ANNUAL REPORT 2013 Championing DemocratiŃ Change
AWEPA ANNUAL REPORT 2013
Production Notes Text AWEPA staff
Editing Marion Girard Cisneros, Marion Verweij, Theo Kralt
Photos Loïc Whitmore, Marion Girard Cisneros, Fennell Photography, Tobin Jones, Guy Goossens, Paul Banks, Richard Kurt-Pfaff, Gerard Mfunranzima, SADC-PF media office.
Design Anton Miselaytes, Marion Girard Cisneros
Translation Spectrum Translations
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: 9789078147206 © AWEPA 2014
Cover Photo At a public hearing in Kouandé, Benin, a woman exposes the difficulties regarding water, sanitation and related health issues faced in her village (Photo credit: Loïc Whitmore).
Donors in 2013
Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education
Partners
AWEPA is also very grateful for the institutional funding it receives from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Irish Aid and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), for methodology and ICT, as well as in-kind contributions such as office and staff facilitation, and venues for activities.
Contents Acronyms 7
Partnership Council 42
Message from the President 8
Eminent Advisory Board 43
About AWEPA 10
Governing Council 44
The European Programme 11
Executive Committee 45
Programmes 14 Bridging the gap between Political Parties and Parliaments 15 Parliament of Burundi 17 Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo 18 Development Effectiveness 19 An Empowered and Effective East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) 21 Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) 22 Parliamentary Forum of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (PF-ICGLR) 24 Strengthening Regional Parliaments towards Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 26 Mozambique Programme 28 Network of Women Parliamentarians of Central Africa (RFPAC) 30 Parliament of Rwanda 31 Strengthening Regional Parliamentary Capacity in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) 32 South African Provincial Legislatures (SAPL) 33 Supporting Legislative Institutions in Somalia 34 South Sudan’s Legislative Assembly (SSLA) and State Assemblies 36 South Sudan’s Legislative Assembly (SSLA) and Local Councils 38
Staff in 2013 46
Parliament of Zimbabwe Page 6
AWEPA Offices 47 Financial Overview 2013 48
39 AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Acronyms ACP African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States ADA Austrian Development Agency AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome AJFAND African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development AWEPA Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa CAADP Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme CAR Central African Republic CBO Community Based Organisation CEASC Committee on Employment and Social and Cultural Affairs CEDAW Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women CEMAC Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa CEMAC-P Parliament of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa CIP Centre for Public Integrity COP United Nations Climate Change Conference DAC Development Assistance Committee DRC Democratic Republic of Congo EAC East African Community EALA East African Legislative Assembly EPP European People’s Party ECGLC Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS-P Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States EU European Union EFQM European Foundation for Quality Manage ment FBO Faith Based Organisation FDI Foreign Direct Investment FGM/C Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting FUSP Frisian Urban Sanitation Programme GIABA Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa GLOBE Global Legislators Organisation GPEDC Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus HLM High Level Meeting HoP House of the People ICGLR International Conference of the Great Lakes Region AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
ICGLR-PF International Conference of the Great Lakes Region Parliamentary Forum ICT Information and Communications Technology JPA Joint Parliamentary Assembly MDC Movement for Democratic Change MDF Management for Development Foundation MDG Millennium Development Goal MPAC Municipal Public Account Committee MP Member of Parliament NAP Network of African Parliamentarians NEC National Elections Commission NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development NFP National Federal Parliament NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NIMD Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy NLA National Legislative Assembly NPCA NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency NUFFIC Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education ODA Official Development Assistance OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development PAP Pan-African Parliament RBM Results-based Management REDD United Nations Strategy to Reduce emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation RFPAC Network of Women Parliamentarians of Central Africa SADC Southern African Development Community SADC-PF Parliamentary Forum of the Southern African Development Community SAI Supreme Audit Institution SAPL South African Provincial Legislature SAPST Southern African Parliamentary Trust SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency SSLA South Sudan Legislative Assembly ToT Training of Trainers UN United Nations UNFPA United Nations Population Fund ZANU-PF Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front
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Message from the President 2013 ended with the entire world mourning the passing of our esteemed friend Nelson Mandela. His vision and championing of an equal and free world are unequalled in the manner, style and conviction with which he exampled and worked. His life and work have continually inspired AWEPA since its establishment in 1984, and his legacy is something that we in AWEPA will uphold; human dignity is a fundamental birth right of every human. It was also with heavy heart that I said goodbye to my husband, Minister of State and former Prime Minister of Belgium Mr. Wilfried Martens. He was a long standing supporter and member of AWEPA. He was also co-founder of the European People’s Party (EPP) and served as its President from 1992 until his death. He was a dedicated promoter of democracy and unification, and will be sorely missed but also his legacy will not be forgotten. During 2013, AWEPA implemented over 200 activities which are far too numerous to mention. Of the highlights of the year we are pleased to see that our facilitation in bringing together parties from historical conflict regions has shown signs of bearing fruit. For example, activities which took place in the Great Lakes region, where AWEPA was successful in fostering an open and reconciliatory dialogue between members of the Foreign Relations Committees of the Senates of the DRC, Burundi and Rwanda, both bilaterally and multilaterally. Such discussions were hailed by the international media as positive progress in what has historically been a delicate diplomatic relationship. In addition, AWEPA organized a regional parliamentary meeting with the parliaments of Burundi, Central African Republic, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan to find consensus upon the ongoing issue of trans-boundary natural resource management. Although the climate was extremely tense, the meetings were successfully carried out. Other examples of assisting in the road to a peaceful future happened in Burundi, where they have come a long way since the cessation of hostilities. AWEPA undertook several Page 8
far-reaching actions with the political opposition, in and outside Parliament, with a view to re-establishing the InterBurundian dialogue. At the same time, a number of events in Benin, organised in concert with the National Assembly of Benin and Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), brought together key politicians from the different parliamentary groups and leaders of political parties to discuss issues of national interest in a multiparty setting. In addition, AWEPA’s contribution to the entrenchment of direct democracy in a decentralised system such as Benin’s, proved to be effective throughout the 16 public hearings it organised between May and August. Parliamentarians are the voice people have elected to represent them. Parliamentarians should therefore be in the centre of the peace building process and often need assistance in dealing with this mostly enormous task, especially in regions steeped in conflict. The need for AWEPA’s involvement in the professionalization of parliaments to come to democratic solutions was strongly apparent in places such as South Sudan, as well as in the slow return to normalcy and stability in Somalia after the establishment in 2012 of the first federal parliament in 20 years. It is also a year in which we saw relations between Africa and Europe moving towards greater self-sufficiency and, what’s more important, towards a real partnership on an equal footing. As this process develops, so AWEPA has played a role in strengthening the capacity of parliaments in Africa to help in the development of the skills and ways needed. Alongside our parliamentary institutional capacity building, we continued to develop our thematic programmes. AWEPA made significant steps by organising multilateral activities in Rwanda, Senegal, Nigeria and South Africa as part of our work with African regional parliaments – our main partners in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A comparable effort was made to conduct activities aiming to help put an end to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C). Our Development Effectiveness programme worked industriously to ensure that development polices and strategies at the national and regional levels throughout Africa incorporate the role of parliamentarians. As a result, parliamentarians are now seated at the Steering Committee of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, allowing the continued channelling of parliamentary inputs to draw up a new development framework in the Post-2015 era. Meanwhile, the parliamentary exchange and dialogue between Africa and Europe were strengthened through memAWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
bers’ engagement in AWEPA’s programmes and at targeted activities. Members know that they have a shared responsibility in tackling problems in Africa and they are committed to working together to attain a sustainable future. One example of this was witnessed at the AWEPA EU Presidency Seminar that took place in Dublin, Ireland in June where we looked at Africa’s development future, more specifically at the management of land and the means to eradicate hunger. As part of its focus on land rights and land purchases in Africa, the Irish Section of AWEPA brought together more than 150 parliamentarians, policy makers and experts from across Africa and Europe in a very successful dialogue with useful recommendations which can be read on our website at www.awepa.org/ news/final-recommendations-dublin/.
About Minister of State Ms. Miet Smet
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank AWEPA’s dedicated staff and the many partners across all of our programmes for their inspirational, collaborative work. My appreciation also goes to our funding partners, without whom our work would not be possible. With you, I feel the great promise awaiting us as we launch into AWEPA’s 30th year with renewed commitment and zest for democracy in Africa.
Widow of 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.
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 with regard to 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.
Ms. Miet Smet, Minister of State, President of AWEPA
AWEPA has been awarded the first level of certification titled Committed to Excellence from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model.
AWEPA is on the list of Official Development Assistance (ODA) Eligible Organisations of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development/Development Assistance Committee (OECD/DAC).
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
The annual report of AWEPA is mainly presented in a digital format, allowing us to save money and paper and making it more readily available. The annual report can be found online at www.awepa.org.
AWEPA has Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Page 9
Kolda, capital of one of the regions with the highest prevalence of FGM/C in Senegal, saw the organisation in March of an awarenessraising activity with civil society and locally elected MPs. This activity was the result of long-time collaboration between Senegal’s National Assembly and AWEPA.
About AWEPA
well as 30 parliaments in Africa and 28 in Europe, including the Pan-African Parliament and the European Parliament.
The Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA) works in cooperation with African parliaments to strengthen par¬liamentary democracy in Africa, keep Africa high on the political agenda in Europe, and facilitate AfricanEuropean parliamentary dialogue.
AWEPA’s overarching goal is to eradicate poverty and support the attainment of the MDGs through the realisation of human rights, democracy and development in Africa.
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 digni¬ty. 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:
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parliamentary competency and authority
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good governance based on a separation of powers
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increased participation of women in decision-making
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participation of civil society in the political process
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independent and qualified media, as a component of the democratic process
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A membership skills base of more than 1,900 European parliamentarians, who devote their wide-ranging expertise to peer-learning with African colleagues;
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Long-term partnerships with African parliamentary colleagues, which ensure local ownership and accountability;
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 Official Development Assistance (ODA) Eligible Organi¬sations of OECD/DAC.
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An infrastructure of political and parliamentary entry points, which span 8 African and 2 European offices, as
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AWEPA aims to achieve this objective by promoting:
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
The European Programme The European Programme is core to AWEPA’s mission. AWEPA has a broad network of parliamentarians and former parliamentar¬ians from across Europe, with over 1,900 members of parliaments from almost all EU Member States and the European Parliament, Norway and Switzerland. These members are grouped into a Section within their respective parliaments.
Together with its Irish Section, AWEPA brought together more than 150 parliamentarians, policy makers and experts from across Africa and Europe in Dublin, Ireland, on the occasion of the Irish EU Presidency seminar “Africa’s Development Future: land, hope and hunger”. AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
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European Sections Background Through its network of members in the national parliaments of Europe and the European Parliament, AWEPA has the unique opportunity to raise issues of common concern and act as a catalyst for policy dialogue. Considering their active role and efforts in the development, implementation and continuation of AWEPA’s work, members are key political contributors to AWEPA’s mission and programmes. AWEPA focuses on strengthening its members and Sections in Europe and aims to enhance the commitment of the members in each of AWEPA’s programmes and related scope of work. In 2013, over 50 members played an active role in programmes and activities in Africa, while African partners participated in peer-learning and experience exchange activities in Europe.
increase parliamentary action in areas of development cooperation and to advocate for the important role of parliaments in these matters, thus contributing to sustainable and democratic development in Africa. AWEPA’s efforts in relation to its membership and Sections are centred on a number of key areas: •
Building and maintaining parliamentary Sections in Europe and the national parliaments, as the primary responsibility of AWEPA members, with support from the Secretariat;
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Increasing consideration and strategic involvement of members with responsibilities in their respective Parliament, e.g. those sitting on key committees, for instance Foreign Affairs Committees, Public Accounts Committees, Committees on Agriculture, Environmental and Sustainability matters;
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Ensuring a prompt reaction to the needs of each programme: a) in terms of the support of European member Members of Parliament (MPs); b) participation of EU members; c) relevant expertise with respect to interactions with African partners; as well as d) facilitating linkages between members and partners outside programme activities.
Objectives Within each Section, members work to: •
Facilitate productive knowledge-sharing and stronger cooperation between African and European parliamentarians, and among African parliamentarians in relation to capacity challenges in parliaments;
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Address issues that range from development cooperation to accountability for and local ownership of development programmes related to targeted themes;
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Encourage and enable parliamentarians in Europe to
Impacts •
Members have increased their knowledge on the challenges that arise when building capacity in African parliaments and the pressing development cooperation issues relating to the MDGs, development effectiveness and the abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), among others. The members have gained
(Left to right) Hon. Joe Costello, TD, Irish Minister for Development and Trade; Hon. Henri Gbone, Chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources, Rural Economy and Environment at the Pan-African Parliament; H.E. Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland; Minister of State Ms. Miet Smet, AWEPA President; Hon. Olivia Mitchell, TD, AWEPA Vice-President and Deputy Head of its Irish Section; Hon. Maureen O’Sullivan, TD, Head of the Irish Section, at the AWEPA Irish EU Presidency Seminar held in Dublin, in June. Page 12
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
a more comprehensive and coherent understanding of these concepts, which has led to various follow-up awareness raising actions by members; •
The parliamentary exchange and dialogue between Africa and Europe have been improved and strengthened through the members’ engagement in AWEPA’s programmes and at targeted activities. Members recognize that they have a shared responsibility (Africa and Europe) in tackling problems in Africa and they are committed to working together to attain a sustainable future;
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AWEPA has been successful in including its members in multilateral discussions in international fora. Members are regularly invited and represented at the discussion table on matters of international development cooperation;
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Targeted Sections as well as political leadership positions in AWEPA were strengthened and renewed following parliamentary elections in European parliaments.
Example activity AWEPA EU Presidency Seminar in Dublin. Africa’s Development Future: land, hope and hunger. 27-28 June 2013. Ireland As part of its focus on land rights and land purchases in Africa, the Irish Section of AWEPA brought together more than 150 parliamentarians, policy makers and experts from across Africa and Europe. The seminar promoted dialogue and initiatives on the role, responsibility and efforts of both European and African parliamentarians concerning land ownership, water scarcity and chronic hunger. The focus was on MDG 1: to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015. The seminar provided a set of recommendations on the prerogatives of both African and European parliamentarians in Africa’s development future.
UN Deputy Special Representative for Somalia, Mr. Peter de Clercq, speaking about Somalia’s current developments during a dialogue in the Dutch Parliament. discuss the recent developments in Somalia and the role of the diaspora in the future of the country. AWEPA has been actively supporting legislative institutions in Somalia since 2004, with support from the European Commission and from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The current Somali government has taken many positive steps towards rebuilding the country, but there is still a long road ahead. Mr. De Clercq underlined the need for the international community and the Somali diaspora to support Somalia in its hopeful process of revitalization. Hon. Els Van Hoof pledges to make promotion of FGM/C punishable. July 2013. Belgium. Belgian AWEPA Political Coordinator for the Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) programme, Senator Els Van Hoof, made a proposal for a change in the Belgian law to make the promotion of FGM/C punishable, as currently only its implementers are prosecutable. There are presently approximately 6,000 victims of FGM/C living in Belgium, whilst another 1,975 girls and women run the risk of becoming a victim. Over 2013, Hon. Van Hoof has been actively involved in AWEPA’s activities in Senegal and Burkina Faso to raise awareness of the newly elected Parliament on the issue of FGM/C and to sensitise local communities.
Sections’ Highlights in 2013 Expert meeting on Somalia today: Current developments, Future perspective and the Diaspora’s role. 28 January 2013. The Netherlands AWEPA organised a meeting at the Dutch Parliament between Mr. Peter de Clercq, UN Special Representative for Somalia, and the Somali diaspora community in the Netherlands to AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Belgian MP Hon. Els Van Hoof addressing her Senegalese peers at a national workshop held in Dakar, Senegal, on the role of parliamentarians towards the abandonment of FGM/C. Page 13
Programmes AWEPA currently works with 30 parliaments in Africa through jointly agreed institutional and thematic 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 2013 AWEPA Financial Report.
As part of a public hearing, a delegation of African and European parliamentarians consulted villagers from Kinasserom, which is situated on the bank of Lake Chad. Please note: Political coordinators and Senior Parliamentary Advisors mentioned per programme reflect 2014. Page 14
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
On 13 and 14 May, AWEPA brought together Beninese MPs and experts in Ouidah to discuss how parliamentary oversight of government action can be improved.
