Second Meeting

Theme: "Participation and Partnership in Africa's Development"

26-27 May 2003
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

AIDE-MEMOIRE

I. Context

1. Over the past two decades, African countries as a whole have made substantial progress in human development. During this period, per capita income in many countries grew; life expectancy has increased; infant mortality rates have been reduced and adult literacy rates have increased. Also, international standards of basic human rights have spread drastically in many countries with formal commitments taken to open up political choices and freedom to citizens. However, behind this impressive record of overall progress in many aspects, lies the challenge of human and income poverty. The challenges of human centered development remain very large with human and income poverty still high and personal security continues to be threatened by crimes and armed conflicts. In the poorest countries of Africa, people are even poorer today than 30 years ago and are facing challenges related to HIV/AIDS, food security, unsustainable environmental conditions and increasing poverty, as these remain some of the most critical and visible factors.

2. It is against this background that UN member States and African Heads of States in their efforts to enhance the prospects for sustainable human development through the United Nations Millennium Development Declaration and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) unanimously recognized the importance of participation and partnership as pillars for addressing development challenges. In September 2000, the Heads of State and Government at the United Nations General Assembly adopted an agenda emphasizing collective responsibility as the basis for achieving eight specific goals for human centered development and reducing poverty and its causes and manifestations by the year 2015. The goals include: halving extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equity and empowerment of women, combatting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other endemic diseases and ensuring through commitment to good governance a sustainable environment in which people can develop their own potential and lead productive and creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. NEPAD is also designed to meet the development challenges with a long-term vision of eradicating poverty. This initiative designed to accelerate Africa's development has promised to deliver sustained improvements in the lives of African people by emphasizing good governance, and human rights as necessary preconditions as well as pursuing people centered development policies.

II. Scope and Objectives

3. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and NEPAD provide opportunities to enhance participation and partnership and should encourage activities to maintain constructive dialogue aimed at actions to nurture functional and mutually beneficial relationships between state and citizens (private sector and civil society organizations) in addressing development and governance related concerns. This second meeting will pay special attention to actions required to strengthen governments' responses on issues related to: human rights and development, the promotion of ethical values and accountability in the public services, the importance of an effective multi-sectoral, multi-dimensional responses to HIV/AIDS, and the special development requirements of countries emerging from conflicts. Efforts to bolster government's ability to address these issues will have to rely heavily on a participatory and governance process with partnership as an important pillar for harnessing capacity.

4. In this respect, the second meeting of the Committee on Human Development and Civil Society has the following objectives:

• Review best practices in promoting people's rights to participate in development and governance process, and define measures to enhance people's rights to participate in development and governance.

• Examine current practices in promoting participation and partnership in the promotion of ethical values and accountability in the public services and the special development requirements of countries emerging from conflicts the above areas of concern and make recommendations on how to harness private sector and CSOs capacities to complement government's efforts towards addressing them.

• Review and examine the engagement of civil society, especially people living with HIV/AIDS, religious leaders and the private sector in the fight against HIV/AIDS; addressing HIV/AIDS agriculture and food security and HIV/AIDS uniformed services, security and stability.

III. Theme of the meeting

5. Efforts to bolster the ability to address issues related to: human rights and development and the promotion of ethical values and accountability in the public services, the special development requirements of countries emerging from conflicts and the HIV/AIDS situation in Africa will have to rely heavily on a participatory development and governance process with partnership as an important pillar for bolstering capacity. In these respects, the issues will be presented and discussed under the theme "Participation and partnership in Africa's development". This main theme will be examined and discussed under the following:

• Promoting peoples' rights to participate in development.

• Participation and partnership in development: Practices in selected areas.

• HIV/AIDS, policies and partnerships.

IV. Format of the meeting

6. The meeting structure will include:

• Plenary: Plenary sessions will be used either through keynote speakers or panel discussions to introduce the issues, provoke general discussion or for the adoption of final recommendations.

• Concurrent breakout sessions: Breakout sessions will be organized to fully discuss specific issues and make recommendations for the review and adoption at plenary.

V. Documentation

7. Working documents to serve as the theoretical context for discussion and recommendations have been prepared and will be made available to participants prior to the meeting. The summary of issues, provisional agenda and programme of work introducing the meeting have been prepared and included in the package of information accompanying the letter of invitation.

VI. Participants

8. Considering the need to foster participatory development and partnership among the major stakeholders, participants will encompass technical/professional experts in government ministries and departments, private sector and civil society groups. Participants will be drawn from among the following:

• Quasi-government human rights institutions

• Parliamentarians

• Revenue collection institutions (Tax, Customs, etc.)

• Ministry of Internal affairs

• Teachers Association

• Public Service Commissions

• Security Institutions (Police, Military, etc.)

• Office of the Ombudsman

• Ministries supervising the activities of CSOs and private sector

• Anti-Corruption Institutions

• Examination Regulating Bodies

• Local Administration

• Auditor General

• Chambers of Commerce

• Umbrella business organizations

• Umbrella CSO groups

• Human rights based CSOs

• HIV/AIDS based CSOs

• Gender and development-based CSOs

• Media groups

• Youth Groups

VII. Date and Venue

9. The second meeting of the Committee on Human Development and Civil Society/UNAIDS Regional Conference will be held at the UN Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 26 to 27 May 2003.

CONTACTS

1. Ms. Jennifer Kargbo
Economic Commission for Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Telephone: (251-1) 445243
Fax: (251-1) 514416/511953
Email: kargbo.uneca@un.org, jkargbo@uneca.org

2. Mr. Mamadi Kourouma
Economic Commission for Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Telephone: (251-1) 443676
Fax: (251-1) 514416/511953
Email: kourouma.uneca@un.org

3. Mr. Kaleb Demeksa
Economic Commission for Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Telephone: (251-1) 443385
Fax: (251-1) 514416/511953
Email: Demeksa.uneca@un.org

4. Mr. Assefa Gebre
Economic Commission for Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Telephone: (251-1) 443247
Fax: (251-1) 514416/511953
Email: gebre.uneca@un.org

5. Dr. Meskerem Grunitzky-Bekele
Associate Director
Division for Africa
UNAIDS
Geneva, Switzerland
Telephone: (41) 22 7179 1492
Fax: (41) 22 791 4492
Email: grunitzkybekelem@unaids.org

6. Dr. Godfrey Sikipa
Deputy Associate Director
Division for Africa
UNAIDS
Geneva, Switzerland
Telephone: (41) 22 7179 14432
Fax: (41) 22 791 4492
Email: sikipag@unaids.org

7. Ms. Kate Nightingale
Technical Officer
UNAIDS
Geneva, Switzerland
Telephone: (41) 22 791 37 23
Fax: (41) 22 791 4492
Email: nightingalek@unaids.org