In-Depth Evaluation of United Nations Economic Commission of Africa Natural Resources and Energy Subprogramme

INTRODUCTION

1. In its resolution 1994/39 of 29 July 1994, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), on the proposal of the ECA Conference of Ministers, requested an in-depth evaluation of ECA's subprogramme on natural resources and energy development. The Council also requested the Executive Secretary of the Commission to report on the implementation of the resolution at the twenty-first meeting of the Conference of Ministers.

2. The present evaluation was prepared by the Division for Environment Management and Social Development (DEMSD) of the United Nations Department for Development Support and Management Services (DDSMS) under the overall guidance of the Central Evaluation Unit (CEU) of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). The report is based on a review of the programme orientation and technical assessments of the quality and relevance of the main outputs delivered during 1992-1995 period and a survey of officials of ECA member countries and United Nations agencies. Sections I to VI contain reviews of the orientation and performances of the subprogramme prepared by the substantive officers of DEMSD. The report prepared by the Division was reviewed for CEU by four specialists on water, mineral resources and energy development. Section VII, prepared by CEU, summarizes the main findings of substantive assessment and concludes with observations and recommendations.

3. The ECA programme budget on natural resources and energy development for 1994-1995 stated that the

"subprogramme will focus on the formulation of national, subregional and regional policies and strategies leading to the implementation of programmes for ... water, minerals and non-living marine resources and energy" [United Nations, Proposed programme budget 1996-1997 A/50/6/Rev.1, para. 15A.57]

4. The total resources for the subprogramme during the 1994-1995 biennium comprised $US 3.859 million compared to $3.131 million for 1996-1997 biennium. The decrease in resources levels reflected the deployment of four posts in the professional category and above to programme support and management and two local level posts to trade, regional economic cooperation and integration. These redeployments effectively decreased the established posts at the professional category and above from 15 to 11. [United Nations, Proposed programme budget 1996-1997 A/50/6/Rev.1, para. 15A.53]. Allocations for consultants services similarly declined by $49,000 to $95,300 in the 1994-1995 biennium. [Table 15A.21 United Nations, Proposed programme budget 1996-1997, A/50/6/Rev.1].

5. Table 1 summarizes the outputs of the subprogramme in the 1994-1995 budget period by types of outputs and the percentage of work months devoted to the different types of activities. While not all staff time is accounted for, the distribution of the reported months devoted to the different types of outputs suggests that the biggest share of the regular staff, 40 per cent, goes to publications followed by reports and the servicing of meetings, advisory services and participation in professional and inter-agency meetings. The only significant departure from the programmed activities consisted of the addition of three non-recurrent publications. The most significant type of service, in terms of staff time, was the production of non-recurrent publications.

Table 1. Analysis of programme performance 1994-1995

Source: Derived from the data provided by Central Monitoring and Investigations Unit of the OIOS.

Notes:

a Consists of three meetings and three reports.

b Workshop for 25 participants, implemented jointly with the Economic Development Institute (EDI), World Bank.

c One non-recurrent publication and one computer printout were proposed or terminated. Three non-recurrent publications were added. Otherwise, the outputs were implemented as programmed in the 1994-1995 programme budget.

REPORT

IN-DEPTH EVALUATION OF ECA NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY PROGRAMME

I. MINERAL RESOURCES

A. Review of objectives and orientation

6. The three objectives listed for mineral resources in the Medium-term Plan for 1992-1997 are in line with the general objectives of the United Nations system for mineral resource development in developing countries and in Africa.

7. It is noted, however, that of the General Assembly, Economic and Social Council and ECA resolu-tions listed in the Medium-term Plan as the legislative authority for the subprogramme in natural resources and energy, three (Council resolutions 1987/10, 1989/8 and 1989/12) address natural resources, but none of them addresses the minerals sector specifically. The listed objectives and course of action of the subpro-gramme which pertain to mineral resources are not directly related to any of the resolutions specifically listed as legislative authority. It is, therefore, not evident on what authority or guiding principles this component is specifically based.

8. It is also noted that of the objectives of the subprogramme pertaining to mineral resources, there is no mention of the environment or the extraction of mineral resources in an environmentally sound manner. Given that the Medium-term Plan for 1992-1997 was drawn up before the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, this is perhaps understandable. However, since the creation of the Medium-term Plan, ECA published in December 1992 "The environment and mineral resources development and utilization in Africa," showing that this was a topic that ECA was addressing.

9. The course of action given in the Medium-term Plan with respect to mineral resources is consistent with the objectives listed. An additional comment, however, is that in both the objectives and the course of action sections, there is no mention of priority, leading to the question of whether the objectives are listed in order of priority or whether there is no particular priority of one over the other. In the view of this evaluator, in both the objectives and the course of action, increasing and strengthening member countries' institutional, negotiating and manpower capacities and capabilities should take higher priority over improving their knowledge of mineral resource endowment.

10. From the reported output and activities from the annual reports, ECA fulfilled what it set out to do in its proposed programme for the 1992-1993 biennium.

11. The mineral sector reports and technical studies carried out in the biennium 1994-1995 are consistent with the Medium-term Plan for 1992-1997.

12. While several reports were submitted from this subprogramme, the documentation for review is nonetheless incomplete. Under the heading of activities, no outputs have been submitted for review docu-menting the two ad hoc expert group meetings proposed on policies and strategies for the development of natural resources and energy in Africa. Under technical material, none of the computer printouts mentioned in the subprogramme were submitted, nor any other document relating to the compilation of mineral resources. Under training, a proposal for a training/study tour for small-scale miners was received; however, no documentation was submitted pertaining to the regional seminar on sustainable development in the context of Agenda 21.

13. It is important to note the emphasis in this last biennium of the Medium-term Plan on privatization and deregulation, which is a logical direction to take in the subprogramme. The baseline studies proposed will greatly facilitate the planning involved in bringing about desired improvements in the mineral resources sector in Africa.

B. Assessment of performance

1. Overall assessment

14. As a general overview, the outputs evaluated are of varying quality and usefulness. The mineral sector studies are of good to excellent technical quality and should be useful to governments and potential investors. Reports such as these are to be emphasized, especially since the focus of the 1996-1997 biennium is on privatization and deregulation, and since it is stated in the conference reports that African countries are working to create an enabling environment for the private sector and for foreign investment. Among the other categories, some of the mission reports are for short missions and are therefore short and super-ficial, bringing into question the usefulness of such missions.

2. Assessment of outputs

15. The outputs for assessment are 18 ECA documents made available for review which can be divided into the following categories: mineral sector studies, country and subregional institution studies, specific mission reports and reports on conferences or other meetings in which ECA participated and contributed. The documents are listed by category in the attached annex I.

(a) Mineral sector studies

16. The mineral sector studies are of a general good quality and should be of use to mining ministries and potential mineral investors. Among these studies, "Prospects for the increased production of and intra-African trade in copper metal and copper-based products," sponsored by ECA together with UNIDO, is of superior quality and professionalism, and is a valuable technical contribution regarding copper production and development in Africa.

(b) Country and subregional institution studies

17. There are two reports in this category. The first, "Politiques africaines de développement minier à l'orée des années 90" gives a useful overview of African mineral laws. The second, "Identification et évaluation des besoins prioritaires en matière de développement de la République du Congo" is a general study which is often too general and therefore of limited use. There are also places where the proposed mineral developments do not appear realistic.

18. Of particular interest in this report, however, is the description of the status of the Central African Mineral Resources Development Centre (CAMRDC). The report states that the state of affairs of the Centre has continually deteriorated since 1987. From 1983 to 1993, member States paid less than a third of their total financial obligations, and the Centre is heavily in debt. The last director had "disappeared" in November 1993 and, as of July 1994, the time of the mission, the Administration Council had not named an interim director. Also, the functionaries had not been paid for two years, were threatened with eviction from their housing, and their children had been excluded from schools. Given this dire situation, it is surprising that the report makes no mention of whether or not the Centre was actually being used by the member States and even more surprising that the ECA delegation did not recommend that the ECA secre-tariat, in its position of president of the Centre's Executive Committee, consider closing the Centre entirely.