Bridging the Gap Between Political Parties and Parliaments Donor Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs via the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD)
Political Coordinator Hon. Henk Jan Ormel, the Netherlands
Background AWEPA and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) joined forces formally in 2011, in a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening political parties, parliaments and the party-parliament nexus. The overall objective is to contribute to the development of pluralistic democratic societies through a participatory decision-making process grounded on a solid multiparty system and the work of a strong parliament. The partnership between AWEPA and NIMD rests on the ambition to link two streams of democracy support, AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
targeting:
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Democratic structure and procedural reform through parliamentary capacity building; and,
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Culture and behavioural change through political party support.
The programme follows a multiparty and non-partisan approach and is based on the principles of national ownership, flexibility and gender equality. Benin is the first country in which the strategic cooperation is being piloted.
Objectives AWEPA and NIMD’s partnership aims to: •
Strengthen multiparty and parliamentary democratic systems through dialogue;
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Improve the institutional capacity of political parties and parliaments; enhance the representative prowess of political parties and parliaments, by reinforcing the link between political actors, civil society and citizens;
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Ensure that the interests of different groups are adequately represented.
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Impacts In Benin, the programme has brought together key politicians from the different parliamentary groups and leaders of political parties to discuss issues of national interest in a multiparty setting. The politicians agreed to embark on a process to strengthen political party structures and increase their role in the country’s governance. Consultations with citizens as well as intensive trainings on Results Based Management (RBM) and the state’s budget scrutiny process have contributed to the adoption of a new Organic Law on public finance. The new Law places stronger emphasis on transparency and allows an increased role for the Parliament. As a result, parliamentary control over the budgetary process has been more critical than in previous years.
ing representatives of the main political parties and parliamentary groups as well as representatives of civil society. Participants identified and discussed the obstacles that prevent political parties from effectively playing a role in strengthening the democratic process and in the development of the country. Various topics of interparty dialogue were identified, as well as the barriers obstructing the dialogue. The politicians present agreed to embark on a reform process addressing the multitude of the number of parties, precarious access of political parties to public media, the caveats of political parties funding and the weak framing of parliamentary opposition. •
Example Activity Conference on the Role of Political Parties in Strengthening Democracy in Benin. 21-23 October 2013, Benin. In October 2013, a conference was organized gather-
The National Assembly of Benin, in partnership with AWEPA and NIMD, organised a conference on the role of political parties in strengthening democracy. Page 16
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Parliament of Burundi Donor Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Political Coordinator Ms. Lydia Maximus
Background It is widely acknowledged that AWEPA has played a role in every important political moment in Burundi since the mid-1990s. AWEPA’s support to the two chambers of the Parliament of Burundi dates back to the early 2000s, after a cooperation agreement was signed; the agreement is renewed at the opening of every legislature, which most recently took place in 2010 and which will end in 2015. AWEPA supports both chambers of the national Parliament in organizing parliamentary meetings and workshops, field visits and missions abroad. Further support to the Parliament is granted by providing documents that contribute to the strengthening of governance capacities. Since 2011, special attention has been given to the consolidation of peace and conflict prevention. In addition, since the latest legislative and presidential elections in Burundi, AWEPA undertakes concerted actions with the political opposition, in and outside Parliament, with a view to re-establishing the Inter-Burundian dialogue.
Objective In 2013, AWEPA aimed to improve the political and technical knowledge of parliamentarians. Through its collaboration with the Burundian Parliament, AWEPA provided MPs with the necessary tools to reinforce their capacities and to respond to the challenges they face in the discharge of their legislative, oversight and representative functions. In order to achieve the programme’s objectives, AWEPA organised several activities which promoted internal political dialogue and raised relevant issues such as the management of natAWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
In June, AWEPA organized a conference in the National Assembly of Burundi, where most of the political class and diplomats accredited to Burundi discussed the new mining legislation.
ural resources, the management of the demographic pressure, decentralization and parliamentary diplomacy as a means to prevent and resolve conflicts.
Impacts Since 2008, AWEPA is engaged in the Burundian peace consolidation process by supporting the implementation of a permanent dialogue framework between senators and local councillors, built on shared values of democracy and respect for human rights. This project was initiated by the Senate of Burundi together with locally elected officials. Today, we cannot but notice that locally elected officials focus more on governance challenges occurring in their own constituencies. The AWEPA programme in Burundi contributed to improving the quality of parliamentary work and created the conditions for rich and at times contentious debates in the law-making process.
Example Activity Seminar to support the Parliament of Burundi in view of the new Law on mining, 20 June 2013, Burundi. AWEPA joined forces with the Burundian Parliament to organise a parliamentary seminar aiming to raise awareness among MPs in view of the new mining code which was set to be enacted before the end of the year. During the workshop, Burundian parliamentarians agreed upon the necessity of ensuring transparency in the mining sector, and especially in artisanal mining. At the end of the workshop, they adopted strategies to improve profitability of mines, and consequently, benefit the population. The role of legislators in overseeing the management of mining profits was also discussed, related to the fiscal implications of mining. Among the different conclusions, parliamentarians agreed upon Page 17
the importance of ensuring that mining resources benefit local populations and municipalities, while respecting the natural environment and preserving workers’ health and security. •
Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo Donor Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Political Coordinator Hon. François-Xavier de Donnea, Belgium
Senior Parliamentary Advisor Hon. Sabine de Bethune, Belgium
Background The partnership between AWEPA and the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was founded in 1997. Two years later, AWEPA signed a cooperation agreement with both the National Assembly and the Senate. After the adoption of the new Constitution, which was borne out of the Inter-Congolese dialogue, provincial institutions were established. Thereafter, multiple provincial assemblies solicited the Senate and AWEPA to implement capacity building activities. Since 2011, the programme has achieved successes in the context of conflict prevention, in particular through parliamentary diplomacy and capacity building.
Objectives •
Identify the means to strengthen the role of Parliament in international relations;
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Foster open, constructive and reconciliatory dialogue between Congolese, Burundian and Rwandan senators, both at a bilateral level as well as in the multilateral
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context of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (ECGLC); •
Encourage trans-boundary cooperation on natural resource management, ecotourism as well as the fight against armed groups that are active in border areas;
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Incorporate the importance of planning, daily data management and human resources management in the professional practices of the administrative staff.
Impacts During 2013, AWEPA focused its efforts on parliamentary diplomacy, both bilaterally and multilaterally. AWEPA facilitated two high-level meetings in Kigali and Kinshasa between the members of the Foreign Relations Committees of the Rwandan and Congolese Senates. In parallel, AWEPA organised a regional parliamentary meeting on the protection of trans-boundary natural areas with the parliaments of Burundi, Central African Republic, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. Although the climate was extremely tense, the meetings were successfully carried out. Issues related to security, refugees, and the exploitation of natural resources were also tabled. These meetings constitute, today more than ever, real opportunities to establish a frank, constructive and sustainable dialogue.
Example Activity Protecting Trans-boundary Natural Resources in Central African Countries. 30 September – 2 October 2013, Kisangani, DRC. Congolese, Central African, Rwandan, Burundian, Ugandan and South-Sudanese parliamentarians gathered for a two-day sub-regional conference on the role of legislators in protecting the regional, trans-boundary natural environment. The event, organised by AWEPA in partnership with both chambers of the Congolese Parliament, was facilitated to prevent and resolve conflicts related to natural resources between the DRC and neighbouring states. Representatives from several specialised bodies were also in attendance. The DRC shares nearly ten thousand kilometres of borders with nine neighbouring countries and an ocean AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Development Effectiveness Programme Donors In the middle of this group, wearing a grey suit, stands the Deputy Rapporteur of the Congolese Senate, Hon. Jean-Pierre Lola Kisanga surrounded by representatives of the Kisangani province. This photo was taken at an AWEPA conference on the role of legislators in protecting the regional, trans-boundary natural environment in Central Africa.
coastline. In addition, the majority of provinces in the DRC share land and/or maritime trans-boundary natural areas with neighbouring states, hence the need for ongoing multilateral cooperation in order to address issues faced by all parties. Successfully bringing together Rwandan and Ugandan delegations at the conference was a vital step towards regional reconciliation. In fact, it was the first time that legislators from the two countries agreed to meet since the six-day war, which opposed Rwandan and Ugandan political forces on Congolese land, in 2000. To strengthen regional and multilateral cooperation, parliamentarians resolved to form a network. The group proposed the creation of a green brigade for the protection of trans-boundary natural resources. Their recommendations, contained in the “Parliamentary Declaration of Kisangani 2013”, will be submitted to the governments of the different states involved. As a result, the Conference earned broad media coverage in national, regional and local news outlets. •
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Austrian Development Agency (ADA) Irish Aid
Political Coordinator Lord David Chidgey, United Kingdom
Senior Parliamentary Advisors Hon. Claudia Durchschlag, Austria Hon. Maureen O’Sullivan, TD, Ireland
Background While Official Development Assistance (ODA) is undergoing a large-scale retreat in several countries, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the financial and extractive sectors is making its mark on emerging African economies. As a result, the management of public finance in these countries has gained significant attention in recent years. There is a clear, growing emphasis on the accrual of natural resource revenues, FDIs, taxation, philanthropy and other domestic resources. With this shift, the pool of resources to be accounted for has increased. Not only are partner governments responsible for managing and accounting for external finance, but with the growth of local potential, domestic resources as well. These changes have wide reaching implications for parliaments in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), especially if legislatures are to keep step with the improvements to executive management of public finances, which continue to multiply. Ultimately, strengthening the oversight functions of parliaments lies at the heart of what AWEPA and the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) are aiming to achieve. Reflective of this broadened agenda, this year the programme changed its name from that of “aid effectiveness” to “development effecPage 19
Participants at a regional parliamentary seminar in Johannesburg, South Africa, “Enhancing SADC Parliamentary Participation in Development Effectiveness”.
tiveness”.
Objectives •
Support and monitor the incorporation of parliaments, envisaged as institutions, in development polices, processes and plans at the global, regional and national levels throughout Africa;
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Support the Parliamentary Forum of the Southern African Development Community (SADC-PF) in developing the institutional capacity to function as a regional Parliament;
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Strengthen parliamentary oversight in the SADC region, with a particular focus on Mozambique and Tanzania.
Impacts Since establishment in 2008, the programme has worked tirelessly to ensure, through support and monitoring, that development policies and strategies at the national and regional levels throughout Africa incorporate the role of parliamentarians. As a result, legislatures have been acknowledged by the GPEDC as key State institutions with a constitutional mandate to represent and safeguard citizens’ development ambitions. The fact that parliamentarians are now seated at the Steering Committee of the GPEDC is also evidence of the programme’s achievement, allowing the continued Page 20
channelling of parliamentary inputs to the decisionmaking structures on international development at the highest level. In 2013, lessons learned on a national and global context were elevated at the regional SADC level, whereby AWEPA supported the transformation process of the SADC-PF into a fully-fledged regional Parliament. Programme activities have deepened the conviction amongst parliamentarians and other stakeholders on the crucial role of parliaments in the budget process. This increased awareness has influenced the institutional development of the SADC-PF by asserting the urgency and relevance of regional oversight on par with that at the national level, as confirmed by the SADC Parliamentary Statement which emerged from the regional seminar held in December 2013. The programme has also served to leverage the combined strengths of European and African MPs as concerns bilateral ODA relationships and other development inputs. In this respect, AWEPA facilitated joint monitoring exercises in which development priorities of Irish parliamentarians on behalf of their taxpayers were compared with priorities of the Mozambique and Tanzanian governments alongside the parliaments’ capacities to oversee the same. In facilitating South-South and triangular dialogue, AWEPA has created space for AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
critical reflection among parliaments in SADC on the nature and limits of their engagement in the budget process and parliament’s oversight role more generally. As a result, SADC parliamentarians have begun taking steps to improving their relations with other stakeholders, in particular, Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) and European MPs.
Example Activity Enhancing SADC Parliamentary Participation in Development Effectiveness. 2-4 December 2013, South Africa. AWEPA held a regional parliamentary seminar with 60 participants in attendance, including parliamentarians and parliamentary staff from eleven SADC and three European countries. Ultimately, the seminar was instrumental in connecting the most recent trends in the global development agenda including the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of development cooperation. Legislative performance with regards to parliamentary engagement in the budget process was also addressed, followed by discussions on the potential for strengthened relations between parliaments and other development actors towards development effectiveness. As the seminar concluded, participants adopted the “SADC Parliamentary Statement on the GPEDC” for discussion at the High Level Ministerial (HLM) meeting to be held in Mexico, in April 2014. •
An Empowered and Effective East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Donors Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Political Coordinator Hon. Kerstin Lundgren, Sweden
Senior Political Advisors Hon. Kerstin Engle, Sweden Katharine Bulbulia, Ireland
Background Since 2002, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and AWEPA have implemented programmes to develop EALA’s capacity in the East African Community (EAC). Founded in 2001, EALA functions as the legislative organ of the region. The integration agenda of the EAC gives EALA its mandate, as specified by the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC. EALA is comprised of 52 members, 45 of whom are elected to their position (nine from each of the five Partner States) and seven exofficio members. The third Assembly was inaugurated in June 2012 and seeks to consolidate the achievements of the first and second Assembly by maintaining a regional presence and engaging with legislative and development concerns in East Africa.
Objectives In line with the vision of a prosperous, competitive, secure and politically united EAC, the programme aims to contribute to accelerated, harmonious and balanced development and continued democratisation in the region. Thus, the programme seeks to empower EALA to effecAWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
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Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza launches the EALA Strategic Plan 2013-2018 to the applause of the Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Hon. Margaret Zziwa.
tively fulfil its legislative, representative and oversight mandate, particularly in matters related to improving the EAC integration process and increasing cooperation among EAC Partner States in political, economic, social and cultural fields. Such activities are geared towards the mutual benefit of the EAC Partner States and their citizens. The programme supports the implementation of legislation that is important to EAC integration, therefore mutually beneficial for the Community and the Partner States. Another goal of the programme is that EAC citizens are made aware of the integration process and its role in their lives.
Impacts The programme focused on achieving results in accordance with the mandate of EALA, namely to enhance its legislative role, to effectively represent and reach out to the citizens, to enhance its oversight role and to effectively link with the national assemblies of Partner States as well as other regional parliaments. The third Assembly focused on capacity building workshops as well as legislative and oversight work on reports and bills. This included public hearings, site visits, interaction with civil society and interaction with national assemblies, including the Speakers’ assemblies.
Example Activity Development of the EALA Strategic Plan 2013-2018. 4-13 April 2013, Rwanda. Page 22
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) developed the EALA Strategic Plan for 2013-2018 during a series of workshops held between 4 and 13 April 2013 in Kigali, Rwanda. The EALA Strategic Plan 2013-2018 builds on the Assembly’s first Strategic Plan (2010-2012) and is intended to serve as the main instrument to execute EALA’s Strategic Plan mandate in a more focused, effective and results-oriented manner. In parallel, the EALA Commission and chairpersons of the EALA Committees participated in a four-day training workshop on strategic planning and management. Subsequently, they reviewed the proposed Strategic Plan. This was followed by a one-day dissemination workshop for EALA members and other stakeholders. Finally, the EALA Commission had the chance to incorporate the changes into the Strategic Plan and to unpack the activities for the years 2013-2014. •
Female Genital Mutilation (FMG/C) Donor Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs via the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Political Coordinator Hon. Els Van Hoof, Belgium
Senior Political Advisor Hon. Petra Bayr, Austria
Background Worldwide, more than 125 million girls and women are suffering the consequences of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), a practice that is recognized internationally as a violation of human rights. It is estimated that, under current trends, 30 million girls are at risk of being cut over the next decade. In addition, FGM/C AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Following a workshop in the capital of Burkina Faso, Belgian senator Hon. Els Van Hoof joined other parliamentarians in a decentralised activity to discuss the abandonment of FGM/C with local traditional, religious and political authorities.
has increasingly become an issue of concern in Europe. According to the European Parliament, approximately 500,000 girls and women living in Europe have undergone FGM/C and another 180,000 are at risk each year. AWEPA is well placed to support parliamentarians as key catalysts for ending FGM/C, through its extensive network in Africa and Europe. AWEPA focuses on supporting parliaments to develop legislation and/or policy frameworks banning FGM/C, and monitor their implementation. Taking a community-based approach, the programme includes education, sensitisation and engaging with local leaders.
