Download
1 / 21
210 likes | 408 Views
7 th Joint Experts Annual Meetingof the AU/ECA Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. Common African Position (ACP) on the P-2015 DA. Dossina Yeo Economic Affairs Department African Union Commission. Background.
E N D
7th Joint Experts Annual Meetingof the AU/ECA Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Common African Position (ACP) on the P-2015 DA Dossina Yeo Economic Affairs Department African Union Commission
Background • July 2012, the Summit mandated the AUC , in close consultation with MS and RECs to identify Africa’s priorities for the post-2015 Development Agenda, • A Draft Common Position was prepared based the outcomes of consultations held with African stakeholders (members of executive and legislative of Government, regional entities, civil society, academia, women, youth and the private sector, etc.) • May 2013, the Summit decided to establish a HLC to finalize the CAP
Background • January 2014, adoption of the CAP by the Summit and requested HLC to meet to elevate Peace and Security as a Pillar and formulate strategy for advocacy, negotiation and forging alliances • February 2014, HLC met in Chad, added Peace and Security to the Pillars by emphasizing its inextricable link to Development and launched the CAP; • HLC also recommended to prepare negotiation strategy to ensure that Africa’s priority are fully into the on-going post-2015 sustainable development intergovernmental deliberations.
What is the CAP? OVERARCHING GOAL AND PILLARS OF CAP The overarching goal • Eradicate poverty in all its forms and rapidly reduce inequality within the framework of inclusive and sustainable development underpinned by decent jobs. Six pillars of CAP: (i)Structural economic transformation and inclusive growth (ii)Science, technology and innovation (iii)People-centered development (iv)Environmental sustainability, natural resources management, and disaster risk management (v)Peace and security (vi)Finance and partnerships.
Pillar 1: Structural economic transformation and inclusive growth
Pillar 1: Structural economic transformation and inclusive growth • Priority areas • Inclusive growth that reduces inequality; • Sustainable agriculture, food self-sufficiency and nutrition • Diversification, industrialization and value addition • Developing the Services Sector • Infrastructure development including energy, transport, etc. Rationale • Highly dependence on primary commodities • Weak inter-sectoral linkages • Limited employment effects of growth • Concentration of growth in commodities export • Wealth concentration and rising inequality • Low growth elasticity of poverty
Pillar 2: Science, technology and innovation • Priority areas • Enhanced technological capacities for structural transformation • Enabling environment • Accelerating ICT development and deployment • Increased support for research and development; • Optimal utilization of space and geospatial technologies Rationale • Key role in fostering economic transformation: competitiveness, productive assets, agriculture production, health, education services, • Africa invests 0.3% of GDP in R&D as compare to other developing regions such as India (0.7) China (0.6) • Higher education (60% students in arts and humanities and 40% in science and engineering. • Enrolment in technical subjects (engineering and mathematics) lags behind other regions.
Pillar 3: People-Centered Development • Priority areas • Eradication of poverty • Education and human capital development • Universal and equitable access to quality healthcare • Gender equality and empowerment of women • Population dynamics • Realizing Africa’s Demographic Dividend • Access to sustainable human settlements Rationale • Almost half the African population is below the extreme poverty line • Maternal mortality Africa is still high • Africa is the most severely affected globally by HIV/AIDS. • Low primary school retention rates • Quality Education and Health services. • Sanitation coverage and access to improved water sources also remain poor particularly in rural areas. • Africa’s youth bulge is not yet translated into demographic dividends
Pillar 4: Environmental sustainability, natural resources management and disaster risk management
Pillar 4: Environmental sustainability, natural resources management and disaster risk management • Priority areas • Natural disaster risk reduction and management • Safe Water Access For All • Climate change adaptation and mitigation • Biodiversity, environmental sustainability Rationale • Africa is vulnerable to climate change • Environmental sustainability helps address problems of climate change and economic and social development issues • Environmental sustainability ensures that non-renewable resources are preserved and managed in a manner that ensures intergenerational equity. • The exploitation of natural resources has not been translated into value-addition, employment creation and economic development in Africa. • Need to be appropriately managed.
Pillar 5: Peace and Security • Priority areas • Tackle economic and social inequalities and exclusion; • Strengthen good and inclusive governance; fight against all forms of discrimination; and forge unity in diversity through democratic practices and mechanisms at all levels. • Strengthen cross-border cooperation for the resolution of disputes, • Implement APSA • Promote the use of mediators and traditional conflict resolution mechanisms for conflict resolution Rationale • Without P&S there is no development. • The importance of P&S in Africa and in the world, and the inextricable links between development and peace, security and stability; • P&S underpin the achievement of development aspirations like poverty eradication, socio economic development and gender equality.
Pillar 6: Financing and Partnerships • Priority areas • Domestic resource mobilization • Innovative financing • Quality and predictability of external financing • Fight against illicit capital flight • Implementation of existing commitments • Build and Promoting mutually beneficial partnerships • Promoting a fair, predictable, non-discriminatory and rule-based multilateral trading system; • International financial architecture that promotes access to concessional development finance Rationale • Decline in ODA; • DRM is the basis for sustainable financing in Africa. It strengthens country ownership, promotes greater accountability of governments to domestic constituents. • Improve domestic resources mobilisation by ensuring financial deepening and inclusion and strengthening the tax structure, coverage and administration. • Improve Africa’s share of trade is low; 3%
Next Steps, Advocacy & Negotiations Aim: Following adoption there is need for a wide reaching effort to ensure African stakeholders own and promote the CAP, speaking effectively with ONE VOICE at all levels. Four Strategic key Elements • Deepening understanding and political acceptance of the CAP, and forging consensus among African stakeholders to influence the global Post-2015 Development Agenda; • Engaging and working collaboratively with fellow African Leaders, Diplomats, Policy-Makers and African Group to enhance their ownership and advocacy efforts building on the CAP; • Engaging and keeping African stakeholders well informed about the evolution and influencing entry points of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and sustaining the commitment of Africa to speak with one voice to influence this process based on the CAP; • Strengthening partnerships with continental, sub-regional and national entities and leveraging the collaboration with partners. Three Specific objectives: • Consensus among African stakeholders in a way that ensures proper understanding and political acceptance of the principles, elements and priorities of CAP • Regional and continental alliances with other regions and entities on the priority areas of the Common African Position • CAP priorities are incorporated into the on-going global post-2015 sustainable development agenda by September 2015
Next steps, Advocacy & Negotiations Efforts Stakeholders, Audiences and Targets Targets: • The G77: Engaging with the G77 (including Asia Pacific Group, etc.) • ACP Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, Small Island Developing States, Forum of Small States, Least Developed Countries • Western Europe and Others Group, Eastern European Group • The G20, BRICS • The UN Regional Economic Commissions (i.e. Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific; Western and Arab States). • G8, Bretton Woods Institutes (WB and IMF), WEF (Africa and DAVOS) Core stakeholders: • Members of HLC, African Leaders, African Groups (in Addis & New York), other African diplomatic, policy and political actors; • HLC Secretariat (AUC); • Collaborating partners (UNECA, AfDB, UNDP, UNFPA, OSAP2015, OSAA) and other UN agencies. • Governments of AU Member States including AUC ministerial conferences, parliamentarians and local authorities Key Audiences: The media/opinion formers; Private sector; Civil society and general public.