(c) Specific mission reports

19. Of the mission reports reviewed, it is noted that on one mission, ECA had interesting and construc-tive talks with officials from the African Development Bank (ADB). Missions such as these are both useful and desirable for effective communication and coordination. Other findings are that two of the missions were for three days or less, which, given the terms of reference of the missions was not sufficient time. The result is reports which address the issues of the mission in a superficial way, calling into question the utility of undertaking missions of such short duration.

(d) Reports on conferences or other meetings in which ECA participated and to which it contributed

20. The conference reports show that ECA participated in several meetings and conferences during 1993-1995. From these reports, it is observed that two of the conferences attended, one in Zimbabwe in 1994 and the other in Ghana in 1995, were conferences to prepare for another conference. It is also observed that from the "Mission report concerning ECA's participation at eighth Executive Board and fourteenth Govern-ing Council meetings of the Eastern and Southern African Mineral Resources Development Centre (ESAMRDC)," (NRD/MRU/MR/10/94), the report discusses the administration of the Centre but there is little on the past, present or future work programme or on the patterns of usage. Furthermore, after reading this document, it is surmised that for the Centre, eight years after its establishment, its effectiveness is ques-tionable. Member States, other than the host country (the Tanzania), appear reluctant to commit any resources to the institution. The Belgian Government has frozen its grant of $464,561, apparently due to a lack of planning for the funds. Seconded staff are supported by ECA funds rather than member States contributions. Services are claimed to be offered but there is no indication that they are being solicited, nor are there any visible outputs. There is no presentation of past executed programmes, their usefulness, and future work programmes. Large donations from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the European Union (EU) are expected and ECA must ensure that these funds are properly utilized.

C. Proposals

21. ECA could take a more forceful role in organizing and coordinating change in the regulatory frame-work, and in setting up negotiations with potential investors. It would appear that ECA is preparing to undertake this role within the 1996-1997 subprogramme.

22. In addition to the emphasis on privatization and deregulation given in the 1996-1997 subprogramme, associated issues which need to be addressed are tax legislation to encourage foreign direct investment (FDI), permit criteria and processes, and the formalization of the small-scale mining sector. Implicit in the permit process are environmental standards and responsibilities. As for small-scale mining, strategies need to be devised to provide incentives for individual dealers and small operators, who are currently operating in black market enterprises, to join the formal sector.

23. For the formulation of the next Medium-term Plan, a significant amount of emphasis needs to be given to the environment and the environmentally sound development of mineral resources.

24. The status and effectiveness of the ESAMRDC and the CAMRDC and the role of ECA in ensuring the adequate management of these centres need to be forthrightly evaluated. Based on one of the reports reviewed, ECA should seriously consider recommending the closure of the CAMRDC. Further, in addition to the administrative and management aspects of these centres, much more attention and emphasis needs to be given to what the centres actually do and evaluating their output. D. Comments on the ECA self-evaluation of subprogramme 15: Natural resources (biennium 1992-1993)

25. In the self-evaluation for the mineral sector, it was claimed that some measure of the positive results of ECA activity was reflected in the increasing support of member States to the ESAMRDC. This, however, is not substantiated by the record of the meeting of the Governing Council of the ESAMRDC.

26. ECA also states that they have had impact on mining development policy and small-scale mining, but no indicators were given to measure these impacts.

27. Lack of harmonization between ECA and other United Nations bodies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) was cited as one of the limitations of sector activities, but no reasons were given as to why this situation exists, nor were any solutions proposed that might remedy this for the future.

28. Overall, it is difficult to assess the ECA self-evaluation since, as mentioned in the document itself, it is predominantly based on country reports which were not received for this evaluation.

II. WATER RESOURCES

A. Review of objectives and orientation

29. This evaluation is based on 11 substantive documents on ECA programmes and activities in the field of water resources, complemented with information from general ECA documents (annex I). The substantive reports published by ECA in the field of water resources cover two ECA case studies, three mission reports, two reports of consultancy studies, three volumes of an annual water resources magazine and one directory of water resources specialists. Information on ECA policies and strategies, institutional capacity and pro-gramme implementation was drawn from the programme budgets for the biennium 1992-1993, 1994-1995, the proposed programme budget for 1996-1997, the Medium-term Plan, 1992-1997 as well as from internal work programmes, self-evaluation of the natural resources subprogramme for 1992-1993 and extracts from annual reports of 1992-1993 and 1993-1994.

30. The objectives of ECA's programme, as formulated in the above-mentioned documents, address the whole range of water resources problems in Africa. However, in view of the limited resources and capa-cities of ECA, a more modest programme should be carved, building on the comparative advantages of ECA within the United Nations and the international and national communities. It is proposed that such a pro-gramme focus on:

(a) Development and harmonization of national frameworks [national water resources manage-ment strategies including legislation on water uses, allocation and pricing; regulations and compliance criteria on pollution and depletion; establishment of basin-wide water quality and quantity management plans (emphasis on creating endogenous resources and targeting maximum benefits at the grass-roots level)];

(b) The adaptation of the institutional environment in water-related sectors to implement national water resources management (WRM) strategies (emphasis on accountability and awareness raising at the decision makers' level);

(c) Regional cooperation on shared lake and river basins (emphasis on facilitation of joint basin management).

31. These objectives would need to be refined in close cooperation with individual countries and through discussion at subregional levels to regional levels.

B. Assessment of performance

1. Inter-agency groups and expert group meetings and conferences

32. ECA serves as the secretariat of the Inter-agency Group for Water (IGWA), established in 1992. ECA further organized an ad hoc expert group meeting on policies and strategies for the development of natural resources and energy in Africa. Currently, it joins the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in the organization of a regional conference on sustainable development of natural resources and energy in the light of the implementation of chapter 18 of Agenda 21.

33. The IGWA was formed with a mandate from the United Nations Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) Inter-secretariat Group for Water Resources to enhance coordination and harmonization of water resources activities in Africa by various United Nations agencies and other intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). Three IGWA meetings have been held so far. Participating in the last IGWA meeting were UNEP, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS) and the Niger Basin Authority (NBA). Other agencies [the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), etc.] participated in earlier meetings. The IGWA meetings encouraged increased interaction and collaborative efforts between participating agencies. However, the IGWA meetings have resulted in a very limited number of joint activities, notably between UNEP and ECA and between ECA and WMO. The level of collaboration and exchange of information on activities in WRM in Africa has to be stepped up significantly for the IGWA to justify its annual meetings. ECA's contribution to these inter-agency activities should remain focused on the facilitation of transboundary water resources management, including the promotion of harmonization of national regulations in the water sector.

2. Studies on policy and technical aspects of sustainable water resources development

34. ECA conducted studies on the following topics:

(a) Procedures, problems and scope of small-scale irrigation schemes - Burkina Faso, the Niger and Senegal (1994)

35. This study assesses the scope for expanded application of small-scale irrigation in Burkina Faso, the Niger and Senegal. It is concluded that small rural irrigation schemes have not been able to raise the standard of living of the rural population above subsistence levels. The report claims that the success of these schemes could improve considerably through increased involvement of the local population and increased support by (local, provincial) governments. Any follow-up on the results of this work should be tied in with national action plans in the respective countries to have any lasting impact.

(b) Problems and prospects for inter-country cooperation for integrated WRD of the Nile River Basin (1993)

36. This report briefly summarizes the situation vis-à-vis the establishment of an effective mechanism for intercountry cooperation on the Nile river basin. The main bottlenecks in the process are reviewed and a case is built for the installation of a Nile river basin management authority (Tecconile) to optimize the use of basin water resources while sustaining the yield of the river Nile. The participation of ECA in this exercise seems justified, judged by the results presented in the report.