Objective The objective of AWEPA’s FGM/C programme is to contribute to an increased capacity of parliamentarians to legislate around the protection of women and girls from violence, including FGM/C, child marriage and other harmful traditional practices. The programme supports national parliaments to work towards the abandonment of the practice by strengthening the capacity of parliamentarians to exercise their oversight, representative and legislative functions with regard to FGM/C. AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Impacts •
Parliamentarians are more aware of the negative impact on health, including mental and reproductive health, as well as other risks related to FGM/C; cultural and other realities in the field posing a challenge to abandonment; and national/regional resources available for victims;
•
Parliamentarians are more aware of the cross-border dimension linked to FGM/C and are able to work with counterparts in neighbouring countries to propose harmonized legislation and policies;
•
Parliamentarians are better equipped to work with other branches of Government to accelerate the abandonment of FGM/C and to implement existing laws;
•
Increased mutual understanding and political will for cooperation between African and European parliamentarians;
•
Victims are more aware of their rights as well as national and local resources;
•
Validation of local efforts towards abandonment, through the presence and support of elected leaders in their communities;
•
Increased media coverage of efforts to promote abandonment brought the issue to national debate and engage public opinion in this struggle; Page 23
•
European parliamentarians are more aware of the practice as it exists in Europe, in the context of migration.
Example Activity National parliamentary workshop and decentralised activity. 23-26 November 2013, Burkina Faso. Together with Burkina Faso’s National Assembly Committee on Employment and Social and Cultural Affairs (CEASC), AWEPA implemented a decentralised activity in Kongoussi, followed by a national workshop in Ouagadougou, between 23 and 26 November. Despite a Law banning FGM/C in Burkina Faso since 1996, the practice currently affects an estimated 76% of women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49. As a result of the decentralised activity and the workshop, newly elected Committee members expressed their engagement to continue the fight started by their colleagues in collaboration with AWEPA in 2011. During the workshop, MPs updated the parliamentary action plan of 2012. This plan will guide their actions during their mandate. •
Parliamentary Forum of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR-PF) Donors Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
Political Coordinators Hon. Alain Destexhe, Belgium Ms. Therese Frösch, Switzerland
Background In 2006, the Joint Secretariat of the United Nations-African Union requested AWEPA to facilitate parliamentary activities related to the Pact on Security, Stability and Development of the Great Lakes Region. The aim was to allow the ownership and the ratification of the Pact by
Held in Burundi, the 4th plenary session of the ICGLR-PF featured the presence of the country’s President, H.E. Pierre Nkurunziza. The session was organised with the support of the General Secretariat of the Forum, the Parliament of Burundi and AWEPA. Page 24
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the country members of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR): Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), Republic of Congo, DRC, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia. In 2008, as a result of this process, the Parliamentary Forum of the ICGLR (PF-ICGLR) was established. Since then, the Forum operates as a framework of dialogue between parliamentary institutions, while supporting the efforts of their respective governments for achieving the goals of the Pact, in particular as the efforts relate to conflict prevention.
Objectives •
Contribute to the establishment of a dialogue between member parliaments, while supporting the efforts of their respective governments;
•
Contribute to successfully implement the Pact on Security, Stability and Development;
•
Foster peace in the Great Lakes region by the means of parliamentary diplomacy;
•
Further build the capacities of the Forum’s General Secretariat and Executive Committee.
Impacts
ticular, for concrete measures to the benefit of peace in the CAR. The tumultuous climate is a direct result of the political, ethnic and religious clashes that the country has been witnessing for several months.
Example Activity Fourth session of the Forum of Parliaments of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region. 11-13 November 2013, Bujumbura, Burundi. The fourth Plenary Session of the PF-ICGLR was organized in Bujumbura, in November 2013, by the General Secretariat of the Forum and the Parliament of Burundi, with financial and technical assistance from AWEPA. The Plenary Session was successful in meeting its targets, given the massive participation of Forum member parliaments as well as given the debate on topics of extreme importance for peace and security in the region. The session featured several debates around resolution projects which were prepared by the Forum’s consultant under the supervision of the General Secretariat. At the heart of the debates was the security situation in Burundi, the CAR and eastern DRC, as well as the state of play between Sudan and South Sudan. •
In 2013, AWEPA contributed to the organisation of statutory activities for the Forum. At a meeting of the Executive Committee, organised in Kigali in July 2013, the resolution projects drafted by a Forum’s consultant on the request of the Secretary General were analysed. After reviewing the administrative documents sent by the Secretary General, the Executive Committee was able to establish the agenda of the plenary, which took place in Bujumbura, in November 2013. The plenary was attended by the speakers and members of each of the parliaments which are members of the Forum. During the session, H.E. Mr. Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, the honorary President of Burundi was called to brief those in attendance about the consultation mission which he had recently led in Bangui together with the Secretary General of the Forum and members of the Executive Committee. At the conclusion of the briefing, a call was made to the international community in general and to the country members of the ICGLR in parAWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
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Strengthening Regional Parliaments towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals Donor Swedish International Development Agency (Sida)
Political Coordinator Hon. Holger Gustafsson, Sweden
Senior Parliamentary Advisor Hon. Wolfgang Pirklhuber, Austria
Background Africa has made great strides towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), however results are spread unevenly across countries and several targets will be missed in 2015. Despite much effort and commitment, the continent still lags behind others due mainly to its initial lower levels of development and
its overall high population growth. Much can still be accomplished in the two years remaining before the 2015 horizon. That said, the urgency to reach the projected goals must be tempered by the need to sustain progress beyond 2015. Good governance and, in particular, the need for effective, open and accountable institutions are necessary to achieve the MDGs, and social and human development generally. This also implies strong parliaments that can contribute credibly to the efficient and equal distribution of public goods and hold governments accountable for the disbursal of development funds and sound development policy implementation. However, the engagement of elected representatives in policy formulation and implementation in Africa is not systematic and often insufficient. African parliamentarians face the difficult task of providing oversight of legislation, policies and development funds aimed at achieving the MDGs, with limited or no access to information on the impacts of policy decisions, budget allocations and foreign aid flows. Achieving the MDGs is contingent upon supporting local solutions for poverty eradication, enhancing transparency and accountability of governance frameworks and reinforcing regional integration and peer-learning
Participants at a conference “Political Stability, Human Security and Development in West Africa� jointly organised by AWEPA and the ECOWAS Parliament.
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AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
(Left to Right) Hon. Elisabeth Nauclér, Deputy Head of the Finnish AWEPA Section, Hon. Cheikh Abdel Kader Dansoko, the Secretary General of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Moustapha Niasse, Speaker of the National Assembly of Senegal, Hon. Ike Ekweremadu, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Mrs. Salamatu Suleiman, ECOWAS Commissioner, Dr. Abdullahi Shehu, Director General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), at a conference “Political Stability, Human Security and Development in West Africa”.
mechanisms. Policy makers at the national, regional and international levels must acknowledge the crucial role of parliamentarians to attain the MDG targets and sub-targets, as well as the role of policy coherence visà-vis public and private donors. AWEPA worked with its partners to conduct a mid-term review of the MDG programme in 2013, identifying progress to date, lessons learned and the way forward.
ca’s development challenges, while strengthening parliamentary dialogue and enhancing parliamentary participation in international fora on MDG-related issues.
•
Activity recommendations and communiqués were tabled for committee and/or plenary discussions and adopted by regional parliamentary bodies;
Objective
•
Increased engagement of the PAP and Africa’s national and regional parliaments on the issue of gender equality and violence against women;
•
Strengthened parliamentary awareness on the need for sustainable agricultural investment and adequate responses to large-scale land investment in Eastern and Central Africa;
•
Regional recommendations on the issue of Lake Chad adopted by CEMAC-P;
•
Increased parliamentary awareness and engagement on the issues of human security, political stability and achievement of the MDGs in West Africa;
•
Enhanced inter-parliamentary exchange and cooperation on institutional development and strategic planning;
•
Strengthened North-South dialogue on poverty reduction, food security, and agriculture and land management, resulting in stepped-up donor commitments.
