UN-Energy Africa (UNEA) Programme of Work

2004-2006

Activity Statement Scope Actors Objectives Activities Time Frame Follow-Up
1. Disseminate UN system work in energy at sub-regional and country level Regional, sub-regional and country Lead: Secretariat; All agencies To increase the visibility of UN work in Energy in Africa for non specialized public Increase inputs of the UN system into large distribution magazines and Bulletins in Africa (e.g. "Africa Recovery") 2004-2006 Inputs to be coordinated by ECA when UNEA advances implementation of its work programme
2. Publish "UNEA: African Energy for poverty reduction and Sustainable Development Report for CSD" Regional, sub regional and country All (Lead: ECA, UNEP) To review progress in implementing the WSSD/JPOI outcomes towards sustainable development and poverty reduction in Africa
  • Expert group meeting
  • Installation of an inter-agency scientific committee;
  • Select a editorial board;
  • Thematic lead agencies to prepare and submit chapter's outlines.
  • Thematic Lead agencies to coordinate inputs to chapters.
  • Conduct peer review process of each chapter and review the first draft of the report.
  • Drafting of editorial/preface note.
  • Expert group meeting to adopt final draft of the report.
  • Publish report in French and English.
 Oct. 2005 ECA to continue consultation to finalize budget and responsibly of agencies
3. Develop a UNEA web site linked with the ECA UN cluster web site providing internet forum window Regional All, (Lead ECA)
  • To facilitate communication among UN-agencies and pertinent non-UN organizations on energies issues.
  • To serve as clearing house for policy and information exchange on energy.
  • To promote and facilitate joint programming and joint implementation of energy projects among UNEA members in Africa.
  • To maintain a bulletin board for UNEA members to inform other members on planned and ongoing activities in energy.
  • To develop facilitate linkages to other regional and international energy initiatives in energy.
  • Draft TOR of web site
  • Design and implement Web-site
  • Coordinate, post and maintain information
  • Moderate forum of discussion
 Sept. 2004 TOR was sent to ECA communication officer for follow-up

(cost to be covered by ECA)
Activity Statement Scope Actors Objectives Activities Time Frame Follow-Up
4. Unleashing Energy Access in Africa: Fostering Best Practices for Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction in Rural Africa Regional, countries Lead: ECA, UNIDO, UNEP, ADB, NEPAD To promote the mainstreaming of best practices in rural energy development in Africa, and assess the feasibility of an African Rural Energy Development Facility for improved energy access, and poverty reduction. Phase one: Conduct a study to review current and past experiences of initiatives to improve rural energy access, including public, private, non-governmental and development agencies efforts, so as to design an innovative model for rural energy development in Africa, based on the best practices identified;

Phase 2: To mainstream the best practices through the design the Rural energy facility as an institutional tool for the development of rural energy. This phase would require a strong advocacy and awareness-raising role by project partners to gather the proper political and financial commitments necessary for its implementation.

 2006- Phase one implementation fully approved and to be conducted by ECA with inputs from other relevant agencies with field experience in rural energy.

Phase 2 funds to be raised among agencies following phase 1, and possibly linked with efforts to operationalize an "African ministers of energy forum"
5. Sustainable Transport Action Network for Africa (SUSTRAN-Africa) South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania/regional Lead: UNHabitat, UNEP The Sustainable Transport Action Network for Africa (SUSTRAN-AFRICA) is a network of people and institutions committed to promotion of transport policies and programmes that are environmentally sustainable as economically and socially equitable,
  • Facilitating interactions between stakeholders in transport sector
  • Foster common direction on issues
  • Centralize information exchange through a democratic structure
  • To respond and service the needs of its members
  • Motivated towards sustainable transport.
 Sept. 2003-Dec. 2007 Contacts ongoing between UNEP and UN-Habitat for implementation
6. Making African Power Sector Sustainable Regional Lead: ECA/UNEP To facilitate integration of social-economic and environmental concerns into the power sector reforms (PSR) in Sub Saharan Africa for poverty alleviation.
  • Assess past and current initiatives on social-economic and environmental impacts on PSR
  • Undertake field work analysis to update existing work relating to social-economic and environmental impacts on PSR
  • Analyze social-economic and environmental impacts on non-reformers
  • Develop scenarios on how to integrate environmental and social-economic concerns into PSR
  • Assist in raising awareness of policy makers on strategies to improve the power sector's sustainability.
 2004-2005 ECA and UNEP to pursue implementation in progress per Project proposal
7. Rural energy for Productive Use Countries Lead: UNIDO (?) To develop energy services that are both reliable and low-cost, requiring minimal maintenance and repair, and incorporate the development of income generating activities, made feasible through the access to reliable and affordable sources of energy
  • Demonstrating the social and economic viability of the selected energy generating approach;
  • Demonstrating the creation of sustainable local enterprises that can deliver reliable energy services based on renewable energy technologies
  • Demonstrating the identification of income-generating activities related to the production or use of energy in rural areas.
  • Strengthening of local capacities to participate in the design, manufacture, assembly, operation, repair and maintenance of energy facilities.
 2004- UNIDO to continue consultation to involve other agencies and to finalize budget and define responsibilities of agencies
             
