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Brief
The programme goal is to assist the countries of the subregion to achieve sustainable development through subregional economic integration in West Africa. The specific objectives are to: (i) promote subregional cooperation and economic integration by providing effective technical support to collective approaches to tackling common development problems; (ii) facilitate networking and information exchange, by providing fora for public sector, civil society and private sector development partners to interact at the subregional level and share experiences; (iii) provide an essential coordination service, at the subregional level in Africa, to operational programmes of the United Nations system as a whole, in close collaboration and partnership with the UN Resident Coordinator system which is effective at the national level; and (iv) perform a more effective outreach function for ECA bringing the Commission and the resources at its disposal closer to its member States. Modalities - Implementation Strategy To achieve the goal and objectives stated above the SRDC will carry out activities in the different areas of focus through: (a) advocacy and policy analysis; (b) convening stakeholders and building consensus; (c) data and information dissemination; (d) launching networks and providing connectivity; (e) technical assistance and building capacity; and (f) standardization and harmonization. At the SRDC Secretariat level, teams will be formed to represent the different areas of professional expertise available at the Centre, namely, transport and communications, population, gender issues, food security and environment and sustainable development. The professional who is specialized in a specific field will be the team leader and, under the supervision of the Director of the Centre briefs will be elaborated by corresponding experts together with their PIPs. Programme content The programme for the 1998-1999 biennium for the West African SRDC is within the framework of the above goal and objectives. It is also based on professional expertise that has been redeployed to the SRDC which include, transport and communications, population, gender issues; food security and environment and sustainable development. Account is also taken of the activities of the major subregional IGOs with which the Centre will be interacting, namely ECOWAS, CILSS and UEMOA. Their activities represent the needs of member States as expressed at the Fifteen meeting of the Inter-governmental Committee of Experts held in 1997. The activities also take into account the programme framework of the Resident Coordinators of UN system activities at the national level. Specifics The programme is composed of major components and cross sectoral activities as listed below. A: Providing Technical
Support to and Cooperation with the Regional Economic Communities on key development
issues of concern to West African countries Advocacy and Policy Analysis Non-Recurrent Publications: 7 reports to ICE 1. Report on Technological policy options for enhancing food security in West Africa. 2. Report on progress made in developing data basis for sustainable development management in West Africa: Phase 2. 3. Gender and sustainable development in West African countries. 4. Backstopping establishment of a subregional coastal shipping services in West and Central Africa. 5. Population activities in the SRDC/WA. 6. River basin development sustainable development in West Africa. 7. Report on the cooperation between IGOs and the SRDC in West Africa. 8. Report on the SRDC/WA activities. Recurrent publications: (2) Report on economic and social conditions in the West African subregion. Convening Stakeholders and Building Consensus (3) ICE Meeting Standardization and Harmonization (4) Cooperation in key development issues with subregional ECA groupings and IGOs such ECOWAS, MRU, UEMOA and ABN, OMVS, OMVG and ADB, ECOWAS Funds, BOAD. (5) Collaboration in environment issues with CILSS and the river basin authorities. Collaboration in Gender issues monitoring the implementation of Beijing Platforms for Action in West Africa subregion. (6) Technical support to Subregional IGOs promoting regional economic and social development. Expected Impacts - Enhancement of economic performance in the subregion; - Better understanding of integrated approach in economic development planning; - Financing institutions are ready to finance SRDC projects; thus SRDC financing capacity is increased. B: Facilitating
networking and information exchange between Governments, civil society and the private
sector at the SRDC level. Advocacy and Policy Analysis Recurrent publications (7) West African SRDC development Bulletin (2 issues). (8) Information kit on xantahn gum production and utilisation technology. (9) Working document: avenues for expansion of inter-regional and external trade and investment net transfers in West Africa: Regional strategic options and policy implications. Convening Stakeholders and Building Consensus (10) Ad-hoc Expert Group meeting on Avenues for expansion of inter-regional trade and investment net transfers in West Africa. Data and Information Dissemination Recurrent publications (11) Briefing notes on development in the West African subregion Launching Networks and Providing Connectivity (12) Establishment and maintenance of an electronic information exchange network/Wadis of West African economic experts civil society, organizations, NGOs, private sector organizations and major corporation Expected Impacts - Reduction in level of duplication of technical assistance programme. - Stronger links with other UN system Agencies and international partners C: Providing
coordination services for operational programmes of the United Nations system and
specialized agencies in collaboration with UNDP and the United Nations Resident
Coordinator System at the national level. (13) Cooperation with United Nations System - Strategy notes comparative study - Various development issues Standardization and harmonization Seminars: (14) Training of trainers: leadership skills for youth and women document (15) Meeting on above (16) Capacity building for administrative decentralization: public management and training of local councils documents Expected Impacts -
Promotion of consistent coordination and liaison between SRDC and other members of UN
Family. D: Strengthening ECA outreach
in the West African SRDC Subregion. Advocacy and Policy Analysis. (17) Dissemination of Commission's findings and major publications in the West African subregion (18) Participation in Commissions' data collection activities
Expected Impacts - Increased outreach of ECA activities and findings to the subregion. - ECA functions and mandate are better conceptualized in the member States. |
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Communication Team,
Economic Commission for Africa, P.O. Box 3001, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |