Draft Provisional Agenda - Committee of Experts

1. Opening of the Meeting.

2. Election of the Bureau and other organizational matters.

3. Outcomes of the fourth WTO Ministerial Conference; the International Conference on Financing for Development; and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD): Implications for Africa.

4. Discussion on the theme of the Conference - Accelerating Africa's Progress and Performance: The Challenges of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

5. Presentation on the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, 2001-2010.

6. Statutory Issues:

• Reports from various subsidiary and sectoral bodies of the Commission including the Intergovernmental Committees of Experts of the Subregional Development Centres (SRDCs);

• Enhancing ECA Operations: The role of the Subregional Development Centres (SRDCs);

• Consideration and endorsement of the proposed revisions to ECA's Medium-term Plan, 2002-2005;

• Consideration and endorsement of the revised statutes of the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP).

7. Any other business.

8. Consideration and adoption of the report.

9. Closure of the meeting.

II. Draft Annotations

1. Opening of the Meeting

(This session will be chaired by the Chairman of the outgoing Bureau until a new Bureau is elected)

Opening Speeches will be delivered by:

• Mr. Trevor Manuel, the Honourable Minister of Finance of the Republic of South Africa.

• Mr. K.Y. Amoako, United Nations Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

• A representative of the Interim Chairman, Commission of the African Union (AU).

2. Election of the Bureau and other organizational matters

3. Outcomes of the fourth WTO Ministerial Conference; the International Conference on Financing for Development; and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD): Implications for Africa

The Committee will devote this session to a discussion of recent developments in the global environment and their implications for Africa's development.

A number of important developments and events have taken place since the last session of the Commission in May 2001, which will have significant bearing on the international environment in which the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) will be implemented. Notable among these are the fourth WTO Ministerial Conference held in Doha, Qatar in November 2001, the International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) held in Monterrey, Mexico in May 2002 and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) which was recently held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Furthermore, the outcome of the third UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) held in Brussels, Belgium in May 2001, which adopted a Plan of Action for LDCs, is also an important event, which will shape the content and form of activities to be undertaken in the implementation of NEPAD. Similarly, the G8 Africa Action Plan adopted by the G8 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada in July this year will also impinge significantly on the modalities for implementation of NEPAD. Clearly, the issues addressed in these conferences are related, and as such the conferences should be seen as a continuum, and not as isolated events.

The ECA secretariat will make three presentations focusing on the outcomes of each of these important developments and events, and in particular on the implications for African countries of the key issues addressed at these conferences. The presentations will also review the required actions to be undertaken by African countries and their development partners in achieving favourable outcomes as well as in building synergies with the activities to be undertaken in the implementation of NEPAD. In addition, the presentation will review the critical role played by ECA in preparing its member States for effective participation in these major events, and examine its future role in providing necessary support for the implementation of the key recommendations of these conferences. In this context, ECA's new programme orientation which is aimed at re-focusing its work to enable it provide high-quality, policy-relevant assistance to its member States in selected areas will be reviewed.

Documentation

The ECA secretariat will make three presentations under this agenda item. Background Notes on the presentations will be made available to participants.

4. Discussion on the Conference Theme - Accelerating Africa's Progress and Performance: The Challenge of NEPAD

At its thirty-fourth session held in Algiers, Algeria in May 2001, the Commission requested the ECA secretariat to assist in the merger of the two African leadership initiatives, namely MAP and the Omega Plan into a single initiative, and to convene the next session of the Commission to examine the most effective ways the unified plan can be implemented. The theme of the Conference is also relevant with regard to the United Nations Millennium Declaration, which established a number of goals related to development, poverty eradication and meeting the special needs of Africa in several areas. Following on this mandate, ECA worked closely with the technical experts of MAP and the Omega Plan through its participation in various workshops which culminated in the adoption of NEPAD by the Assembly of OAU Heads of State and Government at their Summit in Lusaka, Zambia in July 2001. Since the adoption of NEPAD as the single overarching framework for accelerating Africa's development, ECA has continued to provide technical support to the process of elaborating the initiative. For example, ECA was assigned the task of elaborating international codes and standards in the area of economic and corporate governance. Recently, the Heads of State Implementation Committee of NEPAD adopted a Declaration on Political, Economic and Corporate Governance, which embodied the peer review mechanism developed by ECA.

A number of important developments and events have taken place since the adoption of NEPAD, which will have implications for its implementation, including the recent G-8 response, which was unveiled in Kananaskis, Canada in June 2002.

The Committee will have before it an issues paper prepared by the ECA secretariat on the theme of the Conference, which focuses on the core principles underpinning NEPAD; the wide range of actions required in implementing the initiative and the essential partnerships that would need to be developed to guarantee favourable outcomes. The Committee will examine these issues within the broader context of Africa's development challenges and the MDGs such as the HIV/AIDS development challenge; improving governance; addressing the problem of low agricultural productivity; low levels of human resource development; and the challenges of mobilizing development finance.