(c) Conservation and rational use of water resources in North African countries (1991)

37. An overview is presented of the water sector in Algeria, Egypt, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, the Sudan and Tunisia. The report includes background information on the socio-economic situa-tion, physical context and institutional frameworks in the different countries. It focuses on adapting national strategies to meet the growing water demands of the region. The recommendations mainly deal, on one hand, with the population policies and awareness and, on the other, institution building for water resources management, planning and assessment. The report provides many details on water resources management and development in North Africa; however, the recommendations are too general to address effectively the wide variety of water resources issues that exist in the different countries.

(d) Strategies and policies for water resources development in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Egypt (1991)

38. This report presents similar water sector reviews for Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Egypt leading to similar recommendations. The report proposes to review the institutional capacity and organization with regard to water resources management, install cost-recovery policies and deal with issues of population planning. Again these recommendations lack national definition to be of use in national water sector planning exercises in the concerned member States.

3. Technical assistance to regional water resources management organizations

39. ECA has been actively involved in the preparatory process for setting up a Nile river basin manage-ment authority (Tecconile) for the shared management of water resources of the Nile basin. ECA is currently assisting the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) in the preparation of a donor conference to raise funds for the implementation of the master plan for the integrated development of the Lake Chad basin area. Both regional activities present opportunities for cooperation and harmonization of water resources management practices and thus merit ECA involvement.

4. Technical assistance to member States

40. The only report produced by ECA on technical assistance to member States is related to a mission by the ECA Multinational Regional Advisory Group (MRAG) to the Seychelles to assist in the preparation of a plan for the development of water resources in southern Mahe. The mission report provides a detailed analysis of the socio-economic context for water development and proposes a range of actions on improve-ment of bore-hole drilling schemes, small reservoir construction and introduction of novel agricultural techniques. In arriving at these recommendations, it seems that only limited attention was paid to existing or traditional water practices as possible alternatives to the proposed new interventions. Although environ-mental and sustainability concerns are expressed in the document, they are not referred to in the considera-tions leading to the proposed interventions.

5. Dissemination and exchange of information

41. ECA produces and disseminates MAJI, an annual publication pertaining to water resources manage-ment activities in Africa. MAJI reports on new and ongoing projects and reviews organizations and institu-tions active in the field of water resources in Africa. It solicits inputs from individuals and institutions to express their views on water resources management in Africa and promotes awareness of water issues. MAJI will continue to be an effective publication, provided it can expand its distribution so as to penetrate African professional societies fully and provide the necessary forum for exchange of knowledge and ideas in water resources management. With this in mind, the frequency of publication could be increased to reach the level of a regular professional journal.

6. Overall assessment

42. The ECA Water Unit can be praised for its efforts in actively promoting regional cooperation and strategy formulation on water issues in Africa. Positive effects of these consensus-building efforts will be visible in the medium and long term. The limited success of typical national/bilateral projects in water resources management in the past was due, in part, to the absence of collaborative efforts and regional or national coordination. ECA can be instrumental in overcoming these obstacles on a steep and rocky path to sustainable water resources management in Africa.

43. Up to 75 per cent of staff time in the Water Unit is spent on promoting regional cooperation and national policy and strategy studies. Less time is spent on collection and dissemination of information, and very little is left for technical assistance. Considering the technical-institutional capacity of ECA, the poten-tial for providing national technical assistance and coordinating operational projects in water resources management will remain very limited; therefore, this low priority for technical assistance is justified and should be reflected in the ECA objectives and programmes.

C. Proposal

44. This assessment fully endorses the report of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) on the role of the United Nations system in science and technology in Africa:

"ECA has demonstrated its strongest asset in policy and strategy formulation... The Commission's involvement in other areas, particularly in inter-agency programming and operational coordination, has produced only mixed results at best, partly because ECA's pro-grammes appear overstretched and partly because of limited support by the United Nations system for many of its regional initiatives, especially in the area of institution building"

"the organization places little emphasis on sectoral, national and regional strategies for endogenous generation of general and financial development resources..."

"the organization's activities are not tied or responsive to regional development blue-prints adopted by governments and endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly...".

45. The report recommends a few equally important, strategic areas where the United Nations enjoys a clear comparative advantage over other development partners:

(a) Coordinating policy reform initiatives, which currently seem to be left almost entirely to the Bretton Woods institutions;

(b) Awareness raising in national counterpart departments through briefing sessions and work-shops at the decision makers' level;

(c) Supporting national science and technology programmes likely to have impact at the grass-roots level;

(d) Proposing efficiency reforms to national public or civil services, inter alia, through the intro-duction of more efficient systems of accountability and control likely to reduce graft and financial manage-ment abuses, or through expanded use of automated management information systems;

(e) Devising national strategies for increased endogenous creation of resources, notably by developing programmes that attract local and foreign investments.

46. These themes transcend sectoral issues. They are very appropriate where ECA's programme and their reorientation is concerned. Achievements in these areas are a prerequisite for building a water resources programme for Africa that integrates with national and regional resources, capacities and developments.

D. Comments on the ECA self-evaluation

47. The problems of water resources management in Africa are immense. The ECA self-evaluation lacks a realistic analysis of what ECA, in view of its limited capacity and resources, could possibly contribute to alleviating these problems. There still seems to be a huge discrepancy between ambitious objectives and down-to-earth activities.

III. ENERGY RESOURCES

48. As part of the preliminary activities of the evaluation, a desk review was undertaken of ECA docu-ments and other materials relevant to the subprogramme on Natural resources and energy development in the light paragraph 4 of Commission resolution 776 (XXIX). This review evaluates documentation produced by ECA having to do with issues related to energy. Among the documentation submitted to DDSMS for evaluation, there were three known recurrent publications on:

(a) Energy supply, energy use and related policy options in African countries;

(b) Potential contribution of new and renewable sources of energy to the African energy supply; and

(c) Guidelines on petroleum legislation in African countries aimed at assisting member States in the maximization of revenue from petroleum operations.

49. Also submitted for evaluation were sectoral reports presented at the seminars and meetings organized by ECA, as well as reports of four training workshops, seminars, and ad hoc expert group meetings. These included:

(a) Report of the preparatory mission for the Conference of African Ministers responsible for the Development and Utilization of Mineral Resources and Energy, Accra, 17-24 January 1995;

(b) Report of the Ad hoc Expert Group Meeting on Policies and Strategies for the Development and Utilization of Natural Resources and Energy in Africa, Addis Ababa, 27 June - 1 July 1994;

(c) Report of the Seminar on Policies, Planning and the Environment, Abidjan, 20-29 October 1993;

(d) Report of the Ad hoc Meeting of Senior Advisers on Energy Strategy and Policies in Africa, Addis Ababa, May 1993; and

(e) Report of the Seminar on Energy Policy and the Environment, Addis Ababa, 9-12 November 1992.

A. Problem addressed

50. The objectives of the energy subprogramme as presented in the Medium-term Plan for 1992-1997 are as follows:

(a) Developing national capabilities for exploration, exploitation, evaluation and development of energy resources and in promoting multinational cooperation activities;

(b) Integrating energy policies into general socio-economic growth and development policies;

(c) Enhancing fuel substitution and environmental control techniques, energy efficiency and, in particular, end-use efficiency in order to achieve sustainable energy development as stipulated by Agenda 21.

51. It is evident that the documentation and publications produced by ECA in this period address objec-tives (a) and (b) above.

B. Evaluation plan

52. For the purposes of this desk study, it was not possible to interview the primary users and target audience of the documentation, i.e., the energy planners and senior decision-makers at the national and subregional levels in Africa. It was not possible to determine how effectively the documentation was distributed to its target audience, or how useful and relevant the information in the documentation was to their work programme. The evaluation centred on reviewing the technical quality of the documentation.

