UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION

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UNITED NATIONS

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA

Eighth African Development Forum (ADF-VIII) Distr.: GENERAL ECA/ADF/8/Inf.3 June 2012

VIII

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 23-25 October 2012

CONCEPT NOTE

Original: ENGLISH

Governing and Harnessing Natural Resources for Africa's Development

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ECA/ADF/8/lnf.3

I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1. The African Development Forum (ADF), an Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) flagship biennial event created in 1999, is a multi-stakeholder platform for debating, discussing and initiating concrete strategies for Africa's development. It is convened in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AVC), African Development Bank (AfDB) and other key partners to establish an African-driven development agenda that reflects consensus and leads to specific programmes for implementation. The aim of ADF is to present the key stakeholders in Africa's development with the results of current research and opinions on key development issues in order to formulate shared goals, priorities and programmes, and define the environment that will enable African countries to implement these programmes.

2. The Forum brings together a large number of participants including Heads of State and Government, African member State policymakers, development partners, other United Nations agencies, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (IGOs/NGOs), academia, practitioners, civil society organizations (CSOs), the private sector, eminent policy and opinion leaders and other concerned stakeholders. The Forum includes plenary and high-level parallel panel sessions as well as side-events featuring keynote/lead speakers and presenters, media representatives and other participants.

3. The theme of ADF-VIII is "Governing and harnessing natural resources for Africa's development". This theme could not have been placed on the ADF agenda at a more appropriate time.

It builds on the outcome of the Fifth Session of the Joint AUC-ECA Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development held in March 2012 in Addis Ababa under the theme

"Unleashing Africa's potential as a pole of global growth". The Conference endorsed the decision to focus the theme of ADF-VIII on "Governing and harnessing natural resources for Africa's development". The platform offers as much an opportunity to build partnerships as for the occasion to further deepen discussions on implementation of: the Africa Mining Vision (AMV); the AU Declaration on Land; the Framework and Guidelines for Land Policy in Africa (F&G); the Implementation Strategy for the Accelerated Industrialization Development for Africa (AIDA);

Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests; and other frameworks for best practices in the management of mineral, land, fisheries and forest resources.

4. ADF-VIII will therefore underscore the importance of natural resources governance in the social and economic transformation processes in Africa to foster growth and poverty reduction. It will also emphasize the social, economic and environmental pillars associated with natural resources management, as well as institutional and policy frameworks within which natural resources can be effectively harnessed to meet development goals. Sharing best practices, innovative policies, operational frameworks, evidence-based knowledge and information and participatory arrangements for effective resource harnessing will be the focus of the Forum in 2012, along with showcasing appropriate institutional and governance frameworks for leveraging natural resources for Africa's development.

5. Globally, the scramble for access to and development of natural resources has intensified, partly due to the rising demand for natural resources from emerging economies. This trend has reflected on commodity prices, which are at historic highs, and on the terms of trade, altered in favour of commodities. The continent is caught in what some have termed 'the second scramble for Africa."

However, a historic opportunity has also opened up for Africa to effectively utilize its natural resources

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to fuel economic development. This opportunity is enhanced by positive developments on the continent, including governance gains, greater policy space, increased interest in exploring better platforms for development and raised aspirations among the citizenry for a better future. This is therefore an opportune time to deliberate on the roles and strategic importance of natural resources in Africa's transformation.

6. ADF-VIII will focus on the extractive natural resources of mineral, land, forest and fishery resources, and the potential roles extractive resources play in the transformation of the continent.

Despite their importance, water resources will not be an item on the ADF-VIII agenda for a number of reasons. First, water in itself is such a broad and major issue that sufficient discussion on it would require sessions equivalent to the ADF itself. Second, inclusion of water as a specific resource for discussion during ADF-VIII would overshadow in-depth discussion and debate on the other resources.

As a result, the crucial issue of water is left to be explored in full in future ADFs. Notwithstanding, as a crosscutting issue for integrated natural resources management, discussions on water will permeate the entire Forum.

7. Mineral resources extraction and trade constitute major economic activities in many African States, supporting economic and social development. Recent global commodity price hikes and increased flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into mineral-rich States has caused the policy debate to resurface on how best to position the natural resources sector to enhance broad-based development.

Moreover, the potential of marine mineral resources and urban mining are increasingly appearing on the development agenda and Africa's constituencies will have to respond accordingly. Debating emerging strategies on sustainable mineral resources development (for greater contribution to overall development) and appropriate governance structures is therefore timely.

8. Land resources provide a multitude of socio-economic, cultural and environmental services that solidify broad-based development. Land is therefore a crucial resource in Africa, defining economic and social values, while providing opportunities for asserting rights and promoting sustainable livelihoods. Women and youth often remain at the margins in gaining access to, control and ownership of land. The surge in global food and energy prices and the increased pressure on food and energy security have partly led to the resurgence of demand for high-value and productive land by global and local land investors.

9. As a result, a significant amount of productive agricultural land in African States has been leased, or sold, to investors anticipating greater gains from land deals. This increases the vulnerability of communities and groups currently struggling to access, utilize and own land, including women and youth. The growing concern about land rights, human rights, food security, environmental impacts, social dislocation and other issues on one hand, and the potential gains in terms of attracting much needed investment capital, technology and human capital in the agricultural sector on the other have sharpened the debate about the costs, benefits and appropriateness of large-scale land transactions on the continent. Shedding more light on the economic, social, environmental, institutional and governance issues around land transactions has become timely.

10. Africa's forest resources, the mainstay of energy supplies, have economic and socio-cultural significance. Forests provide vital services which underpin economic performance, people's wellbeing and environmental sustainability. Forests also play a vital role in climate change mitigation and adaptation, thus making it critical to focus on supporting communities, in particular the interaction of

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ECA/ADF/8/Inf.3 Page 3 women and men with forest resources. Alarming deforestation in Africa, the second largest loss in the world, is exacerbated by illegal logging, excessive reliance on fuel wood for energy use and uncontrollable bush fires on the one hand. On the other are the emerging opportunities for enhancement of forest carbon stocks in climate-change management and the debate raised about the policy, legal, institutional, technical and economic constraints that impact on wider application of sustainable forest management. Such deliberation on emerging strategies for sustainable management and development of forest resources in Africa and for enhancement of their contribution to overall development is also timely.

11. Inland water and oceanic/sea fishery resources offer tremendous potential and opportunities for development. Fishery resources contribute to nutrition and food security, create employment and income opportunities and generate export earnings. However, widespread unsustainable fishing practices and illegal fishing by predatory fishers have left capture fisheries with a shrinking resource base, undermining food security, economic wellbeing and ecological safety. Based on current knowledge, debate about resource management, institutional and governance arrangements and economic enhancement of the sectors for broader contribution to development is long overdue, calling urgently for a transparent platform for discussion.