Activity Statement Scope Actors Objectives Activities Time Frame Follow-Up
8. Integrated Power Resource Planning training. Sub-regional, country Lead: ECA, IEAE To promote the application of Integrated Resources Planning (IRP) principles to mainstreaming the sustainable development dimension in planning investments in electricity supply industry, and raise awareness of African energy planners on the need to introduce IRP as a means of ensuring least-cost development of their power sector.
  • Selection of consultants/resource persons to prepare training modules
  • Identification and selection of participants to the training workshops from member States and regional economic communities (RECs)
  • Conducting one training workshop for English speaking participants
  • Conducting one training workshop for English speaking participants
  • Post-training assessment of the adequacy of the training modules.
 March 2005- ECA to start consultation with IEAE and to finalize budget and define responsibilities of agencies
9. First Regional Micro/Mini-Hydropower Capacity development and investment in rural electricity access in sub-saharan Africa Sub-regional, countries Lead: UNDP/GEF, ECA, UNEP, UNIDO
  • To generate incomes in rural areas through the provision of productive electricity
  • To improve household welfare by meeting rural household demand
  • To offer an operational conduit for integrated rural development projects
  • to increase off-farm employment in the targeted low income rural environments.
  • demonstrate the technical, institutional, legal, financial, environmental and social soundness of new approaches to the production, use and delivery of micro/mini-hydropower to increase electricity access in rural and peri-urban areas in the participating countries;
  • validate the financial/economic viability and investment worthiness of the selected micro/mini-hydropower schemes in the African context; and,
  • institutionalize/ mainstream the proven successful approaches to rural electrification through micro/mini-hydropower systems, by having them recognized as worthy of private and public capital investment in Sub-Saharan Africa from local, national, international and multi-lateral players in the energy arena.
 2004-2005 Implementation in progress per project document
10. Industrial EE/Cleaner Production Regional, countries Lead: UNEP, UNIDO To share the experience obtained from pilot projects in Asia and E. Europe, lay down the basis for the application of the methodologies and promote energy efficiency in African industries.
  • Identify the institutions and individuals that are going to be invited to the regional workshop
  • Provide guidelines on pre-workshop activities
  • Prepare workshop support material
  • Support national partners to develop project proposals
 2005 Implementation in progress per project document
11. Accessing urban energy services in informal settlements in sub-Saharan African cities Nairobi, Dakar, Lusaka Lead: UN-Habitat, UNEP
  • Quantify and categorize mobility barriers and needs among informal settlement populations;
  • Quantify and categorize barriers to accessing affordable energy services among informal settlement populations;
  • Derive indicators for comparing mobility and energy-related pro-poor investments within informal settlements;
  • Develop recommendations on policy implications of transport/energy provision in the areas of economic, social, health and environmental considerations.
  • Design and Implement a Needs Assessment Survey in Urban Energy Provision in Informal Settlements in Three Cities: Nairobi, Dakar and Lusaka. Through the operation of the survey instrument,
  • Phase I will develop a better understanding of urban mobility and urban energy sector issues within the informal settlements of Nairobi, Dakar and Lusaka.
  • Assessment of the "no-build" status quo; current needs and barriers based on interviews and focus groups within selected sub-communities.
  • Best practices and benchmark studies in accessibility and energy provision within the three cities.
 Jan 2005 UN-Habitat to continue consultation to finalize budget and define responsibilities of agencies
12. Facilitating the African Energy Ministerial Forum Regional UNEP/ECA, UNEA
  • To advocate and assist in the establishment and operationalization of an Africa Energy Ministerial Forum
  • Advocacy with AU
  • Seek funding sources and support for the first meetings
  • Provide substantial input and technical support for the implementation
 2005- UNEP to provide information on ongoing effort to establish forum

FUTURE PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE

(still in development)

Activity Statement Scope Actors Objectives Activities Time Frame Follow-Up
1) African Energy database Regional, countries Lead: ECA, UNDP/GEF     2004-2005 Project definition and cost postpone pending information on on-going parallel work by AFREC, UNDP, and ECA
2) African Power Pooling Assessment Sub-Regional, Countries Lead: ECA     2004-2005 Postpone to Continue consultation to finalize budget and define responsibly of agencies
3) African Capacity Building for Clean Development Mechanism - Energy   Lead: UNEP       Continue consultation to define outcome, finalize budget and define responsibly of agencies