C. Findings

(a) The "Report of the preparatory mission for the Conference of African Ministers responsible for the Development and Utilization of Mineral Resources and Energy" is a good report which gives an indication of the strong capabilities which ECA can bring to bear on the organization, administration and technical support of high-level conferences;

(b) The "Rapport du Séminaire sur la politique et la planification et l'environnement", Abidjan, 20-29 October 1993, is an excellent example of a technical report that provides a round-up of a meeting. Besides the important information with regard to agenda and participants, it provides summaries of substantive discussions that took place. The full text of ECA-pre-sented documents and case studies is contained in an ample annex to the report. African energy planners would benefit from reading this report;

(c) The "Report of the Seminar on Energy Policy and the Environment", Addis Ababa, 9-12 November 1993, is of very limited usefulness. While the programme of the seminar appears to have been quite rigorous, there is meager description provided of the issues raised and the discussions that followed. This document should have been improved substantially prior to its release;

(d) The "Report on Ad hoc Meeting of Senior Advisers on Energy Strategy and Policies in Africa", Addis Ababa, 17-20 May 1993, is a good document that provides detailed informa-tion on the issues discussed in the extensive agenda of the meeting;

(e) The "Report of the Ad hoc Expert Group Meeting on Policies and Strategies for the Development and Utilization of Natural Resources and Energy in Africa", Addis Ababa, 27 June - 1 July 1994, is an excellent technical report, largely due to the exhaustive summary of the proceedings that is provided. Following the report of the proceedings for each sector (water, minerals, energy, information systems), there are recommendations for action at the national and regional levels. This is an excellent technical publication that should be of significant value to energy planners and policy makers in Africa;

(f) The report on "Guidelines on petroleum legislation in African countries aimed at assisting member States in the maximization of revenue from petroleum operations (exploration and production contracts)" provides guidelines on basic provisions and requirements of petroleum legislation. It is a useful primer for African countries that are considering initiating petro-leum exploration promotion activities. For countries with ongoing exploration or production programmes, it provides useful guidance in maximizing revenues from petroleum contracts;

(g) The report "Potential contribution of new and renewable sources of energy to the African energy supply" is a technical publication which seeks to inform African energy planners about opportunities and constraints to the application of new and renewable energy techno-logies. It also provides some information on investment requirements and economic feasi-bilities, which is the presumed target of such a publication. The report succeeds only in providing an overview of the issues described above. The shallow treatment of the subjects covered and the lack of case studies describing the application of new and renewable sources of energy technologies in Africa (or elsewhere) results in a publication that is unsatisfactory from a technical standpoint. Such cursory treatment can be of little use to energy ministries;

(h) The report "Energy supply, energy use and related policy options in African countries" is a useful tool to introduce African energy planners to analysis of the energy sector. It covers the various energy sources, the energy supply/demand matrix, and issues in the management of energy supply and demand through policy interventions. Finally, it discusses environ-mental impacts associated with energy production and utilization.

D. Conclusions

53. In all cases, the recurrent publications and sectoral reports prepared by ECA were in conformity with the objectives of the energy subprogramme of its Medium-term Plan.

54. A number of the documents that were reviewed reported on high-level meetings that were organized by ECA. The reports are well presented. The ability of ECA to organize high-level meetings of this nature lends credence to its political importance within Africa, particularly in the area of natural resources and energy.

55. In general, where the publications included recommendations for action programmes or policy measures to be adopted at the national or subregional levels, such recommendations were technically sound, cogent and clearly worded.

56. Several of the documents reviewed could be termed technical publications. They were designed to inform African energy planners about the application of new energy technologies, provide information on investment requirements, evaluate economic feasibilities, describe policy interventions and provide financial guidance related to energy contracts. Most of these documents are useful primers that provide good technical guidance and advice to African energy planners. However, some documents provide only shallow treatment of the subjects covered and lack case studies which are critical to understanding the benefits and constraints of technology transfer or policy initiatives.

IV. CARTOGRAPHY

A. Review of objectives and orientation

57. According to the internal work programme, ECA works in several directions towards the main goal to provide assistance in surveying and mapping to the countries of the region, namely:

(a) International cooperation;

(b) Dissemination of information on advanced technologies through non-recurrent publications, technical and information materials;

(c) Information and advisory services;

(d) Group training, including seminars, workshops and fellowships;

(e) Coordination, harmonization and liaison;

(f) Organization of the United Nations Regional Cartographic Conferences for Africa.

B. Assessment of performance (outputs)

1. Assessment of each output

58. "Internal work programme": The scope and the goals of the work programme in cartography may be considered as sound and proper. It was impossible to assess and evaluate each subject in the work pro-gramme due to the unavailability of documents reflecting outputs in each of the above areas. An assessment and evaluation was done on the basis of available documents as follows:

(a) "Cartography and Remote Sensing Bulletin", issue No.4. It is a good reflection of the policy adopted by ECA to disseminate as wide as possible information on the role of geographical information systems, thematic mapping and regional cooperation in the field of cartography for sustainable development and environment protection. The materials are well balanced regarding different stages of modern map pro-duction techniques. Selection of authors allows readers to get information not only from Africa but from leading cartographic institutions all over the world. Issue No.4 gives a good impression with regard to scope and presentation of articles;

(b) "Report of the eighth United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 22-26 February 1993". This report is a comprehensive reflection of deliberations which took place during the Conference. It was compiled in accordance to the United Nations Editorial Rules and contains all relevant information;

(c) "Mission report on the twenty-eighth meeting of the Governing Council of the Regional Centre for Services in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Nairobi, Kenya, 6-9 December 1994" (NRD/CRSU/94-4). This report provides detailed and useful information on the issues discussed in the extensive agenda of the meeting. The document provides a broad picture of ECA's activities in the field of cartography. This includes participation in the revision of the Staff Rules and Regulations of the Centre, efforts to establish an African roster of experts, description of contacts with key persons in the countries of the region and so on. The report is a useful publication which seeks to inform African cartographers and land managers about opportunities and constraints to the application of new technologies. It also provides information on multiple tasks, achievements and plans of ECA to provide member States with information, technical and advisory support in the field of cartography and land information collection and management;

(d) "Accessions List. Map Documentation and Reference Centre, 1994" (NRD/CRSU/94-3)." The accessions list contains a list of maps, charts and other cartographic and remote sensing publications of concern to the African continent. ECA collects these publications at its Map Documentation and Reference Centre (MRDC), which is a valuable source of geographic reference materials needed by organizations and individuals conducting studies or engaged in scientific and socio-economic research on development issues in Africa. The list is published every year.

2. Overall assessment

59. It should be said that the publications in question give a good impression in regard of scope and presentation of articles. A good portion of the published materials is properly devoted to the role of geographical information systems, thematic mapping, and regional cooperation in the field of cartography for sustainable development and environment protection.

60. Comparing publications available for the evaluation with those listed in the ECA internal work pro-gramme, 1994-1995 biennium under the "performance indicator" column, it may be concluded that ECA managed to achieve physically the outputs they planned for. More importantly, the quality of the documents are of a commendable standard. Moreover, ECA seems to be doing its part in communicating with the Regional Centre for Services in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing and is making a significant effort at information exchange, as evidenced by the Map Documentation and Reference Centre.

61. It may be concluded that ECA gives proper attention to cartography as a tool for evaluation, planning and monitoring of progress in natural resources development and environmental protection.

C. Proposals

62. The work in cartography should continue along the established lines.

D. Comments on the ECA self-evaluation

63. ECA self-evaluation appears to have been performed properly, fairly and accurately.

V. REMOTE SENSING

A. Review of objectives and orientation

64. The following observations are restricted to evaluating the remote sensing component only, in connection with the bibliography in annex 1.

