ARC/FLW/02/INF/4 |
| ARC/FLW/02/INF/4 |
TWENTY-SECOND
|
Rome, Italy, 9 June 2002 |
EXTRACTS RELEVANT TO THE NEW PARTNERSHIP |
I. SUMMARY OF MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS
Attachment I: ARC/02/RES - RESOLUTION ON "THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT" (NEPAD)
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The agenda of the 22nd Regional Conference for Africa (Cairo, 4-8 February 2002) included discussion of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The discussion increased awareness of NEPAD and led to recommendations addressed to Governments, to Donors and Financial Institutions and to FAO. This document presents extracts from the report of the Conference (Document ARC/02/REP) that concern NEPAD and reproduces as an attachment the full text of resolution ARC/02/RES on NEPAD.
(Paragraphs are given the same numbers as appear in the report of the 22nd Regional Conference for Africa- ARC/02/REP).
For the Attention of Governments
The Conference:
1. reiterated its support for NEPAD, noting the excellent opportunities afforded through this initiative, emphasizing commitments made during the 1996 World Food Summit by world leaders and their political will to assume responsibility for their national agricultural development;
2. commended the initiative and suggested that NEPAD must move urgently to fashion out programmes and activities involving grassroots communities which should be the engine that would drive and sustain the desired increase in agricultural productivity.
20. recommended the adoption of the FAO-supported Special Programme for Food Security as a NEPAD programme;
21. invited each country to establish a National Focal Group for NEPAD responsible for various aspects of the agricultural sector; and
22. recommended that NEPAD initiative be disseminated at national and sub-regional levels so that its main strategic thrust would be understood at the grassroots level.
For the Attention of Donors and Financial Institution
The Conference:
23. encouraged Donors and Financing Institutions to provide funding support for the NEPAD agricultural programmes.
For the Attention of FAO
The Conference:
24. recommended the use of the expertise available in the Regional and Sub-Regional Offices of FAO to provide technical support to the NEPAD Secretariat; and
25. recommended that FAO should provide support and advise to NEPAD with the view to maximize the use of African experts and expertise, with financial support of donor countries, in the preparation and execution of NEPAD projects and programmes.
Statement of the Chairperson
5. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the Conference was being convened to outline the path for agricultural development to meet the challenges of hunger and malnutrition and agree on feasible agricultural development strategies that fit into the prevailing socio-cultural environment in the context of available resources. He referred to recent efforts aimed at providing alternative development initiatives through the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and to the need for effective policies for water and land resources use and agricultural production along with technology and information exchange. He confirmed the important role of the forthcoming World Food Summit:five years later to mobilize political will and energize policy-makers facing the challenges of chronic food insecurity. He further encouraged more trade between African countries to support agricultural production and foster agricultural development by promoting economic stimuli to producers and consumers alike.
Statement of the Director-General of FAO
12. The Director-General mentioned that the Organization had continued its reforms with further decentralization of the field programme from the regional offices to the country level. He made specific mention of FAO’s support to the establishment of the African Common Market for Agricultural Products, to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and to the Pan-African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign (PATTEC).
FAO Support to “The New Partnership for Africa’s Development”: Quantitative Estimates of Investment Potential for Land and Water Development in Africa (ARC/02/4)
27. The Conference noted that its Technical Committee had deliberated upon the main Document ARC/02/4 on FAO support to “The New Partnership for Africa’s Development: Land and Water Resources Issues and Agricultural Development. It therefore welcomed the presentation of the complementary document on NEPAD which outlined strategic and related private investment in water management and land improvement that would be essential to achieve the goals for the intensification of agricultural production to meet the targets for poverty alleviation, food production and economic recovery by 2015. The document elaborated on the estimates of the potential for investment in small-scale irrigation (including water harvesting), upgrading and rehabilitating existing viable large-scale irrigation schemes and investment in new large-scale schemes when economically feasible and socially acceptable. Due to the wide spectrum of settings among and within the countries considered, these estimates should be viewed as indicative and would require site-specific verification.
28. Under this Agenda Item, the Conference also reviewed a contribution by the World Bank Observer entitled Increasing Agricultural Productivity, Enhancing Exports and Trade and Reducing Poverty Through Community-Driven Development (CDD). The paper assessed actions to be undertaken on the NEPAD by national governments and donors to increase agricultural productivity. It was stressed that there was a need to double the current level of funding in ten years if goals were to be met. As a contribution to the required resources, a World Bank-led Africa-wide Financial Facility for Sustainable Technology Systems was announced.
29. The Conference, in the ensuing discussions, expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by FAO to the Secretariat of NEPAD and commended the Organization for its support. It also requested FAO to assist Member Countries to derive maximum benefits from the CGIAR Centres located in the Region. The Conference took note of the request for more information on the investment requirements for land and water development under NEPAD.
30. The Conference then examined the draft Resolution submitted by delegates representing the Implementation Committee of the Heads of State and Government on NEPAD and presented by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nigeria, in his capacity as Chairman of that Committee.
31. The Conference considered all the recommendations submitted to it on this subject matter and unanimously adopted the following Resolution (ARC/02/RES).
RESOLUTION ON “THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT” (NEPAD)
The Conference:
Welcoming the decision of the OAU Summit, at the 37th Ordinary Session, held in Lusaka, Zambia, from 9 to 11 July 2001, to request FAO to provide technical assistance to the OAU Secretariat, its Member States and the Regional Economic Communities in the implementation of strategies and programmes aimed at improving food security in Africa;
Recalling the decision of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), at its 37th Ordinary Session to adopt the New African Initiative, thereafter renamed the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) at the inaugural meeting of the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee in Abuja, Nigeria, on 23 October 2001;
Recognizing the importance of agriculture for the economic development of Africa, and noting that agriculture is among the six sectoral priorities of NEPAD;
Noting the recommendation by the NEPAD Steering Committee at its meeting in January 2002 to establish appropriate institutional arrangements to facilitate dialogue, planning and strategic implementation support to NEPAD’s Agricultural strategy;
Aware of the declaration by African Heads of State and Government that economic development on the continent must centre on African ownership and management;
Recognizing the need for African Ministers to have regular formal meetings at the regional level to discuss African agriculture;
Reaffirming the NEPAD principle of building on existing frameworks and initiatives;
Taking note of the request by the NEPAD Secretariat for FAO cooperation with respect to the agricultural aspects of the initiative;
Noting that most Regional Economic Groupings in Africa, with the support of FAO, have elaborated Regional Strategies and Programmes for Agricultural Development and Food Security, most of which have subsequently been endorsed or approved at the level of Heads of State and Government, or Council of Ministers, of Member States of the respective Regional Economic Groupings;
Invites each country to establish a National Focal Group for NEPAD responsible for various aspects of agricultural sector;
Invites the NEPAD Secretariat to transmit the above resolution to the Implementation Committee of the Heads of State and Government on NEPAD for information and endorsement;
Cairo, Egypt
8 February 2002