCA to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of continental and regional priority programmes and projects and to mobilise resources and partners in support of their implementation. They also directed the NPCA to conduct and coordinate research and knowledge management, monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes and advocate on the AU and NEPAD vision, mission and core values.
The leaders also changed the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) to the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC).
The HSGOC is a sub-committee of the AU Assembly that provides political leadership and strategic guidance on the NEPAD Programme and reports its recommendations to the Assembly for endorsement.
They also retained the NEPAD Steering Committee as an intermediary body to interface between the HSGOC and NPCA.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) exercises supervisory authority over the NPCA, whilst giving the new Agency adequate and necessary flexibilities to carry out its mandate and thereby maintaining the corporate brand identity of the NEPAD Programme within the AU.
The leaders also directed that the NPCA activities be financed through an established budget from the statutory sources of the AUC, voluntary contributions from AU member states and additional budgetary support from development partners and the private sector.
Yinka Adeyemi,
ECA Information and Communication Service Tel: 251 11 5443537
Mobile: +251-911-402715 Fax: +251 11 5510365 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.uneca.org
