ANNUAL REPORT 2011
Supporting the Transition Towards Democracy
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS WITH AFRICA
AWEPA Annual Report 2011
Production Notes Text AWEPA Staff Editing Alizia Kamani, Marion Verweij, Theo Kralt Photos AWEPA Staff Krzysztof Białoskórski Andrew Regan Design Alizia Kamani Printing Keizer en van Straten Translation 3ic Solutions AWEPA International Prins Hendrikkade 48-G 1012 AC Amsterdam, the Netherlands Tel +31 20 5245678 Fax +31 20 6220130
amsterdam@awepa.org www.awepa.org ISBN: 9789078147145 ©AWEPA 2012
Cover Photo “African Development Cooperation Strategies Towards the Millennium Development Goals - Lessons from the New EU Member States” at the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU Seminar, 26 July 2011, Polish Sejm, Warsaw, Poland
Donors 2011
Contents Acronyms 7 Message from the President 8 Committed to Excellence 9 AWEPA Strategic Vision 2012-2016 10 About AWEPA 11 The European Programme 12
Thematic Programmes 31
European Sections 13
AWEPA Eminent Advisory Board 38 AWEPA Partnership Council 39 AWEPA Executive Committee 40 AWEPA Staff 2012 41 AWEPA Offices 42 Financial Overview 2011 43
AWEPA Section Highlights 2011 14
Institutional Programmes 16 Pan-African Parliament (PAP) 17 Network of Women Parliamentarians of Central Africa 20 International Conference on the Great Lakes Region Forum of Parliaments of the Member States 21
Strengthening Regional Parliaments towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals 32 Aid Effectiveness Programmes 33 Harnessing the Powers of Parliament to Promote Sustainable and Green Economic Development in South Africa 35 Female Genital Mutilation Programme 37
Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo 22 Parliament of Burundi 23 Parliament of Rwanda 24 Ugandan Parliamentary Support Programme 25 AWEPA Mozambique Strategic Vision Programme 27 Parliamentary Capacity Building Programme for the Legislative Bodies in Sudan: The Southern Sudan National Legislative Assembly 28 South African Provincial Legislatures Programme 30
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AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Acronyms ACP-EU
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States – European Union
JMT
Joint Monitoring Teams
ADA
Austrian Development Agency
MDGs
Millennium Development Goals
AECID
Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo
MoU
Memorandum of Understanding
MPs
Members of Parliament
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
MPLs
Members of Provincial Legislature
AIID
Amsterdam Institute for International Development
NAP
Network for African Parliamentarians
AU
African Union
NLA
National Legislative Assembly
AWEPA
Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa
NEPAD
New Partnership for Africa’s Development
CAADP CEPGL
Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Communauté Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs
NGOs
Non-Governmental Organisations
NPCA
NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency
ODA
Official Development Assistance Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
CEMAC COP17
Communauté Économique et Monétaire de l’Afrique Centrale The 17th Conference of the Parties
OECD PAP
Pan-African Parliament
CSOs
Civil Society Organsiations
PBIG
Post-Busan Interim Group
CTI
Committee on Communication, Trade and Investment
PNoWB
The Parliamentary Network on the World Bank
DCEs
District Chief Executives
RFPAC
Réseau de Femmes Parlementaires d’Afrique Centrale
DDP
Deepening Democracy Programme
SACU
Southern Africa Customs Union
DRC
Democratic Republic of the Congo
SADC
Southern African Development Community
EAC
East African Community
EALA
East African Legislative Assembly
SADC
Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum
ECOWAS Economic Community Of West African States
SAPL
South Africa Provincial Legislatures
EFQM
European Foundation for Quality Management
SDC
Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation
EU
European Union
FAO
Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
FCD
Foundation for Child Development
Sida SSNLA
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Southern Sudan National Legislative Assembly
FCO
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
TD
Member of the lower house of the Irish Parliament
FGM/C
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
TRC
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
HIV
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
UK
United Kingdom
HLF-4
Fourth High Level Forum
UN
United Nations
UNFCCC UNFPA
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change United Nations Population Fund
UNICEF
United Nations Children’s Fund
UWOPA
Ugandan Women’s Parliamentary Association
WP-EFF
Working Party on Aid Effectiveness
FP-ICGLR International Conference on the Great Lakes Region Member States Parliamentary Forum IIED International Institute for Environment and Development IPU
Inter-Parliamentary Union
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
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Message from the President Minister of State, Ms. Miet Smet, President of AWEPA 2011 can be seen as a year of change and revolutions. Beginning in Northern Africa and across the MiddleEast the world witnessed a global transition towards democracy. Citizens have been gathering in squares across Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, demanding change, democratic elections and equality. One of 2011’s historical events that touched AWEPA directly was the emergence of a new nation in South Sudan. To witness the creation of the newest nation in world was a celebratory occasion as AWEPA has had a presence in South Sudan for over five years supporting the South Sudan National Legislative Assembly. Since independence this has expanded to include building the capacity of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA). When visiting South Sudan in August 2011 I could still feel the excitement of independence buzzing in the air. Nevertheless our colleagues in the NLA have big hurdles to overcome in the coming years and AWEPA is glad to play a role in this transformation. Although 2011 witnessed many shifts in Africa, Europe has also been dealing with its own issues. The effects of the financial crisis for example have been felt through Europe, especially impacting the development sector and overseas development assistance. Like many organisations, AWEPA has also felt the impact of this, luckily milder than others, and we are grateful to our donors who continue to believe in and support AWEPA’s important mission to work with our African partners to strengthen parliamentary democracy in Africa. We are also grateful to our members who continued to put Africa high on the political agenda in Europe to ensure that Europe continues its commitment in supporting nations in Africa which are focused on building the capacity of Parliaments and Parliamentarians regionally, nationally and locally. The 2011 Partnership Council Meeting was a milestone event for AWEPA. The meeting included representatives from our major partners, our Eminent Advisory Board and Executive Committee. The first day focused on the subject of democracy as a cornerstone of development. The meeting discussed various forms of democracy and how it is understood and applied in the African context. The participants also discussed AWEPA’s role in this evolution, highlighting that AWEPA should recognise its achievements in this field, as well as consider them as key impacts of its years of work. The second day’s discussion focused on the new AWEPA Strategic Vision 2012-2016, with some very useful, constructive and encouraging input towards the finalisation of the document. The seminar held in conjunction with the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in July 2011 in Warsaw was another important event impressively organised by the Polish section under the leadership of Prof. Tadeusz Iwinski. The seminar focused on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the role of the new EU-12 member states in providing knowledge exchange in the area of transformation. One of our outputs from this event was the resolution on the Somalia famine, an initiative brought forward by our Members from the AWEPA Irish Section and the Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly. The resolution discussed long-term commitment for the Somali people in terms of financial support. I was really pleased to see that the amount of funds provided towards the Somali crisis increased in 2011. Among the other many activities held in 2011, another major highlight was the Parliamentary Forum on the occasion of the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness held in Busan, Republic of Korea on 29 November 2011. The Forum served as a repository for the collection of parliamentary inputs to be communicated to the plenary and was intended to catalyse deepened involvement of parliaments and parliamentarians in the implementation of the commitments endorsed at the HLF-4 in the post-Busan setting. The concerns addressed in this meeting were voiced to participants of the HLF-4 in a closing speech delivered by AWEPA Council Member, Hon. Lord David Chidgey. Follow-up regarding the engagement of MPs in the process will continue to be monitored by AWEPA as development reform evolves in 2012 on the basis of these inputs.
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AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
AWEPA’s success in 2011 must also be credited to many without whom AWEPA would not have been able to implement so many high-level, effective and successful activities. On behalf of AWEPA, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to our donors, members, partners and not least, staff, for making this another successful year for further developing our joint mission of strengthening parliamentary democracy in Africa, to keep Africa high on the political agenda in Europe and to facilitate African-European Parliamentary dialogue. As we move into 2012, I look forward to taking further steps with you in increasing good governance throughout Africa and creating a more humane life for every citizen, where they can live in peace and freedom. About Minister of State Ms. Miet Smet As a member of the Belgian, European and Flemish Parliaments for over 30 years, 14 of which she served as Minister for the Belgian government, Minister of State Miet Smet has played an important role in Belgian and European politics. During this time she has played a key role in equality in politics, environment and labour. Her deep rooted urge to see equal opportunities for all, not only gender, but in all areas of human dignity, brought her into contact with AWEPA where having served two terms of office on the AWEPA Executive Committee, she was elected President in October 2009 via a unanimous vote of the AWEPA Governing Council. Married to fellow CD&V politician, the former Belgian Prime Minister and former Vice President of AWEPA, Wilfried Martens, Ms. Smet resides in Belgium where, alongside her work for AWEPA, she continues to support society in a variety of ways.
Committed to Excellence In November 2011, AWEPA was awarded the first level of certification titled Committed to Excellence from the European Framework for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model. The EFQM Excellence Model is used as a basis for self-assessment, an exercise in which an organisation grades itself against nine criteria. This exercise helps organisations to identify current strengths and areas for improvement against strategic goals. This gap analysis then facilitates definition and prioritisation of improvement plans to achieve sustainable growth and enhanced performance. After the completion of a three tier project, a new organisational strategy, a management overview and a human resources’ policy, AWEPA was awarded with Committed to Excellence. Over the next coming years, AWEPA will focus its efforts on achieving the second level of certification, Recognised for Excellence.
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
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AWEPA Strategic Vision 2012-2016 Summary Mission Statement: AWEPA works in cooperation with African Parliaments to strengthen parliamentary democracy in Africa, to keep Africa high on the political agenda in Europe, and to facilitate African-European parliamentary dialogue. AWEPA is unique in its composition as both a parliamentary association and a project management organization for parliamentary capacity development. It has a very specific mandate related to Africa, and to European policies affecting Africa. AWEPA’s mission, to strengthen African parliaments and African-European parliamentary relations, remains relevant and necessary. AWEPA has the added value of political engagement of active parliamentarians, broad networks in Africa and Europe, long experience as a trusted partner in democratization, and an extensive infrastructure of African offices and staff. AWEPA is ideally placed as a provider of democracy support services to Africa, and is also appreciated in Africa for working to keep Africa high on the political agenda in Europe. AWEPA is driven by political leadership; and its leaders, both African and European, share a vision of reinvigorated parliaments as the foundations of future democracy, peace and prosperity. Given the regular replenishment of parliamentary membership at each election, AWEPA and its partners provide a neutral peerlearning service to new and incumbent African and European parliamentarians, who learn from each other how best to strengthen their democracies, and who renew the policy debate on how to improve African-European relations. AWEPA, through its network of members in national parliaments of Europe, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, has the opportunity to raise issues of common concern and act as a catalyst for policy dialogue.
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AWEPA has one central aim, common to all the contexts in which it operates, and that is the pursuit of parliamentary excellence. AWEPA’s main purpose, our core vision, is to increase the capacity and performance of parliaments, so that they are confident, empowered and effective to deal with a wide range of human rights and development challenges, not least those emanating from common concerns such as food, fuel and employment crises, corruption, climate change, immigration and terrorism. Priorities for 2012-2016 include the following: • Membership: expand membership across Europe, especially in new EU members • Partnerships: strengthen bonds with regional parliaments and women’s caucuses • Programmes: support institutional capacity, thematic competence and oversight • Methodology: renew assessment, monitoring, evaluation and quality processes • Donor Relations: deepen our dialogue with donors and broaden the funding base Achieving AWEPA’s core objective of strong, fully transformative, fully democratising African parliaments will depend upon being better equipped with core resources to invest in our membership sections in Europe, in our staff, and in our African partnerships. AWEPA appeals to our donors to provide institutional support. This is essential to maintain within AWEPA the required high levels of quality and professionalism, and to building on our peer learning partnerships and networks. To see full text version, please visit www.awepa.org/about-us
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Women’s Outreach Visit, Maridi County, Western Equatoria State, South Sudan
About AWEPA The Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA) works in cooperation with African parliaments to strengthen parliamentary democracy in Africa, keep Africa high on the political agenda in Europe, and facilitate African-European parliamentary dialogue. Strong parliaments lie at the heart of Africa’s long-term development; they serve as the arbiters of peace, stability and prosperity. AWEPA strives to strengthen African parliaments and promote human dignity. AWEPA has served as a unique tool for complex democratisation operations at the Pan-African level and from the horn to the cape. The pillars that support AWEPA’s mission include: • A membership skills base of more than 1700 European parliamentarians, who devote their wide-ranging expertise to peer-learning with African colleagues; • Long-term partnerships with African parliamentary colleagues, which ensure local ownership and accountability; • An infrastructure of political and parliamentary entry points, which span 9 African and 2 European offices, as well as 25 parliaments in Africa and 28 in Europe, including the PanAfrican Parliament and the European Parliament. AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
AWEPA’s overarching goal is to eradicate poverty and support the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through the realisation of human rights, democracy and development in Africa. AWEPA aims to achieve this objective by promoting: • • • • •
parliamentary competency and authority good governance based on separation of powers increased participation of women in decision-making participation of civil society in the political process independent and qualified media, as a component of the democratic process
AWEPA is an international parliamentary association that is strictly non-partisan. AWEPA has Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council and is on the list of ODA Eligible Organisations of OECD/DAC. •
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The European Programme The European Programme is instrumental to AWEPA’s work. AWEPA has a broad network of parliamentarians and former parliamentarians from across Europe, with over 1700 members from parliaments from almost all EU member states, including the European Parliament, Norway and Switzerland. These members are grouped into a Section within their respective parliaments.
Representatives of the AWEPA Sections gather at the Polish Sejm in Warsaw on the occasion of the Polish EU Presidency Seminar focused on African Development Cooperation Strategies Towards the MDGs. Page 12
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
European Sections Donors Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) The Dutch National Commission for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development (NCDO) Sections in the Parliaments in Europe AWEPA’s first mission was to mobilise politicians in democratically elected European parliaments to end apartheid in South Africa. Focusing on this common goal AWEPA grew quickly from a small group of Members in 16 national parliaments and in the European Parliament in the 1980s, to some 1000 members by the early 1990s. AWEPA currently has a broad membership skills base of more than 1700 European current and former parliamentarians from some 30 parliaments. After the apartheid regime was overthrown and at the request of its Members and African Partners, AWEPA shifted its focus to promoting democracy, peace, human rights and democratic governance in many African regions. In Europe, AWEPA works to keep Africa high on the political agenda and to facilitate long-term partnerships with African parliamentary colleagues. AWEPA informs its Members and stimulates parliamentary action on policy issues in African-European relations, development cooperation and democratisation in Africa. Through this AWEPA is enabling its existing Sections, and new Sections, to perform their advocacy and support functions effectively and efficiently. European Membership AWEPA’s Members come from all parties of the political spectrum. They are involved because they are invited by our African partners to devote their wide-ranging expertise and skills to peer-learning with African colleagues and to take parliamentary action on relevant Africa related policy issues. Increased interaction and sharing of experiences between European and African parliamentarians ensures accountability and local ownership of aid programmes and policies to be in line with the real needs of African citizens. It will also help to build the capacity of African parliamentarians, so they can better execute their legislative, representative and oversight roles.
The Role of AWEPA Members in National Parliaments in Europe • Lobby to keep Africa high on the political agenda across Europe; • Initiate parliamentary questions, table reports and draft resolutions and motions on Africa; • Work together with their African parliamentary colleagues to analyse the distribution and use of aid funds at both the point of ODA departure and final delivery; • Share their expertise and experiences with their African colleagues; • Assist in fundraising efforts, engage and follow-up on AWEPA programmes funded by their country; • Stimulate and invite other parliamentarians to join AWEPA; Impacts • New Members in the following Sections: Ireland, Hungary, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Portugal and Spain; • A new Section has been established in the Parliament of Hungary; • Appointment of new Heads of Section in the Swiss, Swedish and Irish Parliament; • European parliamentary engagement and lobbying on the following issues: the abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting (FGM/C); increased aid and development effectiveness; policy coherence for development, fair trade policy; progress towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals; • Visibility of AWEPA’s Sections and Members increased through online and social media channels.
One of the main focus areas in AWEPA’s European Programme is to facilitate European-African dialogue on aid or Joint Monitoring Teams (JMT). Parliamentarians from both continents need to be engaged in order to gain a holistic understanding of aid relations between their countries and those in Africa. In this way, opportunities for evidence-based discussions can take place between them and their constituencies on this topic. The JMT exercises will provide MPs from donor and recipient countries with the information they require to effectively oversee aid spending and delivery to hold international donors and national executives accountable to the needs of the citizens. AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
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AWEPA Section Highlights 2011
AWEPA’s Newest Section in the Parliament of Hungary A new AWEPA Section has been established in the Parliament of new EU member state Hungary, headed by Hon. Gabor Harangozo, Member of the European Parliament and President of the HungarianAfrican Friendship Group. In addition, two Deputy Heads were appointed. An Africa event was co-organised in the Hungarian Parliament by the new Head in which a delegation from the Ugandan Parliament participated.
The Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness In November 2011, Members from AWEPA Sections were effectively engaged in the debates at the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, held in Busan, South Korea. AWEPA, together with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Korean National Assembly, organised a Parliamentary Forum which was attended by over sixty parliaments worldwide. During the Parliamentary Forum, MPs pushed for recognition and respect of parliament as key player in development, especially given their unique mandate to examine, scrutinise and oversee the executive. As a result, there was increased recognition of the role of parliament in the OECD-WP-EFF, UN, and the African Platform for Development Effectiveness; an increased number of MPs than in the HLF-3; and, parliamentary representation was offered a seat in the PostBusan Interim Group (PBIG).
Left: Lord David Chidgey, UK House of Lords and Member of AWEPA Governing Council, delivers closing statement at the 4th HLF on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea
AWEPA Polish Section and the Polish Presidency for the EU Council In 2011, specific effort was placed on strengthening the AWEPA Section in the Polish Parliament in conjunction with the rotating EU Presidency during the second half of 2011 with a seminar titled “African Development Cooperation Strategies Towards the Millennium Development Goals”. The seminar took place during the period wherein the young donor country adopted its new Development Cooperation Act. Parliamentary dialogue was promoted at regional and national level between EU donor countries and African partner countries on effective development policies and strategies for assistance. The new EU Member States brought in added experience, knowledge and lessons learned from its transformation process to democracy. Furthermore, Member of the European Parliament from Poland, Hon. Dr. Filip Kaczmarek, agreed to become the new Head of the AWEPA Section in the European Parliament.
Right: Speakers panel at the Polish Parliament on the occasion of the Polish Presidency for the EU Council Page 14
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Austrian and UK Section take action in support of African women AWEPA’s Section in the Austrian Parliament adopted an all-party resolution prior to the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day on 8 March to call for greater involvement of women in the peacebuilding and reconciliation process, particularly in Africa. With reference to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and Austria’s action plan, the Austrian MPs urged their government to include in Austrian’s Development Cooperation and its foreign policy measures which support local women’s peace initiatives and strengthen their participation in peace and reconciliation processes. To support this at an international level, they further recommended to set-up North-South ‘twinning’ models wherever possible to promote this important issue. In support of AWEPA’s programme on the abandonment of female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C), the UK AWEPA Section raised the subject of the practice that violates the basic human rights of women and girls and seriously compromises their health. The Female Mutilation Act was introduced in the UK in March 2004. In spite of large diaspora communities from the African continents in this country, as of yet no prosecutions have been made under the Act. The UK Section calls for the help of their colleagues in raising this issue on every occasion possible.
Left: AWEPA Austria Section on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2011. © Parlamentsdirektion/Carina Ott
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Ireland Section campaigns The Irish AWEPA Section elected its new leaders (Executive Committee Member, Governing Council Member and Head of Section) in 2011 and set several campaign objectives for the coming period, including a special focus on upcoming elections in Africa, continued campaigns on fairer trade and greater aid effectiveness, and a new focus on land rights and land purchases in Africa. One of the highlights was to mark World Food Day 2011, by sending out a cross-party group of TDs (Members of the Irish Parliament) from the Irish AWEPA Section to one of Dublin’s casinos to register their opposition on speculative trading in food. They called for a better regulated system of trading in financial markets which has led to increased food prices and food price volatility. Particularly in the Horn of Africa the effects of recent speculative trading in food commodities are devastating since millions of people are currently affected there by famine.
Right: Denis Naughten TD, Ireland, explains what silage is to Mr. Samuel Atta Akyea, Member of Ghanaian Parliament
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Institutional Programmes AWEPA currently works with 25 parliaments in Africa through jointly agreed capacity building programmes. These include national parliaments, continental and regional parliamentary institutions, as well as decentralised authorities. For a full list of AWEPA’s activities, please visit www. awepa.org or see the 2011 AWEPA Financial Report.
