Infrastructure Development

UN Energy/Africa Activity Report: 2005

I. Background

Following the creation on April 14-15, 2004 in Rome of UN-Energy, African Energy Ministers gathered in a meeting co-organized by UNEP, ECA and the African Union on May 8, 2004 in Nairobi, adopted a recommendation for the creation of UN-Energy/Africa. UN-Energy/Africa should along the line of UN-Water/Africa be a regional collaborative framework with the objective to promote more efficient, coherent and coordinated actions of UN and non-UN organizations working in Africa on the issues of energy for development.

On May 27, 2004 responding to the recommendation of the African energy Ministers, five UN agencies (UNECA, UNIDO, UNEP, UNDP, and UN-Habitat) gathered in the context of the Regional Consultative Mechanism (RCM) agreed to the creation of UN-Energy/Africa (UNEA). It was agreed that UN Energy/Africa, following the model of UN Water/Africa, that UNEA would be a subsidiary of UN-Energy in order to insure a linkage between global and regional energy issues and will serve as the UN-Agencies sub-cluster on energy in support of NEPAD. UN agencies requested UNIDO, UNEP and ECA to assume the function of chair, vice-chair and secretary respectively for a period of two years.

UNEA met three times in 2004, mainly to discuss its functioning modalities and draft a work programme. In November 2004, UNEA adopted its programme of work for the period 2004-2006.

II. Activities implemented in 2005

Information Sharing and clearing house

Development of UN Energy/Africa Web site and electronic forum

The web site aims at facilitating information sharing among the members and promoting joint programming. The e-Forum is a useful tool for discussion on current or emerging energy issues, and for posting a history of discussions held within the collaboration. A beta phase of the UN Energy/Africa web site was launched at (www.uneca.org/unregionalconsultations/INFRASTRUCTURE/infrastructureenergy.asp) and the electronic discussion forum was made operational at www.dgroups.org/groups/unea. Messages sent to unea@dgroups.org are distributed to all focal points and alternate focal points of UNEA.

Energy Access and Investments

Mini/Micro Hydropower Capacity Building and Investment Project in Africa

The project aims at developing capacity in designing and managing micro/mini hydropower plants and promote investments in these systems, in order to increase electricity access for rural people in sub-Saharan Africa. This estimated $47m project (including $18.5m approved by the GEF) involves 11 African countries in its first phase. UN-Energy/Africa participants are UNDP/GEF, ECA, UNIDO, UNEP, and ADB.

The second steering committee of the first mini-micro hydroelectric power capacity-building and investments was held on April 27-28, 2005 in Vienna. The steering committee reviewed progress made in the project development; defined the modalities for functioning and launched the mini/micro hydropower network.

Institution and Policy Reform

Making Africa's Power Sector Sustainable

· Study on Power Sector Reform in Africa.

The Sustainable Development Division of ECA, in partnership with UNEP, in the framework of UN Energy/Africa carried out an in-depth analysis of the economic, social and environmental impacts of power sector reforms in Africa. The study titled "Making Africa's Power sector Sustainable" also maps the way forward for making Africa's power sector more sustainable with regards to social and environmental objectives. It covered 14 countries in various depths, and was completed in Dec. 2005. It is to be published in early 2006.

· Policy Dialogue Stakeholders' Forum

The findings of the above-mentioned study were presented during a high-level multi-stakeholders policy dialogue forum, co-organized by ECA, UNEP and UNDESA. High-level decision-makers and senior officials from power sector ministry/departments, regulatory bodies and utilities from 19 countries (Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe), and representatives from 9 regional and international organizations (African Union Commission, ECOWAS, SADC, COMESA, IEPF, AFREPREN, UNDESA, UNEP, and ECA) participated in the forum. The Forum adopted a policy summary on "Making the Africa's Power Sector Reform Sustainable", and a "Policy statement on power sector reform in Africa" to be presented at CSD-14.

Joint programming

Capacity building in Integrated Resource Planning (IRP)

Joint programming activities between IAEA and ECA (exchanges, video conferencing, etc.) were held in order to review the objectives and to design a strategy to jointly implement IRP training, at regional level, in Africa.

An agreement was reached on objectives, strategies and an implementation timeline for 2006.

Inter agency activity coordination sessions (meetings)

Meeting of UNE/Africa and Joint Meeting between UNE/Africa and UN Energy (global)

The two meetings were held on October 25, 27 in Addis Ababa, in conjunction with the African Regional Implementation Meeting for CSD14. The main objectives were to review progress made in the inter-agency collaboration and advance implementation of on-going activities. The joint UNEA/UN Energy meeting was held with video conferencing linkage for institutions that could not be physically represented.

III. Assessment of the status of the collaboration and support to NEPAD

The work programme of UN-Energy/Africa was established using an action-oriented approach, based on the main energy challenges on the continent, as documented in the WSSD/JPOI and the priorities of the NEPAD energy initiatives. As a result, it focused on key energy issues such access to clean, affordable and sustainable energy; promotion of renewable energies; capacity development for sustainable management of energy resources; institutional and sector strengthening; and investments in more production capacity.

Overall, UNE/Africa, as a collaboration has achieved in one and half year some very tangible results in support of the African community and the achievement of the NEPAD energy priorities. This may be mainly attributed to the dedication of participating agencies.

However, some important constraints to more results remain. They include, inter alia:

Financial and budgetary constraints: Many agencies have found it difficult to participate to coordination sessions (Meeting) because of limited budgetary resources dedicated to interagency activities (e.g. travel). Notwithstanding the usage of remote communications tools such e-forum, tele/videoconferencing, e-mail, physical exchange are the most effective way to "sell" activities to sister agencies. This limited budget has also restricted the time that agencies that has volunteer to chair/co-chair of serve as secretariat could allow to performe their role.

Budget cycle and agencies work programme constraints: In order to achieve efficiency in supporting NEPAD, agencies need to create better coherence and complementarities in their regular activities in support of NEPAD. This can effectively be done only at the earliest stage of programming/design of activities. The different programming/implementation cycles of agencies often prevent the establishment of key partnerships for providing efficient and coherent support to NEPAD.

Participation of non-UN organizations in the collaboration: Though the TOR of UN Energy/Africa calls for the collective engagement of UN and non-UN organizations, the effective participation of non-UN organizations such as the ADB and the NEPAD did not materialized. Acknowledging the strategic advantage of some non-UN organizations in the development of energy sector in Africa, finding solutions to lift the barriers for their effective involvement in the collaborative mechanism must remain an important objective of UN Energy/Africa.

Institutional and Human constraints internal to NEPAD and the RECs:

According to the last "African Review Report on Energy for Sustainable Development for the CSD14", some of the shortcomings in the various initiatives undertaken in support of NEPAD Energy initiatives, derive from many factors, including:

• Evolving institutional status of the NEPAD with respect to the African Union and regional organizations;

• Low and insufficient human and institutional capacity at the NEPAD secretariat and technical divisions;

• Slow progress in the design and formulation of priority energy projects of the NEPAD;

• Unclear procedure and framework on how best development partners can assist NEPAD; and

• Regional Economic Communities (RECs), which are the implementation arm of NEPAD, generally, do not have the human, technical, financial and institutional capacities to play adequately their role.

IV. How can the Secretary General Advisory Panel on NEPAD help?

The Secretary General Advisory Panel on NEPAD could provide assistance in promoting:

1. Specific budget provision for interagency collaboration in support of NEPAD that takes into account coordination and consultation activities leading to effective joint programming and implementation in support of NEPAD;

2. The definition/clarification of modalities for the effective participation of non-UN organization in the collaborative mechanism in support of NEPAD; and

3. More political support in strengthening of the institutional and human capacities of NEPAD and the RECs in order to increase their participation in the planning and implementation of activities led by their international partners, in particular for NEPAD energy planners to be actively involved in UN Energy/Africa sessions.

The energy sector, unlike sectors such as Agriculture or industry, is characterized by fact that no single UN entity is responsible for the development of the sector. Therefore, there is no "natural" coordination/lead entity. A large variety of international organizations are active at country, sub-regional and regional levels on various aspects of the development of the energy sector. Only a limited number of them are involved in UN Energy/Africa, or in any type of collaborative mechanism. This, of course, presents a challenge for African governments, the AU/NEPAD and other regional organizations in developing coherent policies and efficient activities optimizing the support of the international community.

