PEDA

Joint ECA/OAU/ADB Secretariat in Collaboration with UNFPA

Fourth Meeting of the Follow-up Committee
on the Implementation of the DND and ICPD-PA

28 - 31 January 2002
Yaounde, Cameroon

Report on Activities Undertaken in Southern Africa in the Implmentation of the Dakar/Ngor Declaration (Dnd) on Population, Family and Sustainable Development and the Icpd - Programme of Action

By ECA/SRDC-SA

I. INTRODUCTION

1. This paper highlights population and development related activities carried out in the Southern Africa Subregion in relation to the implementation of the DND and the ICPD-PA. The ECA Subregion Development Centre for Southern Africa (ECA/SRDC-SA) covers the following countries: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

2. Since this is the first time for the SRDC-SA to participate in the work of the Follow-up Committee on the DND and the ICPD-PA, this report covers activities in the subregion since 1999 by the ECA/SRDC-SA and by the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). It also highlights constraints and achievements and issues to be addressed for a way forward.

II. ACTIVITIES BY THE ECA/SRDC-SA

3. The following are the main activities undertaken by the ECA/SRDC-SA:

The SRDC-SA published in August 1999, the Policy Framework on Nexus Issues of Population, Food Security and Environment in Southern Africa. These were proceedings of an Adhoc Expert Group Meeting held from 7 - 10 September 1998. The Policy Framework was endorsed by the Subregion's Intergovernmental Committee of Experts in October 1998.
The SRDC-SA presented to the sixth meeting of the Subregion's ICE in April 2000, a Report on the outcome of the Appraisal of the ICPD+5 by the African Region and the United Nations General Assembly. The ICE appealed to member States to implement recommendations by the United Nations General Assembly on Key actions for the further implementation of the ICPD+PA.
The SRDC-SA presented to the Seventh ICE of the Subregion in April 2001, a Report on Food Security and Sustainable Development (Environment, Population, Agriculture) in Southern Africa. A detailed report and an abridged version of the report were made available to the ICE. The ICE endorsed the recommendations.
The SRDC-SA prepared issue No. 10 of its Development Bulletin (July-December 2001) focusing on sustainable development.
The SRDC-SA provided support to the formulation of the OAU Policy Framework and Plan of Action on Ageing in Africa in collaboration with both the OAU and HelpAge International.

III. ACTIVITIES BY SADC

4. Highlights of activities carried out by SADC include the convening of the following meetings:

The Third Southern African Ministers Conference on Population and Development (SAMCPD) was convened in Lusaka Zambia from 11 - 14 May 1999. It reviewed the implementation of population and development programmes in the subregion and was also preparatory to the subregion's input to the United Nations PrepCom on proposals for key actions for the further implementation of the ICPD-PA. The ECA/SRDC-SA participated in the above meeting.
The Fourth SAMCPD was convened in Windhoek, Namibia in June 2001. It reviewed progress in the implementation of the ICPD-PA. Annex I gives details on recommendations from that meeting.
The SADC Consultations on the preparation for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development were held in Mauritius from 17 to 19 September 2001. The outcome was also input to the African PrepCom held in Kenya from 15 to 18 October 2001.

IV CONSTRAINTS AND ACHIVEMENTS

5. Several constraints continue to affect the implementation of the DND and the ICPD-PA in Southern Africa. These include:

(a) lack of adequate skills among government officials to integrate population issues in development planning;
(b) weak institutional framework for the implementation of population policies and programmes;
(c) increasing incidence of poverty and HIV/AIDS which negatively affect socio-economic development;
(d) deteriorating socio-economic conditions;
(e) declining international financial support to development programmes in Africa from developed countries;
(f) the debt burden and impact of globalization;
(g) low status of women; and
(h) limited availability and accessibility to reproductive and family planning services.

6. Despite the constraints mentioned above, noticeable progress has been made in countries in the region in implementing the DND and ICPD-PA. Most of the countries have population policies. In some cases, the policies are being revised. Policies on poverty reduction programmes, gender and HIV/AIDS have been formulated and are being implemented, though with limited impact. Some countries have developed long- term visions which reflect population issues.

IV. WAY FORWARD

7. There is need, as a way forward, to address the constraints in paragraph 5 above, in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the DND and ICPD-PA. Those constraints should be addressed by both African countries in partnership with development partners in the spirit of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). African countries will need to show continued and greater commitment in dealing with population and development issues. Development partners need to support African countries, financially, materially and technically in dealing with population and development related programmes so as to reverse Africa's declining socio-economic conditions.

8. Particular attention need to be given to issues such as improving health and education, mainstreaming gender in development, ensuring availability and accessibility to family planning services and methods in order to facilitate demographic transition, improving land management in order to improve food security, and improving environmental management.

ANNEX I

Southern African Countries Discuss Population and Development Issues, Windhoek, Namibia, 5-8 June 2001*

The seventh Southern African Forum for Population and Development (SAFPAD) of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met in Windhoek from 5 to 7 June 2001 and discussed population and development issues in the context of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (ICPD-PA). This was followed by the fourth Southern African Minister's Conference on Population and Development (SAMCPD) on 8 June 2001. The following member States attended the meeting: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Each country presented a statement that reflected progress in the implementation of the ICPD-PA on the following:

Development of population policy and related issues;
Population and poverty;
Gender issues: equality and equity;
Reproductive health;
Population research, data collection and information dissemination;
Capacity building for managing and implementing population policies and activities;
Population information, education and communication;
Resource mobilization, cooperating partners and their roles in the region; and
The establishing of a financial structure for cooperation in the field of population and development.

The recommendations made at the meeting included the following:

Development of population policy and related issues

Member States that were still in the process of developing their plan of action were urged to speed up the process within a shortest period of time;

Member States were called upon to strengthen population and development coordinating structures in terms of financing, training of the staff and improving the facilities so as to make them more high-profile and enable them to effectively coordinate and execute population and development policies;
Member States were urged to enhance the integration of population variables in socio-economic development and make policy makers, planners and grass root community agents appreciate the need of harmonized and balanced development activities;
Member States were also urged to enhance implementation of programmes at grass-root level.

Population and poverty

Member States should develop systems of measuring and monitoring poverty;
Member States should consider ways of ensuring that strategies to reduce poverty, especially income generating and employment creation, were integrated into sectoral policies and programmes;
Member States should incorporate HIV/AIDS mitigation measures in their poverty reductions strategies;
Member States should endeavour to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor in their population, and strive toward equitable distribution of income.

Gender issues: equity and equality

Member States should share experiences on best practices and complement each other in order to ensure effective gender mainstreaming;
Member States should continue to ensure that gender issues are integrated in all development programmes and plans;
Member States should develop common indicators for monitoring gender issues at regional levels;
· Member States should encourage and support the SADC gender desk to initiate and coordinate periodical conference/seminars on gender and development in relation to population issues.

Reproductive health including family planning

· In view of the severity of STD's, HIV/AIDS and their impact on human resources, economic and social development, member States should redouble their efforts in the implementation of their national programmes;
· Member States that were yet to develop reproductive health policies should do so and ensure that issues of reproductive health are explicitly addressed;
· Member States should accelerate financial and political support to adolescent reproductive health programmes including reproductive health services;
· Member States should be encouraged to undertake exchange programme in the area of reproductive health in order to strengthen experience sharing and enhance implementation, through identified best practices;
· Member States should ensure male participation and involvement in reproductive health programmes;
· Member States should address sexual health adequately as part of their reproductive health programmes;
· Member States should make collective efforts to engage in production and procurement of contraceptives at regional level.

Population, research, data collection and information dissemination

· Member States should expedite the finalisation of their research agendas and should share their programme experiences with other member States;
· Member States should document all researches undertaken and their findings to be accessed by all stakeholders through various media, including websites;
· Member States should carry out research that is needs based and involve all stakeholders including policy makers, donors and beneficiaries in order to ensure effective decision making.

Capacity building for managing and implementing population programmes

· Member States should ensure the revitalization of the Global Training Programme at the University of Botswana for technicians as a matter of urgency;
· Member States should strengthen and enhance resource mobilization in order to broaden the resource base;
· Member States should solicit technical support/assistance which ensured transfer of skills;
· Member States should strengthen demography departments in their universities to incorporate emerging issues such as food security, HIV/AIDS, adolescent health, gender, etc.

Population information, education and communication

· Member States should ensure collaboration between governments, NGOs, private sector, community leaders and religious organizations in publicity of development issues and teaching of population dynamics in schools;
· Member States should strengthen the sharing and exchanging of IEC materials including family life education within the region;
· Member States should share experience in form of visits and exchange of expertise and reports on national population and development programmes;
· Member States should develop communication and behavioral change strategies to ensure that levels of awareness are translated into desired behavioral change.

Resource mobilization, cooperating partners and the role of civil societies

· Member States should ensure that the SADC secretariat sets up a framework for regional resource mobilization for population and development programmes;
· Member States should encourage and support local NGOs in their efforts on resources mobilization and programme sustainability;
· Member States should demonstrate political commitment to population issues in order to strengthen resource mobilization from the cooperating partners.

As at the previous meetings the SMCPD reiterated the need for the SADC secretariat to include in its structures, a unit to deal with population and development issues.