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Natural
Resources Policy Team
Problem Statement
- Despite its impressive natural
resources endowment, Africa remains the poorest and the least
developed continent in the World. Its natural resources have
note been used appropriately to foster development and industrialization
- Linkages between the natural resources
sector and other sectors of the economy are still weak.
- In most African countries, reliance
on natural resources revenue streams have not spur development.
- Most development approaches and
outcomes have been government centred with very little room
for participation of other stakeholders, including local communities
affected by the exploitation of natural resources. Development
perspective in this regard may be narrow and take into consideration
government and private sector perspectives, without due regard
to the views and aspirations of local communities and civil
society. Processes for communicating and consultation and decision
could tend therefore to favour bi-polar initiatives and outcomes
and are not sufficiently representative and participatory.
- The level of cooperation among
African countries in natural resources development is still
insignificant to fully realise the potential of economies of
scale and regional integration.
Objectives
A.
Promoting
integrated natural resources planning and development:
- Undertake policy
analysis that contribute to the promotion and adoption of
strategies that maximize local processing and value addition
of natural resources and better linkages between the natural
resources sector and other sectors of the economy;
- Propose policies that contribute
to the development of sustainable livelihoods and reduction
of vulnerabilities of the poor, particularly in rural communities.
- Promote legal and policy frameworks
that encourage investments in the sector
B. Enhancing co-operation
among member states on natural resources development
- Promote, enhance an strengthen
inter-country collaboration and public-private sector partnerships;
- Encourage the establishment
and functioning of effective institutional frameworks for
collaboration at the sub-regional and regional levels;
- Facilitate dialogue among government
policy/decision makers and the private sector; and
- Foster cooperation and networking
with a view to realizing economies of scale and avoiding duplication
of efforts
C.
Facilitating policy development and making, and dissemination
of best practices
- Undertake
policy analysis and establish platforms for discussing and
taking position on important issues affecting the development
of natural resources in Africa
- Facilitate identification
and dissemination of best practices
D.
Supporting capacity building:
- Assist
member states in building required skills and capacities at
national, sub-regional and regional levels for management
of natural resources
- Assist member
states to build capacities with a view to meetingt the MDGs,
and to implement the POI of WSSD and the NEPAD chapter for
natural resources development.
Expected outomes
- Better governance and management
of revenues derived from natural resource exploitation
- Greater equity participation in
the sustainable development of natural resources
- Domestic value addition to natural
resources promoted
- Better linkages between the natural
resource sector and other sectors of the economy and multiplier
effects and impacts maximized
- Contribution of the natural resources
sector to poverty reduction, growth and diversification of African
Economies increased
- Regional cooperation and integration
in natural resources development enhanced.
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