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Follow-up Report o n t he Implementation Of Recommendations From COMAI V. Sixth Conference of African Ministers in Charge of Integration (COMAI V) Port Louis, Mauritius April 15-19, 2013. Presenter: Mrs. Victoria Egbetayo Division: Economic Integration and Regional Cooperation
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Follow-up Report on the Implementation Of Recommendations From COMAI V Sixth Conference of African Ministers in Charge of Integration (COMAI V) Port Louis, Mauritius April 15-19, 2013 Presenter: Mrs. Victoria Egbetayo Division: Economic Integration and Regional Cooperation Department: Economic Affairs
Outline______________ • Part 1 – Introduction • Part 2 – Status of Implementation • Member States • Regional Economic Communities • African Union Commission • Pan-African Institutions • Part 3 – Challenges • Part 4 - Recommendations ____________________________________________Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 1 – Introduction__________________________ COMAI V – Nairobi, Kenya, 5-9 September 2011 • Presentation of the 3rd Follow-Up Report • Following-up on the recommendations from COAM IV COMA VI • Presentation of the 4th Follow-up Report – implementation of recommendations from COMAI V • Recommendations to Member States, RECs, AUC and UNECA • Recommendation areas: pooling sovereignty; transpositioning and implementation of decisions; development of multi-sector programmes; and accelerating free movement of people; LDC development and graduation; implementation of the MIP; policy harmonisation and coordination; reporting on integration; and formation of a 2nd bloc of combined RECs Methodology Adopted • Implementation Matrix completed by respondents • Missions to RECs and host Member States • Reminder correspondences/telephone/email/fax • Reminder letter from Chair of COMAI V • Secondary data sources ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 1 – Introduction__________________________ • Report aims to monitor progress on the implementation status of the recommendations by the various stakeholders concerned • This year’s report also highlights best practices taking place within the regions ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 1 – Introduction… Cont___________________________________ Respondents • Five (8) Member States responded • Four (5) RECs provided official responses while the other four (3) did not • AUC • UNECA ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ Member States (Respondents Only) • Recommendation Thematic Areas: • Pooling of soveriegnty; transpositioning and implementation of decisions; social affairs; development of multi-sector programmes; and accelerating free movement of people. • Pooling sovereignty • Respondents not averse to ceding a degree of national sovereignty as they engaged in deeper forms of integration regarding it as necessary for stages such as Common Markets and Monetary Unions to fully take effect • Efforts to empower regional Communities through the implementation of free movement decisions and the exemption of other members from visa requirements • Ratification and implementation of regional and continental decisions through the relevant legal and juridical authorities- implementation remains a problem • AUC Comment: recommendations under this theme considered vital and as such some responses received provide insufficient concrete examples. ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ Member States (Respondents Only) • Transpositioning and implementation of decisions • Some underscored the implementation of most agreed decisions and legal instruments adopted at the regional and continental level. • Domestic constitutional changes in legislation under review by the relevant judicial authorities for conformity to community law • Incorporation into national development plans and strategies • Budget allocations • AUC Comment: recommendations under this theme considered vital and as such some responses received provide insufficient concrete examples. • Social affairs • Promotion of cross-border languages such as Kiswahili (East Africa) and Kalanga and Tonga (Southern Africa) through the production of official documentation and/or education curricular. ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ Member States (Respondents Only) • Development of multi-sector programmes • Some Member States reported on large cross-border water infrastructure projects underway, as well infrastructure and energy projects sets out in various regional Master Plans - improved access to energy and water resources. • Contribution to Community HIV/AIDS funds - achievements include stemming the spread of HIV/AIDS in their Community • Accelerating free movement • Accelerating free movement of production factors has been demonstrated through the adoption of the Community Common Market Protocols and implementation of the Customs Management Acts • Implementation of Border Efficiency Management Systems and One Stop Border Posts - improving the mobility of production factors within national borders and across the Communities, through measures such as tariffs elimination, visa exemptions, Community travel documents and rights of establishment decisions. ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ Regional Economic Communities (RECs) • Recommendation Thematic Areas: • Social affairs; development of multi-sector programmes; policy harmonisation and coordination; reporting on integration; and formation of a 2nd bloc of combined RECs • Five of the RECs (63%) provided official responses to the matrix. • Social affairs • Adoption of some Africa languages as official working languages by some Communities - Kiswahili (EAC), Arabic (COMEA), Beti-fang (ECCAS) and Lingala (ECCAS) - aim of strengthening the process of integration and development in some of the Communities • Establishment of a East African Kiswahili Commission underway (EAC) ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ Regional Economic Communities (RECs) • Development of multi-sector programmes • Health: Policy frameworks to address HIV/AIDS, - none cited programmes to address other cross-border pandemics such as rift valley fever (which mainly affects East Africa), Ebola, and yellow fever. • Some RECs linking HIV/AID programmes to trade facilitation and the construction of joint border posts or single cross border facilities for the treatment of the illness • Water: Policy frameworks and initiatives for regional electricity interconnection projects and water resource management programmes - integrated water resource frameworks, regional water policies, reforming water governance, increasing investment in the water sector, mapping excised of water resources and enhancing the use of information and technology for improved management of water resources ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ Regional Economic Communities (RECs) • Development of multi-sector programmes • Energy: common energy polices and energy programmes in place - promotion of regional power interconnection projects through regional Master Plans - boost energy supply services and strengthen energy regulation and promotion structures • Promotion of renewable energy – use and expansion of renewable energy • Environment: few reported having environment frameworks in place - main focus, biodiversity and land degradation, habitat conservation and forest coverage ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ Regional Economic Communities (RECs) • Policy harmonisation and coordination • Installation of REC liaison officers at the AU and AU liaison officers at the RECs - strengthen coordination and collaboration with the AUC across all sectors • Improving productive capacity and competitiveness - e regional policy frameworks and programmes to harmonise sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures particularly in agricultural sector and textile industries • In the area of coordinating improvements creating customs single windows (One-Stop-Border-Posts) - facilitate cross-border and inter-state and inter-regional trade flows and improve coordination in trade facilitation and cross-border trade • Use of regional forums and dialogue with traders and business operator, use of NTB reporting systems and associated national committees so as to provide a rapid response to reported NTBs ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ Regional Economic Communities (RECs) • Policy harmonisation and coordination • Some RECs exploring the use of legally binding enforcement measures to eliminate identified NTB • Installation of computerized customs networks across Member States - modernize, digitize and accelerate customs clearance procedures and coordinate collation and exchange of customs information • National monitoring committees to coordinate the implementation of legal texts on free movement and migration some RECs • Harmonisation of competition and procurement - development of regional competition polices and procurement frameworks ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ Regional Economic Communities (RECs) • Formation of a 2nd bloc of combined RECs • Progress made in preparatory work towards EAC-COMESA-SDAC Tripartite negotiations as well as progress in priority sector pillars, namely the Trade and Customs; Infrastructure; and Industrial development • Decision to form a 2nd bloc of combined RECs positively welcomed and considered a vital step in the right direction - consultations underway with concerned RECs and Member States • 2nd bloc - complement and respond to the work of the EAC-COMESA-SADC Tripartite in its efforts to achieve the African Economic Community, by bring a degree of manageability to the process through a more simplified arrangement. ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ African Union Commission (AUC) • Recommendation Thematic Areas: • Social affairs; development of multi-sector programmes; coordination and harmonisation; LDC development and graduation; reporting on integration; partnership development implementation of the MIP • Social affairs • Promotion of the Charter on African Cultural Renaissance and of African Languages • Promotion of 42 identified cross border vernacular by the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN) • Over the past year, ten (10) out of the first twelve (12) Vehicular Cross-Border Language Commissions have been established ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ African Union Commission (AUC) • Development of multi-sector programmes • Health: Over the past year, the Department of Social has been involved in the drafting of an African