12. ADF-VIII will therefore highlight key aspects of mineral, land, forestry and fishery resources management and development. The focus areas will enable a wider platform for various stakeholders to participate and will emphasize critical issues in each of these areas. Discussions will be organized around the following thematic focus areas:

• Policy, legal and regulatory issues

• Economic issues, including participation and ownership

• Knowledge base, human and institutional capabilities

• Environmental, material stewardship and climate change

• Governance, human rights and social issues

13. Gender and youth empowerment will be taken into consideration as crosscutting issues in the discussion of all the above mentioned areas.

II. ADF-VIIIOBJECTIVES Overall objective

14. ADF-VIII will raise awareness and cultivate deeper understanding of the role of Africa's natural resources governance in its economic transformation. It will also provide an opportunity to discuss frameworks, policy options, and strategies to better integrate mineral, land, fisheries and forest management into national resource management programmes, strategies and policies.

Specific objectives

15. The specific objectives of ADF-VIII are to:

(a) Demonstrate the role of Africa's mineral, land, fisheries and forest resources in its development;

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(b) Deliberate on the challenges that mineral, land, fisheries and forest resources mismanagement pose to Africa's development, and offer governance and management models that can best support Africa's transformation;

(c) Promote sharing of models, experiences, best practices and lessons learned in enhancing the role of natural resources in development in Africa;

(d) Identify actions that need to be taken in priority areas in minerals, land, fisheries and forest resources management that best support development;

(e) Give momentum to the Africa Mining Vision, AU Declaration on Land, the F&G, AIDA, and other frameworks for best practices in the management of mineral, land, fishery and forest resources;

(f) Debate emerging strategies and appropriate governance structures for sustainable natural resources development that makes a greater contribution to overall development;

(g) Address equity issues especially in relation to access to and use of natural resources; and (h) Build and strengthen alliances and partnerships to advocate for implementation of action plans on natural resources governance to enhance development.

III. Expected Outcomes and Outputs

16. A number of outcomes and outputs are expected from ADF-VIII. These include the following:

Outcomes

(a) Better informed stakeholders about the role of natural resources in Africa's development;

(b) Deeper understanding of stakeholders on how to translate frameworks and visions for natural resources management into practical policies and actions;

(c) Strengthened capacity of stakeholders to advocate for prudent management of minerals, land, fisheries and forest resources to enhance their contribution to development;

(d) Enhanced support for the implementation of the Africa Mining Vision, the AU Declaration on Land, the F &G, AIDA, and other frameworks for the prudent management of fisheries and forest resources;

(e) Strengthened partnerships for advocating the role of Africa's natural resources governance and management in transformation of the continent;

(f) Strengthened budgetary and other financial resources for the implementation of innovative strategies, policies, programmes and tools to support better natural resources governance;

and

(g) Better understanding of the needs and approaches to addressing women and youth concerns in the design of policies, frameworks and strategies for effective management of land, fisheries and forest resources.

Outputs

17. Key ADF-VIII outputs will include the following:

• A Forum report

• Issues papers

• Policy briefs

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• A Consensus Statement

• An Indicative Plan of Action

• Press releases

• Web publications

IV. DISCUSSION THEMES, ISSUES AND TOPICS

18. For each of the natural resources considered, the policy, socia-economic, participation and ownership, knowledge base, environmental stewardship, governance andequity issues are identified to guide discussions. The background information and the themes, issues and topics for each considered natural resource is outlined below.

4.1. Mineral resources

19. Africa is endowed with immense mineral resources, including significant reserves of bauxite, chromite, diamonds, cobalt and platinum-group metals. The continent's global share of platinum production exceeds 77%, diamonds 55%, chromium 46%, gold 22% and uranium 19% in recent years.

With recent production start-ups of several mines of nickel, bauxite, copper and iron ore in many African States, the continent continues to play a leading role in the global production of mineral resources. African States have economies dependent on the extractive industry, shown by the high GDP share of value added in the sector, including Mauritania (24%), Guinea (20%), Democratic Republic of the Congo (16%), Botswana (12%), Ghana (8%) and the Niger (7%). About 47.2 per cent of Africa's merchandise export share comes from mining, which constitutes 70.5 per cent of primary commodity exports. How mineral resources are governed, harnessed and utilized are issues at the core of the role of the sector in Africa's transformation.

20. Despite the potential of vast mineral resources, constraints such as lack of transparency and governance, minerals rent mismanagement, the need to enhance the participation of artisanal operators, lack of environmental stewardship, the commodity market risks and the need to adopt appropriate gender-responsive policies and governance frameworks remain among the key barriers limiting the transformative role of the sector. For example, the period 2000 to mid-2008 was characterized by historically high commodity prices, fuelling impressive economic growth in several mineral-dependent economies on the continent. However, the 2008 blip in prices equally exposed the extent to which such economies are vulnerable to the vagaries of commodity price fluctuations.

21. The prudence with which natural resource rents are utilized is similarly a concern, calling for greater transparency and better governance of extractive industries and generated rents. The possibility of rents from the extractive industry distorting economic activities in other sectors is a related concern.

Increases in mining-based revenues, if not properly managed, can impact exchange rates and competitiveness, mobility of labour across booming and non-booming sectors, as well as inflation, putting pressure on broad-based industrialization, a phenomenon commonly known as "Dutch disease."

22. In positioning the mining sector for a greater role in Africa's development, a transformative vision for the sector and concrete action plans are provided in the Africa Mining Vision (AMV), adopted by the African Union Heads of State and Government in February 2009. The AMV offers a credible blueprint for transforming the mining sector and spring-boarding the continent to sustainable resource-based industrialization and broad-based development. The Vision calls for judicious and

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prudent use of mineral revenue to build up the capital stock necessary for diversifying and unleashing economic transformation on the continent. The second AU Conference of Ministers Responsible for Mineral Resources Development further adopted a decision to establish the African Mineral Development Centre as a one-stop facility to anchor implementation of the AMV and its Action Plan.

23. ADF-VIII will therefore provide a platform for the AMV as a strategic framework for promoting sustainable development in the mineral sector in Africa. It will also host in-depth discussions on natural resource issues relating to the economy, governance, participation and ownership, human and institutional capabilities, environmental stewardship, and governance and policy frameworks.

24. Specifically, the following key thematic issues will be debated:

Policy, legal and regulatory issues

25. The AMV provides a vision for transforming the mining sector in Africa and connecting it to others for enhanced contribution to overall development. An action plan for implementation of the AMV was also developed. Related issues for further discussion include:

(a) In taking the AMV from vision to action, to enhance the role of the mining sector in economic transformation, what legal and regulatory barriers exist and how can they be alleviated?