65. In evaluating the ECA programme and its accomplishments in remote sensing, the fast development and changes in the field of remote sensing have to be taken into account. Many technologies evolve within a short time frame, while others, like the global positioning system (GPS), for example, have, to a large extent, made conservative surveying and ground control procedures obsolete, including previous satellite methods.

66. In addition, it must be kept in mind that, for much resources development and environmental monitoring, remote sensing technology is a complementary data acquisition device. On the other hand, many tasks related to Agenda 21 and global monitoring are being undertaken by satellite only. For instance, measurements on global sea level changes, ozone, sea surface temperature, wind speed and direction, thematic mapping, weather patterns, precipitation vegetation index, insolation, etc., are exclusively docu-mented through observations from high altitudes.

67. Despite the above-mentioned restrictions and limitations, some general trends and observations still can be extracted from the submitted documentation.

B. Assessment of performance outputs

1. Environment and remote sensing

68. Outputs identified through the ECA publications have been reviewed with regard to the existing capabilities in the light of the user needs. Major issues addressed by ECA are the mapping process, remote sensing to support mapping progress and map updates, the role of geographical information systems, and the need for environmental information systems in Africa.

69. The need for environmental information systems in Africa and their implementation has been estab-lished. The challenge offered by the most recent technology and geographical information system (GIS) lead to the initiation of an environmental information system (EIS) in sub-Saharan Africa through the World Bank in 1990. The aim, under an Advisory Committee on Environmental Information Systems, is to establish guidelines for the functions of the EIS and to create or strengthen national networks of communication through agencies dealing with environmental data. Participating countries in the programme are Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, the Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

2. Thematic mapping

70. Thematic mapping is one of the essential tools in resources development and it has been recognized through ECA publications that spatial remote sensing has provided geographic information from satellite images to a high degree.

71. A general view on the situation in using satellite remotely sensed data indicates that many African countries do not possess the necessary resources to assess changes related to land use in general and changes in the domain of natural resources in particular.

3. Regional cooperation

72. The regional workshops are good indicators for the state-of-the-art in the participating member coun-tries and their conclusions, derived during the deliberations and presentations, are essential in policy formula-tion for the benefit of ECA member States. This is reflected in the report of the Regional Workshop on Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems held in Kenya in 1991.

73. Despite the rapid development in the complex and integrated use of remote sensing for survey work, the majority of African countries have not fully met their national needs. The importance of surveying and mapping is now recognized to be an integral part of resources development and remote sensing technology is the essential part of environmental monitoring. This also is reflected in the establishment of regional mechanisms in Africa, such as the Regional Centre for Training in Aerospace Surveys (RECTAS) and the continuous operation of the Regional Centre for Services in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing and its GIS activities.

74. The discussion on regional space science and technology education centres is in response to General Assembly resolution 45/72 of 1990, which calls for the establishment of regional centres. Their aim is to enhance the academic, professional capacity and technical infrastructure in each region with ECA being one of the cooperating and executing agencies. Besides evaluation missions being fielded, at present it is not clear to the reviewer under which modalities the envisaged centres have received support.

75. Two resolutions dealing with remote sensing were adopted by the Commission in 1993:

(a) Resolution 758 (XXVIII) entitled "The role of cartography, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) in sustainable development; and

(b) Resolution 759 (XXVIII) entitled "Data acquisition in the field of cartography and remote sensing in Africa".

76. Technical assistance has been provided to the African Organization for Cartography and Remote Sensing, the Regional Centre for Training in Aerospace Surveys and the Regional Centre for Services in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing on the development of institutional and managerial capabilities. The ECA secretariat organized the eighth United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Africa, in Addis Ababa, in 1993; participated in the Scientific Sub-Committee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space; and contributed to the Secretary-General's report on coordination of outer space affairs activities in the United Nations system (ECA annual report, E/1993/38; E/ECA/CM.19/27).

77. The analysis of actual programme performance at the output level in relation to the commitments in the programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993 identified two man-months for technical accessions for maps, charts and remote sensing images (ECA UN-H-23-46-15). The proposed programme budget for the biennium 1994-1995 (A/48/6/Rev.1) also accommodates technical material by accessing maps, charts and remote sensing images. Under operational activities in Section 15 the following are included: advisory services to the member States, and technical assistance to subregional and regional institutions, such as the Regional Centre for Services in Surveying, Mapping, and Remote Sensing, the Regional Centre for Training and Aerial Surveys, and the African Organization for Cartography and Remote Sensing.

78. The proposed programme budget for the biennium 1996-1997 under Section 15 includes in sub-programme 7 the substantive services for the ninth United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Africa and the recurrent information bulletin on cartography and remote sensing for Africa and mapping and land information systems.

79. The Cartography and Remote Sensing Bulletin published by ECA has the objective to disseminate information on cartography in the continent at regional and national level. The emphasis is to strengthen institutional, technological and human capabilities and further, to assist in streamlining policies in the field of surveying, mapping and remote sensing. ECA regards this bulletin not only as a technical publication, but also as a platform for the exchange of ideas, experience and information among scientists, scholars, government officers, students, etc., from Africa and abroad.

80. The Medium-term Plan for the period 1992-1997 (A/47/6/Rev.1) realized the potential in increasing the awareness of cartography and remote sensing as tools for natural resources planning, development and management, and characterized the present situation mainly by lack of national policies that can provide a framework for the promotion of these technologies. The weak scientific and technological infrastructure in most African countries, however, lead to difficulties in data acquisition and management; the lack of effec-tive coordination of remote sensing programmes and activities in the region also led to the lack of awareness and commitment by the decision makers with regard to the potential benefits of these technologies.

C. Overall assessment and proposals

81. The analysis of the reports indicates the intensive involvement of ECA in remote sensing for natural resources development and environmental monitoring. Regional cooperation organized through this programme effectively allows ECA to cooperate with countries and organizations which possess space technology.

82. Within the scope of the reviewed documentation, it is difficult to assess the degree to which ECA is involved in the upcoming new generation of satellites. References are missing for the RADARSAT and SeaWiFS platforms which were launched in 1995. It seems that no appropriate allocation has been provided to prepare the African member States in the use of the forthcoming data sets which will be available under commercial terms. Also, the users of remote sensing data in Africa may not be involved in monitoring of the radiation budget which is the major indicator for many of the natural disasters in Africa, namely droughts and desertification. ECA should establish contacts to have cooperative agreements for accessing this type of information with respect to an early disaster-warning system, in addition to the existing vegetation index which is already being operationally utilized for the benefit of countries in Africa.

83. Africa represents a continent where the application of space technology is underutilized. Although it is evident that ECA is undertaking serious efforts to assist its member States in the use of space techno-logy, it may be difficult to close the gap which is presently observed between needs and requirements in rela-tion to the assistance provided by ECA.

84. Otherwise, the academic level of the transfer of skills seems to be appropriate for the member States and from the programmes under regional cooperation, it is understood that the work of ECA has led to very fruitful joint operations among the member States.

D. Comments on the ECA self-evaluation

85. This overall conclusion is in agreement with the self-evaluation of subprogramme 15 on Natural resources for the biennium 1992-1993 (ECA, March 1994).

VI. MARINE AFFAIRS

A. Review of objectives and orientation

86. Objectives and orientation for the marine affairs programme in ECA are documented with the Medium-term Plan for the period 1992-1997 and the corresponding programme budget for the biennium under review. The evaluation has been performed against the documentation listed in annex I. In general, the orientation of the marine affairs programme in ECA should be adjusted in conformity with the latest developments in the law of the sea.

