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Discussion Paper delivered at Retreat for Senior Government Officials and UN Heads of Agencies Bagamoyo, URT, 24-25Jan. 1997

By

MAM BIRAM JOOF*

The United Nations System-wide Special Initiative for Africa was formally launched at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 15 March 1996. A few years earlier within the framework of its programme and budget for the 1994-95 biennium, UNESCO, on behalf of its Member States, launched the "Priority Africa" Programme. In February 1995 on the eve of the Copenhagen World Summit for Social Development at its Headquarters in Paris, UNESCO convened "Audience Africa" in order to enable Africans to articulate what they themselves felt were the priorities of Africa, their own priorities, in the light of the new challenges facing the world and on the threshold of a new millenium facing the world and on the threshold of anew millenium. UNESCO's conviction is that it is Africans themselves who are best placed to design programmes and strategies for their future.

It is perhaps not surprising that the UN should consider that Africa deserves being accorded high and visible priority among the System's initiatives. To borrow from the statement of Dr. Nafis Sadik, the UNFPA Executive Director, at the Initiative's launch in 1996, "the heart of the Special Initiative for Africa is people" ­ but a continent and a people beleaguered on all fronts simultaneously by factors which pose bewildering challenges in the furtherance of their development; to name a few:

a population growth rate of 2.7 per cent an annum that outpaces economic growth in all but a few countries said to be the highest in the world;

an urban population growth of 4.3 per cent a year, reckoned to be faster than any other region in the world;

the highest incidence of poverty, 54 per cent of the African population estimated to live in absolute poverty and the only region in the world where poverty is projected to increase over the next decade;

half of the labour force in Africa being characterized as unemployed or underemployed;

life expectancy estimated to the around 54.2 years;

more than 200 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone having no access to basic health services;

about 85 out of every 1,000 babies die in their first year, and more than 4 million children die before reaching age 5.

more than 600 mothers die for every 100,000 life births;

33 of the 41 Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) in Africa, and

some 880 million adjust illiterates live in developing countries, Africa being among affected regions in the world.

This list is by no means exhaustive. It is not the intention to disregard or even minimize important progress made in various aspects of the development effort some of the most significant of which were referred to by Dr. J. Victor Angelo, the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Tanzania in his address at the national launch of the Initiative in Dar Es Salaam on 2 December 1996. It is also not intended to portray Africa as a hopeless and a lost case. My organization, UNESCO, like all other UN Agencies, has faith in the human potential and capacity and genuinely committed to spreading a message of positive optimism and hope and supporting actions that give these real meaning and effect. I would like to contend, however, that on balance Africa is in serious trouble and has bewildering problems caused by multi-vatriate factors that are both internal and external in character many of which African countries have virtually no control over.

What I thought I should do in this address is to complement what my Colleague Dr. Aidoo has said by helping to set the stage for critical but frank and constructive discussion on the Special Initiative and its practical implications for African peoples in general and Tanzanians in particular. I will raise issues and ask questions answers to which I do not and will not claim or as we constructively, collectively and resourcefully, engage or minds and imaginations on pertinent issues of national concern we will be addressing ourselves to. The questions that will be posed and issues raised, it is hoped, will enhance our understanding and awareness of various aspects of the initiative and their implications.

The Concept of Special Initiative

What seems to me obviously to be the first point we should raise is the specific notion of "Special Initiative". What do we understand this to mean? What does it mean with reference to initiatives, which both the UN and individual countries have already pronounced and have been or are being pursued? In what specific ways is the Initiative really special? To put it differently, how special is this Special Initiative to the extent that it makes a real difference in the pursuance of our development efforts with or without it? An understanding of the concept is essential to warrant our valuable investment in time and effort in this session and will also enhance our understanding and appreciation of its practical implications.

Mobilization of Resources

It is understood that considerable mobilization of domestic resources would be needed for the implementation of the Initiative. Indeed, at the UN Special Initiative on Africa National Launch in Dar Es Salaam on 2 December 1996, Dr. Victor Angelo said: "the initial cost estimate of the Special Initiative is about US$25 billion. Financing will come largely from the rationalization and reallocation of existing national budgets and donor resources. The bulk of these resources would be mobilized at the country level".

The following are some pertinent issues that discussions may focus on:

In a continent that is already seriously crippled by battered economies, the debt crisis and with severely constrained resources generally, how will this be done, when and by whom and in such a way that the already dismal financial situations in many of our countries including Tanzania is not aggravate ?

What implications would this have on development priorities that are already set and being pursued?

What criteria will be applied to national budget and donor resources rationalization and reallocation?

Joint and Coordinated Action at UN Agency Level

The Executive Heads of UN Agencies are committed to taking early and concrete Joint Action at the country level in order to help give practical meaning and effect to the Special Initiative. This of course cannot be done without the full and active cooperation of intended beneficiaries for whom the Initiative was launched. The UN Agency representative at the Retreat will, I want to believe, benefit immensely from national perspectives concerning how they (i.e. nationals and countries) might wish to see this happen. From the point of view of the Agencies themselves, the Initiative poses a renewed challenge for and commitment to coordinating and harmonizing their various programmes and actions with reference to the specific mandates and comparative advantages of each agency for:

UNDP in the areas of Poverty and Governance Issues and coordination of development assistance;

Who in enhancing physical and mental health which are so crucial for productivity in particular and development in general;

FAO in efforts to enhance agricultural and resource management and productivity;

UNICEF in enhancing welfare and living standards especially nutrition and reducing morbidity and mortality rates;

UNESCO in enhancing capacity in the areas of Education, Science, Communication and in integrating the Cultural dimension into development programmes and activities;

ILO in enhancing employment creation and labour relations;

UNIDO in the area of Industrial development;

WFP, together with FAO, in enhancing food security;

UNHCR in the provision of humanitarian assistance;

UNIC in enhancing the capacity of media Professionals to provide information pertinent to promoting and supporting development;

IMF and the World Bank in helping to streamline national fiscal policies and to establish financial systems conducive to development.

UN System Agencies represented in Tanzania must, however, resist the temptation to have their own individual flags and to become ensnared in the straitjacket of their own specific mandates. Effective inter and joint agency action especially at the country level is undoubtedly one indispensable pillar of success of the Special Initiative.

Leadership Role of Governments and Ownership of Countries

In this address at the UN Special Initiative for Africa National Launch on 2 December 1996, Dr. J. Victor Angelo stated emphatically: "The UN System in Tanzania sees the official launching of the Initiative as the Government taking a leadership role in a process that will place the nation in full control of its development agenda".

This statement is a most pertinent one in my view when many African Countries, Tanzania included, it is perceived and to use the common jargon, are "donor-driven". But we have heard statements of this nature many times before yet African countries remain, in many and real ways, in the stranglehold of those who purportedly have their interest at hear. One of the serious challenges of the UN Special Initiative surely must be how the UN can and must help its member countries to decisively, courageously and confidently assume what I am sure every one here agrees with as the undisputed leadership role of national Governments. How in practical, pragmatic but realistic ways does the UN see its role in this effort? How do Tanzanians want the UN System to individually and collectively enhance capacities to achieve this objective? But if African countries and Governments must take ownership as well as indeed "full control of (their) development agenda", we should perhaps rechristen the UN Special Initiative and call it "Country-led Special Initiative." We enhance national ownership and relevance if African resolutely, courageously and decisively reject and avoid the imposition on Africa of foreign perceptions, visions and models. But how many of our countries have the strength of conviction and character to say no when they see the national interest endangered or undermined?

Coherence and vision of the United Nations System

The ability of the United Nations System to bring coherence and a sharply focused vision to bear on sustained support to African countries in the pursuance of their development efforts is in may view another very important challenge that the Special Initiative poses. How should this be done? The response to this question can only be borne out of a meeting of minds within the framework of frank, critical but constructive dialogue between the UN System and African Government. I would suggest that mechanisms and institution in place and strategies already adopted to serve this purpose at both the country and regional levels be review and better streamlined where this is found to be necessary. Complementarity of efforts, adoption of cost-effective approaches, promotion of synergies and avoidance of duplication must be among the unmistakable hallmarks of renewed UN System-wide joint action. But the unavo8idable questions that must always be asked include: how do we ensure complimenarty of efforts, how do we promote synergies, how do we avoid duplication of efforts, and how do we maximize such efforts? We will together find realistic answers to these questions through a process of sustained dialogue that will I suspect transcend the bounds of this Retreat venue.

Implementation of the UN Special Initiative

Early and timely action must be taken to devise realistic plans to implement the initiative. Even more realistic must be to integrate various UN Special Initiative components into both sectoral and national plans already in place where national priorities have already been spelt out and are being pursued. In this effort, effective partnerships between government, UN System, Donors, the civil society and the private sector must be underscored, and the role of each partner delineated and clarified. We must build bridges to and among all of Society's actors including the armed forces. What should be the ingredients of such a partnership working within a framework and a process that would give meaning and effect to enhancing Tanzania's leadership role that would bring tangible beneficial and sustainable results. What important lessons can we learn from the lack of implementation or from failures in the operationalization of previous initiatives, national and regional? What potential pitfalls must be recognized and avoid in this new effort? How do, can and must we fully capitalize on capacities, experiences and resources that are available within Africa itself for the effective implementation of the Initiate? Both the UN System and African countries have a lot at stake in ensuring that the implementation of the Special Initiative becomes a success to the extent that what is proposes are consonant with the vision and development agenda of countries. One among many reasons for this is that the Special Initiative is not the first international effort designed to support African development the implementation or effectiveness of which has been shrouded in a lot of skepticism if not indeed cynicism. The failure of the Special Initiative is likely to deal a lethal blow to the credibility of the UN System and African Governments and the confidence with which people should have in them. How should we prevent this from happening? It is the prerogative of countries to decide on priorities of focus and areas where there should be significant investments in time, effort and resources.

The State and Attitude of Mind

Finally, I wish to leave participants with one thought. This is about attitudes and state of the African mind which are most crucial in our efforts to move significantly out of the multi-faceted predicament of the beleaguered continent's peoples: "It is in the minds of men that the defenses of pace must in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed." This famous statement found in the preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO is as valid today as when it was made half a century ago by its founding fathers. No matter how good our intentions are, no matter how serious our efforts are, no matter how strong our will and resolve are, the human mind is the most potent prime mover in the direction of peace, progress and prosperity by overcoming potential negative impulses, destructive urges and the many other barriers that stand in the way of development. UNESCO is convinced that its ethical mission to implant the supreme values of understanding, tolerance and solidarity in people's minds can be accomplished through education, science, culture and communication areas which lie within its specialized mandate and fields of competence and which have essential linkages with the mandates and missions of other agencies within the United Nations System. The mind remains numbed and vision blurred if Africans wait, passive and powerless, for some magic solution to appear from no-where and if they move in a vicious circle going no-where. The crippling of anti-developmental attitudes are, in my view, more insidious, destructive that render our pursuit of progress more nebulous than material deprivation. How many of us can confidently claim to have such mental and attitudinal disposition which make it possible to bring imagination, innovativeness and resourcefulness to bear on serious national concerns of the kind that we will focus on in this Retreat.

Some References

Statement by Dr. Nafis Sadik, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund, at

the Launch of the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa, United Nations, New York, 15 March 1996.

"The United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa, Address by

Mr. J. Victor Angelo at the UN Special Initiative on Africa National launch,

Dar Es Salaam, 2 December 1996.

Highlights of the 6^th Session of the ADEA Steering Committee (3-5/11/1996), memo

Ref. AP/BPC/EXB/96/5 dated 13 November 1996 from Head ED/BPC/EXB

ADG/ED, UNESCO Paris.

Administrative Committee on Coordination First Regular Session for 1996, Summary

of Conclusions, United Nations Headquarters, Nairobi, 29-30 April 1996 (ACC/1996/4 ­ 10 May 1996).

First Regular Session of 1996 of the Administrative Committee on Coordination

(ACC), Nairobi, 29-30 April 1996, Results and Follow-up. DG/Memo/96/37 of

20 June 1996 from the Director-General of UNESCO to DDGs, ADGs and

Directors at UNESCO HQs, Paris.

Message from Federico Mayor, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of the Organization's 50^th Anniversary, 10 October 1995.

Message from the Director-General of UNESCO, on International Literate Day, 8 September 1996, UNESCO HQs., Paris.