One of the most innovative features of NEPAD is the emphasis it places on transforming Africa's aid relations with its development partners. Drawing on lessons learned to date on the determinants of aid effectiveness, the issues paper provides the key elements for a new aid and partnership architecture to be underpinned by the principles of African ownership of the development agenda; mutual accountability; and enhanced predictability of resource flows for more effective expenditure planning and management. The discussions under this cluster will particularly underscore the importance of the African Peer Review (APR) mechanism as a basis for enhancing partnerships, as well as the need to anchor the APR in rigorous monitoring and evaluation of performance in order to make it credible and effective. The discussions will be informed by ECA's analytical work on assessing Africa's economic and social progress and the sustainability of growth performance at country and regional levels as well as progress towards meeting the MDG goals. It should be emphasized in this regard that a key implementation challenge of NEPAD is to utilize and capitalize on the processes that are now in place to reduce poverty, and for which there has already been tremendous investment at the country and regional levels such as the PRSP and HIPC processes.

Documentation

An Issues Paper prepared by the ECA secretariat on the theme of the Conference. The paper will provide a summary of the key issues to be discussed under the theme by the Conference of Ministers (E/ECA/CM.1/2).

5. Presentation on the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, 2001-2010

With 34 of the world's 49 LDCs in Africa, urgent measures are required to accelerate the development of these countries and end their marginalization in a globalizing world economy. Past policies and initiatives in support of these countries were too fragmented and piecemeal; and resources allocated were woefully inadequate to address their needs. Ending the marginalization of these countries and effectively integrating them into the global economy has been identified as a key priority of the United Nations, particularly its entities working in the economic, social and environmental fields. In this regard, the Brussels Programme of Action on the LDCs which was adopted at the end of the third UN Conference on the LDCs in May 2001 has been regarded as an important achievement in so far as it led to a convergence of views among the international community on the priority needs of the LDCs. It also provides the roadmap for action in support of the development of the LDCs.

Taking into account the commitments made under the Brussels Programme of Action and other similar initiatives, a brief presentation will be made by a representative of the new UN High Representative on the Least Developed, Land-locked and Small Island Developing States reviewing the current state of the LDCs, including their prospects in attaining the MDG goals and the goals set out in the Brussels Declaration, in particular the need for LDCs to incorporate the Programme of Action into their national development plans. The Note will also elaborate the practical modalities for the implementation of the Programme of Action, including the role of the new Office of the High Representative of the Least Developed Countries; other organizations within and outside the United Nations system, as well as other relevant stakeholders in support of the implementation of the Programme of Action. The Committee will be called upon to examine and extend its full support for the Programme and recommend it for adoption by the thirty-fifth session of the Commission.

Documentation

A background paper prepared by the Office of the UN High Representative on the LDCs entitled, Programme fo Action for the Least Developed Countries: One Year after Brussels (E/ECA/CM.1/4).

6. Statutory issues

The Committee will, as usual, consider and make appropriate recommendations on several statutory issues related to the work and functioning of the Commission, including issues arising from the meetings of various subsidiary organs of the Commission, which have met since the last session of the Commission.

Under this agenda item, the Committee will have before it the proposed revisions to ECA's Medium-term Plan for the period 2002-2005 covering activities in the various programme areas. The Committee will examine the proposed changes, which have been made in the light of recent developments, emerging issues and priorities as well as the mandates and decisions of various legislative bodies, and make its own recommendations thereon which will be transmitted to the General Assembly through the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC).

The Committee will also have before it the proposed revision to the statutes of the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), which is an ECA-sponsored institution. The revised statutes responds to some of the recommendations of the Task Force set up in March 2000 to review the activities of the Institute including its governing structures. Among other things, the revised statutes make proposals for re-constituting a new Governing Council for the Institute to be composed as follows: Ten representatives of African governments, (two each from the five sub-regions of the continent); one representative of each of the three regional organizations (ECA, OAU/AU and ADB); two representatives of the private sector; two representatives of civil society; one representative of the Government of Senegal; one representative of the Advisory Board; and the Director of the Institute who will serve as Secretary of the Governing Council. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is given an observer status during the period for which it gives funding support to IDEP. The Governing Council meets once every two years to review IDEP's performance report and to approve its programmes and plans. The Committee is called upon to endorse the proposed revisions to the statutes as presented in the document with symbol E/ECA/CM.1/8.

In addition, the Committee will have before it a document prepared by the ECA secretariat on enhancing ECA's operations. The document outlines the new strategic orientation of the Commission, which has, as one of its objectives, the building of synergies between Headquarters Divisions and the SRDCs in order to strengthen outreach capabilities and enhance the impact of ECA's operational activities at the country and subregional levels. This re-appraisal has been necessitated by recent important developments within and outside the continent which have led ECA to refocus its policy analytical and technical assistance activities in order to improve the quality of assistance it provides to its member States in meeting current and emerging development challenges.

Documentation

The Committee will consider the following documents and reports:

• Proposed Revisions to ECA's Medium-term Plan, 2002-2005 (E/ECA/CM.1/5)

• Enhancing ECA's operations: The role of the SRDCs (E/ECA/CM.1/6)

• Annual Report of ECA, 2002 (E/ECA/CM.1/7)

• Proposed revisions to the statutes of the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (E/ECA/CM.1/8)

III. Draft Programme of Work