B. Assessment of performance outputs

87. Document ECA/NR/MAR/92/1 is based on an extensive inventory of the state of selected African countries in marine resources development. The development status, policies, strategies and legal frame-works have been well documented. As the document was issued in 1992, it has some shortcomings with respect to the more recent development in marine affairs. This includes, inter alia, the established Seabed Authority and the ratification of the Convention on the Law of the Sea by many countries (including developed industrial countries), and the established Tribunal. Marine minerals for potential and actual exploitation have been well documented, although the estimate that the seabed may become a greater source of nickel, cobalt and manganese may be, at present, too optimistic in comparison with existing sources on the continents. The report in its conclusions and recommendations identifies the reasons for African States lagging behind the rest of the world, mainly due to limited financial and human resources. The recom-mendations in this report should certainly assist in the future in strengthening the training component for the benefit of African States.

88. The benefits of training have been demonstrated with the regional Leadership Seminar on Marine/Ocean Affairs in Africa, the first of its kind ever organized by ECA (ECA/NRD/MAR/1/94). The outcome from the seminar, in its Strategy and Programme of Action, emphasized, among other things, the necessary legal framework to enable rational utilization of the extended maritime zone in the context of sustainable development. This is in agreement with the reviewer's judgement. In this context, the annual meeting of the International Ocean Institute (IOI) held in Madras, India, has been well documented in the same report and provides valuable information.

89. The document on current awareness, ratification and progress in the implementation of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is valuable. As the material presented in this report is an excellent summary of the issues addressed as of 1994, it might be advisable to update the contents, taking into account the recent developments in connection with the established Seabed Authority.

C. Proposals

90. The provision in the biennium to develop awareness of the benefits and opportunities offered by the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea and implementation of its provisions, indicates a total of six work months. Taking into account the status of hydrographic mapping in most of the countries in Africa, this may reflect a shortcoming in ECA's resources for the region. Large areas of the continental shelf within the exclusive economic zone are not completely surveyed, and there is a lack of data to survey and chart marine resource areas.

91. The proposed programme budget for the biennium 1996-1997, under Section 15, reflects an alloca-tion of resources too small to benefit from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. With the establishment of the Seabed Authority and the Tribunal, ECA member States may consider stronger emphasis on marine issues. In the future, the planned enhanced cooperation between regional bodies and ECA should also take into account the existing Regional Seas Programme in one of the Activity Centres of UNEP in Nairobi.

D. Comments on the ECA self-evaluation

92. In its self-evaluation of subprogramme 4, Marine affairs for the biennium 1992-1993, ECA addressed the problems impeding development of non-living marine resources which is related to lack of clear policies, poor planning and limited access to adequate data and information. This has been recognized as a reason for giving low priority to the development and management of marine resources. The reviewer agrees with the outcome of the self-evaluation and that Africa's vast marine resources can be fully developed only if the economic values of marine resources are better appreciated at the highest policy-making level.

VII. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS

93. The preceding sections reviewed the orientation of the ECA subprogramme on Natural resources and energy development. Each of the sections also assessed the technical quality of documents on mineral, water and energy resources and on cartography and remote sensing. The review of the programme orientation and assessments of the quality of the ECA outputs are based on the documents listed in annex 1. This review of the programme orientation and assessment of the outputs pertains to the 1992-1995 period.

A. Summary of findings

94. The observations of technical experts in DDSMS on the orientation and technical quality of the outputs may be summarized as follows:

(a) Mineral sector

(i) "The mineral sector studies are of good to excellent technical quality and should be useful to governments and potential investors. Reports such as these are to be emphasized, especially since the focus of the 1996-1997 biennium is on privatization and deregulation, and since it is stated in the conference reports that African countries are working to create an enabling environment for the private sector and for foreign investment." [p.3]

(ii) "ECA could take a more forceful role in organizing and coordinating change in the regulatory framework, and in setting up negotiations with potential investors." [p.4]

(iii) "In addition to the emphasis on privatization and deregulation in the 1996-1997 work programme, associated issues which need to be addressed are tax legislation to encourage foreign direct investment (FDI), permit criteria and processes, and the formalization of the small-scale mining sector. Implicit in the permit process are environmental standards and responsibilities. As for small-scale mining, strategies need to be devised to provide incentives for individual dealers and small operators, who are currently operating in black market enterprises, to join the formal sector." [p.4]

(b) Water resources

(i) DDSMS experts noted that "ECA serves as the secretariat of the Inter-agency Group for Water (IGWA), established in 1992. ECA further organized an Ad hoc Expert Group meeting on policies and strategies for the development of natural resources and energy in Africa." [p.5]

(ii) "The ECA Water Unit can be praised for its efforts in actively promoting regional cooperation and strategy formulation on water issues in Africa. Positive effects of these consensus building efforts will be visible in the medium and long term. The limited success of typical national/bilateral projects in water resources management in the past was due, in part, to the absence of collaborative efforts and regional or national coordination. ECA can be instrumental in overcoming these obstacles on a steep and rocky path to sustainable water resources management in Africa." [pp.7-8]

(iii) "Up to 75 per cent of staff time in the Water Unit is spent on promoting regional cooperation and national policy and strategy studies. Less time is spent on collec-tion and dissemination of information, and very little is left for technical assistance. Considering the technical-institutional capacity of ECA, the potential for providing national technical assistance and coordinating operational projects in water resources management will remain very limited; therefore, this low priority for technical assistance is justified and should be reflected in the ECA objectives and programmes." [p. 8]

(c) Energy resources

(i) "In all cases, the recurrent publications and sectoral reports prepared by ECA were in conformity with the objectives of the energy subprogramme of its Medium-term Plan."

(ii) "A number of the documents that were reviewed reported on high-level meetings that were organized by ECA. The reports are well presented. The ability of ECA to organize high-level meetings of this nature lends credence to its political importance within Africa, particularly in the area of natural resources and energy." [p.11]

(d) Cartography

(i) "... The ECA publications included in the assessment give a good impression in regard of scope and presentation of articles. A good portion of the published materials is properly devoted to the role of geographical information systems, thematic mapping, and regional cooperation in the field of cartography for sustain-able development and environment protection." [p.13]

(ii) "... The quality of the documents are of a commendable standard. Moreover, ECA seems to be doing its part in communicating with the Regional Centre for Services in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, and is making a significant effort at information exchange, as evidenced by the Map Documentation and Reference Centre." [p.13]

(e) Remote sensing

(ii) "Africa represents a continent where the application of space technology is under-utilized." [p.16]

(ii) "The analysis of the reports indicates the intensive involvement of ECA in remote sensing for natural resources development and environmental monitoring. Regional cooperation organized through this programme effectively allows ECA to cooperate with countries and organizations which possess space technology." [p.16]

(iii) "ECA should establish contacts to have cooperative agreements for accessing this type of information with respect to an early disaster warning system, in addition to the existing vegetation index which is already being operationally utilized for the benefit of countries in Africa." [p.16]

(f) Marine resources

(i) "...The orientation of the marine affairs programme in ECA should be adjusted in conformity with the latest developments... This includes, inter alia, the established Seabed Authority and the ratification of the Convention on the Law of the Sea by many countries." [p.17]

(ii) "The proposed programme budget for the biennium 1996-1997, under Section 15, reflects an allocation of resources too small to benefit from the United Nations Con-vention on the Law of the Sea. With the establishment of the Seabed Authority and the Tribunal, ECA member States may consider stronger emphasis on marine issues. In the future, the planned enhanced cooperation between regional bodies and ECA should also take into account the existing Regional Seas Programme in one of the Activity Centres of UNEP in Nairobi." [pp. 17-18]

B. Concluding observations and recommendations

95. To complement the desk review of the subprogramme, two questionnaires were sent to a total of 76 officials of ECA member countries and 10 officials of the United Nations agencies. Thirty of the 86 respondents returned the questionnaire. Eight of the 30 respondents indicated they were not familiar with the subprogramme. All government officials familiar with ECA activities in their respective field found ECA programme useful; more than 90 per cent of these officials indicated interest in international coopera-tion activities and publications and rated the quality and usefulness of ECA reports and publications good to very good. The assessment of the officials of the United Nations were similar. Annexes II.A and II.B give the responses to the questionnaires.