(b) How can the AMV be adopted by member States? What next steps can be taken to accelerate country adoption ofthe Vision?

(c) How can women and youth concerns be addressed in the policy, legal and regulatory processes related to management of the mining sector? What training and capacity development programmes are needed? How can policy implementation be monitored and evaluated? How can regional integration and policy harmonization contribute to implementation of the AMV and achievement ofits goals?

Economic issues

26. In discussing the role of the mInIng sector in broad-based economic development, three economic issues emerge as particularly relevant: enhancing backward and forward linkages between the mining sector and the rest of the economy; prudent fiscal regimes that optimize the collection and management of mineral rents; and the participation and ownership of communities and small-scale mining operators.

27. With regard to enhancing linkages between the mining sector and the rest of the economy that can potentially enhance employment and income growth, the following policy issues will be explored:

(a) What policies and strategies enhance backward and forward linkages, envisaged in the AMV, between mining and productive sectors ofthe economy?

(b) What are the existing barriers to mining industrial cluster formation, and what best practices can help manage these barriers?

(c) How can mineral resources development accelerate the implementation of AIDA across the continent?

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ECAIADF18/Inf.3 Page 7 (d) What can we learn from cluster formation strategies and policies implemented in other cluster strategies (e.g. knowledge cluster, industrial clusters, information technology (IT) clusters, etc.)?

(e) What policy options do African mineral-exporting countries take in order to localize part ofthe mineral value chain and add local content in the mineral sector?

(f) How can the link between mining projects and infrastructure development be better exploited to accelerate the growth ofthe economies ofmineral-rich African countries?

(g) Is Africa aware ofthe challenges and opportunities arisingfrom marine mineral resources exploitation and urban mining? Is the continent prepared to harness these opportunities? What needs to be done?

28. With regard to prudent fiscal regimes and management of rents from natural resource extraction, the following policy issues will be explored:

(a) How can fiscal provisions in Africa's mining sector be improvedfor African countries to capture a greater share ofmineral rent?

(b) How can fiscal leakages and transfer pricing be managed? How can negotiation skills be enhanced?

(c) How effective are existing mechanisms for ensuring transparency in extractive industry rent management? How can transparency and accountability be further enhanced?

(d) What equity considerations must be made when defining prudent fiscal regimes and management ofrents from natural resource extraction, with an emphasis on employment creation?

(e) What should be done to convert transient short-term mineral wealth into long-term capital that addresses intergenerational equity? Should natural resource-rich Governments establish Sovereign Wealth Funds, Infrastructure Funds and other modes of saving? What would be an ideal model for rent management that involves equitable distributional benefits between communities, regional authorities and national governments, whilst providing employment opportunities for youth?

29. With regard to enhancing economic participation and ownership, the following policy issues will be discussed:

(a) How can stakeholder participation along the mining value chain be enhanced? What policies, strategies and best practices enhance participation and ownership from a social and gender perspective? How can effective participation ofsmall-scale mining operators be assured in the broader mining industry and product markets to enhance their resiliency and facilitate their growth as viable businesses?

(b) How can both women and men residing in close proximity to the resources be included in mineral extraction projects? Should company and community impacts and benefits agreements be encouraged and who should negotiate these in light oflimited community capacities?

Governance, equity, human rights and social issues

30. The link between the mining sector and economic transformation in Africa partly depends on the governance of the mining sector itself, and the management of associated human rights and social issues to ensure equitable access and redistribution of related resources. ADF-VIII will raise the governance issues, particularly through discussion of the following policy issues:

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(a) What are the key governance barriers in the mining sector in Africa, and how do they undermine the role ofthe sector in economic transformation?

(b) What are the developmental implications of mining-related social issues, such as gender- based violence and conflicts?

(c) Given multiple international frameworks for mining sector governance, including the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative and the Publish What You Pay Coalition, the Kimberly Process Certification System, the Dodd-Frank Act, Certified Trading Chains, and others, what governance model serves Africa best?

(d) How can human rights and social equity issues be integrated into mining sector governance?

(e) What are the investor and country policy views on resource nationalism and security of access to mineral resources?

(t) How can we make the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) a more effective instrument for governing the mining sector in Africa?

Environmental, social and material stewardship issues

31. Sustainability requires that Africa's rich mineral resources be utilized in ways that are also cognizant of social and environmental values. Key environmental and social policy issues that will be discussed include:

(a) How can sustainability and social equality be centred in natural resources development, and how can contract negotiations reflect this priority?

(b) How can sustainability factors be utilized in the project bidding process?

(c) What are the constraints to the use of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), Social Impact Assessments (SIAs) and Strategic Environment Assessments (SEAs) in the mining sector and how to overcome them?

(d) Is material stewardship a sustainable option for Africa?

(e) How can corporate social responsibility in the mining sector be mainstreamed into national social development plans?

32. As outlined in the AMV, multi-sectoral and holistic approaches to mineral development policy are needed to unleash mineral resource-driven structural economic transformation. This includes new institutional arrangements combining the minerals, industry, trade and science and technology innovation complexes with the view to ensuring policy coherence, building synergy and fostering greater interaction between such institutions. As a matter of priority and with the view to accelerate implementation of AIDA, it is vital to develop capacity to integrate mineral sectoral policy with industrial and trade policies. Inadequate human and institutional development in the mining sector is an on-going constraint. In particular, the education and health of miners, their skills and knowledge, and their organization into institutions and associations, are important factors in development of the mining sector.

33. Related issues for discussion include:

(a) How can the human and institutional capabilities in the mining sector be enhanced taking into account social equity considerations?

(b) What institutional arrangements enhance the contribution of the mining sector to development?

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ECA/ADF/8/Inf.3 Page 9 (c) What institutions are necessary to achieve the goals ofthe AMV?

(d) How can coherence and alignment be ensured between the implementation of mineral, industrial and trade policies and strategies?

Knowledge base, human and institutional capabilities

34. Institutions that support mineral development in Africa are generally weak and inappropriate to meet the objectives of the AMV. These weaknesses apply to government departments charged with the responsibility of formulating policies, laws and regulations and those responsible for negotiating mineral development agreements; and monitoring and regulating the exploitation of mineral resources.

These weaknesses also extend to education and training institutions. The net result is a significant shortage in mineral-related skilled human resources both in qualitative and quantitative terms. This in tum leads to a very weak knowledge base unable to support a competitive African mineral sector based on local knowledge resources.

35. The realization of the AMV requires a significant upgrade in skill levels and facilities. Public officials charged will require a much broader skill base while a number of stakeholder institutions that play a watchdog role, such as parliaments, local communities, civil societies and NOOs also require capacity-building programmes to enable them to discharge their roles more effectively. Education and training institutions also need a much greater level of support from both the public and private sectors.