Benin Elections Please Note: Political Coordinators mentioned per programme reflect 2012 Page 16
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
The programme focuses on the following objectives:
The Pan-African Parliament, Midrand, South Africa
Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Donors Belgium Ministry of Foreign Affairs Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) Political Coordinator Minister of State Ms. Miet Smet (Belgium) Background The Pan-African Parliament (PAP), formally inaugurated on 18 March 2004, serves as a consultative body to the African Union Commission. National delegations, made up of five parliamentarians each, represent every African Union Member state. The PAP provides a common platform for African people and their grassroots organisations to participate in discussions and decision-making on problems and challenges facing the continent. In addition, the parliament’s committees strive to harmonise policies and laws across Africa. The ultimate aim of PAP is to become an institution with full legislative powers, with members elected by universal adult suffrage. Objective The purpose of the AWEPA PAP Capacity Building Support Programme is to support the Parliament to effectively hold the governing institutions of the African Union accountable in the implementation of policies and programmes, as well as in the allocation and use of public resources. The project objectives are to enhance the capacity of the PAP Members and staff in terms of knowledge, legislation, oversight and advocacy tools on urgent socio-economic and humanitarian issues; furthermore, the project aims to promote the principles of gender parity and women’s rights. AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
• Enhance the oversight capacity of PAP by supporting and improving the functioning of PAP Committees • Continue to support activities aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of the PAP Bureau leadership and PAP Members • Promote the principles of gender parity and women’s rights by supporting the activities of PAP Women’s Caucus; in particular, its activities on abolishing harmful cultural practices against women in Africa and on ensuring harmonized legislation on equal participation of women and men in all aspects of decisionmaking in Africa • To enhance the capacity of the Committee support staff and researchers to further improve the functioning of the Committees • To support the production of PAP Handbooks and guides Impacts • The Parliament continued with its focus on the transformation of the Parliament into a legislative body. This is a requirement of the Protocol establishing the PAP that requires the revision of the Protocol, the transformation of the AU governance architecture and in line with AU Decision passed in 2009 to transform the PAP into a legislative body. As part of this process of review, it is required that all the regional caucuses are consulted on the revisions. In line with this, several meetings focusing on this review have been held. As part of this process, AWEPA continued with its support. • The PAP continued with the campaign “11 before 2011” focusing on the ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. The Charter aims to reinforce and consolidate the gains in deepening democracy on the African continent, fast track the record of democratisation in a way that no other continent has been able to, and support the principles of good governance at a continental level with the aim of ensuring that such ambitions ultimately percolate to the regional and national levels. • The Parliament held successful planning retreats for the leadership of the Parliament, made up of Bureau of the PAP, Bureau of permanent committees, Chairpersons of the Regional Caucuses and senior staff. These retreats resulted in the development of a new Strategic Plan for the Parliament. • Members of the Bureau and Committees continued to participate in various activities focusing on aid effectiveness and involved themselves in the preparations for the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness. The Parliament sent a delegation to the meeting in Busan, Korea at the end of 2011. • The 2011 Women’s Platform for Action in Africa was organised at the Parliament in September 2011 with the theme of “Women, Peace and Security in Africa”. It was attended Page 17
by women from all over the continent. At the end of the conference, the participants developed and adopted a Call to Action, outlining various strategies for the promotion of peace across the continent. • A Handbook “Abandoning Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Guidelines for Parliamentarians” was launched in September 2011. This handbook was the result of the PAP Women’s Caucus programme on FGM/C that included a fact finding mission to Ethiopia in 2009. Example Activity 2011 Women’s Platform for Action in Africa on “Women, Peace and Security in Africa”, 29-30 September 2011 The conference was opened by the Second Vice President of PAP, Hon. Francoise Labelle who emphasised the importance of the Women’s Conference as an avenue to discuss and handle the problems faced by children and girls and those that affected their peaceful existence. The main objectives of the Conference were to share experiences of progress made, good practices and challenges in promoting peace and security particularly for women and children in Africa; draw lessons from other countries in addressing genderbased violence in conflict situations; and to recommend the way forward. The conference was also addressed by Hon. Magda De Meyer, Member of the AWEPA Governing Council and Belgium
Section, on the issue of “Women in Politics – Empowering Women to Address Gender-Based Violence in Conflict Situations”. The Conference developed and adopted a 21 point strategy for the promotion of peace and security of women in Africa. Some of the points referred to in this strategy are as follows: • Harmonise and coordinate women’s associations and networks for peace at various levels of society: rural and urban community, professional, among others (ex: Women in politics, former Ministers and Parliamentarians, former combatants, associations for victims of violence, of rape, etc.); • Develop the capacity of women in conflict zones through educational programmes to eliminate feelings of inferiority and ignorance, as well as the implementation of self defence programmes and effective access to justice; • Call on Parliamentarians to exercise their oversight role in the implementation of the conventions on conflicts, in particular those on security and the physical and mental health, including mental health of women and children living in conflict zones by calling on the accountability of governments. For more information on the full strategy, please get in touch with the AWEPA South Africa Office at southafrica@awepa.org. •
An Empowered and Effective East African Legislative Assembly: EALA Capacity Development Programme Donors Swedish International Development Agency (Sida Nairobi) Norway (Norwegian Embassy Dar es Salaam) Ireland (Irish Aid Dublin) Political Coordinator Hon. Maureen O’Sullivan (Ireland) Background The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is the legislative organ of the East African Community (EAC). Established in November 2001, EALA currently has 52 members, 45 of whom are elected (9 from each of the 5 Partner States including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda) and 7 ex-officio members. Since the inauguration of EALA in 2001, EALA and AWEPA have maintained close relationships. The collaboration between EALA and AWEPA was formalised in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in 2001, right after the inauguration of EALA. The MoU was renewed again in 2007. Since 2002, EALA and AWEPA have been implementing programmes funded by the Belgian, Irish, Swedish and Norwegian governments to enhance the capacity of EALA. Page 18
Objectives In line with the vision of a prosperous, competitive, secure and politically united EAC, the AWEPA-EALA programme contributes to more balanced development and continued democratisation in East Africa. The programme empowers EALA to effectively fulfil its legislative, representative and oversight mandate in all matters related to deepening and widening the EAC integration process and the cooperation among the EAC Partner States in political, economic, social and cultural fields, for their mutual benefit and the benefit of its people. The programme focuses on the following overall objectives: 1. The establishment of legislation needed for the integration of the EAC; 2. Harmonised legislation between the Community and the Partner States; 3. Awareness and involvement of citizens of the EAC in the integration process. AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Hon. Abdirahin Abdi, Speaker of EALA, with Member of EALA, at the AWEPA Seminar organised in collaboration with the Polish Presidency of the EU Council
Impacts During the year 2011, the activities in the AWEPA-EALA Programme have contributed to the following achievements:
5. Increased institutional and organisational capacity of EALA: Through training, staff members are better equipped to provide services to the MPs and the Committees
1. EALA’s legislative role enhanced: EALA Members and Committees increased their competence to enact legislation required for EAC and to scrutinise draft bills. 2. Effective outreach and representation of the interests of the East African people: The public gained awareness on benefits of the integration and on the commitments and policies of their governments to the EAC. 3. EALA’s oversight role enhanced: EALA increased its oversight on the performance and the effectiveness of EAC policies. EALA examined policies to ensure efficiency and effectiveness, fairness and equity in EAC administration and implementation. 4. Effective Networking with National Assemblies, other regional parliaments and internationally: This allowed for the EALA to gain deeper understanding of its stakeholders; to benchmark best parliamentary practices; to increase the harmonisation of laws; as well as to gain wider appreciation of their work.
Example Activity Workshop of the Committee for Communication, Trade and Investment (CTI) on Anti-Dumping and Quality Insurance in the EAC region
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
In October 2011, AWEPA organised a workshop for the CTI Committee focused on the issue of anti-dumping and quality assurance practices in the EAC region. Participants shared their views on establishing policies, while considering the current legal framework, assessing the challenges and finally formulating recommendations on measures to protect the EAC region from dumping and counterfeit products. Experts made presentations and Members held discussions with various anti-dumping and counterfeit product stakeholders including representatives from the East African Business Council and the Manufacturers’ Association and Consumers’ Bodies from all the EAC Partner States. The discussions resulted in 13 recommendations made towards EAC and Partner States, which were reported on and tabled during the plenary sessions in Bujumbura in November 2011. • Page 19
RFPAC Delegation at the Regional Conference on the right to health and birth control and on women’s role towards climate change, Bujumbura, Burundi
Network of Women Parliamentarians of Central Africa Donors Belgium Ministry of Foreign Affairs Political Coordinator Hon. Magda De Meyer (Belgium) Ms. Julie Standaert (Belgium) Background The Network of Women Parliamentarians of Central Africa (RFPAC) was established in March 2002 on the request of women parliamentarians of the region during a AWEPA regional conference. RFPAC is formed by the women parliamentarian platforms from the following parliaments: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Republic of Congo. Based on a crucial mechanism of parliamentary good practices and references exchange, the network statutes integrate key statements and documents such as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Beijing Action Plan, the UN Resolution 1325, and the Millennium Development Goals. Objective The Network of Women Parliamentarians of Central Africa aims to contribute to: • the political, economic and social promotion of Central African women; • the construction of a gender balanced democracy; Page 20
• peace keeping and the promotion of impartial justice through strengthening and supporting women parliamentarians in their legislative and executive oversight role, and constituent’s representation functions; and, • representing the voice of women in their countries. The network contributes also to peace preservation and stability of the Central African region. RFPAC members, represented by different Central African countries, come together to employ parliamentary diplomacy mechanisms and exchange messages among their countries. Through the RFPAC programme, AWEPA aims to build the capacity of women parliamentarians, and subsequently improve the position of all women in the region, by supporting women candidates in elections, supporting the economic position of women, and, enhancing the capacity of women. Impacts The following outcomes can be attributed to actions carried out in 2011 as part of the RFPAC-AWEPA programme: • Women parliamentarians succeeded in bringing gender topics such as Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and Resolution 1325 into their parliamentary national agenda in their home countries. • Workshops empowered women parliamentarians and strengthened their role within their national parliaments.