The overall objective of the MDG programme is to contribute to democracy, poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa by supporting the capacity development of regional African parliaments, namely the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the Parliament of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC-P), the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS-P), and the Parliamentary Forum of the Southern African Development Community (SADC-PF). Through its MDG programme, AWEPA aims to capacitate these regional parliaments to develop and implement policy and legislation relevant to the MDGs, specifically with respect to parliamentary oversight and budgetary control. In addition, AWEPA works to promote a better understanding among its European members of AfriAWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Outputs
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Example Activity
Senior Parliamentary Advisor
Parliamentary Conference on Human Security, Political Stability and Achievement of the MDGs in West Africa. 29-31 October 2013, Senegal. A three-day conference “Political Stability, Human Security and Development in West Africa” was jointly organised by AWEPA and ECOWAS-P in October 2013. The objectives of the conference were to define the roles of parliamentarians at national and regional levels to promote human security in the region, addressing political stability in West Africa and assessing advancement towards the MDGs. Specifically, the conference related to MDGs 1, 7 and 8 (but also, and more broadly, to MDGs 2, 4, 5 and 6). The conference brought together the Speaker, members and technical staff of ECOWAS-P as well as European MPs affiliated to AWEPA and several regional and international experts in the areas of governance, security and development. The conference ended with the adoption of a Parliamentary Declaration recommending a number of concrete actions to be taken to improve democratic governance, political stability and human security in the region. These will be pursued by ECOWAS-P as it moves forward with its institutional strengthening process and in the context of its partnership with AWEPA.•
Ms. María Antonia Avilés Perea, Spain
Strengthening democratic institutions in Mozambique Donors Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) via Diakonia The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Maputo, Mozambique The Frisian Urban Sanitation Programme (FUSP) The North-South Dialogue of Parliaments
Political Coordinator Hon. Bodil Ceballos, Sweden Page 28
Background AWEPA has supported the democratic process in Mozambique since 1992. In the past decade, the focus of AWEPA has shifted from major civic education programmes and election observation projects to capacity building programmes for elected organs. AWEPA Mozambique works in the framework of its multi-annual programme, which is divided into four components: the Parliamentary Programme, the Local Government Programme with Municipalities and Provincial Assemblies, the Political Parties Programme and the Research and Publications Programme. Issues such as HIV/AIDS, gender and child rights are integral focal points within each programme. In addition, AWEPA Mozambique introduced training on sustainable natural resources management for the Municipalities, Provincial Assemblies and National Assembly (MPs and staff), as well as capacity building at municipal level on water and sanitation in collaboration with the Frisian Urban Sanitation Project (FUSP) in partnership with the Ministry of State Administration and the Mozambican National Water Directorate.
Objectives •
Support the legitimacy, functioning and development of democratic institutions;
•
Support the consolidation of peace and harmonious socio-economic development;
•
Support the involvement and active participation of civil society in the democratic process and democratic institutions at national and local levels;
•
Stimulate the availability and exchange of information on the Mozambican democratization process by carrying out research and disseminating publications and educational materials.
Impacts In 2013, Mozambique saw the holding of a number of elections, with municipal elections conducted on 20 AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
November. General elections are due to take place in October 2014. The elections were carried out under the new electoral legislation that was approved by the Parliament in December 2012. Several changes took place in this new electoral legislation, one being the election of new members of the National Elections Commission (NEC). In order to contribute to the free, fair and transparent elections, AWEPA provided training for members of political parties in order to disseminate the new legislation. On the other hand, in partnership with the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), AWEPA prepared journalists across Mozambique to act as electoral observers at the municipal elections. In the frame of its capacity building project addressing sustainable natural resources management, AWEPA carried out training on natural resources for the National Assembly, municipalities, and provincial assemblies. Prior to the implementation of the training activities, AWEPA undertook a baseline study to establish milestones and provide the basis for subsequent assessment of how effective the activities have proven in achieving the desired results.
Example Activity Sustainable Natural Resource Seminar on Petroleum Legislation. November 2013. Maputo, Mozambique. One of the most important activities undertaken in the frame of the AWEPA Mozambique Strategic Vision programme was the seminar on petroleum legislation which took place in Maputo, in November 2013. Parliamentarians from three Committees of the National Assembly of Mozambique and ten Norwegian parliamentarians attended the seminar. The Norwegian delegation shared experiences and best practices with their Mozambican counterparts as regards legislation on natural resource management. This contributed to the overarching goal of the AWEPA project towards sustainable natural resources management for inclusive growth, which is that of strengthening the capacity of the Parliament to perform its oversight, legislation and public representation roles more effectively and to oversee government spending. Most importantly, by the end of the seminar, the successful exchange of knowledge paved the way to begin drafting a new Law on petroleum extraction in Mozambique.
A seminar AWEPA organised on petroleum legislation held in Maputo gathered delegations of both Mozambican and Norwegian MPs. Honoured by the President and the First Lady of Equatorial Guinea, RFPAC held a conference in their capital, Malabo. AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
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The 16th regional conference of RFPAC addressed MDG 3 and the means to promote gender equality through education.
Network Of Women Parliamentarians Of Central Africa (RFPAC) Donor
and Republic of Congo. The Network statutes assimilate key statements 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 (CEDAW), the UN Resolution 1325 and the MDGs.
Objectives •
Elaborating strategies in favour of controlling accession to natural resources, as illegal exploitation of resources often deprives states of the budget needed to fight structural poverty;
•
Strengthening of the legislative oversight and representative role of Central African parliaments especially with regards to the access to land;
Hon. Els van Hoof, Belgium
•
Background
Strengthening of parliamentary cooperation at the regional level on matters of agricultural development;
•
Identifying concrete actions aimed at improving the development of the agricultural sector.
Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Political Coordinator Hon. Magda De Meyer, Belgium
Senior Parliamentary Advisor
The Network of Women Parliamentarians of Central Africa (RFPAC) was established in March 2002 on the request of women parliamentarians attending an AWEPA conference in the region. With AWEPA’s assistance, RFPAC has since formed an all-women parliamentarian platform that gathers at least once a year. The Network includes women parliamentarians from Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Page 30
Impacts In 2013, AWEPA supported the RFPAC in organising conferences in Dublin, Ireland, and in Bujumbura, Burundi. These meetings contributed to raising awareness among women parliamentarians affiliated to the Network on the complexity of the access to land for AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
women in Central African countries. The two meetings contributed to the lobbying initiated by members of the Network in order for laws on women’s access to land to be drafted, or revised in case they already exist but are not favourable for women.
Example Activity Sixteenth meeting of the Network of Women Parliamentarians of Central Africa. 22-23 October 2013, Burundi. The central topics of the meeting were women’s access to land and the promotion of sustainable agriculture. The meeting had the purpose of identifying and highlighting good practices as regards access to land, whilst promoting the development of sustainable agriculture in Central Africa. In addition, a synthesis of the previous meeting held in Dublin and an analysis of the follow-up of its recommendations were carried out. The meeting featured presentations and analysis of the different juridical scenarios relating to agriculture and land grabbing, by women parliamentarians affiliated to RFPAC. Recommendations emerging from the meeting will contribute to inform Central African countries’ development plans in favour of women. •
Parliament of Rwanda
Donor Belgian Ministry on Foreign Affairs
Political Coordinator Hon. Alain Destexhe, Belgium
Background The AWEPA parliamentary support programme in Rwanda began in 2003 and has continued to focus on both members and staff of the Parliament. AWEPA’s support is mainly geared towards peace-building and conflict prevention, as well as parliamentary capacity building. Since 2011, a significant proportion of the activities AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
focused on strengthening relations between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as well as strengthening multilateral cooperation on major issues such as refugees, trans-boundary natural resource management, and the revitalisation of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (ECGLC).
Objectives •
Facilitate field visits for parliamentary commissions in view of ensuring law enforcement.
•
Evaluate the functioning of international judiciary institutions dealing with the genocide of 1994.
•
Analyse the legislative reforms and their impact on the improvement of the business environment.
•
Contribute to the installation of a trust-based relationship between the Rwandan and Congolese Senates;
•
Provide support to the endeavour of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) towards economic development and peace in the sub-region.
Impacts In 2013, the Rwanda and DRC programmes of AWEPA functioned in synergy in order to facilitate several bilateral and multilateral parliamentary meetings. An initial meeting between Rwandan and Congolese parliamentarians was organized in Kigali in May. On this occasion, the President of the DRC Senate travelled to Kigali, where he met his Rwandan counterpart and the President of the Rwandan Republic. After this successful meeting, other opportunities for multilateral cooperation emerged. In light of its longterm experience working with parliamentary diplomacy in Central Africa, AWEPA successfully supported multilateral cooperation by facilitating key activities. A regional seminar on the protection of natural transboundary areas was organized in the DRC in September. In October, the President of the Rwandan Senate travelled to Kinshasa to reach an agreement on shared priorities with his Congolese counterpart. Lastly, in December, a regional seminar on the revitalisation of the ECGLC took place in Gisenyi, Rwanda.
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Members of the Rwandan and Congolese Senate Commissions on External and Foreign Affairs during a visit of the Rwandan senators to their counterparts in Kinshasa, in the DRC. Hon. Jean Damascène Ntawukuliryayo, President of the Senate of the Republic of Rwanda (left), and Hon. Leon Kengo wa Dondo, President of the Senate of the DRC (right) are standing at the center of the group.
Example Activity Senators pave the way to improved DRC-Rwanda relations. 13 – 16 October 2013. Kinshasa, DRC. After experiencing a first successful meeting in Kigali between the foreign affairs commissions of the Senates of the DRC and Rwanda in May, both Commissions expressed the wish to meet again. Therefore, AWEPA’s Rwanda programme facilitated a meeting in Kinshasa, hoping to create the framework for a permanent dialogue, which would in turn strengthen much needed friendship ties between the two institutions. The Rwandan delegation was led by the President of the Rwandan Senate, Hon. Dr. Jean Damascene Ntawukuliryayo, who travelled to Kinshasa, just as Hon. Léon Kengo Wa Dondo represented the DRC Senate when he travelled to Kigali in May. •
Strengthening Regional Parliamentary Capacity in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Donors Austrian Development Agency (ADA)
Political Coordinator Minister of State Ms. Miet Smet, Belgium
Background The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) is a body representing over 3,500 parliamentarians from 14 countries in the SADC region, namely Angola, Botswana, the DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South, AfriPage 32
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ca, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Established by the SADC Summit in 1997, the Forum is the vehicle through which MPs, as the elected representatives of the people, promote the regional integration agenda of SADC.
Objective The AWEPA programme aims to support the fulfilment of the priorities outlined in the 2011-2015 Strategic Plan of the SADC-PF towards its eventual transformation to a fully-fledged regional Parliament, by strengthening its regional parliamentary capacity. The support of AWEPA is mainly geared towards reviewing the Strategic Plan, as this will lay the legal basis for the transformation process, structurally preparing the organisation by supporting the creation of new Committees, and training the parliamentary staff so as to enable the Forum to operate like a Parliament.
Impacts As part of the programme, consultants were employed to review the Strategic Plan with the Secretariat of the SADC-PF as part of the overall transformation of the institution. As a result, a draft Strategic Plan 2014-2018 was produced and will be adopted at the Plenary Session of the SADC-PF, in June 2014. One of the main particularities of this document is that it also includes a revised organizational structure which is akin to that of a Parliament.
Example Activity Revising the SADC-PF Strategic Plan 2014-2018, Namibia. The changes brought about by the 30th Plenary Assembly of the SADC-PF back in 2011, rendered the current Strategic Plan inadequate to be a vehicle for guiding the implementation of the decisions. Hence, the need for its review, as to make it relevant to the latest developments and transformation process. Throughout 2013, the draft Strategic Plan for the period 2014-2018 was developed by consultants with the support of the SADC-PF Secretariat. The draft had been circulated to the Executive Committee, for their review and comAWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
The Speaker of the Parliament of Tanzania Anna Makhinda, during a session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum.
ments. This includes a revised organizational structure, in harmony with the strategic vision of the SADC-PF to operate like a Parliament.
South African Provincial Legislatures (SAPL) Donors Swiss Agency for Development (SDC) Belgian Embassy Flemish Representation
Political Coordinator Hon. Jan Roegiers, Flanders
Senior Parliamentary Advisor Hon. Johan Verstreken, Flanders
Background In close cooperation and regular consultation with partners, AWEPA has been implementing various support programmes with the South African Provincial Legislatures (SAPLs) since 1995. That year, a partnership was established between AWEPA and the Speakers’ Forum through its Human Resources Development Committee. The current programme was launched in April 2012 Page 33
provincial and municipal levels was streamlined. Lastly, the main result of conducting regular public hearings with members of the Provincial Legislatures is that the citizen’s perception of MPs as representatives of their interests is further rooted. The benefit is reciprocal, as MPs who participate in public hearings are performing their representative role by using the results of the same. A workshop on “Women in Leadership and Politics” gathered district and municipal Speakers of the Limpopo province, South Africa.
and is focused on five key South African provinces, namely North West, Northern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Kwazulu-Natal. Occasionally, the programme includes other provinces depending on the nature and urgency of the request for assistance.
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 advanced the capacity of parliamentarians to enforce fiscal oversight by developing and facilitating provincial and inter-provincial parliamentary workshops. One of the outcomes generated by the workshops is that at least five Provincial Legislatures and their Municipal Councils gained a clear understanding of the budget priorities and composition. As a result, MPs are now better equipped to analyze the governmental reports and scrutinize expenditures. In addition, oversight reports prepared by the coordinators of the Municipal Public Account Committees (MPACs) are now available to the MPs, the media and the public.Another impact which can be attributed to the programme refers to the effective coordination of sector efforts against local government corruption. In this sense, the Quality of Process of documents submitted to five Provincial Legislatures was verified by at least 30% out of the approximately 200 targeted MPACs. Moreover, the coordination mechanism between office bearers at Page 34
Example Activity Addressing gender inequality among politicians in Limpopo. 22-23 August 2013, South Africa. The Limpopo Provincial Legislature hosted a workshop for the Speakers at district and municipal levels with the theme “Women in Leadership and Politics”. The overall focus of the workshop was to create awareness of the norms and practices that reflect and reinforce gender inequalities in political leadership. Supported by AWEPA, the workshop was organised in the framework of the ongoing partnership between AWEPA and the Provincial Legislatures in South Africa. One of the implicit objectives of the programme is to share experiences between the Provincial Legislatures and the local level of government, something which was partly achieved through this workshop. For that matter, the activity helped participants to contextualize gender inequality and its prevalence in leadership bodies and political institutions. It also formulated strategies that would address these imbalances and injustices.•
Supporting Legislative Institutions in Somalia Donors Delegation of the European Commission in Kenya The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Political Coordinator Dr. Jan Nico Scholten, the Netherlands AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Senior Parliamentary Advisor Hon. Maria Martens, the Netherlands
Background Following years of civil war and lawlessness, Somalia has recently entered a period of stabilization. The federal and regional parliaments of Somalia play a crucial role in laying the basis of a modern State. They are bestowed with the role of drafting an inclusive constitution; passing legislation designed to protect human rights and security; establishing an independent and strong Judiciary; passing electoral laws designed to ensure participation and inclusion; and, most of all, pursuing a policy of reconciliation and peace, rather than confrontation and conflict. With support of the donors, AWEPA contributes to the development of Somali legislative institutions through general and specialized trainings, technical consultancies, study visits and attachments, legislative support, community outreach programmes and parliamentary handbooks.
Objectives The programme’s overall objective is to contribute to-
wards the democratic development of a modern Somali State that embodies the principles of good governance, effective representation, and respect for human rights, accountability and transparency. Its specific objective is to strengthen the capacities of the administration, staff and members of the National Federal Parliament (NFP) in Mogadishu and the regional parliaments in Somaliland to discharge their representative, legislative and oversight responsibilities.
Impacts Throughout 2013, AWEPA has closely accompanied the House of the People (HoP) of the NFP with the establishment of its administrative structures. The development of organograms, job descriptions and recruitment processes has resulted in the professionalization and refining of the HoP core staff. Direct technical legislative support was provided and has enabled the NFP to improve its internal functioning. More in particular, staff of the regional parliaments in Puntland and Somaliland has benefited from information and communications technology (ICT) and language trainings. As a result, parliamentary staff is better equipped to support parliamentary functions. A programme has trained the Committee on Judiciary
A young woman holds the Somali flag during a demonstration by a local militia, formed to provide security in Marka, Somalia. UN Photo/Tobin Jones.
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Page 35
of the Puntland Parliament on oversight of the executive. Furthermore, the Budget Committee was trained on Budget scrutiny. These trainings have improved the capacity of the Puntland Parliament to accomplish its oversight role.
