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SIA Programmes Objectives
Assuring Sustainable Use of and Equitable Access to Freshwater
- Assessment of future national and international policies, plans and programs in terms of the economic viability, environmental sustainability and equity impact, and adopt alternatives if necessary
- Assistance to government in incorporating the "Fair Share" approach in their national water development policies, plans and programs
- Assistance to government in setting up more effective drainage basin and regional agreements and institutions for avoiding or settling conflicts over equitable access and use of water resources through workshops on conflict resolutions, preparation of an African guideline and/or charter on the Equitable and sustainable use of share water resources, and establishment of a panel of legal experts to advise and assist countries through the peaceful settlement of water dispute.
- Development of national plans of action, targeting populations with the greatest need
- External support for capacity-building and monitoring
- Strengthening of the WHO/UNICEF joint monitoring program throughout Africa
- At the country level, development of a compact among donors and perspective governments
- Provide support to regional economic political groupings: in undertaking water resources assessment in shared river basins
- Support to the new initiative of WMO and the World Bank to set up hydrological cycle observing system (HYCOS) in each of the sub-regions
- Review and reform of natural water resources development and irrigation policies and strategies
- Development of methodologies for the establishment of database with guidelines and software
- Technology assessment and development, dissemination of publications and guidelines
- Development and dissemination of computer programs and of innovative water management methods
2. Food Security
Land Degradation and Decertification Control
- Development and implementation of national and sub-regional action programs to combat decertification
- Mobilization and channeling of substantial financial resources to affected African countries
- Channeling of resources to strengthen the efforts of local communities in countries affected drought and decertification
- Promotion and negotiation of arrangements that will increase the availability of resources to support the implementation of the Convention
- Establishment of a regional African Science and Technology networking mechanism involving African scientific and research institutions.
- Promotion of actions on plant nutrition and related improvements in soil conditions through the increased use of fertilizer, where feasible
- Analysis and review of issues related to high prices of manufactured fertilizers, their insufficient and ineffective use
- Undertaking of pilot cross sectoral investments in three countries to strengthen availability at reasonable price and delivery of fertilizers and to carry out a promotion strategy
Food Security with Special Emphasis on Women
- Review of existing laws and practices and how they have disadvantaged women
- Support of efforts aimed at the enactment of laws and changes of practices to empower women regarding land ownership, access to credit, technology and extension services
3. Governance
Peace Building, Conflict Resolution and National Reconciliation
SPeace-Building by trengthening OAU's Capacity for helping
develop:
- Database and analytical capability to track precursors to violent outcomes of blocked process
- Communication capability to keep up with events throughout Africa and to communicate with OAU teams in the field
- Setting up of 24 hours watch centers with trained military officers
- Network of national mediators and other conflict managers at the country level who can respond quickly when normal political conflicts threaten to turn violent
Strengthening of civil society for Peace-Building ( including
development) through:
- Enhancement of legal space and fostering of civil society in each African country
- Regular stock taking of the opportunities for advancing civil society in each African country
- Establishment of specialized nodes initially in three sub-regional locations, to promote conflict prevention and the constructive resolutions of conflicts
- Support African CSO participation in key UN conferences and deliberations related to Africa
- Use of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of conflicts model as model for conflict management; the African Institute for Democracy will also be used
Strengthening communication for Peace-Building though:
- The Production and dissemination of media programs to educate people (women and youth) on their rights, to provide basic information on democracy, tolerance and human rights
- Selection of two or three countries from each of the five major sub-regions of Africa for pilot activities
- Formulation of detailed regional, sub-regional and national plans of action
Capacity building for governance
- Support the African leadership forum: conferences, seminars, publications mobilizing African public actions and others
- Support implementation of the project "Governance Strategy for Africa"
- Support implementation of the project "Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa": provide opportunities to work out regional arrangement for peace, security, stability and development in Africa
- Comprehensive civil service and judicial reforms
- Support of the electoral process
4. Harnessing Information Technology for Development
- Intensification of policy dialogue on regulatory framework for informatics and communications through national policy and sectoral workshops
- Establishment of a regional commission on information technology and communications
- Installation of Internet nodes with local servers to provide Internet services in eight countries
- Training of system engineers operators and information users throughout Africa in computer networking
- Establishment and operation of an electronic clearing house on African development information
5. Partnership with Africa through South-South Cooperation
- Mobilization of the collective strength and resourcefulness of the regional commission, regional development banks, regional economic communities and major umbrella business and private sector organization in Africa to promote South-South Cooperation
- Strengthening of ties between the private sector communities in Africa and other regions
- Promotion and facilitation of regular exchange of available economic, financial, scientific technical and technological information and experience
6. Basic Education for all African Children (BEA)
- Development of a perspective broad-based and valid plan of Action to attain BEA in a limited number of countries on a pilot basis
- Building of the necessary human and institutional capacity to implement the above plans
- Elaboration of mechanisms to assist countries at the pre-investment stages with data, experience, analytical tools and technical support
- Formulation and implementation of sector investment programs in education for those countries which have decided to proceed
- Formulation and implementation of Health Sector Reform programs in African countries, based on the use of WHO's draft policy for Health Sector Reform in Africa to facilitate the detailed planning and implementation of the initiative
- Improvement in financial mobilization and allocation, for example through Sector Investment Programs
- Improvement in the management of heath services and resources
8. Poverty Reduction through the Promotion of Informal Sector
- Promoting the informal sector through increased access to sustainable financial services equipment and technology; skill development and entreprennal training; promotional and marketing services; infrastructure facilities; enabling institutional and legal framework for the development and expansion of the informal sector
9. Sustainable Livelihoods in Environmentally Marginal Areas
- Widespread operationalization of adaptive approach to achieving sustainable livelihoods in African countries
- Sharing of knowledge at the local, national and international level
- Identification of ways in which adaptive strategies can be fostered and also utilized in policy formulation
- Analysis, assessment review and consultation on the debt situation of Seriously Indebted Low Income Countries (SILICs) especially in Sub-Sahara Africa
- Formulation and implementation of debt relief and sustainability mechanisms that would contribute to reducing the burden of debt and debt sustainability (Paris Club, Non Paris Club, Multilateral)
- Sensitization, workshops and training on improved debt management strategies and practices with the assistance from the United Nations as appropriate
- Formulation and integration of debt management (reduction) strategies in SILICs countries resources mobilization strategy with the support of Resident Coordinators
11. Partnership Innovations for more Effective Development
Cooperation
- Creation of regional forums by bilateral and multilateral donors to mobilize funds for the priorities of African development
- Preparation by African governments and donors of investment programs for majors strategic objectives in each African country, which are goal oriented investment programs
- Building national capacity for program development and implementation
12. Trade Access and Opportunities
- Demonstration of the possibilities for investment in Africa to potential foreign investors through a pilot project to prepare community profile in 5 selected African countries
13. Internal Resources Mobilization
- Strengthening and promoting banking and non-banking financial institutions
- Devising and launching a variety of financial instruments to meet requirement of savers and investors
- Development of implementation instruments of indirect monetary policy