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
• Women parliamentarians drafted an action plan to implement regional and national strategies of accountability towards future generations, in regards to socioeconomic environmental problems such as health care, birth control, and the role of women in climate change. • Women Parliamentarians succeeded in integrating gender aspects in the AWEPA organised seminar on the occasion of the Polish Presidency for the EU Council on African Development Cooperation Strategies Towards the MDGs, held in Warsaw in July 2011. Example Activity Regional Conference of the RFPAC on the right to health and birth control and on women’s role towards climate change, 3-5 May 2011, Bujumbura, Burundi The regional conference, held bi-annually, was made up of delegations from the member countries of the Central African
region. The two-day activity focused on women’s rights towards health and birth control, and the role of women in climate change. The conference also included experts from UNFPA, UN-Women and FAO, each who provided examples of regional and local solutions on the topics of health and birth control, and the role of women in climate change. During the meeting, women parliamentarian’s shed light on existing legislation texts and their experiences in this field, and in working groups, they discussed best practices such as how to work closely with civil society in order to provide follow up to the Parliament on laws passed on such issues such as birth control. As a subsequent part of the programme, two field visits were organised, the first to a healthcare centre which raised concrete ideas such as the importance of family planning as a basis for development. Following the visit to the healthcare centre, participants visited Tanganyika Lake, in which the participants observed the impacts of climate change on local communities. •
International Conference on the Great Lakes Region Forum of Parliaments of the Member States Donors The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Political Coordinators Hon. Alain Destexhe (Belgium) Ms. Therese Frösch (Switzerland) Background Within the framework of the regional peace process following the conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a pact on security, stability and development was signed by the eleven member states within the scope of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), in Nairobi, in December 2006. AWEPA was contacted by Mr. Ibrahima Fall, then Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, in which AWEPA committed to supporting the ICGLR’s parliamentary initiatives. Up till then parliaments had not been involved in the process and parliamentarian action was required for the ratification of the above mentioned pact. The Parliaments concerned decided to organise their action in the form of a Forum. The process began in Kinshasa, in February 2007, and was completed in Khartoum, where the Forum held its first plenary session in September 2010. Objectives AWEPA supports the ICGLR Parliamentary Forum, in particular by facilitating the meetings of the Executive Committee and the Plenary AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Sessions of the Forum, in compliance with the objectives of the Pact on security, stability and development. In 2011, it was important to ensure the running of the Forum in cooperation with the Parliaments of DRC, Rwanda and Sudan, the members of the Troika in charge of following up on the Forum. With financial support from Belgium and Switzerland, AWEPA jointly organised the second Plenary Session in Kampala, in December 2011.
The members of the Executive Committee of the FP-ICGLR, the Political Coordinators from AWEPA and the Representative from the Executive Secretariat of the ICGLR. Page 21
Impacts As it stands, the operation of the Forum can be partially attributed to the action of AWEPA which is honouring the commitments it expressed in Kinshasa, in February 2007. It can be said that the appropriation by the members of the Forum is a reality, as a Secretary General proposed by the Parliament of Rwanda was appointed at the Plenary Session in Kampala and the question of installing the headquarters of the Forum in DRC is currently being arranged. AWEPA invested efforts to obtain these results and is particularly delighted with the clear improvement in relations between the parliaments of Rwanda and Congo. An improvement that emerged in particular following bilateral visits by parliamentarians that it facilitated, in Kinshasa and Kigali, in December 2009 and April 2011 respectively. Example Activity Executive Committee Meeting for the Preparation of the Kampala Plenary Session, 25-26 May 2011, Kinshasa, and the 2nd Plenary Session of the FP-ICGLR, 11-13 December 2011, Kampala AWEPA organised three activities as part of this programme: two meetings of the Executive Committee and a Plenary Session of the Forum. The Executive Committee meetings consisted of making preparations for the Plenary Session initially planned in Kinshasa. At the Plenary Session organised in Kampala in December 2011, in addition to administrative questions, such as the final adoption of the founding texts of the Forum and the appointment of the Secretary General, sensitive subjects were covered, such as the illegal exploitation of natural resources and the treatment of Women in conflict zones. •
Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo Donor Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Political Coordinator Hon. François-Xavier de Donnea (Belgium) Background The partnership between AWEPA and the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was founded in 1999. Since then AWEPA has worked together with the National Assembly and the Senate, and has developed activities with provincial assemblies. AWEPA role has been to work jointly with the parliament of the DRC in supporting its main functions; moreover, AWEPA has supported both skills development and parliamentary diplomacy. Page 22
Congolese delegation led by Dr Egide Michel Ngokoso Apa, and Dr Jean-Pierre Lola Kisanga with His Excellency Dr Vincent Biruta, former President of the Senate of Rwanda, Dr Luc Dhoore former MP, Belgium, and Members of the Rwandan Senate.
The activities involved in developing skills consist of strengthening the legislative assemblies via seminars/workshops, whereas parliamentary diplomacy consists of conflict prevention and resolution. 2011 represented the last year of the first legislature since the DRC’s transition period. Presidential and parliamentary elections were organised in the DRC on 28 November 2011, and it was in this context that the AWEPA programme was implemented. Objectives • Enable members of the legislative assemblies to gain thorough knowledge and skills of their institutions, in particular by engaging in knowledge exchange and feedback with both former Congolese parliamentarians and active parliamentarians in Africa and Europe; • Facilitate parliamentary diplomacy between elected officials of the DRC and other Parliaments. In 2011, AWEPA completed its activity cycle in supporting parliamentarians in governance and legislation skills development. AWEPA has also continued to facilitate meetings between Congolese and Rwandan parliamentarians within the scope of parliamentary diplomacy. AWEPA observed the presidential and parliamentary elections in cooperation with Belgian legislative assemblies. Impacts Following an AWEPA organised visit of a delegation of DRC Members of Parliament to Rwanda, the DRC parliamentarians invited their government to assist in the installation of offices of the Secretary General of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region Member States Parliamentary Forum (FP-ICGLR) in Kinshasa. The Congolese government took appropriate measures at the end of 2011. AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Example Activity Visit of a Delegation of the DRC Parliament to Rwanda, 26-28 April, Kigali, Rwanda Within the scope of parliamentary diplomacy, AWEPA organised the second formal bilateral meeting of Rwandan and Congolese members of parliament. The Congolese delegation was received at the Parliament of Rwanda in April 2011. This was the second encounter of this type between the two Parliaments. During this meeting, the representatives of the DRC Parliament met with Rwandan authorities from executive and legislative fields. On the occasion of the official meeting, important issues were raised such as the sub-regional integration process, the appointment of the Secretary General of the ICGLR-FP and safety in the Eastern provinces of the DRC. •
Political party Presidents listening to a presentation on transitional justice and Truth and Reconciliation Commissions
Parliament of Burundi Donor Belgium Ministry of Foreign Affairs Political Coordinator Ms. Lydia Maximus (Belgium) Background AWEPA’s involvement dates back to 1995 when it started supporting the Burundian Parliament in the peace process and has since supported the transition process following the Arusha Agreement, as well as contributed towards observing the legislative elections in 2005 and again in 2010. The bond between the Burundian National Assembly and AWEPA has taken an official form with a cooperation agreement signed on 17 October 1997. This agreement has since been renewed in 1998, 2005 and 2010. The first cooperation protocol with the Burundian Senate was concluded on 30 June 2002. Since then these Protocols have been implemented by AWEPA with activities in agreement with both Chambers of the Burundian Parliament. Within the framework of the aforementioned Protocols, the programme involves the national level as well as the decentralised Burundian authorities. Objectives AWEPA’s action in Burundi aims to build solid democratic capacity for all members of Parliament as well as for parliamentary civil servants through training workshops, parliamentary days and thematic seminars. AWEPA, working in close cooperation with the Senate elected by the community councillors, also focused on communal entities, in order to consolidate a “proximity” democracy, good governance and development on national and local scale. A constant concern for AWEPA in Burundi is to also assist in the peace process as within the framework of the Arushaagreement. In parallel, as a result of the 2010 Elections (Communal, Presidential, Legislative and District), where several parties due to their boycott of the process were left without elected officials at the Parliament, AWEPA‘s work in 2011 was marked by a parliamentary diplomacy effort with a continuous support for extra-parliamentary dialogue. Impacts The following outcomes can be attributed to actions carried out in 2011 as part of the AWEPA programme in Burundi:
International experts (Prof. Luc Huyse, Prof. Stef Vandeginste, H.E. Nicodème Barrigah Benissan) during the AWEPA parliamentary days on transitional justice and Truth and Reconciliation Commission AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
• All Burundian senators had direct contact with all communal bureaus in the entire country; • the Burundian ministry of finances provided 100 million Burundian Francs to support the media for their work in 2012; • A technical committee in charge of the preparation of the Page 23
installation of the mechanisms for transitional justice was created on 13 June and its report was then presented to the State President the 18 October 2011; • Opinions and consideration were collected within all different socio-politic layers of Burundi, on the bill of creation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Burundi, and were made public. Example Activity Information and Debate days on Transitional Justice and on the Funcition of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 7-8 July 2011, Bujumbura, Burundi The parliamentary days of 7-8 July on transitional justice and on the functioning of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), was made up of more than 350 representatives from the parliament, extra-parliamentary parties, police forces, army, CSO’s, religious confessions, international diplomatic corps and the academic world. All participants were in one voice notified on the contents of the national consultations on the installation of the mechanisms of transitional justice in Burundi. International experts informed then on the process of installation of transitional justice mechanisms in their countries. Participants were then enlightened by substantial cases on how to implement a TRC in Burundi as agreed within the Arusha Protocol. The activity outcomes were spread on an national and international scale through interviews of the experts and participants,
broadcasted via radio and television. This activity was followed by new parliamentary days set on 15-16 December 2011. •
Parliament of Rwanda Donor Belgium Ministry of Foreign Affairs Political Coordinator Hon. Alain Destexhe (Belgium) Background AWEPA has provided parliamentary support to both Chambers of the Parliament of Rwanda since 2003, which includes activities with parliamentarians and staff members. In 2012, the programme also involved Rwanda Parliamentary Networks and Forums. AWEPA’s Programme in Rwanda is focused on implementing projects such as field visits of Parliamentary Committees to Provinces, parliamentary seminars, and workshops in collaboration with experts, as well as visits in the framework of peace building. Training on technical issues has also been organised with staff members. In 2011, AWEPA organised an external evaluation of its programme in close cooperation with the Parliament of Rwanda, which led to a multiannual programme based on the strategic plan of the Rwandan Parliament.