(a) Creating the knowledge base necessary to achieve the AMV is a shared responsibility between the public and private sectors. How can the roles of these respective sectors be enhanced to deliver high-quality human and institutional capacities in Africa's mineral sector?

(b) Building a sustainable pool ofhuman and institutional capacities requires the retention of skills and expertise. What are the strategies that are required to retain competent staff, and to acquire necessary technologies and equipment to perform their functions?

(c) Regional integration can help bridge the gap in knowledge, human and institutional capacities. What needs to be done to promote the free movement of skills and expertise at the subregional level, as well as provide greater inter-country access to institutions oflearning?

(d) The long-term achievement of the AMV will require an alignment in human resources development to the principles of the vision. How can this alignment best be achieved in the short to medium term?

(e) How can the capacities of stakeholders, such as parliaments and CSOs, which playa crucial watchdog role in policymaking and implementation, be strengthened in the short to medium term?

36. The themes, issues and topics that provide the vehicle to address the questions raised in the areas of economics, governance, environment, knowledge base and policy are summarized in table 1.

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Table 1: Mineral Resources and Development - Issues and Topics of Discussion Theme: Mineral Resources for Africa's Development: Anchorin2 a New Vision Issue: Africa Mining Vision - from Vision to Action: Framing Next Steps

Topic #1: AMV - Taking the Vision to Action

Issue: Economic Issues in Enhancing the Role of the Mining Sector in Development

Topic #2: Enhancing Backward and Forward Linkages through Cluster Formation Strategies Topic #3: Transparency and Prudent Management of Mineral Resource Rents

Topic #4: Economic Participation and Inclusive and Broad-based Ownership Issue: Governance, Equity, Human Rights and Social Issues

Topic #5: Natural Resources, Conflicts and Gender-based Violence

Topic #6: Resource Nationalism and Security of Access to Mineral Resources Topic #7: APRM - Envisioning a Mining Sector Governance Framework for Africa

Issue: Environmental Stewardship and Corporate Social Responsibility in the Mining Sector Topic #8: Environmental and Social Code of Conduct in Africa's Mining Sector

Topic #9: Integrating Environmental and Social Costs in Minerals Contract Negotiations Topic #10: Decoupling Natural Resource Use from Long-term Development

Issue: Knowledge Base, Human and Institutional Capabilities

Topic # 11: The Roles of Human and Institutional Capacity in Enhancing the Contribution of the Mining Sector to Development

Topic #12: The Role of Human Development Capacity, Especially Youth, in Enhancing the Contribution of Mining Sector Development

Topic #13: Geological, Geophysical and Geochemical Mapping of Mineral Resources: Bridging the Information and Knowledge Gap

4.2. Land resources

37. Land is a crucial resource for development. It supports land-based economic activities which form the basis for wealth creation for African economies and which secure employment and diversified livelihoods for its people, mainly through agricultural (crop and livestock, bio-energy) and tourism- related activities. The agricultural sector is key to meeting food and energy security, two critical challenges to Africa's development. Land has additional value that derives from its diverse life- supporting functions, including ecosystem services and climate regulation, functions increasingly valued due to the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. Land is also tied to religious and social values, constituting it as a cultural and ontological resource and offering vital intergenerational linkages. These multitudes of services position land as a core resource based on which broad-based economic transformation can be supported.

38. The governance of land, including aspects of ownership, use and management of land in Africa is greatly influenced by the continent's historical, political, cultural, economic and institutional legacy.

Land access, use and ownership are also gendered and have profound implications on the rights, duties and responsibilities of citizens, compromising access by discriminated or marginalized groups such as women and youth. Indigenous and customary land management practices often co-exist with an overlay

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ECAIADF18/Inf.3 Page 11 of statutory and even religion-based management systems and institutions leading to dualistic or pluralistic land tenure and property rights regimes.

39. Unfortunately, the limited definition and recognition of customary and religious practices in modem law, coupled with the overlapping roles of land-management institutions often lead to land- related conflicts whilst entrenching existing marginalization and discrimination in terms of access and ownership by some groups. In many States, political reforms have opened opportunities for new approaches to land policy development and land governance. New tools are also being developed to facilitate women's land rights and the rights of indigenous people in an attempt to redress cultural and historical inequalities.

40. Over time, there has been increasing domestic pressure on land resources with growth in population, industrialization and urbanization. Historically, post-independence land acquisitions have seen high levels of inequality and marginalization of local communities. In particular, new land acquisitions in post-colonial Africa saw a move trending towards land concentration among a few of Africa's elites, often at the expense of local communities with some of the new large-scale land owners engaging in large-scale agriculture but with the majority holding large tracks of land for speculative purposes.

41. This trend was facilitated by an inadequate policy environment which did not change much after colonialism to clarify and recognize the land rights of local communities or legitimize traditional land management institutions. In addition, the overlapping roles of land institutions coupled with weak institutional governance continued to hamper transparent and equitable transfer of land. The result has often been further marginalization of local communities with many of them losing land given the increased land pressure.

42. Against this background of complexity and governance challenges relating to Africa's land, evolving and changing dynamics in global and local land interests have put further pressure on the governance and management of land. Globally, the sharp rise in food and energy prices in recent years has led to a rush to secure productive land to meet food, raw material and energy needs, bringing much of this new pressure on Africa's land resources. Similarly, concerns over the impacts of climate change on water and land resources have driven long-term interests in land resources to hedge against such risks.

43. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that between 2007 and 2010, more than 20 million hectares of African agricultural lands were acquired by international land investors, with many such acquisitions involving more than 10,000 hectares, and several more than 500,000 hectares. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) suggests that approximately 20 million hectares were acquired by international land investors between 2005 and 2009. The World Bank similarly reports that 45 million hectares of land were globally transacted, with half of these transactions taking place in Africa. The continent has effectively become the site of the most speculative land deals, demonstrating the strong global interest in Africa's land resources.

44. Locally, population distribution and economic growth in African States have further induced demand for land. Population is projected to increase significantly in many States. This, coupled with rapid urbanization and infrastructure development as well as large-scale agricultural investments, have increased competition for access to land resources.

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45. The spike in land transactions in Africa has raised policy debate about the appropriateness of land deals and how to maximize the development outcomes of potential opportunities. The concerns include: long-term food security challenges related to large-scale productive land acquisitions; potential compromise of local land tenure arrangements; property right protection concerns for investors and local communities, particularly the rights of vulnerable and marginalized groups including women and youth; lack of proper training and capacity in structuring complex land deals; lack of transparency and potential for corruption; and the possibility that local land interest groups may not be engaged in land deal decision-making. One of the main policy concerns has been to not recognize and factor in global and local fundamental shifts in the land market/institutional arrangements into the decision-making processes.

