The Maputo Plan of Action: How Civil Society has been brought into the process

1. The Maputo Plan of Action:How Civil Society has been brought into the process By Tewodros Melesse Regional Director, Africa From choice, a world of possibilities

2. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MAPUTO PLAN OF ACTION • The Maputo Plan of Action for the operationalisation of the SRHR continental policy framework seeks to take the continent towards the goal of universal access to comprehensive SRH services in Africa by 2015. • The ultimate goal of the Maputo Plan of Action is for African governments, civil society, the private sector and all development partners to join forces and redouble efforts • The plan is premised on SRH in its fullest context as defined in ICPD PoA 1994 taking into account the life cycle approach.

3. THE MAPUTO PROCESS The Maputo process comprised the following events: • Fostering closer working relationships with partners - AU, UNFPA Africa Division, WHO, OATUU, governments. • Hiring a Liaison Officer at the AU. • Conducting SRH Situational Analysis in each sub-region (Eastern, Southern, Western, Central and Northern Africa). Reviewed by ARO and partners – AU & UNFPA).

4. THE MAPUTO PROCESS (Contd.) • Sub-regional meetings in Yaoundé, Bamako, Windhœk, Abuja, Tunis, Nairobi attended by policymakers, government officials, civil society, private sector and key stakeholders. Other meetings held with donors – ACP/EU ambassadors in Brussels in March 2006.

5. THE MAPUTO PROCESS (Contd.) • ARO provided TA in developing the Continental SRH Framework. • AU Ministers of Health adopted the Framework in Gaborone in 2005. • In January 2006 AU Heads of State adopted the Framework in Khartoum. • ARO worked with AU to develop the SRH Plan of Action which was adopted by AU Ministers of Health in Maputo in 2006.

6. STRATEGIES THAT LED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN • Decentralised approach to planning - Sub regional clusters (sub regional meetings) made the process more manageable • Multidisciplinary representation consisting of Ministers of Health, Population, Development, Finance and social affairs, the private sector as well as youth and women NGOs, HIV and AIDS structures etc. • Physical presence at the AU. • Advocacy at the policy levels • Working in partnerships through MoUs

7. ROLE OF IPPFARO IN THE MAPUTO PROCESS ARO was the driving force of the process • The Plan of Action reflects IPPF’s strategic objectives • The implementation of the Plan of Action would critically improve the SRHR status in Africa.

8. ROLE OF STAKEHOLDERS IN THE MAPUTO PROCESS • Northern NGOs: mainly in the provision of technical assistance, financial assistance and advocacy at the donors level so that Maputo is a development cooperation agenda such as ACP-EU, EU-AU etc • Southern NGOs : Advocacy, technical input, partnership building and coordination

9. CHALLENGES FOR IPPF AFRICA REGION IN THE MAPUTO PROCESS • Civil society coordination • Resource limitations – human and financial • Supporting an organization like the AU • Diversity and complexity of the region

10. ROLE OF STAKEHOLDERS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN OF ACTION • AU – Advocacy, resource mobilisation, M&E, dissemination of best practices, harmonisation of policies and strategies • REC- Technical support to governments, training, advocacy, harmonise implementation of national action plans • Member states – adapt and implement the action plan, budgetary provisions M&E • Partners – Align financial and technical assistance and cooperation plans with national needs and priorities for the implementation of the Plan of Action

11. OPPORTUNITIES FOR SRHR COMMUNITYIN THE PLAN OF ACTION Enabling factors • Critical importance of SRHR recognized; Africans taking leadership. • Cohesive & Integrated approach to SRHR and MDGs. • New leadership at AU Commission. • Emerging partnerships with various stakeholders.

12. OPPORTUNITIES FOR SRHR COMMUNITY (Contd.) Challenges • International decisions not implemented • Institutional, financial & human resource limitations • Difficulties of coordination and setting up mechanisms • Implementation and Monitoring

13. CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING THE MAPUTO PLAN OF ACTION • Operationalising the Plan of Action • Resources required : cost of implementation estimated at US$17 billion to 2010 • Multiplicity of institutions • Hostile environment to SRHR • Harmonise SRHR policies and decisions

14. WHAT CAN THE NORTH AND SOUTH DO TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN? • Northern NGOs should aim to strengthen capacity of southern NGOs in advocacy • The North and South should be able to create programmatic synergies • The North and the South should have joint advocacy initiatives which target African institutions • Joint forums between the North and the South should be held at all levels including country level.

15. WHAT CAN THE NORTH AND SOUTH DO TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN? (Cont’d) • Mulitsectoral and integrated approach - going beyond the MoH and including MoFA, Min of Gender etc • The South should be able to monitor their own inputs and contributions • Southern NGOs should play a catalytic role and function in terms of coordination, coalition building, advocacy and technical assistance

16. IN CONCLUSION……. MAPUTO IS A PROCESS DRIVEN BY AFRICA FOR AFRICA. AGREED AGENDAS AND OUTPUTS BETWEEN THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH ARE CRITICAL TO ITS SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION