A new African Civil Society network to promote SLM

Information and knowledge sharing, coordination, communication, lobbying, setting common positions, influence in decision making processes are sound reasons for networking around issues of common concern.

It was to meet these needs in the context of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) that the global RIOD network was founded more than a decade ago. Sadly, in Africa RIOD became effectively dysfunctional and has not served its members in the past 4 years. As a result, the voice of African NGOs has not been an effective contributor in the negotiations of the UNCCD.

Recently there has been much reflection on why the RIOD network failed in Africa, so as to be able to ensure that a credible and functional network is rebuilt that can amplify the invaluable experiences of African civil society in promoting sustainable land management (SLM) and livelihoods.

It is a curious reflection of the success of NGOs in emphasizing the importance of participation and representation of civil society that TerrAfrica

(a large international initiative which seeks to address land degradation problems on this continent) has two seats for NGO representatives on its Executive Committee. However, without an active and credible network to elect and hold these representatives accountable, their presence on such decision making bodies becomes mere tokenism. On the other hand, Initiatives like TerrAfrica need to demonstrate that they are adequately consulting CSO networks and eliciting appropriate input in the design and implementation of their programmes. As such, they have a need for an effective CSO network.

It is within this context that a Regional Consultative Workshop was held in Pretoria from 23rd to 25th March Source : NEPAD News, july 28, 2009

NEPAD/NABNet affirms its strategy

Tripoli hosted on 13-14 July a two-day workshop under the auspices of the National Academy of Scientific Research (NASR) of the Great Socialists People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the Biotechnology Research Centre (BTRC) in collaboration with the AU/NEPAD Office of Science and Technology through its North Africa Biosciences Network (NABNet).

This meeting was dedicated to discussions of the NABNey Coordination Committee that has to supervise the activity of the whole network, provide leadership and liaise with governmental departments to backstop the network. The coordination committee members were invited to agree on the strategy of the network, and its governance as well.

During the meeting the progress made by NEPAD/NABNet was assessed and some main challenges encountered have been discussed. Since NEPAD was created before few years, poor information is available on this AU programme. It was necessary to inform on its progress and efforts to link North Africa to the rest of the continent but also to assist scientific and political communities through NABNet. NEPAD shall no longer be considered as a donor but as facilitator enabling resource mobilisation.

There was also some confusion regarding the ownership of NABNet and its programme. It was critical to explain that as a body created by the African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology (AMCOST) and based on programmes from the first cluster of the CPA, NABNet plays a very key role in the region, in its economic communities and its national governments. The network should be a tool owned by these parties to improve connections between their programmes, and so address the issue of both economic development and capacity building.

Beside the challenges, the workshop discussed priority projects under progress to be reinforced and new initiatives to be developed. BTRC under the supervision of NASR was elected chairman for the coming two years.

NABNet is one of the existing African Biosciences Initiative (ABI) networks the continent has beside the ones in East/Central Africa, West Africa and Southern Africa. ABI is actively operational in Africa through networks, Hubs and Nodes.

ABI represents the first programme cluster among the 5 identified in the Africa’s Science and Technology consolidated plan of action (CPA). It focuses on the Conservation and Sustainable use of biodiversity (CPA Flagship programme 1) ; Safe development and Application of biotechnology (programme 2), and Securing and using Africa’s Indigenous knowledge base (programme 3). The cluster is coordinated by Professor Aggrey Ambali who is at the same time acting as Advisor and Head of the AU-NEPAD office of Science and Technology.

The NABNet Secretariat was launched in May 2007 after the signing of a Memorandum of understanding between NEPAD and the National Research Center (NRC) based in Cairo, Egypt, in connection to the ABI business plan.

NABNet focuses on Pharmaceutical Biotechnology as its core mission. The Secretariat is located in Cairo in Egypt at the National Research Centre and managed by Professor Mohamed Aouani Elarbi. The network has nodes such as the Borj Cedria Technopark in Tunisia, the El Menturi University in Algeria, the University of N’Djamena in Chad and the Biotechnology Research Centre of Tripoli in Libya, and many others R&D organisations disseminated all over the region and contributing to the implementation of the NABNet program.

"Train The Trainer" Seminar, in Algeria

Midrand, 22 July 2009 - As part of our Communication Strategy, the NEPAD Secretariat in collaboration with the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), is organizing its sixth "Train The Trainer" Seminar, in Algiers, Algeria. The first seminar was held in South Africa from 24 July to 04 August 2006 for SADC countries. The second session was held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, from 04 to 15 December 2006, and it was aimed at French speaking countries, the third was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from 19 to 30 November 2007, the fourth was held in Accra, Ghana in April 2008 and the fifth seminar was held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast in November 2008.

This sixth two-week training seminar is aimed at representatives of public and private TV stations charged with training activities, and it will be held from the 25 July to 5 August 2009, at Safir Hotel Mazafran, Algiers.

This training seminar is focused on North African English and French speaking journalists, selected from : Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Djibouti, Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania. In total there will be 23 participants.

African Ministers renew their commitment to CAADP

Tripoli, 27th June 2009 "The outcome of the CAADP Day will feed into the agenda of the Heads of State at the 13th Session of the Assembly in a couple of days as they address themselves to the theme of the summit, which is ’Investing in Agriculture for Economic Growth and Food Security", said Erastus Mwencha the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission during his opening remarks at the CAADP day.

In attendance at the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Day proceedings which were held at the Corinthia Bab Hotel in Tripoli, Libya were more than 200 participants including African Ministers of agriculture, regional economic communities, civil society organizations, development partners and farmers.

CAADP is a programme of the African Union’s (AU) New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Under the guidance of the AU-NEPAD, the CAADP Day provided the participants with an opportunity to engage each other on progress and challenges faced to date in the implementation of CAADP.

Speaking on behalf of the host country the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mr. Abubakar Al Man Souri the country’s Minister of Agriculture highlighted the relevance of value- addition and production in up-scaling agriculture in Africa.

"We have to increase investments and intra-African trade in agriculture if we are going to achieve sustainable development in Africa", he added.

In his remarks to the participants, Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, the CEO of NEPAD reiterated the relevance of CAADP to Africa before going on to highlight the role of the private sector in agriculture.

"We also need to boost our regional and domestic markets through the development of policy reforms, institutional innovations and infrastructure investments that can help to raise productivity and profitability in the agricultural sector", said Dr.Mayaki.

According to Prof. Richard Mkandawire of the Agriculture Unit at NEPAD, the deliberations and decisions from the CAADP Day will be put forward at the Heads of State Summit as part of the on-going process to renew continental commitments to the CAADP target of increasing agricultural sectoral growth by 6% per annum.

Development partners in attendance called upon the stakeholders of African agriculture to push for the roll out of CAADP implementation at the national-level. NEPAD News, july 28, 2009