Governance Cluster of the RCM: Annual Progress Report, 2010

1. Governance Cluster of the RCM: Annual Progress Report, 2010 Co-chaired by The African Union Commission (AUC) & United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE • INTRODUCTION • PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENTS • OUTCOMES AND RESULTS • MAINSTREAMING CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES (gender, youth etc) • CONSTRAINTS AND CHALLENGES • WAY FORWARD

3. INTRODUCTION • Governance is one of the 9 clusters established to coordinate UN agencies support to the AUC and NPCA; • The cluster is convened and coordinated by UNDP; • It is co-chaired by AUC and UNDP; • The cluster is sub-dived into FIVE (5) Sub-Clusters namely: • Economic and Corporate governance chaired by UNECA; • Human Rights chaired by OHCHR • Elections chaired by UNOAU • Public Service and Administration chaired jointly by UNECA and UNDP • Democracy and Governance chaired by UNDP • This report outlines the cluster’s support to governance priorities, programmes and projects of the AUC, its NEPAD programme and the Regional Economic Communities as part of their mandate for achieving continental and regional integration and development in Africa.

4. PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENTS • During 2010, the Governance Cluster’s support to governance priorities, programmes and projects of AUC and its NEPAD Programme was premised on AUC Strategic Plan (2009-2012) which has four pillars: • Pillar 1: Peace and Security • Pillar 2: Development, Integration and Cooperation • Pillar 3: Shared Values • Pillar 4: Institution and Capacity Building • Governance cluster support to AUC is relevant to Pillar 3 on shared values

5. PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENTS (Cont.) • In line with its Business Plan (2010-2014), NPCA is also designing a governance programme; • This programme has the following elements, among others: • A composite APRM-Post Review programme in support of implementation of National Programmes of Action (NPoAs) • Popularisation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance within RECs and member states • Post-conflict capacity building Initiatives • Support to the implementation of the programme of the African Ministers of Public Service and Administration. • During the reporting period, progress and achievements of the cluster’s interventions were registered in the following areas: • Support to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) • Support to the African Governance Architecture (AGA)

6. SUPPORT TO THE APRM • Key Governance cluster members that have provided various types of support to the APRM process are UNDP, ECA and AfDB; • These three cluster members were designated as strategic partners by the APR Panel of Eminent Persons in 2004, a year after the APRM was established; • Their division of labour is as follows: UNDP (political governance); ECA (economic governance & socio-economic development) and AfDB (corporate governance; • 30 AU member states have acceded to the APRM • 13 have undergone the review process.

7. SUPPORT TO THE APRM (Cont.) • MANAGING THE APRM TRUST FUND • About USD14 million • About USD2.7 million by UNDP • TECHNICAL AND ADVISORY SERVICES • Support to the APR Panel • Support to the APRM Secretariat • SUPPORT TO THE APR PROCESS ITSELF • Support to country self-assessment and review missions in Mauritius (July 2010) • Support to effective implementation of the National Programme of Action; workshop on harmonising the NPoAs and other national plans, held in Kampala, Uganda, 29-30 September 2010.

8. SUPPORT TO THE APRM (Cont.) • SUPPORT TO REVIEW AND REVISION OF APRM INSTRUMENTS AND MEETHODOLOGY • Review and revision of the APRM Assessment Questionnaire on Democracy and Political Governance • Review and Revision of the APRM Assessment Questionnaire on Economic Governance and Management • Review and Revision of the APRM Assessment Questionnaire on Corporate Governance • Review and Revision of the APRM Assessment Questionnaire on Socio-Economic Development • Development of an National Programme of Action (NPoA) monitoring and reporting framework

9. OUTCOME & RESULTS-APRM

10. SUPPORT TO AGA • The cluster provided support to the evolving AU governance agenda • Specific focus of the technical, advisory and financial support towards • Developing the framework for AGA • Developing the rules of procedure for the African Governance Platform • Developing the Human Rights Strategy for Africa • Developing the Public Service Charter • Assisting the Democracy and Electoral Assistance Division • Promoting the ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and the AU Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention)

11. SUPPORT TO AGA (Cont.) • All the above support towards the development of AGA, Human Rights Strategy, Public Service Charter and ratification of the Charter became part of the AU’s preparations for the forthcoming Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in 2011. • The theme of this AU Summit of Heads of State and Government is “Shared Value in Africa: Putting in place a Pan-African Architecture on Governance” • It is planned to take place on 30-31 January 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia • It will be preceded by the meeting of the Permanent Representatives Committee of Ambassadors on 24-25 January 2011 and the 18th Session of the Executive Council on 27-28 January 2011; • Cluster members supported the development of the AU Discussion Paper on Shared Values.

12. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS-AGA

13. MAINSTREAMING CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES • UNDP & ECA are partnering in the production of the third edition of the African Governance Report (AGRIII); • Both institutions are also jointly organising the Eighth African Governance Forum (AGFVIII) to be held in 2011; • This initiative is being organised in close partnership with AUC and in collaboration with cluster members; • Gender issues are deliberately mainstreamed in both AGRIII and AGFVIII; • For instance, a gender symposium will be held as part of pre-event activities ahead of AGFVIII; • In order to mainstream youth issues, a youth roundtable is planned to form part of the proceedings of AGFVIII.

14. CONSTRAINTS AND CHALENGES • Despite the progress, outcomes and results of cluster members’ support to AUC and NPCA above, challenges constrained greater impact; • These included the following: • Weak institutional partnership with the Regional Economic Communities (RECs); • Lack of a Business Plan; • Unclear TORs for the cluster; • Ineffective and haphazard implementation of the Ten-Year Capacity Building Programme of AU; • Competition between cluster-specific interventions and institutional mandates of each UN agency

15. WAY FORWARD • The review of the Ten-Year Capacity Building Programe of the AU present a golden opportunity for the cluster’support to the AUC; • Revamped TYCBP is bound to define the form and content of the cluster’s support to the AUC, NPCA and RECs; • Besides the revamped TYCBP, the cluster’s future interventions will still draw from the strategic plans of AUC, NPCA and RECs as well as their identified needs and priorities; • Top priority for the cluster is the development of the Business Plan (2011-2013) and refinement of its TORs; • From the Business will emerge an actionable and results-based Annual Work Plan for 2011.