APPENDIX

TOR of UN-Energy/Africa

Preamble

• Considering the challenges of the energy sector in the continent, characterized by the low access to modern energy and weak institutional framework;

• Taking into account the mandates of the different UN organizations active in the field of energy in Africa;

• Appreciating the need for increased efficiency through more coherence, complimentarity and coordination among UN-agencies and Non-UN stakeholders;

• Acknowledging the establishment of UN-Energy in Rome, on April 15, 2004;

• Acknowledging the recommendation adopted by the African energy ministers, gathered in Nairobi, on the May 8, 2004, to create UN-Energy/Africa

• Considering that the NEPAD of the African Union, is recognized as the mechanism through which the UN provides support to Africa;

• Appreciating the need to closely collaborate with other major programmes and initiatives of recognized regional governmental and non-governmental organizations in Africa;

The Sub-cluster convened in Addis-Ababa on May 27, 2004 adopted the following Terms of Reference for UN-Energy/Africa:

Terms of Reference

1. The UN-Energy/Africa, composed of UN organizations active in the field of energy in Africa, is the principal interagency mechanism to help ensure (a) coherence in the UN system's multi-disciplinary response to World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD); and (b) collective engagement of non-UN energy stakeholders in Africa. UN-Energy/Africa is the African subsidiary of UN-ENERGY. Accordingly, UN-Energy/Africa will:

(a) Promote coherence in the UN system's multi-disciplinary response to WSSD by:

(i) Acting as a gateway for sharing information, knowledge, experiences and good practices as well as initiatives in all aspects for implementing the JPOI;

(ii) Developing and maintaining an overview that reflects an inventory of ongoing and planned work within the system and building/strengthening synergies among independent initiatives at the national, sub-regional, and regional levels;

(iii) Promoting joint programming, harmonization and cooperation in the energy-related activities of the organizations of the system;

(iv) Building on and drawing lessons from past experience in inter-agency collaboration on energy;

(v) Employing dynamic and action-oriented approaches to coordination with extensive use of information and communication technologies.

(b) Promote interaction with non-UN stakeholders by:

(i) Developing a database on the roles, potentials, strengths and programmes of relevant stakeholders;

(ii) Developing and maintaining dynamic and interactive mechanisms for information exchange and dissemination among all partners; and

(iii) Organizing a regular exchange of views on policy in the field of energy and related activities, as well as developing partnerships.

2. UN-Energy/Africa will focus on substantive content and collaborative actions both in regard to policy development in the energy area and its implementation as well as in maintaining an overview of major ongoing initiatives within the system based on the UN-Energy/Africa work programme, at regional, sub-regional and national levels. In addition, it will be:

(i) A system-wide regional network open to all concerned organizations and entities;

(ii) A mechanism for the UN system's interaction with non-UN stakeholders (non-UN stakeholders include major actors from the private sector, the NGO community, power utilities, research and academic institutions as well as other major groups identified in Agenda 21.)

(iii) A collaborative arrangement with rotating chairmanship at a high policy level and vice chair at the expert level, both for a period of two years.

3. UN-Energy/Africa will request one of the participating organizations to provide the secretariat services for a period of two years, subject to review.

4. Participating agencies and entities will consider and provide the necessary financial and human resources required for the functioning of the collaborative mechanism.

5. Communications of the collaborative mechanism will be facilitated primarily through electronic means. UN-Energy/Africa will meet at least once each year. Meetings will be kept to a minimum and held within the margins of other activities whenever possible. UN-Energy/Africa may create time bound ad hoc issue groups.

6. UN-Energy/Africa will serve as the Energy Sub-cluster of the Infrastructure Cluster of the UN-NEPAD Consultative Mechanism.

7. In developing UN-Energy/Africa's work programme full account will be taken of the key issues identified at CSD-9 and elaborated in the WSSD/JPOI. The work programme will build on the work of the UN system organizations involved, the work programme of UN-ENERGY on issues related to Africa, and the NEPAD energy initiatives. It will seek to strengthen synergies among the UN organizations as well as the relevant non-UN stakeholders.

8. UN-Energy/Africa will review its TOR every four years, or as appropriate.

APPENDIX 2

UN-ENERGY/AFRICA (UNEA) 2004-2005 ACTIVITY MATRIX

UNE-Africa 2004-2005 ACTIVITY SUMMARY