Follow-up to World Conferences and other Global Meetings

a) Rio + 10 (2002): Africa’s preparatory process for the World Summit on Sustainable Development

1. Organizational Arrangements

The First Multi-Stakeholders’ meeting was co-sponsored by the UN Economic Commission for Africa and UNEP. The meeting was held at the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 17 – 19 January 2000.  Participants were drawn from key regional and sub-regional inter-governmental bodies. The following organizations attended the meeting the OAU, ADB, Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).  Representatives of the Network for Sustainable Development in Africa and the African Centre for Technology Studies were also represented. 

The Forum set up an Expanded Joint Secretariat (EJS), which was entrusted with the responsibility of organizing the preparatory process.  The core members of the EJS are ECA, UNEP, OAU and ADB.  The other members are AMU, ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD, and SADC.  The UNDP Capacity 21 (for Africa), which is conducting national assessments of Agenda 21 in 25 African countries was co-opted as a member of the Secretariat.  The UN/DESA will be regularly invited to take part in the meetings and activities of the Secretariat. It is envisaged that the African Common Position on the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development will be reviewed, cleared and adopted by the African Ministerial Conference on Economic Development Planning and Finance before it is submitted to the Heads of State and Government Summit of the Organization of African Unity.  The Expanded Joint Secretariat held its First Meeting at the Headquarters of the African Development Bank, Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire in June 2000 and prepared a tentative work plan to be implemented as soon as resources will become available.

2. Workplan and Schedule of Activities

1. A Working Session of the core members of the Expanded Joint Secretariat (ECA, UNEP, OAU, ADB, UNDP/Capacity 21 – Africa) was held at UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi from 12-13 February 2001. The meeting considered the following:

1. Take stock of resources, financial and technical, already available to support the implementation of the work plan developed by the Expanded Joint Secretariat June 2000.

2. Amend and modify the above-mentioned work plan in the light of recent development and taking into account the decisions of the 55^th UN General Assembly relating to the venue of the Summit and the schedule of the Global PrepComs.  The tentative work plan of the UN/DESA was taken into account;

3. Prepare more detailed cost estimated for each of the sub-regional and regional preparatory meetings;

4. Agree on modalities for the preparation of the documentation for the preparatory meetings as well as the specific outputs envisaged;

5. Agree on the contents of the notification to be sent to all African countries and inter-governmental bodies transmitting the latest schedule of the preparatory work in the region.

2. The Second Meeting of the Expanded Joint Secretariat was held from 12-13 March 2001.  The UNDP/Capacity  - 21/Africa, has offered to host this meeting in their Offices in Dakar.  In addition to providing the necessary conference services and facilities, the UNDP/Capacity 21 has covered the costs of a few members of the Joint Secretariat. UNDP/Capacity 21, which has secured funds and will carry out national assessments (of the implementation of Agenda 21) in 25 African countries, is exploring the possibility of contributing resources in support of the catalytic activities of the Expanded Joint Secretariat. The Second Meeting of the Expanded Joint Secretariat devoted its time to the following:

1. Take stock of resources, financial and technical, already available to support the work plan agreed to by the First Meeting of the Joint Secretariat (Abidjan, African Development Bank, June 2000).

2. Amend and modify the work plan in the light of recent developments, notably the decisions of the Fifty-fifth Session of the UN General Assembly; relating to the venue of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development as well as the schedule of the Global Preparatory meetings.  In addition, the meeting will take into account the recent communication from UN/DESA regarding subregional and regional PrepComs;

3. Prepare more detailed cost estimates for each of the sub-regional and regional preparatory meetings

4. Agree on the documentation required for these meetings as well as the specific outputs envisaged;

5. Agree on the contents of the communications to be sent out to all African countries, sub-regional and regional intergovernmental bodies.

3. Current Workplan and Time table (to be reviewed by the Expanded Joint Secretariat)

• 12-13 March 2001 – Second meeting of the Expanded Joint Secretariat;

• March 2001  -  finalization of arrangement, including provisional agenda, for the sub-regional preparatory meetings

• March 2001 – dispatch of guidelines for the review process;

• May to July 2001 -  conduct of sub-regional preparatory meetings;

• 28-31 August 2001  -  convening of the 1^st regional preparatory meetings;

• September - December 2001 - finalization of relevant reports as well as the drafting of the regional common position and perspectives on the issues before the 2002 Earth Summit.

b) Habitat II (2001)

The Economic Commission for Africa in collaboration with the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements conducted a review of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda in Africa, and organized the regional African ministerial conference on the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, from 6 to 8 November 2000, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The objective of the conference was to review the progress made by African countries in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and to adopt a regional position for the Special session of the UNGA for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. The conference was attended by 216 participants, representing 33 African countries and Habitat Agenda partners, including parliamentarians, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, regional institutions and United Nations agencies, who reviewed progress and identified concrete initiatives for strengthening action to implement the commitments of the Habitat Agenda and achieve its goals in Africa. Governments and Habitat Agenda partners described their experience in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. Dialogues were organized around the two global campaigns for secure tenure and urban governance and the proposed World Charter of Local Self-Government, as well as on the Managing Water for African Cities programme. The conference adopted the Addis Ababa Declaration on Human Settlements in the new millennium. The conference concluded by also adopting a regional position on progress, challenges and future initiatives, structured around six themes of the Habitat Agenda: shelter, social development and eradication of poverty, environmental management, economic development, governance and international cooperation.

 
c) Cooperation with the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)

As outposts of the United Nations, the Regional Commissions cooperate actively with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). The ECA’s cooperation with UNDESA is made through the Division on Sustainable Development. Regular consultative meetings are organized within the preparatory process for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. The meetings discussed the regional institutional framework for the preparations; work plans; communications and awareness raising at all levels; components of the review process; identification of priority concerns; respective roles of various institutions; and sub-regional and regional meetings.