46. While these serious concerns continue to influence the debate on land deals in Africa, there is also recognition of the potential opportunities that link land to economic transformation. FDI and local investor resource mobilization could enhance agricultural productivity, offer employment opportunities particularly for women and youth, enhance human capital in agriculture, and even potentially enhance food availability locally, if such deals are properly structured.

47. The impact of these local and global forces on land, managed within customary and/or weak and non-inclusive institutional arrangements, has implications on economic transformation.

Ambiguities over land-right delineations, tenure insecurity, inclusive participation and ownership, environmental and resource protection, land governance and adequacy of existing land policies are barriers limiting the role land can play in Africa's economic transformation. Furthermore, the lack of proper frameworks to manage international and local land-based investments in Africa, patchy decision-making across States, absence of broadly accepted decision metrics on large-scale land transactions and the potential opportunities and consequences presented by the emerging land issue have brought land governance to the fore of natural resource policy in Africa.

48. In recognition of these challenges and the central role of land in Africa's development, the AUC, ECA and AfDB jointly launched the Land Policy Initiative (LPI) in 2006. In its first phase (2006-2009), the LPI succeeded in developing the F&G. The F&G is a land policy tool developed by African stakeholders through a roadmap that included regional assessments and multi-stakeholder consultations to build consensus on the status, challenges, lessons and way forward in land policy and administration in Africa. It was adopted by the AU Ministers responsible for land governance in March 2009, and was endorsed in the AU Declaration on Land Issues and Challenges (AU Declaration on Land) by African Heads of State and Government at the AU Summit in July 2009. The second phase of the LPI, which was launched at the AU Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture meeting in October 2010, focuses on facilitating implementation of the AU Declaration on Land, using the F&G.

49. The LPI has recently increased its efforts to enhance Africa's capacity in land policy development, monitoring and evaluation and resource mobilization to help States engage and address emerging transformational challenges over land. In October 2011, the LPI organized a High-Level Forum on land-based investments in Africa and adopted the Nairobi Action Plan on Large-Scale Land- Based Investment (NAP). The NAP has called for assessment of large-scale land-based investment in Africa, development of principles for sustainable investment in land, establishment of a monitoring and reporting mechanism, and development of policies that enhance equitable land access for investors and land stakeholders.

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ECA/ADF/8/Inf.3 Page 13 50. This is in line with the African Union Declaration on Land, which calls for the establishment of an appropriate institutional framework to develop appropriate land policies that can properly respond to global and local pressures on land resources. The LPI has further developed an implementation plan for the NAP, and is mobilizing resources and partnerships to implement this rigorous two-year plan to build capacity and monitoring systems for fair, equitable, profitable and sustainable agricultural investments.

51. FAO, and its partners, also initiated the preparation of internationally accepted guidelines to enhance governance of tenure of land (Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security), with relevance to fisheries and forest resources as well. The Voluntary Guidelines promote secure tenure rights and equitable access to land (fisheries and forests as well) as a means of eradicating hunger and poverty, supporting sustainable development and enhancing the environment.

52. The Voluntary Guidelines were developed through a global multi-stakeholder consultation process. Government officials, CSOs, private sector representatives and academics were consulted in fifteen meetings, including in Addis Ababa, Ouagadougou and Windhoek, to assess the issues and actions to be included. They were finalized through intergovernmental negotiations that were held in a positive and constructive atmosphere, led by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), and included participation by civil society and the private sector. The Voluntary Guidelines were endorsed by the CFS on 11 May 2012. They are the first comprehensive global instrument on tenure and its administration to be prepared through intergovernmental negotiations.

53. Improving governance of tenure requires awareness raising, capacity development, monitoring and technical facilitation. Institutions involved in the administration and management of tenure of land (fisheries and forests as well) are encouraged to use the Voluntary Guidelines at all levels. The LPI shares important synergies with the Guidelines. Strong, open and transparent partnerships have been established with countries, civil society, private sector, academia, international organizations and other United Nations agencies. These partnerships are the basis for achieving global changes in the governance of tenure. Since December 2011, preliminary discussions have begun in order to identify the components of a regional TCP for the Africa region in support of the synergies and objectives in supporting countries in the implementation phase of both the LPI and the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land (Fisheries and Forests as well).

54. ADF-VIII will focus on international and local land-based investment and transactions in Africa. This is due to some of the reasons mentioned earlier: the strong international and local interest in investment in Africa's land resources driven by spikes in global commodity and energy prices; the lack of sufficient and inclusive institutional and resource management frameworks to effectively handle these land transactions; the potential challenges related to transparency and land rights particularly of small-holder farmers and of marginalized and vulnerable groups including women and youth; the concern that current large-scale land deals in Africa may not be well structured to respond to the goals of structural economic transformation; and the fear that if not well managed the land deals can fuel conflicts, with gendered impacts.

55. ADF-VIII will therefore offer a platform to deliberate on the governance of land resources, and to mobilize support for land policy initiatives and frameworks spearheaded to help position African States to govern land resources better while maximizing the contribution of land to economic

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transformation. The Forum will explore the following key aspects of land resource management with a view to enhancing the sector's contribution to development.

56. Though challenges relating to large-scale land transactions are not new, intensified local and foreign pressures on African land, in an environment of increasing demand for accountability in land governance and respect for human rights, have put a spotlight on the issue. Patchy governance and management efforts, including limited policy guidelines, legal and regulatory frameworks for appropriate large-scale transactions have resulted in agitated local communities which perceive their property rights as being eroded. Within the context of land development linkages, the importance of regulatory and legal clarity, as well as development and application of appropriate gender-sensitive and socially inclusive land policies are of critical importance. Related issues for further discussion include:

(a) What policy frameworks and guidelines need to be adopted in Africa to manage the costs posed by large-scale land investments in order to enhance the potential beneficial effects to development?

(b) What should be the way forward?

Economic issues

57. Africa's land resources have attracted significant local and foreign investments in recent years.

A number of economic issues abound with regard to land, large-scale land investment and perceived development dividends. These include: costs and benefits related to large-scale land transactions; the impact of large-scale land leases on the wellbeing of small-holder farms and food security and on the rights of individual women, men and youth; FDI in Africa's land and its role in rural development;

optimal structuring of land deals; and land leases, community participation and sense of ownership.

58. With regard to the costs and benefits of large-scale land transactions, policy issues for discussion will include the following:

(a) Given that land resources constitute the building block of African society, what are the costs associated with large-scale land deals?