Rwandan Parliamentary staff members after training on audio and video editing for the new Parliament radio Page 24
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Objectives Early in the second half of 2011, a new Senate has been constituted by both election and appointment. This had an impact on AWEPA Programme but almost all planned activities were implemented. The following objectives were achieved: • A critical and prospective assessment of the work done by the Senate during its first legislature; • Capacity building of Rwandan MPs on the submission and the development of legislation but also pertaining to the oversight of government action; • The representative function of Parliament was strengthened via field visits; • Technical capacities of the administration were enhanced especially in archiving; • Parliamentary diplomacy was enhanced especially in the Great Lakes via exchange visits and meetings. Impacts The following impacts can be attributed to the actions of AWEPA in Rwanda: • The training of parliamentary staff in audio-video allowed the building up of the parliamentary radio;
• The assessment of the first legislature of the Rwanda Senate together with “induction course” of new senators enabled them to be familiar with the parliamentary work, the legislative procedures and constitutional requirements; and, • The meeting of the Speakers of “CEPGL” (Communauté Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs) member states contributed towards the reinforcement of Burundi, DRC and Rwanda relationships; The visit of the DRC Parliament delegation to the Parliament of Rwanda strengthened the bilateral relations which began in December 2009. Example Activity Due to the interest coming from Rwandan citizens about the work of the Rwanda Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate decided to set up parliamentary broadcasting on the radio. The main objective was to inform the population about Parliamentary work and the impact of the same. The Rwanda Parliament has gradually acquired the necessary audio equipment. After that, the Parliament requested AWEPA to facilitate technical training of Parliament staff that would be working on the broadcasting. AWEPA organised technical training in audio and video editing where at least twenty staff members attended the training provided by the organisation Media for Development. The first radio broadcasts began on 16 January 2012 with interviews of parliamentarians on issues of public interest. •
Ugandan Parliamentary Support Programme Donor Belgium Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deepening Democracy Programme (DDP) Political Coordinator Mr. Johan van Hecke (Belgium/Uganda) Background The current Uganda Parliament is the 9th Parliament since independence whose term commenced in May 2011, and will expire in May 2016. The 9th Parliament has 374 members out of which 212 are first time parliamentarians. This means that a majority of the members of the ninth Parliament had never been exposed to parliamentary work, hence creating a need for guidance on some basic principles of parliamentary practices and procedures. The AWEPA 2011 parliamentary support programme in Uganda is aimed at improving performance of the Ugandan Parliament in its functions of legislation, representation and oversight in a multiparty democracy. AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Objectives • To strengthen and equip parliamentarians and parliamentary Committees to execute their oversight function, formulate policies and draft laws on their respective areas. This was achieved by inducting MPs and some selected Committees in order to strengthen their knowledge and skills in order to execute their mandate. In addition, continuous skills enhancement sessions for women MPs were facilitated, which aimed at introducing UWOPA (Uganda Women Parliamentary Association) Members to parliamentary work and the key roles of a Member of Parliament from a gender point of view. • To strengthen the capacity of parliamentary staff. This was achieved by organising regular staff training sessions aimed at equipping the parliamentary staff with skills to execute their respective functions and mandate in report writing; research skills; knowledge management in digital era; records and information management; and change management. Page 25
Impacts • As a result of the staff training sessions, staff user manuals in records and information management, and knowledge management in a digital era were developed, while the staff awareness raising meetings on the new performance management tool resulted into the fine tuning of the Parliamentary Staff Performance Appraisal Instrument. • The standard induction process for Women MPs has contributed to the completion of the UWOPA Common Legislative Agenda for 2011-2016. Example Activity Induction Workshop for the Committee Members on National Economy: 24 -26 November 2011, Jinja, Uganda The Committee on the National Economy is a Standing Committee of Parliament whose mandate is primarily to monitor the performance of the national economy, explore means of improving the economy and approval of loan requests from the executive arm of government. Over a third of the current Members of this
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Committee have never been parliamentarians before, hence the need for guidance on some basic principles of parliamentary practices and Committee mandate is needed. At the request of Parliament, AWEPA facilitated a two day orientation / induction of the National Economy Committee, with a special focus on roles and mandate of the Committee and other themes to do with the broad oversight responsibilities. Participants were also introduced to important issues such as links between Parliament and private sector in economic development; the future of oil and gas sector on Uganda’s economy; strengthening the role of parliament in response to poverty reduction; and the role of Parliament in fostering an enabling environment for private sector growth. As a result of the induction, Members were able to understand their role in the national budget process, monitoring the national economy and scrutinising requests from the executive about borrowing. •
AWEPAAnnual AnnualReport Report2011 2011 AWEPA www.awepa.org www.awepa.org
Members of Political Parties attending a seminar on the Relationship between MPs and their Political Parties. Participants from Mozambique, Tanzania and Ghana with Political Coordinator, Dr Jan Nico Scholten, the Netherlands.
AWEPA Mozambique Strategic Vision Programme Donors Diakonia Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) AECID (Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development) Danida Embassy of Norway (Norad) Finnish Embassy Political Coordinator Dr. Jan Nico Scholten (Netherlands) Background The AWEPA Mozambique Strategic Vision Programme consists of three major sub-programmes: The Parliament, Local Government Programme (Municipalities and Provincial Assemblies), and Political Parties. In addition, cross cutting issues such as HIV/AIDS, Gender and Child Rights, as well as Research and Publications, form an integral part of the programme. AWEPA acknowledges that significant interlinks exist between the National Assembly, Local Government, Provincial Assemblies and Political Parties programme elements. Therefore, they should AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
not be seen as independent of each other, but rather as mutually reinforcing and complementary. The programme has been developed and implemented in close cooperation with its partners, National Assembly of Mozambique, Ministry of State Administration, National Association of Local Government, Centre of Public Integrity, UNICEF and the Political Parties. Objectives • To support the legitimacy, functioning and development of democratic institutions; • To support the consolidation of peace and harmonious socioeconomic development; • To support the involvement and active participation of the general public and civil society in the democratic process and democratic institutions at a national and local level; • To stimulate the availability and exchange of information on the Mozambican democratisation process by carrying out research and disseminating publications and other educational materials.
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Impacts • MPs and staff have improved legislative skills and put this in practise through developing new laws. For example, the law on agriculture and the revision of electoral law; • MPs are more involved in the process of aid reform and exercise their constitutional mandate in overseeing the public purse and aid expenditures; • Provincial Assemblies and Provincial Governments are committed to promote Gender Equality, Child Rights and SelfEmployment Initiatives for young people in accordance with the Law; • Provincial Assemblies, CSOs and other institutions work together to oversee Provincial Government activities and enhance good governance and promote local development; • Members of political parties are better equipped to play a role regarding the interaction with media and civil society.
Example Activity Agricultural Law Seminars and Workshops, 2011 AWEPA implemented a cycle of activities with the committee of Agriculture, Rural Development, Economic Activities and Services that focused on the production of an Agriculture Law. The cycle of activities included seminars, workshops and two exchange visits (one to Finland and the second to Brazil). The exchange visit to Finland was followed by a follow up seminar for MPs, experts from the Ministry of Agriculture, Development observatory (Observatório de Desenvolvimento) and civil society. In addition to the workshop on how to produce a law, three specialized committees were formed, including the Committee of Agriculture, Rural Development, Economic Activities and Services. During this workshop, AWEPA collaborated with the Faculty of Law from the Eduardo Mondlane University. The MPs were introduced to the details and process of law drafting. The steps forward were discussed, including the research, and the time schedule towards the production of the law in agriculture was drafted. Ways forward were also discussed and it was agreed that as a next step the University will take part in organising an international conference to disseminate the idea. •
Parliamentary Capacity Building Programme for the Legislative Bodies in Sudan: The Southern Sudan National Legislative Assembly Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker Daniel Awet Akot seated between AWEPA President, Ms. Miet Smet to the right, and former Prime Minister of Belgium, Ms. Wilfried Martens to the left, accompanied by Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons of various Committees and Senior Parliamentary Staff of the National Legislative Assembly after a workshop on Strategic Plan development.
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AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Donors Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ireland (Irish Aid) Norway (Norad) Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Political Coordinator Dr. Jan Nico Scholten (Netherlands) Background Achieving peace and improving democratic governance in South Sudan constitute the most important challenges for leaders and development partners; the attainment of which will result in poverty alleviation, improvement of human rights, and for South Sudan, movement towards economic development.
• • • • •
The National Legislative Assembly has a critical role to play in the enactment of relevant legislation, carrying out government oversight and ensuring effective representation.
•
The capacity building programme for the South Sudan National Legislative Assembly includes, among others, general and specialized trainings, technical consultancies, study visits and attachments, participation in parliamentary conferences, community outreach visits, legislative support, publications, media involvement and provision of books and reference materials for the NLA Library. The duration of the programme was 14 months.
•
Objectives The Parliamentary Capacity Building programme, implemented by AWEPA in close cooperation with the National Legislative Assembly in South Sudan has contributed to the overall objective of promoting peace, improving democracy and good governance in South Sudan; while recognising that democracy, good governance and the improvement of human rights must be addressed if peace is to be sustainable. The programme and its activities served the specific objective of improving the capacity of the South Sudan National Legislative Assembly to respond to the challenges it faces in the discharge of its legislative, oversight and representative functions. Thus, it contributed to building a strong, institutionalised legislative branch of government in South Sudan through: • Capacity building through trainings, attachments, study visits and benchmarking programs; • Legislative support; • Publications and media involvement; • Community outreach programs. Impacts • A five-year NLA Strategic Plan 2011 – 2016 for the South Sudan National Legislative Assembly (NLA) developed and distributed AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
•
to all stakeholders; a Mission, Vision, Core Values and Strategic Objectives of the Assembly are clearly understood; Increased number of bills enacted into law from improved capacity of NLA members in legislation and bills scrutiny; Members have improved standards of debate and questions asked in the House and Committees due to international exposure, benchmarking visits and training; Members have improved level of representation and consultation as a result of the community outreach visits, media action and publications; Women parliamentarians have improved capacity in legislation and advocacy; On a regional and international level, Members have established relations with Members of African and European parliaments and exchanged best practices; Members and staff have improved capacity to carry out budget scrutiny and government oversight; Improved capacity of the staff NLA to provide legislative and administrative support to the Assembly due to training, study visits and attachments; The development of human resource policies on recruitment and selection, performance management, and training and development.