96. The questionnaires largely confirm the technical assessment of the outputs of the subprogramme. The questionnaires also invited respondents to provide their views on the orientation of the programme. The officials of government and regional institutions who responded to the questionnaire attached great importance to the dissemination of technical information by "providing a listing of information material and available services", "up-to-date information on African consultants", ensuring "the flow of technical informa-tion on a regular basis" and by "inviting comments on its [ECA] activities".

97. Four readers engaged in United Nations activities at the substantive and operational levels reviewed the report in draft form and provided comments. These readers were selected for their professional involve-ment in aspects of the subprogramme. All of the readers and the agency officials in their comments noted the limited resources of ECA in the field of natural resources and energy development. They observed that:

(a) "The regional commissions are ill-equipped to carry out effective technical advisory services since the critical mass in each area is too small";

(b) "In view of the limited resources, ECA could be most useful in policy and strategy formula-tion, dissemination of ECA, United Nations and other documentation and organization of subregional work-shops to discuss policy and strategy reformulation and selected technical issues";

(c) "The main problem of energy in Africa relates to inadequate supply particularly with regard to oil, natural gas and electricity. ECA could devote all of its limited resources to assisting the regional and subregional organizations" to develop effective strategies and policies for energy development.

(a) Recommendation 1: Focus on subregional cooperation

98. The current levels of resources available to ECA do not allow for an effective treatment of the range and scope of the substantive activities included in the mandates of the subprogramme on natural resources and energy development. The ECA natural resources and energy subprogramme should streamline the number of publications and focus its activities and priorities on subregional cooperation and collaboration with United Nations agencies.

(b) Recommendation 2: Responsibility centre for collection and dissemination of information

99. The 10 officials of the United Nations agencies and the four readers expressed interest in establishing collaborative arrangements that coordinate formulation of strategies and policies at regional and subregional levels, for which the Commission has a unique role, with the operational activities of the global agencies that command more resources for such activities than does the ECA. As part of that collaborative effort, ECA should be designated as the responsibility centre for the collection and exchange of information on minerals, water and energy resources, generated by both the United Nations agencies and ECA, and its dis-semination to member countries. The availability of this information will also be useful to ECA as the lead organization for policy analysis and formulation of strategies. The Commission could start this process first in the field of water, where ECA serves as the secretariat of the Inter-agency Group for Water in Africa.

Annex I

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A. General documentation

1. United Nations General Assembly, forty-first session, Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development, 1986-1990, resolution S-13/2, 1 June 1986.

2. United Nations General Assembly, forty-fifth session, Medium-term Plan for the period 1992-1997, Programme 45: Africa: Critical economic situation, recovery and development, 1991.

3. United Nations General Assembly, forty-sixth session, Proposed programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993, Section 15: Economic Commission for Africa, 1991.

4. United Nations General Assembly, forty-seventh session, Medium-term Plan for the period 1992-1997, Programme 30: Regional cooperation for development in Africa, 1993, Supplement No.6 (A/47/6/Rev.1).

5. United Nations General Assembly, forty-eighth session, Proposed programme budget for the biennium 1994-1995, Section 15: Economic Commission for Africa, 1993.

6. United Nations General Assembly, forty-ninth session, Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations, Note by the Secretary-General, section on programme and administrative practices in ECA (A/49/891), April 1995.

7. United Nations General Assembly, fiftieth session, Proposed programme budget for the biennium 1996-1997, Section 15: Economic Commission for Africa, April 1995.

8. Economic and Social Council, fiftieth session, United Nations support for science and technology in Africa (A/50/125), Joint Inspection Unit, Geneva, 1994

9. Economic and Social Council, Development of Africa, including the implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (E/1995/81), Report of the Secretary-General, June 1995.

10. United Nations, Functions and organization of the secretariat of the Economic and Social Commission for Africa, (ST/STB/Organization), Section: ECA, organization manual, April 1995.

11. Economic Commission for Africa, Annual Report. 24 April 1992 - 6 May 1993 (E/1993/38, E/ECA/CM.19/27), Supplement No.18.

12. Economic Commission for Africa, Annual Report. 7 May 1993 - 5 May 1994 (E/1994/40, E/ECA/CM.20/38), Supplement No.20.

13. Economic Commission for Africa, resolution 776 (XXIX): Development and strengthening of the Economic Commission for Africa's programme activities in the field of natural resources, energy and marine affairs, 291st meeting of the ECA Conference of Ministers, 4 May 1994.

14. Economic Commission for Africa, Self-evaluation of subprogramme 15: Natural resources, biennium 1992-1993, 25 March 1994, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

15. Economic Commission for Africa, Analysis of actual programme performance at the output level for the biennium 1992-1993 (A/48/6/Rev.1), 1994.

16. Economic Commission for Africa, Internal work programme for the biennium 1994-1995, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1994.

(b) Mineral resources

17. Economic Commission for Africa, An executive development programme for the African Mining Investment Conference, 10-12 May 1994, Harare, Zimbabwe (NRD/MRU/MR/4/94), 1994.

18. Economic Commission for Africa, Conference of African Ministers responsible for the development and utilization of mineral resources and energy. Preparatory mission to Ghana, 17-24 January 1995 (NRD/MRU/MR/1/95), 1995.

19. Economic Commission for Africa, The environment and mineral resources development and utilization in Africa (NRD/MRU/TP/3/92), 20 December 1992.

20. Economic Commission for Africa, Identification et évaluation des besoins prioritaires en matière de développement de la République du Congo, Rapport de la CEA, juillet 1994.

21. Economic Commission for Africa, Les matières premières minérales des fertilisants de l'Afrique subsaharienne (période 1980-1989).

22. Economic Commission for Africa, Mission report concerning ECA's participation at eighth Executive Board and fourteenth Governing Council meetings of the Eastern and Southern African Mineral Resources Development Centre (ESAMRDC), Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, 1-2 November 1994 (NRD/MRU/10/94).

23. Economic Commission for Africa, Policies and strategies for the development and utilization of natural resources and energy in Africa, July 1994.

24. Economic Commission for Africa, Politiques africaines de développement minier à l'orée des années 90 (NRD/MRU/TP/1/93), 1993.

25. Economic Commission for Africa, Prospects for the increased production of and intra-African trade in aluminium commodities and metal products(ECA/UNIDO/AFRIALUM/TP/1/94), July 1995.

26. Economic Commission for Africa, Prospects for the increased production of and intra-Africa trade in copper metal and copper-based products (ECA/UNIDO/AFRICOP/TP/2/94), February 1995.

27. Economic Commission for Africa, Rapport de mission en Cote D'Ivoire et au Burkina Faso(NRD/MRU/MR/1/94), May 1994.

28. Economic Commission for Africa, Rapport de mission au Mali et au Ghana, 4-14 juillet 1994 (NRD/MRU/MR/3/94), 1994.

29. Economic Commission for Africa, Rapport de mission dans la région minière du Sidamo (Ethiopie) (NRD/MRU/MR/2/94), 1994.

30. Economic Commission for Africa, Report of the mission to the Congo (in connection with the ECA Executive Secretary's visit to Brazzaville, 16-30 July 1994, August 1994.

31. Economic Commission for Africa, Report on mission to participate at the first Global Conference on Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Barbados, West Indies, 25 April - 6 May 1994 (NRD/WEMS/MISREP/2/94), 1994.

32. Economic Commission for Africa, Situation de l'exploitation minière à petite échelle en Afrique et stratégie pour son développement, 10 décembre 1992 (NRD/MRU/TP/1/92), 1992.