(b) What are the developmental benefits of large-scale land investments in Africa taking into account socio-economic and gender disparities?

(c) What are the motivations for countries, foreign governments, investors, speculators and individual men, women and youths to engage in large-scale land deals, and how can this information help design business models that lead to a win-win outcome?

(d) Given the heightened demand for Africa's land resources, how can large-scale land investments be connected to broader development goals in Africa?

59. With regard to the impact of large-scale land leases on the wellbeing of small-holder farms and food security, the following policy issues and the rights of individual women, men and youth, will be discussed:

(a) How can large-scale land transactions be designed in a manner that does not undermine the welfare ofsmall-holder farmers?

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ECA/ADF/8/Inf.3 Page 15 (b) How can large-scale land transactions in Africa promote rather than impede security of tenure and rights ofindividuals and ofvulnerable and marginalized groups?

(c) What are the long-term food security implications ofleasing Africa's lands?

60. With regard to FDI in Africa's land and its role in rural development, the following issues will be discussed:

(a) How can FDI flows to Africa's land resources be optimized to create employment and income opportunities for rural development?

(b) How can agricultural technology and managerial know-how be diffused to small-holder farmers in an inclusive way?

(c) How can small-holder farmers get equitable and equal access to input and output markets through better integration with operations oflarge-scale operators?

61. With regard to optimal structuring of land deals, the discussion will include:

(a) How can transparency and accountability with regard to land transactions be ensured?

(b) How are land lease payments determined (e.g. based on "willingness to accept" the price asked by host countries or on the "willingness to pay" ofinvesting entities, land values)?

(c) How is the longevity oflease arrangements determined?

(d) What are the terms of the negotiations? Will a portion of the agricultural production be locally retained to tackle food security and its negative impact on economic development? How can such provisions be enforced?

62. With regard to land leases, community participation and sense of ownership, land conflicts between governments seeking to lease large tracts of land and communities which perceive such decisions as an attack on their property rights have become common. Related discussion issues include:

(a) How can sufficient community buy-in be ensured as good practice for land deal negotiations?

(b) How can communities, in particular vulnerable and marginalized groups, be empowered to have a stake and develop a sense ofownership?

63. The link between FDI flows (and in a broad sense, large-scale land investments) to Africa's land resources and economic transformation in part depends on the governance of land resources and land transactions. Key policy issues for discussion include:

(a) What are the key governance barriers in the land sector in Africa, and how can they undermine the role ofthe sector in economic transformation?

(b) What gender-sensitive and socially inclusive land governance model services Africa best?

(c) How can human right and social equity and opportunity issues be integrated in land resource development and governance?

(d) How can issues ofproperty rights, customary rights, social justice, and land use rights be managed in lands allocated to investors?

(e) What models (e.g. regional or national "land banking'') work as viable land governance models?

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How can sustainability be centred on large-scale land deals in Africa?

How can social and environmental codes of conduct be developed for large-scale farm ECA/ADF/8/Inf.3

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(t) How can the LPI be mainstreamed at the continental, regional and national levels to play a meaningful role in Africa's land policy architecture?

Environmental and material stewardship issues

64. Land leases in Africa, without due consideration to the environmental standards under which they should be utilized, pose serious concerns. Key environmental policy issues for discussion will include:

(a) (b) operators?

(c) How can effective monitoring and enforcement of environmental standards on leased lands be ensured?

Knowledge base, human and institutional capabilities

65. The area of international land transactions in Africa is one in which the institutional arrangement is unclear, with limited transparency. There are also concerns with regard to human capital in the negotiation and implementation of land transactions, as well as in post-award monitoring. In this regard, the issue of availability and authenticity of data regarding large-scale land investments in Africa is a key challenge. Related issues for discussion include:

(a) With intensification of international land deals in Africa, what human and institutional development initiatives will be required? (b) How can these development initiatives fully integrate gender and social issues? (c) How can FDI in agriculture be utilized to enhance the knowledge base and human capital in Africa's agricultural sector? (d) How can institutional arrangements be utilized to limit the potential negative impacts of international land transactions in Africa and enhance positive contributions? (e) What infrastructure and mechanisms are needed to facilitate knowledge generation (e.g. databases, analysis, validation) and monitoring oflarge-scale land investments in Africa?

The theme, issues and topics are summarized in table 2.

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ECNADF/8/Inf.3 Page 17 Table 2: Land Resources and Development - Issues and Topics of Discussion

Theme: Land and Africa's Development Future: Governing the Costs and Benefits of Large- Scale Land Investments

Issue: Policy, Legal and Regulatory Issues

Topic #14: Implementing the AU Declaration on Land: Ensuring Land Based Investments Contribute to Sustainable Socio-economic Development

Issue: Economic Issues in Enhancing the Role of Land Resources in Development Topic #15: Assessing the Costs and Benefits of Land Deals in Africa

Topic #16: Guiding FDI Flows Toward Agricultural Transformation and Rural Development Topic #17: Innovative Models for Transparent, Efficient, Equitable Large-scale Land-based Investments

Issue: Governance, Human Rights and Social Issues

Topic #18: Guidelines for Enhancing Community Participation and Ownership in Land- based Investments With a Special Focus on Marginalized and Vulnerable Groups

Topic #19: Can Customary Land Governance Facilitate Efficient and Equitable Large-scale Land Deals?

Topic #20: Empowering Women Through Equal Access, Control and Ownership of Land: Best Practices

Topic # 21: A Focus on Youth Access, Ownership and Control of Land

Issue: Integrating Environmental and Sustainability Conditions in Large-scale Land Deals

Topic #22: A Framework for Integrating Environmental and Sustainability Conditions in Land Deals Topic#23: Land Use Planning: A Prerequisite Large-scale Land-based Investment?

Issue: Knowledge base, Human and Institutional Capabilities

Topic #24: Monitoring Land-based Investments in Africa: Viable Frameworks, Data, Tools Topic #25: Building Capacity for Transparent Land Deals that Lead to Win-Win Outcomes

4.3. Fishery and aquaculture resources

66. Aquatic resources, particularly fishery and aquaculture, are important natural resources with great potential to contribute to sustainable broad-based development in Africa. Fishery and aquaculture contribute to nutrition and food security, create employment and income opportunities and generate export earnings. Yet, African countries are still short of tapping their huge endowment in these resources, leaving significant potential to enhance development through effective and sustainable resource management.

67. Capture fisheries and aquaculture supplied the world with about 142 million tons of fish in 2008. Of this, 115 million tons were used as human food. Global capture fisheries production in 2008 was about 90 million tons with an estimated first-sale value of US$93.9 billion, comprising about 80 million tons from marine waters and a record 10 million tons from inland waters. Capture fisheries production has been relatively stable in the first decade of the current millennium worldwide and in Africa as well - about 13 per cent of the world's total. Aquaculture accounted for 46 per cent of total food fish supply, representing a continuing increase since the mid-2000s.