common position on HIV/AIDS - adopted in 2011. • The Department was also involved in the 4th Inter-Agency Meeting on Coordination and Harmonisation of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria Strategies - 12-14 March 2012. • The work of the Department on other cross-border pandemics not mentioned in their reporting ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ African Union Commission (AUC) • Coordination and harmonisation • Sector and policy harmonisation mechanisms used in varieties sector - land management, education and AU wide coordination with the RECs • Education - Pan African University Project launched in December 2011 • Land policy and land management - promotion of AU guidelines on land policy (2009), training of trainers, facilitated development of the ECOWAS study on the harmonization of land policy in the West African region • 10th and 11th AU-RECs-ECA-AfDB Coordination Committee - reaffirmation that holding of the Committee should be a pre-Summit event • AUC and RECs leadership - Retreat held in Durban South Africa (March 2013) on strategic issues • Formation of 2nd bloc - consultation process led by the Commission ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ African Union Commission (AUC) • LDC development and graduation • Activity not undertaken in direct response to the recommendation, however, the activities have contributed to implementing the ethos of the recommendation: • Report onProposal for Improved and Enhanced Trade Preferences System for LDCs and LICs (AU DTI, UNECA and partners) - promote the development of manufacturing sector of LDCs and accelerate their regional integration through enhanced preferences • Reporting on integration • Decision of 18th AU Assembly to devote one of its Ordinary Sessions to development and integration issues - consultations on modalities underway (AU EAD) • Changes to reporting format of the status of integration (SIA) in Africa - now structured around sectors and show cases good practice examples (platform for knowledge exchange, experience sharing, mutual accountability) ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ African Union Commission (AUC) • Partnership development • Development of a partnership strategic framework based on a 2010 assessment of Africa’s partnership arrangements. • Reassessment exercise looking at capacity issues of the AUC to effectively engage and manage the various partnerships within its portfolio. • A study planned on the costs and strategic benefits and gains to the continent from its various partnership arrangements. ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ African Union Commission (AUC) • Implementation of the Minimum Integration Programme (MIP) • In furtherance of 2009 EAD MIP study, EAD developed an implementation Action Plan for the MIP for the First Phase - adopted by the 18th AU Summit • The AUC mandated to estimate the necessary funding requirements (costing) for the implementation of each activity and projects contained in the Action Plan - estimated cost . US$ 110,950 million • Work is currently underway to develop a resource mobilization strategy and sustainable financing mechanisms for its full implementation. • Financing secured to undertake feasibility study on the creation of a integration fund, including a resource mobilization strategy ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 2 – Status of Implementation ________________________________ Pan-african Institutions • Recommendation Thematic Areas: • LDC development and graduation • LDC development and graduation • Study on Improved and Enhanced Trade Preferences System for LDCs and LICs (DTI, UNECA and partners) • Former Economic Development and NEPAD Division of UNECA - organised a regional network for development planners in Africa with the objective of strengthening capacities to design and implement inclusive and sustainable growth strategies ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 3 – Implementation Challenges_________________________________ • Inadequate human and financial resources at all levels (for implementation, research and analysis, monitoring and evaluation of impact), • Poor coordination and information exchange at the various institutional levels (decelerating the pace of transpositioning and domestication at the national level) • Weak evidence based and unsubstantiated reporting by Member States on the status of implementation of recommendations • Political reticence on some issues - free movement of people, alternative sources of financing • Over emphasis on national priorities rather than regional considerations • Persistent cross border trade challenges such as NTBs and low level of infrastructure and energy development to over comes supply side constraints. ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 3 –Implementation Challenges_____________________________ • Security concerns and misconceptions by national governments and citizens alike hindering spread application of free movement decisions • Lack of sufficient citizen involvement in the policy formulation ad decision making processes and detailed design, appraisals and evaluation stages of a programme or project. • Lack of sufficient trade related information for buyers and producers to ascertain trading opportunities in a given region and Community and the limited capacity of SMEs to take hold of regional and international value chains and supply linkages • Weak and unharmonised monitoring and evaluation systems and procedures to monitor and evaluate regional integration at regional and continental level • Insufficient accountability by Member States on the weak pace of implementation of regional decisions, programmes and projects ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 4 – Recommendations_________________________ Recommendations • How have they been formulated? • Formulated to directly respond to, mitigate and overcome challenges cited in the previous chapters - see full report for detailed challenges cited ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 4 – Recommendations_________________________ Member States • Member States should provide examples of transpostioning of regional and continental decisions that have taken place over the past five (5) years • Member States should swiftly adopt an option or options for alternative financing for Africa痴 development, integration and self-sufficiency • Member States should ensure that in public procurement legislation 10% of government procurement is set aside for local suppliers unless • Member States within a Community that has a Regional Procurement framework in place should fully domesticate its provisions, • Member States should vigorously drive their industrial development by having in place a modern industrial development strategy which takes into cognizance regional and continental industrial policies and the modern economic and trading environment • Member States should improve coordination at the nation level through the creation of national strictures that can ensure regional and continental integration commitments are transposed and effectively implemented ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 3 – Recommendations_________________________ Regional Economic Communities (RECs) • RECs should begin to conduct periodic impact assessments to measure the socio-economic and where necessary environmental impact of their regional integration programmes with their Communities and the lives on Community citizens • RECs that have not done so should promote a regional procurement schemes this could be done through the development of a regional procurement regulation, manual and online platform • RECs are encouraged to establish and adequately resource, where they do not exist or ineffectively exist, a Unit/Department dealing with private sector and investment issues • RECs are encouraged to establish Regional Centres of Excellence on entrepreneurship, SME痴 and business development, and develop, where they do not exist, effective regional Business Councils for attracting private sector development and investment ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 4 – Recommendations_________________________ ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V Regional Economic Communities (RECs) • RECs that have not done so should develop a regional strategy on fostering a green economy • RECs that have not done so should develop a tourism master plan to market their region as a single tourism destination and common investment area so as to reap the benefits of economies of scale • RECs, that are not yet doing so, should promote regular public diologue for enhanced citizen participation in Africa’s regional integration agenda (decisions and policy frameworks) - recruitment of social development/community engagement specialists, setting up sector specific thematic civil society associations and forums for policy consultations as well as use of social media and where possible use of local language content
Part 4 – Recommendations_________________________ African Union Commission (AUC) • The AUC should simplify its ratification procedure so that not all legal texts undergo a lengthy ratification process • Ensure systematic and regular engagement of the RECs on key strategic and promote the development of common positions • To ensure effective civil society engagement the AU Department of CIDO and ECOSOC should improve its engagement with other AUC Departments to ensure effective civil society engagement in policy processes. • AUC should put in place formal monitoring framework and procedures for regular M+E of its partnership arrangements, with each partnership having clear benchmarks, targets and indicators of success • AUC should develop an integration observatory in furtherance of COMAI V recommendation and Summit decision to develop an M+E framework and score card system - scientific and systematic approach to M+E data capture and reporting ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
Part 3 – Recommendations_________________________ Pan-African Institutions • The UNECA should develop a comprehensive work programme with the AUC to support LDCs development and graduation as well as mechanisms to support the implementation and monitoring of the Istanbul Programme of Action for the LDCs for the Decade 2011-2020 (IPoA) • UNECA should work closely with the AUC on mainstreaming integration into national development plans ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V
The End._________ Thank You!! Merci/obrigado/شكرا www.au.int ____________________________________________ Follow-Up Report on the Implementation of Recommendations from COMAI V