33. Economic Commission for Africa, UNCTAD Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Iron Ore, Third Session, Geneva, 24-26 October 1994, Mission Report, 1994.

(c) Water resources

34. Economic Commission for Africa, Directory of African Water Resources Specialists, 1992, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

35. Economic Commission for Africa, MAJI - Information Bulletin on Water Resources Activities in Africa, No. 5, December 1992, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

36. Economic Commission for Africa, MAJI - Information Bulletin on Water Resources Activities in Africa, No. 6, December 1993, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

37. Economic Commission for Africa, Etude sur les procédures et les perspectives des systèmes d'irrigation à petite échelle, Report of study, 1994, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

38. Economic Commission for Africa, Etude de cas : Strategies et politiques de mise en valeur des ressources en eau en Afrique, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Egypte, 1991, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

39. Economic Commission for Africa, Report on mission to Ndjamena, Chad, to assist the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) in the preparatory meeting for developing a strategy for the organization of the LCBC donor's conference, Report of mission, October 1994, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

40. Economic Commission for Africa, Report on mission to service the third annual meeting of the Inter-agency Group for Water in Africa (IGWA), Mission report, November 1994, Nairobi, Kenya.

41. Economic Commission for Africa, MAJI - Information Bulletin on Water Resources Activities in Africa, No. 7, December 1994, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

42. ECA-MRAG, Mission report to Seychelles on development of southern Mahe with emphasis on water resources, Report of mission by ECA Multidisciplinary Regional Advisory Group (ECA-MRAG), June 1994, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

43. Ayibotele, N.B., Conservation and rational use of water resources in eight North African countries, Report of consultancy mission for ECA, January 1991, Accra, Ghana.

44. Achamyeleh, K., Problems and prospects for intercountry cooperation for integrated water resources development of the Nile river basin, Report of consultancy study for ECA, November 1993, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

(d) Energy resources

45. Economic Commission for Africa, Potential contribution of new and renewable sources of energy to the African energy supply (NRD/MES/ERU/3/93), 1993.

46. Economic Commission for Africa, Approvisionnement énergetique, utilisation de l'énergie et orientation en la matière dans les pays africains (NRD/MES/ERU/5/93), June 1993.

47. Economic Commission for Africa, Guidelines on petroleum legislation in African countries aimed at assisting member States in the maximization of revenue from petroleum operations (exploration and production contracts).

48. Economic Commission for Africa, Report of the preparatory mission for the Conference of African Ministers responsible for the development and utilization of mineral resources and energy, Accra, 17-24 January 1995.

49. Economic Commission for Africa, Report of the Ad hoc Expert Group Meeting on Policies and Strategies for the Development and Utilization of Natural Resources and Energy in Africa, Addis Ababa, 27 June - 1 July 1994 (ECA/NRD/AD-HOC/94), July 1994.

50. Economic Commission for Africa, Rapport du Séminaire sur la politique et la planification et l'environnement, Abidjan, 20-29 octobre 1993 (NRD/MES/ERU/SEM/9/93), November 1993.

51. Economic Commission for Africa, Report on Ad hoc Meeting of Senior Advisers on Energy Strategy and Policies in Africa, Addis Ababa, May 1993.

52. Economic Commission for Africa, Report of the Seminar on Energy Policy and the Environment, Addis Ababa, 9-12 November 1992 (NRD/MES/ERU/13/92), November 1992.

(e) Cartography and remote sensing

53. Economic Commission for Africa, Cartography and Remote Sensing Bulletin. Second Edition, December 1992.

54. Economic Commission for Africa, Cartography and Remote Sensing Bulletin. No. 3, December 1993.

55. Economic Commission for Africa, Cartography and Remote Sensing Bulletin. No. 4, December 1994.

56. Economic Commission for Africa, Report of the eighth United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 22-26 February 1993.

57. Economic Commission for Africa, Accessions List. Map Documentation and Reference Centre, 1994 (NRD/CRSU/94-3).

58. Economic Commission for Africa, Mission report on the twenty-eighth meeting of the Governing Council of the Regional Centre for Services in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Nairobi, Kenya, 6-9 December 1994 (NRD/CRSU/94-4).

(f) Marine affairs

59. Economic Commission for Africa, Report of the mission to the Congo (in connection with the ECA Executive Secretary's visit to Brazzaville, 16-30 July 1994, August 1994.

60. Economic Commission for Africa, Mission report to the twelfth session of the Preparatory Commission for the International Seabed Authority and for the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea, Kingston, Jamaica, 7-11 February 1994.

61. Economic Commission for Africa, Report on missions to participate at the Ad hoc consultations organized by the Indian Ocean Marine Affairs Cooperation at Colombo, Sri Lanka (30 November - 6 December 1994) and the annual meeting of the International Ocean Institute (Pacem in Maribus 22) at Madras, India (7-9 December 1994), February 1995.

62. Economic Commission for Africa, Report on missions to participate at the first Global Conference on Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Barbados, West Indies, 25 April - 6 May 1994 (NRD/WEMS/MISREP/2/94), May 1994.

63. Economic and Social Council, Regional Leadership Seminar on Marine Ocean Affairs in Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 28 March - 2 April 1994 (ECA/NRD/MAR/1/94).

64. Economic Commission for Africa, Current awareness, ratification and progress of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 1994.

65. Economic Commission for Africa, Current development status, policies, strategies and legal frameworks for developing marine resources in selected African member States(ECA/NR/MAR/92/1), November 1992.

66. Economic and Social Council, Self-evaluation of subprogramme 4: Marine affairs (non-living resources of the seas), biennium 1992-1993 (ECA/NRD/WEMS/SE/2/92-93), March 1994.

Annex II.A

SURVEY OF OFFICIALS AND INSTITUTIONS OF ECA MEMBER STATES

1. Are you familiar with the ECA programme and activities in your field?

If yes, please indicate the field(s) of ECA programme with which you are familiar:

2. Is the ECA programme in the field(s) above useful to you?

If yes, please indicate what aspects in particular are useful:

2.1 Did your organization take part in any ECA-organized meetings, seminars, symposia, workshops, etc., within the past four years?

If yes, how would you evaluate the quality of the technical documentation and meeting report, and their usefulness to your work programme.

2.2 Do you receive technical publications from ECA?

If yes, what is your opinion about the overall quality of the publications, taking into account, reliability and timeliness of data, analytical rigor, and validity of recommendations?

What is your assessment of the relevance and usefulness of the publications to your work programme?

2.3 Have you received from ECA a listing of information materials and services that ECA provides?

If yes, what information materials or services have you requested, and for what type of programmes or events they were used?

Energy, survey journals

2.4 Has your organization requested technical advisory services from ECA?

If yes, how would you evaluate the quality and usefulness of the services and the impact they had on the status of the problem that was addressed?

2.5 Has anyone from your organization taken part in any training seminars, workshops or study tours organized by ECA?

If yes, was the subject matter relevant to your work programme?

Did the training result in enhanced capability of your staff who participated?

Annex II.B

SURVEY OF UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS

1. Are you familiar with the ECA programme and activities in your field?

If yes, please indicate the field(s) of ECA programme with which you are familiar:

2. Is the ECA programme in the field(s) above useful to you?

If yes, please indicate what aspects in particular are useful:

2.1 Did your organization take part in any ECA-organized meetings, seminars, symposia, workshops, etc., within the past four years?

If yes, how would you evaluate the quality of the technical documentation and meeting report, and their usefulness to your work programme.

2.2 Do you receive technical publications from ECA?

If yes, what is your opinion about the overall quality of the publications, taking into account, reliability and timeliness of data, analytical rigor, and validity of recommendations?

What is your assessment of the relevance and usefulness of the publications to your work programme?

2.3 Has your organization participated in or observed technical advisory services provided by ECA?

If yes, how would you evaluate the quality and usefulness of the services and the impact they had on the status of the problem that was addressed?