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68. Catches from inland waters, two-thirds of which were reported as being taken in Asia in 2008, have shown a slow but steadily rising trend since 1950, owing in part to stock enhancement practices and possibly also to some improvements in reporting, which still remains poor for inland water fisheries (with small-scale and subsistence fisheries substantially underrepresented in the statistics). In addition to under-reporting in Africa, the sector is still facing serious supply-side challenges in spite of its huge potential. As a result, the continent is estimated to contribute to the world capture production in inland waters at quite stable levels, at around 25% during the first decade of this millennium.

69. Fish is a food of excellent nutritional value, providing high quality protein and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. FAO figures for 2007 show that fish provides 13% of animal protein in industrialized countries, over 25% in Asia (excluding China), and well over 21.5% in low-income food-deficit countries. In 2007, the average annual per capita apparent fish supply in developing countries was 15.1 kg. Despite its under-recording by official statistics for small-scale and subsistence fisheries, fish contribution to animal protein supply is quite high in many African countries, thus enhancing food security at the household level. It is as high as 36% in Cameroon and ranges between 42-44.5% in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Egypt and Senegal, and is well over 58% in Ghana and 65% in Sierra Leone.

70. Fish exports are a valuable source of foreign exchange for many African States. The fishing industry contributes up to 15% to GDP in some coastal countries. For instance, fishery exports represent 86% and 46.9% of agricultural exports in Senegal and Mauritania, respectively. Africa's fish exports increased in the 1980s and 1990s, and reached $2.7 billion by 2001, which was about 5% of the global fish trade. FAO estimates that in about 11 African countries, fish products export accounts over 10% of total export earnings. In 2009, twenty of the countries registered a surplus of more than $3.2 billion. The surplus of North African countries from the fish trade constantly increased until 2010 when it reached $0.5 billion, i.e. more than the peak surplus of the whole of sub-Saharan Africa in 2005-2009 (at $0.404 billion),which was followed by an almost 60% fall in 2010. The sector also supports livelihoods for millions of people, and provides food security for nearly 30% of Africa's population.

Fishery resources are therefore closely linked with broad-based development.

71. Major freshwater fishing takes place along the main rivers and lakes of Africa. Large industrial and small-scale artisanal fisheries are found along the coastal areas of Africa, which stretch over 30,490 km along the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

The coasts and the deltas generate significant revenues annually and are important sources of foreign investment through negotiated fishing agreements with foreign fleets, mainly from China, the European Union and Japan. Aquaculture and inland fisheries can play important roles in human nutrition and poverty alleviation through integrated aquaculture-agriculture farming systems, including irrigation, and integrated utilization of small, medium and large-size water bodies. In some countries, responses to the combined increases of the prices of food and fuel-based inputs led to the development of rice fields in floodplains and in swamps with improved varieties such as the New Rice for Africa (Nerica). This also offers opportunities for the development of integrated farming systems that improve incomes and the nutritional status of small-scale farmers, make inroads in promoting women who playa significant role in agriculture, and promote youth empowerment. Rethinking the broader policies, strategies and frameworks through which sustainable fishery sector development in Africa is pursued is quite timely.

72. Despite these contributions, fishery resources in Africa face numerous challenges from local and global pressures. Widespread unsustainable fishing practices have left capture fisheries with a

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ECA/ADF/8/lnf.3 Page 19 shrinking resource base which translates into a diminishing contribution to food and economic security.

FAO estimates that 11 of the world's 15 major fishing areas and 69% of the world's major fish species are in decline and in need of urgent management. In Africa, 791 freshwater fish species are threatened.

Between 1990 and 2002, per capita fish production in Africa declined by 14%, down to 6.7 kg per year per person by 2006. Estimates show that per person production is expected to decline further to 6.5 kg per year by 2020.

73. Overall, the main fish stocks are fully exploited and are therefore producing catches that have reached, or are very close to, their maximum limit, with limited expected space for further expansion given current practices. Moreover, there is an increasing likelihood that catches might decrease if remedial action is not taken to reduce overfishing.

74. As valuable fish stocks become overfished and harvests shrink, fishermen turn to species of lower value. Mid-Atlantic fishermen catching bluefin tuna in the 1960s were targeting swordfish a decade later, and by the mid-1980s they had switched to yellowfin tuna. Backed by local surveillance guard coasts, licensed foreign industrial fishers are encroaching into areas supposedly reserved to local fishermen who have specialized during these last few decades in the supply to local markets of fish of lower nutritional value but at continuously higher prices given their increased scarcity. Off the West African coast, one pelagic freezer captures in a day as much as 56 artisanal boats in a year.

75. Docking of artisanal boats also translates into losses of nutritive food and of multiple sources of livelihoods: capture processing by women, boat building and repairing, and maintenance of materials such as nets. Together with overfishing, it has also affected the cultural services provided by marine and coastal systems to those local communities, the culture of which is based on a long history of fishing. As a consequence, there is breakdown in the inter-generational transmission of skills.

76. Many fishermen migrate to urban areas with their families or engage in alternative livelihoods to supplement their income and sustain their livelihoods, including illicit activities such as piracy, and trans-boarding/cabotage for drug trafficking and/or high-risk networks of illegal migrations. Annual losses to West African countries due to illegal fishing are estimated at $100 million. Not only is Africa facing increased large-scale illegal fishing, but also lack of enforcement of agreements that aim to strengthen strategic investment in infrastructure, skills and know-how transfer, scientific research and better resource management.

77. Therefore, policy coherence is crucially needed in the fishery sector, recognizing the interplay among overfishing, alternative livelihoods for local fishing populations, direct and indirect costs of illegal fishing, and potential conflict between expanded fisheries trade, access agreements and private joint ventures on one hand and efforts to promote sustainable fisheries management on the other. There is need for collective action, at subregional and regional levels. With FAO technical support, ministerial conferences, and regional fishery bodies and subregional fisheries committees, organizations or commissions have been established among the States bordering the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. A commission has also been established to promote the development of inland fisheries and aquaculture in Africa.

78. However, the challenge of member countries to negotiate as a block remains a constraint as no single commission is entrusted with a negotiation mandate. Applying the subsidiary principle, building regional coalitions using the respective regional economic community (REC) policy umbrellas and

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backed by pooled transnational expertise could help increase institutional capacity for policy formulation, negotiation, monitoring and evaluation. The RECs could be the leaders in promoting such policy coherence.