Example Activity Development of the first-ever Strategic Plan for the National Legislative Assembly AWEPA facilitated the development of a five-year strategic plan for the National Legislative Assembly (2011–2016). The consultative process was used to develop the plan in which the leadership and senior managers of the NLA were involved in a sensitisation workshop in which key issues for consideration in the Strategic Plan were agreed upon. A further workshop to for the presentation of the first draft Strategic Plan for the NLA to the Political Leadership of NLA, the Assembly Business Committee and senior staff of the Assembly was conducted from 24 to 27 August 2012. The purpose of the workshop was to obtain comments on the draft strategic plan and gain consensus from the NLA prior to finalisation of the five-year strategic plan. The consultative workshops attracted participants that included; the Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker of the NLA, Leader of the Opposition, Government and Opposition Chief Whips in Parliament, Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons of Committees, Members of Parliament and Senior Managers of the Assembly led by the Clerk to the NLA. The participants were able to propose additional priority areas for inclusion in the strategic plan as a basis for attaining the mission and vision of the Assembly.
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At the end of the consultative process a workshop for the launch of the five-year NLA Strategic Plan 2011–2016 was organised on 12 December 2011. The purpose of the workshop was for the Consultants to present the Strategic Plan to the Assembly membership, other stakeholders and development partners and donors on the six strategic objectives of the Assembly that were set out to achieve its mission, vision and strategic goals. The purpose of the Strategic Plan is to set the institutional and infrastructural development plan of the NLA. The outcomes of the activity on the Strategic Plan for the NLA are as follows: • Overall consensus on the draft five-year strategic plan obtained; • First draft of the five-year strategic plan adopted by the senior leadership, MPs and staff of the NLA; • The five-year Strategic Plan of the NLA officially launched in the Assembly in the presence of all stakeholders. As a result, the programme has led to the development of a Five-year Strategic Plan (2011–2016) for the NLA developed and distributed to all stakeholders. •
South African Provincial Legislatures Programme Donors Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) Belgian Embassy Flemish Representation Political Coordinator Hon. Jan Roegiers (Flanders) Background Since 1996, the AWEPA SAPL Programme has operated in a broader South African political context, whereby constitutional power is shared between three spheres of government (national, provincial and local government), which are expected to function based on the principle of cooperative governance. In this framework, service delivery is located with the provincial state level – and the provinces share concurrent powers with the national sphere to formulate and implement policies related to education, health, housing and social welfare, among others. The Provincial Legislatures have also had the additional responsibility to oversee the performance of the provincial departments and facilitate public participation in governance processes. As the first-decade of post-apartheid South Africa was mainly dedicated to policy formulation, the seconddecade is mainly devoted to the proper implementation of policies through oversight and public participation. It is in the context of this second decade that the SAPL Programme has become even more relevant, now focusing on the promotion Page 30
of service delivery and poverty reduction. As a response to the call for the South African Provincial Legislatures to exercise more vigorous and effective oversight, the AWEPA-SAPL Programme has contributed to the capacity building of the Provincial Legislatures, as well as to those involved in public participation and law-making. This programme has been made possible through the financial support of the SDC and the Flemish Government. Objective To enhance the performance of the South African Provincial Legislatures in their oversight, legislation roles, as well as to better facilitate public participation. Impacts The Programme has been particularly effective in building the basic capacity of members in oversight, as well as in driving best practice sharing on public participation; through the development of the Forums such as Knowledge Management, Committees’ sections Forums, and other relevant workshop interventions. Some of the examples of the impacts generated by the AWEPA-SAPL Programme include: • Improved budgeting and budget analysis skills by researchers, MPLs and senior Managers in Northern Cape Provincial Legislature; • Improved leadership skills as well as positive organisational and individual behavioural changes among staff and Members; • Review of Annual Performance Plans in Limpopo Provincial Legislature; • Increased on-site oversight, as opposed to traditional model of interrogating departmental reports, and outreach visits to engage communities in a number of Legislatures. Example Activity Workshop on Accountability and Oversight for Members of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature In 2011 AWEPA organised a series of workshops on accountability and oversight for Members of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature. As a result of these workshops a number of impacts have been made, including the adoption of a Petition Act, which enables ordinary community members to initiate and submit complaints on service delivery. Through on-site visits, committee members are able to follow-up with the compliant as well as demand resolution of the problems in service delivery to the relevant provincial department. The Limpopo Provincial Legislature has since testified to the SAPL evaluation team in 2012, that the adoption of the Petition Act has enabled the Legislature to conduct several oversight visits to remote villages, which has substantially improved service provision to the community, whereby the acting secretary of the Legislature recently received a phone call from the community representative who expressed the community’s gratitude for the support provided by the Legislature. •
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Thematic Programmes AWEPA’s thematic programmes inform parliamentarians and mobilise parliamentary action on specific issues through conferences, exchanges and publications. For a full list of AWEPA’s activities, please visit www.awepa.org or see 2011 AWEPA Financial Report.
During a field visit, MPs in Benin met with rural communities to collect their views on donor-financed water and sanitation projects Please Note: Political Coordinators mentioned per programme reflect 2012 AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
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Hon. Therese Frösch, Switzerland, speaking during the Regional CEMAC Seminar on Parliamentary Engagement with the MDGs, 26-27 October 2011, Equatorial Guinea
Strengthening Regional Parliaments towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals Donor Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) Political Coordinator Hon. Holger Gustafsson (Sweden) Background In September 2010, world leaders gathered in New York to reaffirm their commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and evaluate progress. With the 2015 target date only a few years away the campaign results are spread unevenly across the continents, with least achievement in Africa. The goals are deemed to be still achievable, but good governance is a necessity to achieve the set objectives. Unfortunately in the process of policy formulation and implementation, there is a striking lack of systematic engagement of elected representatives of the affected populations. African parliamentarians face the daunting task of providing oversight of legislation, policies and development funds towards the MDGs without access to research on policy impacts, information on budgets allocations and foreign aid flows. Through the MDG Programme, AWEPA aims at capacitating parliamentarians, thereby strengthening parliamentary democracy as a means towards Africa’s achievement of the MDGs over 2011-2015.
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Objective The overall objective of the MDG Programme is to contribute to the realisation of democracy, poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa through supporting the capacity development of regional African Parliaments and through promoting a better understanding among European parliamentarians of the challenges for achieving the MDGs in Africa. Impacts • Parliamentarians are taken increasingly more seriously by governments in MDG-related policy discussions; • A number of activity recommendations and communiqués were tabled for plenary discussions and adopted by the regional parliamentary bodies; • Qualitative amendments were made to the East African Community HIV and AIDS Prevention and Management Bill; • Increased recognition of the role of parliament by the COP 17 UNFCCC meeting; • Increased engagement from CEMAC parliamentarians to play a role in the issues concerning the drying up of Lake Chad; • Strengthened North-South dialogue through the exchange of lessons learned from the transformation process in Eastern Europe;
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
• African Regional Parliamentary Bodies expressed the will for a continued dialogue with AWEPA on their institutions’ strategic objectives; • African Regional Parliamentary Bodies are aware of the need to harmonise monitoring structures, in order to better track the outcomes of MGD Programme activities. Example Activity Parliamentary Engagement with the Millennium Development Goals: Workshop with the CEMAC Parliament In October 2011 AWEPA and the Parliament of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) organised their first joint activity, which took place in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The regional workshop focussed on the MDGs and fostered a debate on these crucial goals through building knowledge of elected officials in the region. It also helped to initiate a reflection
Aid Effectiveness Programmes
Donors Austrian Development Agency (ADA) Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, via the Amsterdam Institute of International Development (AIID) of the University of Amsterdam and the Free University of Amsterdam Political Coordinator Hon. Lord Chidgey (United Kingdom) Hon. Petra Bayr (Austria) Background AWEPA’s Aid Effectiveness programme consists of three projects, The Role of Parliament in the New Aid Architecture funded by ADA: A Focus on the SADC Region; Engaging Parliamentarians in the Changing Aid Architecture, funded by Sida; and the Parliamentary ODA Oversight Project, funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through AIID. The Aid Effectiveness programme serves to engage African and European parliamentarians in the aid reform process through trainings, public hearings, joint monitoring exercises, workshops and seminars which cut across the national, regional and continental levels. The transfer of Official Development Assistance (ODA) from donor country taxpayers to recipient country citizens requires parliamentary oversight on both ends of the aid equation. Despite this fact, MPs from the North and the South have been only marginally engaged in the process of aid reform which aims to assure that donor funds are used effectively for those in need. In Africa, MPs are faced with a variety of capacity constraints for meaningful oversight of ODA and national revenues. In an evolving aid landscape with insufficient access to information and limited analytical capacity, AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
on the possibility of more direct parliamentary work around the problems related to the MDGs. In this regard, special attention was paid to the progress made in the region in relation to agriculture (MDG 1) and the environment (MDG 7). Finally the activity focussed on ways to strengthen the partnership between AWEPA, the CEMAC Parliament and other relevant institutions in the region. During breakout sessions CEMAC parliamentarians identified a number of areas to focus on during future joint activities including: the issue of fluctuating water levels of Lake Chad and its economic and political consequences, the implementation of an agriculture strategy at the regional level and sustainable management of natural resources. Finally, during group work many participants emphasised the need to focus on the conditions necessary for achieving the MDGs, foremost among them security and stability.•
parliamentarians in Africa require substantial support if they are to perform their oversight and representational functions effectively. Objectives • To increase government accountability to its parliament and citizens on the use of ODA; • To strengthen democratic ownership and parliamentary oversight of ODA; • To support cooperation between parliaments, civil society, the executive and donors towards more effective use of ODA. Impacts International: • Increased recognition of the role of parliament in the OECD WPEFF, UN, and African Platform for Development Effectiveness; • AWEPA was requested to organise the Parliamentary Forum in the HLF-4 jointly with the IPU and the Korean National Assembly; • Funded participation for 10 MPs to the HLF-4 was secured from the organisers; • Increased number of MPs in the HLF-4 (over five times the number present at the HLF-3); • Parliamentary representation was offered a seat in the PostBusan Interim Group (PBIG); • Legislative Principles on Development Effectiveness were debated, revised and endorsed by MPs across the globe in partnership with the IPU, PNoWB and Joint ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly; • Cooperation on the “Budapest Declaration” of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly; • Evidence of Strengthened Parliamentary Oversight collected and distributed. Page 33
