828(XXXII) The Multinational Programming and Operational : Strengthening the Economic Commission for Africa's subregional presence

The conference of Ministers,

          Recalling its previous resolution 810 (XXXI) of 8 May 1996 on the strengtherning of the Multinational Programming and Operational  (MULPOCs),

Noting with appreciation the significant efforts deployed by the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa towards the strengthening of the MULPOCs which included the deployment of additional staff resources to the .

          Having examined document E/ECA/CM.23/6 which contains proposals and recommendations covering all relevant aspects of the MULPOCs' operations, including their mandate, geographical coverage, membership, location of headquarters and policymaking institutional framework,

          1.       Decides to rename the MULPOCs "Subregional Development  (SRDCs)".

          2.       Also decides that:

(a)      The Subregional Development  will perform the following functions;

                               (i)            Act as operational arms of the Economic Commission for Africa at the country and subregional levels and catalysts to leverage the Commission's resources;

(ii)      Serve as instruments for ensuring harmony between subregional and regional programme orientations and those defined by the strategic directions of the Commission;

(iii)     Provide advisory services to member States, regional economic communities and subregional development operators;

(iv)     Facilitate subregional economic cooperation, integration and development;

(v)      Promote gender issues;

(vi)     Act as  for policy dialogue;

(vii)    Collect and disseminate information; and

(viii)   Serve as facilitators of the integration activities of organizations of the United Nations system operating within the subregions;

(b)      The distribution and membership of the Subregional Development should be as follows:

(i)           North African Subregional Development Centre: (Headquarters Tangier, Morocco) (Membership: Algeria, Egypt, the Libyan Arab Jamahiritya, Mauritania, Morocco, the Sudan, tunisia);

(ii)          West African Subregional Development Centre: (Headquarters Niamey, the Niger) (Membership: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia Mali the Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo);

(iii)        Central African Subregional Development Centre: (Headquarters Yaounde, Cameroon) (Membership: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe);

(iv)         Southern African Subregional Development Centre: (Headquarters Lusaka, Zambia) (Membership: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe):

(v)          Eastern African Subregional Development Centre: (Headquarters Kigali, Rwanda) Membership: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zaire);

          3. Decides that the location of the headquarters of the Eastern African Subregional Development Centre is Kigali, Rwanda;

          4. Appeals to the host countries of the various Subregional Development to provide necessary facilities and support including office accommodation, to reflect the enhanced presence of the Economic Commission for Africa in the subregions;

          5. Further appeals to member States to augment the capacity of the Subregional Development through secondment of national experts and by allocating a certain percentage of their resources to the United Nations Trust Fund for African Development (UNTFAD);

          6. Appeals to the development partners in the field, in particular the respective subregional intergovernmental organizations, the United Nations Development Programme and other United Nations system organizations, to cooperate with the Commission in facilitating the revitalization of the Subregional Development and enhance cooperation within their respective subregions.