Capacity Building Frameworks for Sustainable Development

1. Capacity Building Frameworks for Sustainable Development

2. Outline • AU-NEPAD Capacity Development Strategic Framework (AU-NEPAD CDSF) • AU-UN Ten Year Capacity Building Programme (AU-UN TYCBP) • Challenges

3. AU-NEPAD CDSF: Objectives • Developed in 2010, as a NEPAD project, to guide capacity-building activities in Africa with the objectives of: • Developing processes and systems for empowering country leadership teams with the knowledge, information and values that foster accountability at all levels, especially to the citizens. • Creating space for stakeholder participation, and influencing critical engagement by improving communication on the use of subregional and regional spaces.

4. AU-NEPAD CDSF: Objectives (ctnd) • Developing and continuously reviewing sets of criteria that enable citizens and different stakeholders to challenge leadership on accountability and build their critical consciousness; • Supporting initiatives that foster a culture of commitment and adherence to due process and policies by governments, business and civil society actors; and • Building networks and constituencies of expertise beyond Africa through a programme for engaging Africans in the Diaspora.

5. AU-NEPAD CDSF: Cornerstones Key cornerstones of the CDSF include: • Leadership transformation; • Citizen empowerment; • Knowledge economy; • Mobilization and participation of Africans; • Mobilization and utilization of African skills; • Enhancing access to and maximization of African resources; • Coordination and harmonization of capacity-builders; communication; and • Gender mainstreaming.

6. AU-NEPAD CDSF: Operationalization • Putting the CDSF into operation will involve processes and institutions at the country, subregional and regional levels. Targeted work is being undertaken in Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, with the aim of mainstreaming CDSF in national strategies.

7. AU-UN TYCBP • Signing of Declaration on enhancing AU-UN cooperation- November 2006 • Programme serves as a framework for UN system-wide engagement with the AU • Addresses a wide range of issues, based on AU needs and strategic priorities • GA Resolution (A/61/L.70) September 2007 – calls for accelerated implementation of the Declaration • Implementation currently through the RCM • ECA to Coordinate implementation

8. AU-UN TYCBP: Objective • Main objective: enhance the capacity of the AU organs (AUC, RECs, NPCA, etc) with special emphasis on the following areas: • Institution-building, human resources, development and financial management; • Peace and security • Human rights; • Political, legal and electoral matters; • Social, economic, cultural and human development • Food security and environmental protection • Special focus on “conflict prevention, mediation and good offices, peacekeeping and peacebuilding”.

9. AU-UN TYCBP: Key issues • Programme as an Evolving Framework. • UN system support to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) to be aligned with the Evolving Framework. • Ongoing and long term partnership arrangements with the AU to be designed in the context of the Evolving Framework and to be consistent with their specific mandates, competence, capabilities and area of competence.

10. AU-UN TYCBP: Key issues (ctnd) • AU-UN Cooperation to develop in a practical fashion, taking into account each organization’s specific mandate, competence, expertise and capabilities. • AU-UN Cooperation to contribute to improving collaboration among all partners in the international community supporting Africa’s development. • Periodic review of the evolving Framework at three-year intervals.

11. AU-UN TYCBP: Operationalization • In the context of RCM-Africa and its cluster system. • 1st Triennial review took place in 2011 and helped the development of a CB programme for the AUC through needs assessment exercise. • CB programme handed over to AUC in June 2012. • CB exercise underway for NPCA. • Similar exercise envisage for other AU organs

12. Challenges The importance of capacity development has moved tothe centre of Africa’s sustainable development agenda, with a view to ensuring that African governments are able to take charge of their own development strategy. But, • Capacity development or capacity building is still an ill-defined area and there is limited knowledge and understanding of progress so far.

13. Challenges • Capacity-building is a long-term process that requires a systemic and systematic approach. • It is therefore critical that African governments, together with their partners, undertake an exercise to develop capacity profiles and needs assessments at all levels, with clear and measurable progress indicators to monitor interventions that address the region’s specific capacity needs and challenges.

14. Thank You