Hon. Boni Tessi, Member of the National Assembly of Benin, collects feedback from villagers on aid-funded water projects in the village of Assagbiné-Baka, municipality of Parakou, Benin. Regional: • Within the SADC-Parliamentary Forum, awareness has been raised among members on the aid reform process and the role of parliaments and the SADC Regional Plan of Action on Aid Effectiveness was distributed and discussed. National: • Parliamentary Staff and the Planning and Budget Committee have increased their capacity to analyse and provide inputs to the budget in cooperation with the Mozambique’s Supreme Auditing Institutions. • In Mozambique, the Planning and Budget Committee established a partnership towards increased dialogue with the Budget Monitoring Forum and the Foundation for Community Development (FCD). • Members of the Pan-African Parliament, the SADC-PF, EALA, the CEMAC-Parliament, and the Parliaments of Ghana, Uganda, Page 34
the DRC, and Namibia have received information on the Aid Reform agenda; the role of parliament in aid oversight; ODA entering their countries; the role of aid in development, and the African position; citizen opinion on aid projects; and sustained contact has been made with local and international NGOs who can assist parliaments and their staff with the provision of further information. • MPs in Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique and Benin are better able to engage with their constituents on development projects and ask relevant questions to local authorities, donors and NGOs on their behalf. • MPs in Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique and Benin are better able to coordinate and communicate on issues of aid and development effectiveness with relevant local and international institutions such as Government Ministries, NGOs, European MPs, and academics. AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
• The Parliament of the DRC is attempting to get a private member’s bill on the agenda which will increase parliamentary prerogatives in aid management. • In Namibia, good cooperation with the National Planning Commission has been established and the issue of ODA oversight was included in the debate on the 2011 Appropriation Act. • In Swaziland, the Parliament made a motion requiring government to report aid flows to parliament. Example Activity Public Hearings Ghana (25 February- 1 March 2011) The Parliament of Ghana conducted a series of three public hearings in the Yilo Krobo, Upper Manya Krobo and NingroPrampram Constituencies. The hearings were aimed at gathering public opinion on targeted development projects in the region and
were conducted according to the project evaluation methodology recently designed by the Parliament of Ghana. The hearings fostered detailed dialogue between MPs and constituents on salient development issues in their communities as well as amongst local Chiefs, District Chief Executives (DCEs) and other local leaders. In cooperation with the project representatives, parliamentary staff derived a set of indicators by which citizens could rate projects in close consultation with MPs. Those projects reviewed over the course of the three hearings include that on nursing facilities in the Kilo Krobo Constituency, the “Epicenter” project in the Manya Krobo Constituency, and a water treatment and disbursement project amongst communities located in the arid Accra plains. The data collected can be immediately used by MPs to hold donors, project implementers, DCEs and others to account to the needs voiced by their constituents. •
Harnessing the Powers of Parliament to Promote Sustainable and Green Economic Development in South Africa Donor Foreign and Commonwealth Office (British High Commission, Pretoria) Background This project was a follow-up to a two year FCO funded project (2009-2011) implemented by AWEPA in partnership with the International Institute on Environment and Development (IIED). This Parliamentary Programme for Climate Change Mitigation focused on the parliaments of SACU countries, as well as the Committees on Environment and Water Resources, and Energy and Science and Technology of South African National Assembly. In March 2011, AWEPA convened a meeting of Parliamentarians from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland to evaluate the impact between 2009 and 2011 and to agree on the way forward. Representatives of each of these parliaments expressed satisfaction with the programme and urged AWEPA to continue supporting them in relation to their Climate Change related work. Members of the South African National Assembly indicated areas in which AWEPA could support in relation to the Parliament’s work on Climate Change. On this basis, FCO supported a one year programme to support the South Africa’s Parliamentary Steering Committee on Climate Change. A wind turbine at Renewables, UK Headquarters, partly used for education purposes for children in the surrounding schools AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
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A delegation of South African Parliamentarians after a meeting with Managers and experts at Renewables, UK Headquarters in Beaufort Court, London, 1 November 2011
Objective To support the Parliament of South Africa in its role of representing public interests through the promotion of green economic policies and investments, and to hold the executive to account for its climate change mitigation and adaptation commitments. Impacts • The Project promoted collaborative leadership between South African Legislative Sector and other stakeholders on issues of Climate Change and renewable energy, through dialogue and outreach activities involving communities, Provincial and Municipal leadership, as well as other Parliaments beyond South African borders; • The project enriched the contribution of South African MPs to COP17 through contribution to the National Consultative seminar and meetings with other IPU and GLOBE members during the UK visit; • Research will provide reliable information on existing best practices elsewhere in terms of policy, legislation, institutional framework and parliamentary oversight practices on issues of Climate Change globally and on the African continent.
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Research In partnership with Sustainability Institute (University of Stellenbosch, South Africa), a comparative research was conducted on what parliaments are doing in terms of Climate Change, globally and in Africa. The aim is to provide examples of global and continental policy, legislative and institutional arrangements and/or options to South African MPs. The final report, accompanied by a five page summary, has been submitted to the Parliament and the British High Commission in Pretoria in April 2012. These sources will provide relevant information for both the Parliamentary Steering Committee on Climate Change, and the Parliament in general, now and in the future. Example Activity An exposure/experience sharing tour to the UK and Scottish Parliament, November 2011 In November 2011, an exposure visit was held for South African MPs to the UK and Scottish Parliaments to observe examples of renewable energy projects, as well as to meet with colleague MPs, representatives of the private sector, and experts on climate change and renewable energy. •
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Purpose The purpose of AWEPA’s FGM/C programme is to enhance the capacity of selected African Parliaments – initially Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal - to exercise their oversight, representative and legislative functions with regard to the practices of FGM/C, with a focus on one hand on FGM/C legislation and the monitoring of its implementation, and on the other hand on the need for a community-based approach. Impact The activities of the FGM/C programme will be mainly implemented in 2012. However, some related activities took place in 2011:
Women in rural areas of Burkina Faso, where FGM/C is still widely practiced
Female Genital Mutilation Programme Donors UNFPA UNICEF Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs Political Coordinator Hon. Sabine de Bethune (Belgium) Background Many girls and women are suffering from the effects of the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) that violates the basic human rights of women and girls and seriously compromises their health. The practice is mainly exercised in Africa, but FGM/C is also a European problem, as growing migration has seen an increasing number of girls and women living outside their country of origin that have undergone FGM/C or at risk of being subject to the practice.
• In cooperation with the Women’s Caucus of the Pan-African Parliament, AWEPA produced a parliamentary handbook on FGM/C “Guidelines for Parliamentarians: Abandoning Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting”, which is available in English and French with inputs from UNFPA and UNICEF; • In a letter written by the President of AWEPA to all Heads of the AWEPA Sections in European parliaments in the framework of the “International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation 2011” two example of actions taken by AWEPA Sections are mentioned: a proposed resolution against FGM/C by the Head of the Belgian Section and currently President of the Belgian Senate, Hon. Sabine de Bethune, which has been adopted by the Foreign Affairs Committee in June 2011; and a Statement on FGM/C resulting from an All Party Initiative of the Austrian Parliament against Violence, with a focus on violence against Women and the abandoning of FGM/C, organised by the AWEPA Section in Austria; • In May 2011 Lord David Chidgey, Head of the UK Section wrote a letter on FGM/C to his peers, and addressed the issue during the debate organised on FGM/C in the UK Parliament on 30 June 2011. • The Irish Parliament passed the Criminal Justice (FGM) Act in 2012. AWEPA will build upon the above activities and results achieved in 2011 in the coming year. •
AWEPA is since 2009 focusing on the abandonment of FGM/C. Following a letter of intent signed in December 2010, AWEPA cooperated in 2011 with UNFPA and UNICEF towards the abandonment of FGM/C in the context of their Joint Programme “Female Genital Mutilation: Accelerating Change”. Objective The overall objective of AWEPA’s FGM/C programme is the abandonment of the practice of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Africa and Europe within a generation. AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
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AWEPA Eminent Advisory Board AWEPA’s relations with Africa are guided by the advice of the Eminent Advisory Board. The Board meets annually to discuss the policy and programmes of AWEPA, and to make suggestions for future priorities regarding developments in Africa. This Board is appointed for an indefinite period of time and consists of the following members: Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Honorary Chair) A theologian and educator, Archbishop Desmond Tutu served as Archbishop of Cape Town and Head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Tutu received the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize for the role he played as a pioneer of peaceful resistance methods in the struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa. He now plays a leading role in The Elders: an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by Nelson Mandela, who offer their collective influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity. Ms. Graça Machel (Chair) Ms. Graça Machel has campaigned as a global advocate for war-affected children and serves as spokesperson for the Global Movement for Children. Following the independence struggle, Machel served as Education Minister of Mozambique. She is currently a member of the Panel of Eminent Persons of the African Peer Review Mechanism, a system introduced by the African Union to help countries improve their governance. Ms. Mary Robinson Ms. Mary Robinson was a member of the Irish Parliament from 1969 to 1989 and became a member of AWEPA in the 1980s. She was elected the first woman President of Ireland (1990-1997) and served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002). A human rights advocate, she established the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice in Dublin. His Excellency Mohamed A. Sahnoun H.E. Mohamed Sahnoun, the former Ambassador of Algeria to the United Nations, to the United States and to Morocco, has served as Special Representative for the Great Lakes region of Africa since 1997. Sahnoun is also a member of the Special Advisory Group of the War-torn Societies Project and served as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on the Eritrean-Ethiopian conflict from 1999 to 2002. Dr. Jan Nico Scholten Dedicated to humanitarian solidarity, Scholten was Mayor and Chairman of a District Council before joining the Dutch Parliament (house and senate) as well as serving as a member of the Benelux-Parliament and the Assembly of the Council of Europe. In 1984 he took the initiative in the founding of what is now called AWEPA. He served as Executive and non-Executive President for AWEPA’s first 25 years and is still actively involved. He has received awards from the United Nations, various African countries and the Queen of the Netherlands honouring his commitment to human dignity. Prof. Albert Tevoedjre Professor Albert Tevoedjre has been the Special Envoy for the United Nations Secretary-General to the Ivory Coast since 2003. Before his current responsibility, Tevoedjre chaired the Commission on the “Millennium for Africa” Project, which completed its report in May 2002. Tevoedjre also played a prominent role as Head of Government in Benin. A political scientist by training, his book Poverty, Wealth of Mankind was awarded the Prix de la vie économique.
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AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
AWEPA Partnership Council Pan-African Parliament (PAP) The establishment of the Pan-African Parliament is informed by a vision to provide a common platform for African peoples and their grassroots organizations to be more involved in discussions and decision-making on the problems and challenges facing the continent. Pan-African parliamentarians represent all the peoples of Africa. The ultimate aim of the PAP is to evolve into an institution with full legislative powers whose members are elected by universal adult suffrage. East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) As an organ of the East African Community, EALA aims to legislate, do oversight and represent the people of East Africa in a bid to foster economic, social, cultural and political integration. The Assembly is committed to fostering the following core values in its operations: effectiveness, ethics and integrity; transparency and accountability; objectivity and impartiality; professionalism and team work; unity in diversity; as well as allegiance to EAC ideals. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament The ECOWAS Parliament is a forum for dialogue, consultation and consensus for representatives of the peoples of West Africa in order to promote integration. It provides advisory opinions on issues covering a wide range of areas that are of crucial importance for the integration process. These include respect for human rights, the interconnection of communication and telecommunication links, health, education, agriculture and revisions of basic community texts. Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) SADC-PF is a delivery-focused, people-centred institution that accelerates and promotes parliamentary participation in regional decision making for the benefit of the citizens of SADC. The SADC Parliamentary Forum’s mission is to facilitate strategic partnerships within the SADC region, promote information sharing, initiate and implement projects that enhance regional integration and promote effective and professional parliamentary practice. Network of African Parliamentarians (NAP) With a membership of engaged parliamentarians across Africa, the NAP is a unique initiative which meets to report back on parliamentary actions on NEPAD in regional and national parliaments, and which keeps members informed about NEPAD and development issues through regular information bulletins. Having recognized that the NEPAD objectives could not be met without the effective use and delivery of aid, the NAP has broadened its focus to include issues of aid and development effectiveness. NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) The NPCA is responsible for coordinating the preparation of NEPAD Agency projects and programmes. This includes mobilising technical and financial support, facilitating and supporting implementation, providing information, promoting the programme in Africa and internationally. The NEPAD Agency has been charged by the Heads of State and Government with facilitating the implementation of the NEPAD vision, such as CAADP and liaising with development partners, mobilising private sector participation, representing the programme at development forums and monitoring and reporting on progress. Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa Parliament (CEMAC-P) The Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa Parliament (CEMAC) facilitates free exchange and movement across borders for the development and the infrastructural and economic integration of the region. Its parliament was officially inaugurated in 2010 in Malabo after a ten-year transition phase to sensitise local populations to democratic processes. The CEMAC Parliament includes 30 Members from six countries: Chad, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo. Its mission is to promote harmonious development of member states through the establishment of a true common market. AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
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AWEPA Executive Committee AWEPA’s Executive Committee is the executive board of the organisation and meets four times a year. The Governing Council elects the Executive Committee for a period of five years to prepare and execute AWEPA policy under the supervision of the Governing Council. The 2012 Executive Committee is composed of the President, Minister of State Ms. Miet Smet, who serves as Chair, along with seven Vice Presidents. AWEPA would like to thank the outgoing Vice Presidents, Ms. Brigitta Gadient and Mr. Brendan Howlin for their years of dedicated service on the AWEPA Executive Committee.
Minister of State Ms. Miet Smet (Belgium) - President and Chair
Hon. Jeppe Kofod (Denmark) - Vice President
Hon. Patrick Meinhardt (Germany) - Vice President
Hon. Olivia Mitchell (Ireland) – Vice President
Hon. Egidijus Vareikis (Lithuania) - Vice President
Hon. Henk Jan Ormel (the Netherlands) – Vice President
Ms. Rosita Runegrund (Sweden) – Vice President
Hon. Maja Ingold (Switzerland) – Vice President
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AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
AWEPA Staff 2012 The Netherlands Office Mr. Theo Kralt, Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Jeff Balch Director Research and Evaluation Mr. John McKendy, Director Programme Development Ms. Geertje Hollenberg, Deputy Director Ms. Marion Verweij, Head of President’s Office and Communications Department Project Department Ms. Liselot Bloemen, Project Manager Ms. Femke Brouwer, Project Manager Mr. Clément Boutillier, Project Manager Ms. Tatjana van den Ham, Project Manager Ms. Kristen Heim, Project Manager Mr. Loïc Whitmore Project Officer Communications Department Ms. Alizia Kamani, Communications Officer Finance Department Mr. Martin Smeding, Senior Financial Officer Mr. Erick Hoekzema Financial Reporting Officer Ms. Sahila El Fahsi, Financial Officer Ms. Gul Mert, Junior Financial Officer Human Resources Ms. Martien Meenhorst, Human Resources Officer Secretariat Ms. Ambra Scaduti, Secretariat Coordinator and Project Assistant
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Ms. Jackline Kaaria, Office Assistant IT Department Mr. Gert Vernhout, IT Coordinator Belgium Office Mr. Patrick Luabeya, Programme Manager Ms. Katrin Verstraete, Programme Manager Ms. Yolande Ruritariye Project Officer Burundi Office Mr. Gérard Mfuranzima, Head of Office / AWEPA Representative Ms. Angeline Nahimana, Project and Administrative Officer Mr. Ferdinand Soferi, Office Assistant DRC Office Ms. Gertrude Bamba Makabi, Head of Office Ms. Merci Lubunga Mema, Assistant Project Officer Mozambique Office Ms. Amarilia Mutemba, AWEPA Representative Ms. Elisa Muianga, Acting Head of Office Ms. Rosita Alberto, Programme Manager Ms. Alzira Muchanga, Programme Manager Ms. Telma Mahiquene, Project Assistant Ms. Zaida de Pena Beete, Financial Officer Mr. Dario Taju, IT Assistant Ms. Ivete Antonio Tivane, Office Attendant Mr. José Matavele, Office Assistant
Rwanda Office Ms. Beata Mukabaranga, Project Officer / AWEPA Representative South Africa Office Ms. Jessica Longwe, Director Partner Relations Ms. Alexandrina Wonani, Head of Office Ms. Christine Leibach, Project Officer Mr. Frank Kayitare, Project Officer Ms. Natalie Roberts, Office Assistant / Logistics Officer Southern Sudan Ms. Kris Debref, Project Coordinator, South Sudan Mr. Herbert Ariko, Programme Manager Mr. Simon Zikusooka, Finance Officer Mr. John Yokwe, Operations Support Officer Mr. Peter Elamu, Administrative/HR Officer Mr. Solomon Kirunda, Legislative Expert Mr. Jackson Baa, Project Officer Mr. Andrew Namara, Project Officer Mr. Umar Turyakira, Logistics Assistant/Driver EALA Office, Tanzania Ms. Tine Hemelings, Programme Manager Ms. Geraldine Rwekaza, Programme Assistant Uganda Ms. Jeniffer Kwarisiima, Project Officer / AWEPA Representative
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AWEPA Offices AWEPA has offices in Africa and Europe, with its headquarters located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. A second European office is situated in Brussels, Belgium. In Africa, AWEPA operates a regional office located in South Africa, and eight local offices: Mozambique, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, the DRC, Kenya and Southern Sudan. Amsterdam Office Prins Hendrikkade 48 - G 1012 AC Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel: +31 20 524 5678 Fax: +31 20 622 0130 Email: amsterdam@awepa.org
Brussels Office Huis der Parlementariërs Leuvenseweg 21, bur. 1310 1009 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 501 77 27 Fax: +32 2 501 78 85 Email: brussels@awepa.org
Burundi Office BP2442 Immeuble Bizis Bld du 1er Novembre parcelle no. 5072 Bujumbura, BURUNDI Tel: +257 22 24 54 69 Fax: +257 22 24 54 70 Email: burundi@awepa.org
Congo Office (DRC) Av. de la Justice 2721 Bâtiment ABC Kinshasa/Gombe, DRC Tel: +243 81 00 44 270 Email: rdc@awepa.org
Kenya Office Chaka Place, 2nd floor Argwings Kodhek/Chaka Road PO Box 1189-00606 (Sarit Centre/Westlands) Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 20 27 33 977, +254 20 27 31 132 Fax: +254 20 27 37 638 Email: kenya@awepa.org
Mozambique Office Rua Licenciado Couthino 77 CP 2648 Maputo, Mozambique Tel: +258 2141 86 03 Fax: +258 2141 8604 Email: mozambique@awepa.org
Rwanda Office Parliament of Rwanda C/O Chambre des Députés B.P. 352 Kigali, Rwanda Tel: +250 788306488 Fax: +250 583975 Email: rwanda@awepa.org
Southern Sudan Office Southern Sudan National Legislative Assembly Parliament Building Juba, Sudan Tel: +249 123 248218 +249 918 689 835 Email: southernsudan@awepa.org
South Africa Office 16th floor Plein Park Building 69 Plein Street Cape Town, South Africa 8001 Tel: +27 21 46 21 767 Fax: +27 21 46 22 918 Email: southafrica@awepa.org
Tanzania Office (EALA) 3rd floor Safari Hotel, Old wing Sokoine Road P.O Box 8064 Arusha, Tanzania Tel:+255 786 691 873 +255 754 806 923 Email: tanzania@awepa.org
Uganda Office (Eastern Wing Room) Room E-2-14 Parliament of Uganda Parliamentary Avenue 7178 Kampala, Uganda Tel: +256 414 254 947 Email: uganda@awepa.org
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AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Financial Overview 2011 Income - Donor Grants Received in €
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Expenditures in €
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Income per Donor Received in 2011
Expenditures - Income and Grants Spent per Programme in 2011 Uganda 2,5%
Various 6,7%
Aid Effectiveness 10,0%
Benin 0,7% Burundi 2,2%
Sudan 13,2%
Core funding 3,6%
DRC 3,8%
Stability Pact 1,5%
EALA 11,41%
Somalia 8,2%
Gender Programme 0,1%
SAPL 3,4% Rwanda 2,2%
MDG Programme 7%
RFPAC 0,6% RC 0,4%
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PAP 2,3%
MPN 1,8%
Mozambique 18,4%
AWEPA Annual Report 2011 www.awepa.org
Back Photo Six women Members of the South Sudan National Legislative Assembly (SSNLA) meet with their constituents in Mundri East County (Kedaba). Journalists joined to film the outreach visit, which was later aired on South Sudanese television.
AWEPA International
Prins Hendrikkade 48-G 1012AC Amsterdam, the Netherlands t: +31 20 524 5678 f: +31 20 622 0130 e: amsterdam@awepa.org
Belgium
brussels@awepa.org
Rwanda
rwanda@awepa.org
Burundi
burundi@awepa.org
South Africa
southafrica@awepa.org
DRC
rdc@awepa.org
South Sudan
southernsudan@awepa.org
Kenya
kenya@awepa.org
Tanzania
tanzania@awepa.org
Mozambique
mozambique@awepa.org
Uganda
uganda@awepa.org
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