79. Recognizing the importance of addressing some of these challenges and putting in place a framework for developing the fisheries sector, African leaders met in Abuja, Nigeria in 2005 for a Fish for All summit to launch the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Action Plan for the Development of African Fisheries and Aquaculture. The NEPAD Action Plan supports, among other measures, improved fisheries governance; sustainable production practices improving market access;

preparation and implementation of fisheries management plans; development of aquaculture; and regulation of the access of foreign fleets to African fish stocks.

80. The first African Union Conference of Ministers of Fisheries and Aquaculture met in September 2010, in the Gambia, five years after the Abuja Summit. The leaders re-affirmed their concern over the depletion of Africa's fish stocks and emphasized the urgency of sustainable management and sound governance to ensure increased benefits from sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

81. The NEPAD Partnership for African Fisheries similarly echoes the threat to sustainability of the fishery resource from overfishing, illegal fishing, illicit fish trade and poor resource management. It aims to advance good governance, management of illegal fishing, trade and market access and aquaculture as credible solutions to the fishery resource management challenges in Africa. The formulation of a regional policy initiative has been pursued by the AUC-wide Task Force on the AU 2050 Africa's Maritime Strategy (AIM-Strategy) that held its first meeting on November 18, 2011.

ADF-VIII seeks to provide a further platform for robust strategy discussion focused on advancing fishery resources management and enhancing the contribution of the resource to development. The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security mentioned earlier is also another framework in fishery resource governance. The Forum will discuss the following key aspects of fishery resource management with the aim of enhancing the sector's contribution to development.

82. Fishery resources, if managed sustainably, offer great opportunities to address food security challenges, create economic opportunities in fishing communities, including the most vulnerable and marginalized, and enable diversification of exports. Adequate policy can be a game-changer to enhance the role of fishery resources in the economic transformation of the African continent. The most recent Review of the State of World Fishery and Aquaculture (2010) emphasizes "the growing need to focus on the many facets of policy and governance, especially in relation to employment and poverty alleviation, and environmental sustainability". This, in tum, requires tackling, at both the national and subregional levels, the specific challenges in six policy domains: environment, technology, economic aspects, social aspects and governance.

83. The legal, institutional and policy barriers and opportunities in fishery resources development will be discussed at ADF-VIII. Related issues for further discussion include:

(a) Towards an Africanfisheries resources development vision? Framing tenets ofthe vision;

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ECA/ADF/8/Inf.3 Page 21 (b) What are the main areas for research, policy dialogue and advocacy for improved policy coherence in the fishery sector at country and subregional levels?

(c) How to engage decision makersfor clearly demonstrated political will infavour ofmulti- stakeholder dialogue and private sector engagement in the sector?

(d) From the experiences in regional cooperation on coastal management in Africa and in other regions of the world, what lessons can be learnt for optimal management offishery resources?

How do the fishery resource management models address issues ofsocial and gender equity?

Economic issues

84. In exploring the role of fishery resources in economic development, four aspects of the economic challenge require attention: enhancing the linkages between aquatic resources and the rest of the economy through backward, forward and lateral linkages; improving the contribution of fisheries to food and nutrition security; accelerating the transition from subsistence to commercial fisheries enterprises in an inclusive way; and improving community participation and ownership of the resources with a focus on marginalized groups and marginalized persons.

85. With regard to enhancing linkages between the aquatic extraction industry and the rest of the economy, the following policy issues will be explored:

(a) What policy, legal and institutional measures can optimize the gains from capture fisheries rents? Case studies from Africa?

(b) What policies and strategies can enhance backward, forward and lateral linkages between fisheries and other productive sectors ofthe economy?

(c) How can the value chain be strengthened, and its value enhanced, including through increased industrialization offisheries and by reducing post-harvest losses in artisanal fisheries?

(d) How can fisheries contribute to improvedfood and nutritional security at the Africa-wide level and at country and community levels?

(e) What are the existing barriers to the resiliency and development offisheries resources, and what best practices can help overcome these barriers?

86. With regard to accelerating the transition from subsistence to commercial enterprises, the following policy issues will be explored:

(a) What policies, institutions, investment resources and enabling environment exist for subsistence fishers to enhance their capacity to change to commercial fishing? How can this be done in a gender sensitive and socially inclusive way, paying particular attention to women and youth empowerment?

(b) Which appropriate technologies exist and can be diffused to expand sustainable production, including through integrated aquaculture-agriculture farming systems and reduction of post-harvest losses?

(c) How strong are existing clusters in the fishing industry, and how well-integrated in them are the artisans?

(d) What best practices can be considered for subsistence fishermen to improve access to local inputs and output markets and participate in international markets?

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87. With regard to improving_community participation and ownership in the fishery industry, the following policy issues will be discussed:

(a) How can the participation of stakeholders along the fishing industry value chain be enhanced taking into account gender and social issues? What policies, strategies and best practices constitute aframework ofbest conduct in enhancing participation and sense ofownership?

(b) How can the effective participation of subsistence fishers be assured in the development offishery resources and their effective catchments?

(c) How can communities residing in close proximity to the resources be empowered to benefitfrom their exploitation?

88. Governing fishery resources development, in ways that pay close attention to the nature of the renewabIe resource, the nature of the participants (small and large-scale), the economic rights of households and communities that depend on aquatic resources and the institutional arrangements within which the resources are developed are relevant considerations. ADF-VIII will raise the governance issues, particularly through the following policy discussions:

(a) What are the key governance barriers in fishery resources development in Africa, and how can they undermine the role ofthe sector in economic transformation?

(b) How can human rights and social equity issues be better addressed in the governance of the fishery industry;

(c) What governance model best suits the characteristics of Africa's fisheries industry, and what are the key tenets ofthe governance model for fisheries in Africa?

(d) What is the way forward towards a fisheries resource development and governance vision for Africa?

(e) How can legal and institutional responses to illegalfishing be strengthened?

Environmental and material stewardship issues

89. As renewable resources, fisheries stocks are susceptible to their biological and ecological environment, which are directly impacted by the levels of catchment and by environmental changes.

Fishery resources in open access waters are particularly vulnerable to unsustainable fishing and resource damage. Similarly, ecological changes caused by climate change also pose serious environmental and fish stock management challenges. To reduce the environmental impacts of aquaculture development as well as avoid impacts on aquaculture caused by non-aquaculture activities, both a result of poor management, further efforts are needed to improve resource use and appropriate environmental management. The skilful management of renewable fishery resources in the presence of climate-change risks requires the development of new knowledge bases and environmental and resource management skills. Key environmental and resource management policy issues that will be discussed include:

(a) How can sustainability be ensured in the management and exploitation of open-water fishery resources in Africa?

(b) So far, how successful have been the efforts of African countries, with ocean or sea adjacency, to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing?