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Section 1: NEPAD and SADC work together for maximum benefits for the region
A meeting of senior officials of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the NEPAD Secretariat was held in Grand Baie, Mauritius, on 7-8 August 2004, to help the SADC gain an in-depth understanding of the NEPAD Initiative and to map out a strategy for the region to derive maximum benefits from it.
The issues discussed included an Overview of the NEPAD Initiative; Synergies between NEPAD and SADC's Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP); Democracy, Peace, Security and Governance; Agriculture, Food Security and Environment; Education and Health; Science and Technology; Infrastructure Development and Tourism; Resource Mobilisation and Capacity Building and the way forward.
The NEPAD Secretariat made presentations on these issues as follows:
Overview of the NEPAD Initiative
The overview covered the following issues:
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Background, objectives and principles of NEPAD;
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NEPAD Structures, their roles and responsibilities;
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Programme Implementation;
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Operationalisation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM);
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Promoting Ownership of NEPAD;
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Relationship between SADC & NEPAD;
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Mobilising the International Community;
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Interactions between African leaders and development partners, particularly the G8;
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Challenges and Achievements.
The meeting stressed the importance of articulating the value addition of NEPAD, clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders in the implementation of the NEPAD programme and the procedures for submission of projects, resource mobilisation and the follow up mechanisms. The need for efficient and effective information flows between the key stakeholders was also emphasised.
Following deliberations, the meeting made the following recommendations:
Value Addition
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Through policy dialogue with the International Community, NEPAD should add value by engaging the International Community on streamlining, simplifying and harmonising procedures and practices with a view to increasing resource flows and disbursements to the Region.
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Given the high-level interaction with the International Community, the NEPAD process should continue to add value by playing an advocacy role on the socio-economic development requirements of the SADC Region and by addressing gaps and blockages in implementation.
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The NEPAD process should continuously sensitise and educate Member States on the APRM, in particular its objective, principles and requirements.
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The NEPAD Initiative can add value by monitoring emerging issues, and promoting the sharing of experiences and best practices in the continent.
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NEPAD should assist SADC in strengthening capacity at both national and regional levels. In this context, the SADC Secretariat should as a matter of urgency seek assistance for the establishment of a NEPAD desk.
Roles and Responsibilities
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SADC remains one of the essential building blocks for the integration and economic development of Africa. It has therefore a pivotal role to mobilise and oversee translation of the NEPAD objectives, goals and strategies into practical, implementable programmes, projects and activities at the sub-regional and national levels.
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There should be regular interaction between the SADC and NEPAD Secretariats to ensure proper coordination of the NEPAD/SADC projects/programmes to expedite the monitoring of implementation.
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The respective roles and responsibilities of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and NEPAD should be implemented by both Secretariats to enhance coordination and collaboration in the implementation of both the continental and sub-regional socio-economic development agendas.
Submission of Projects
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The SADC Secretariat should be the anchor point in receiving regional project proposals from Member States, screening them and prioritising them for forwarding to the NEPAD Secretariat and undertaking the necessary follow-up.
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There is a need to put in place mechanisms for continuous information sharing between the two Secretariats and Member States.
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The SADC Secretariat has the primary responsibility for reporting to Member States on NEPAD progress.
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The SADC Secretariat should mobilise and collate the views and inputs of Member States ahead of NEPAD meetings, including with the G8, African Partnership Forum and other relevant meetings, to ensure that SADC positions are taken into consideration at these meetings.
Resource Mobilisation
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Implementation of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) will require the commitment of substantial financial, human, institutional and other resources. In order to ensure sustainable socio-economic development in SADC, it is essential that the bulk of the resources should be generated from within the region. This is consistent with the statement in the NEPAD development framework by which "The destiny of Africa rests with Africans themselves".
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The different windows and levels (national, regional and continental) of resource mobilisation should be recognised and pursued. Member States, the SADC Secretariat and the NEPAD structures each have a role to play in the mobilisation of resources and mechanisms should be put in place to ensure that information on progress is shared immediately to avoid duplication and sending the wrong signals to development partners.
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Projects submitted as priorities for the implementation of both the RISDP and NEPAD, should also be prioritised as such in national development strategies and plans.
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The SADC and NEPAD Secretariats should work together on a checklist of issues that need to be addressed at the highest level to bring socio-economic development to the region. In this regard, Heads of State and Government should play a political brokerage role to scale up and accelerate financial and other support from the International Community to SADC.
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There is need for capacity building at both national and regional levels. This should include areas of good economic and business management, leadership and negotiating competencies and strategic thinking. Programmes should be developed and implemented to address these needs.
Synergies between NEPAD and the RISDP
The meeting noted that the RISDP acknowledges that "the African Union's NEPAD Programme is embraced as a credible and relevant continental framework and the RISDP as SADC's regional expression and vehicle for achieving the NEPAD ideals". It was also noted that the objectives, underlying principles, priority/focal areas of the RISDP and NEPAD were similar.
The priorities covered by both initiatives include peace, security, democracy, good governance, capacity building, poverty eradication, gender and development, HIV and AIDS, science and technology; information and communication technologies (ICT); agriculture and food security, environment, social and human development, infrastructure, trade and economic liberalisation.
Following deliberations, the meeting made the following recommendations:
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That the RISDP should be seen in part as a NEPAD programme for the SADC and that there is a need for the SADC and NEPAD Secretariats to work closely for the realisation of the collaborative effort.
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There is a need to move beyond synergy between the two initiatives to unity. This will require updating the RISDP to take on board issues emerging from the NEPAD process. It is imperative to integrate the gender dimension. This process should be completed by end December 2004 and the documents circulated to Member States for internal consultations in preparation for their adoption at the February 2005 Ordinary Session of Council.
Democracy, Peace and Security and Governance
The presentation covered the following:
APRM and its objective
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Emphasised that APRM is not a conditionality for development assistance; and that it is not exclusionary. All African countries can participate.
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Current socio -economic context;
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Principles of post conflict reconstruction;
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Pillars of post conflict reconstruction including security; socio economic development; governance and participation; human rights, justice and reconciliation; and coordination and management.
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Coordination
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Strategic framework (political & economic)
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Current status
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Processes
The meeting encouraged SADC Member States to accede to the APRM.
Agriculture and Food Security
The presentation was about the NEPAD Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and covered the following:
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The NEPAD strategic goals for the agricultural sector
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CAADP investment pillars (land management and water control; rural infrastructure and market access; reducing hunger through emergency/safety nets; research and technology dissemination/ adoption) and CAADP document on livestock, fisheries and forestry.
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The implementation levels and activities
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Investment and policy priority areas
Recommendations
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The SADC and NEPAD Secretariats should assess the performance and coordination of agricultural research institutions with the view to enhancing agricultural productivity in the SADC region.
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The SADC and NEPAD Secretariats should collaborate in the development of specific interventions at the regional and national levels in the implementation of the outcomes of the food reserve studies.
Environment
The presentation on the Environment Action Plan included the following;
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Priority areas;
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AU/NEPAD disaster risk reduction strategy;
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Implementation of priority projects
Recommendations
Proposed areas for immediate collaboration are:
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The SADC and NEPAD should immediately design strategies building institutional capacity to address strategic and emerging issues. One area of possible collaboration in the near future is "Environmental sciences and global change".
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SADC Environment Ministers to fast track the implementation of priority projects.
Education
The presentation on education highlighted the on-going consultations which are part of the development of an education programme; and the fact that a youth programme was being developed to complement the education programme.
Recommendation
The SADC Secretariat is to work closely with the NEPAD Secretariat to identify priority areas for inclusion in the NEPAD programme.
Health
The presentation on health focused on the following:
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The NEPAD Health Strategy
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Focus of work over the next few years in the area of advocacy;
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Pushing for investments in health and to encourage African countries to increase their health expenditure and seek a timetable from development partners to meet their commitments.
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HIV and AIDS will continue to receive special attention, not only in view of its impact on health and society but as one of, if not the key impediment to achieving NEPAD's goal of sustainable development on the continent. Already HIV and AIDS is a key element in NEPAD's Programme of Action.
Recommendations
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SADC Secretariat to identify areas of collaboration with NEPAD in the areas of the manufacturing and production of generic drugs on HIV and AIDS, and mosquito nets.
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The NEPAD Secretariat should assist in mobilising resources for the implementation of the Action Plan of the SADC HIV and AIDS Strategic Framework.
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SADC should submit projects covering areas on waterborne diseases.
Infrastructure Development
for sustainable development;
The need to increase country contributions to the global pool of science and technology.
These goals will be achieved through creating policy and legal conditions for scientific and technological development, and by establishing networks of centres of excellence in specific fields of science and technology.
Tourism
The Tourism Presentation covered the following areas:
The presentation on infrastructure covered the following:
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The Short Term Action Plan (STAP)
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Criteria for project selection
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Progress on implementation of STAP
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Progress on the preparation of the Medium to Long Term Strategic Framework (MLTSF)
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Information on project preparation facilities for infrastructure
Science and technology
The Science and Technology presentation covered the following key areas:
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The need to build the capacity of African countries to collectively harness and apply science and technology
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The objectives of Tourism under the NEPAD framework
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The process toward the development of the Tourism Action Plan
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Recommendations on collaboration with the SADC Secretariat
Recommendations
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SADC to identify and implement cross-border collaborative initiatives that promote regional integration.
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SADC and NEPAD Secretariats to organise a tourism investment seminar in the first quarter of 2005, to further promote tourism potential to contribute to economic growth and poverty eradication.
Capacity Building
The presentation included the following:
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Overall objectives and principles;
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Programme structures (Institutional capacity development; Knowledge and policy learning; data collection and exchange; innovation and partnership facilitation)
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Priority institutional development areas
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Implementation framework
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Outputs and activities (2003-2005)
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Challenges
Recommendation
There is need for capacity building at both national and regional levels. This should include areas of good economic and business management, leadership and negotiating competencies and strategic thinking. Programmes should be developed and implemented to address these needs.
Progress on the Implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
In view of the close linkages between the implementation of the RISDP, the NEPAD Initiative and the MDGs, the meeting underscored the importance of taking stock of progress achieved in the implementation of the MDGs.
The meeting agreed to recommend the following:
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Individual governments should review their national budgets to reflect NEPAD priorities so as to ensure adequate resource flows to strategic areas.
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The SADC Secretariat should coordinate and work closely with the NEPAD Secretariat in the preparation of national and regional reports on the status of implementation of the MDGs, including resource mobilisation for this exercise.
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Member States should prepare national reports on the status of implementation of MDGs at the national level and submit these by December 2004 to the SADC Secretariat for inclusion in a regional report.
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Both the national and regional reports should clearly spell out implementation progress, problems encountered, gaps and resource requirements. These should also identify strategic areas where support is required.
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Senior officials should meet in early 2005 to consider the regional report.
Section 2
SADC pledges support for NEPAD
THE Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), at its Summit meeting in Mauritius on 16-17 August 2004, reiterated its commitment to NEPAD and pledged its support to the NEPAD Secretariat.
The presentation to the SADC Council by the NEPAD Secretariat on 7-8 August was praised for providing a much clearer understanding of the NEPAD process, procedures and mechanisms.
The Summit noted that the Council had approved recommendations on the following issues:
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The NEPAD Initiative
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Value addition of NEPAD
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Roles and responsibilities of stakeholders
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Synergies between NEPAD and the RISDP
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Thematic areas including democracy, peace and security and government; agriculture and food security; health; infrastructure development; science and technology; capacity building
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Progress on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
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Efficient Information Flows
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Procedures and Modalities for the Submission and Follow-up on Projects
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Resource Mobilisation
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African Peer Review Mechanism
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Other Related Initiatives
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Integration of the NEPAD Initiative into the African Union
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Successes through the NEPAD Initiatives
The Summit further noted that Council had mandated representatives of the region on the NEPAD Steering Committee and the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) -- Angola, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa plus Mauritius (4+1 Group) -- to enhance their interaction with the region as SADC's NEPAD representatives. Summit agreed that South Africa will be the spokesperson of the 4+1 Group and should report to the regular Summit.
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