Example Activity Induction training for newly recruited HoP staff. 1523 May 2013, Somalia. AWEPA designed and organized five induction trainings for the newly recruited trainees of the HoP Administration, in Mogadishu. The training introduced participants to the general workings of the NFP and the supportive role of the administration. Several topics were addressed, such as opportunities and challenges of working for Parliament, as well as the HoP organizational structure and legislation. Almost a year after their induction, several of the graduate trainees have been included in the new professional staff core of the HoP. •
South Sudan’s Legislative Assembly and State Assemblies Donor Delegation of the European Commission in South Sudan
Political Coordinators Mr. Henk Jan Ormel, the Netherlands Mr. Johan van Hecke, Uganda (Belgium)
Background The independence of South Sudan in 2011 provided a positive juncture for sustainable peace, good governance and economic stability through institutional de-
South Sudan before the escalation of violence in late 2013. UN Photo/Paul Banks Page 36
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
velopment. In this context, AWEPA is implementing a two-year capacity building programme in the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) and the State Assemblies through general and specialized trainings, technical consultancies, study visits and attachments, legislative support, participation in parliamentary conferences, community outreach programmes, media involvement, and the dissemination of publications. The focus of this programme is to remedy the weak legislative regime in the Assembly, strengthen weak organizational systems and procedures, improve inadequate human resource management policies, and encourage comprehensive participation of citizens and civil society organisations.
Objective The objective of the programme is to contribute towards the achievement of meaningful participatory leadership, good governance, accountability and improved service delivery in South Sudan by means of an effective legislature. Specifically, the programme is in place to improve the capacity of the South Sudan NLA and the ten State Assemblies to respond to the challenges they face while enacting their legislative, oversight and representative functions.
Impacts •
Increased oversight capacity of the Committee on Equation, Science and Technology over Public Universities in Bahr El Ghazel and Upper Nile States of South Sudan;
•
Technical support to the Assembly and the Committee on Economy, Development and Finance was provided for scrutiny and analysis of the 2013-2014 budget estimates, through training for MPs and parliamentary staff. Experts were also attached to the Committee to not only support their scrutiny and analysis of the national budget, but also prepare the Committee report for presentation to the Assembly;
•
Facilitated participation of NLA members in the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) in view of creating opportunities for South Sudan to join other international and regional parliamentary bodies and fora;
•
A study visit for the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs of the NLA to Rwanda resulted in a strong commitment from the participants to support
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
and protect human rights defenders and to benchmark practices that will promote rule of law and protection of human rights in South Sudan; •
AWEPA supplied the NLA library with an assortment of 216 pieces of reference material (textbooks), publications and other relevant reading literature to the NLA. The reading material will serve the purpose of supporting legislative, oversight and representative processes by providing up-to-date reference sources for not only MPs and staff of the South Sudan NLA but also other government institutions and the general public, at large;
•
A Handbook on the Nature, Functions and Operations of Parliamentary Committees was developed and published to guide and streamline Committee work;
•
Technical support for scrutiny, drafting, review and analysis of bills was provided with a view of improving the capacity of NLA to carry out its legislative functions. This is evidenced by the support provided for consideration of the Parliamentary Service Commission Bill, Labour Bill and the 2013 Constituency Development Fund (Amendment) Bill, and the NGO Bill;
•
Support to strengthening of the human resource and administrative capacity of the NLA was provided through the long-term training of five NLA staff;
•
Presentation and adoption of the Human Resources Policy Manual by NLA senior officials.
Example Activity Technical Support for Budget Analysis and Scrutiny for the Committee on Economy, Development and Finance. 4 – 26 July 2013, South Sudan. AWEPA engaged experts in parliamentary budget scrutiny, analysis and public finance management to provide technical support in budget analysis and scrutiny to the South Sudan NLA. The ultimate goal was that of enhancing the Assembly’s ability to rationally consider, debate and appropriate national resources. Twentyfive members of the Committee on Economy, Development and Finance were the direct beneficiaries of this technical support. The main objective of this activity was to provide the NLA with the much needed skills and techniques they require to effectively conduct budget scrutiny and analysis, especially with the problem of severe underPage 37
staffing in the Assembly’s Department of Parliamentary Budget. In particular, the training included scrutiny of the revenue side of the budget, including the Finance Bill, and scrutiny of the expenditure side of the budget. Furthermore, the training incorporated a comparative analysis of key elements of tax regimes extracted from the other EAC budgets for the financial years 20132014, as well as support to the Committee in preparing a final report on the budget that was to be presented to House for consideration and appropriation. This activity did not only enable MPs and parliamentary staff to gain skills for budget scrutiny and analysis, but also facilitated the production of several budget-related reports that enabled parliamentarians to conduct their budget oversight role more effectively. This improved capacity will contribute to a more rational and equitable distribution and utilization of national resources by the Executive. •
South Sudan’s Legislative Assembly and Local Councils Donor Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
Political Coordinators Hon. Henk Jan Ormel, the Netherlands Mr. Johan van Hecke, Uganda (Belgium)
Background South Sudan is marred by bitter ethnic divisions that date back more than a century. AWEPA believes they can only be solved by education, economic development and responsive governance. The programme strengthens the capacity of ten Local Councils of Western and Central Equatoria States through the training of all Councillors in five extensive training modules, using a Train the Trainer methodology, publications and community outreach visits. In the interest of easing tensions between communities and improving human se¬curity, special emphasis is placed on the promotion and respect of human rights, gender equality, and peace and
Local Councillors in Mvolo County during a training module held in October. Page 38
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
reconciliation. The programme ensures a consultative law-making process and serves as a cornerstone for participatory and democratic gov¬ernance, giving society the resilience to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence.
Objectives With the increase of tribal violence undermining the stability of the new State, the programme gives special attention to enhancing the role of parliamentarians in peace building and conflict resolution. Thus, the programme facilitates reconciliation meetings between members of the NLA and tribal leaders. In addition, the programme organises community outreach visits in order to help Councillors and NLA members strengthen their relationships with the citizens they represent. In parallel, the programme also supports the interface between the Assembly and the public through printed and electronic media. Lastly, the programme aims to facilitate dialogue between Councillors, MPs and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and Faith Based Organisations (FBOs).
Impacts •
All Councillors were trained on the concept of decentralization and were given the background of the local government system in South Sudan;
•
The second training module on gender and the local government system in South Sudan was developed and published;
•
A pool of 20 South Sudanese trainers (two staff members from ten Local Councils) were trained as local trainers for Councillors in the second training module on gender and local government;
•
All Councillors were trained in the gender and local government module;
•
Community outreach visits were organised for Councillors of Ibba County, Maridi County, Mundri West County, Mundri East County and Mvolo County on topics such as peace and reconciliation, better agricultural practices, deforestation, service delivery and girl child education;
•
An outreach took place with seven women parliamentarians to all counties in Eastern Equatoria State, to promote peace and reconciliation among different tribes;
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
•
A conference on peace and reconciliation was organised for all MPs;
•
Members of the women caucus of the NLA were trained on the topics of women in leadership positions and violence against women;
•
A community outreach visit was organised for women parliamentarians to communities suffering from the nodding syndrome.
Example Activity Training of Trainers on the Module Gender in Local Councils in South Sudan for the Local Trainers. 12 – 17 August 2013, South Sudan. A Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop at the Juba Regency Hotel facilitated a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the concept of gender equality in Local Councils. The idea that gender equality can be used as a tool for achieving development in South Sudan was raised; moreover, this workshop enabled the targeted participants to effectively deliver trainings on the Module “gender in Local Councils” to Councillors in their respective counties. The participants at this ToT workshop consisted of Executive Directors and senior officers from seven counties of Western Equatoria State, namely Mundri West, Mundri East, Mvolo, Yambio, Ibba, Nzara, and Maridi as well as three counties of Central Equatoria State: Yei, Lainya and Juba. •
Page 39
Parliament of Zimbabwe Donors Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) Delegation of the European Commission in Zimbabwe; Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education (NUFFIC) via Management for Development Foundation (MDF)
Political Coordinator Hon. Maria Martens, the Netherlands
Background AWEPA’s activities of support and assistance in Zimbabwe started in 2012 and feature two main components. On the one hand, AWEPA facilitates capacity building of parliamentarians and parliamentary staff; on the other hand, AWEPA capacitates a Zimbabwean-based civil society organisation, the Southern African Parliamentary Trust (SAPST), to offer domestic support in terms of legislative analysis and drafting and the enhancement of oversight in regards to human rights and gender equity. The assistance to parliamentary staff provided by the programme takes the form of study exchange visits to gain further knowledge about best practices concerning facets of parliamentary business such as research, dissemination and storage of information, public participation, drafting legislation and improved oversight and monitoring. AWEPA understands its contribution to strengthening the parliamentary democracy of Zimbabwe to be difficult not only because of the overt political issues facing the country but also because of the lack of sufficient resources facing the Parliament of Zimbabwe. AWEPA’s contribution, although small, is thus greatly appreciated by the participants. All involved in the project understand that strong parliaments are the engine room of democracy, economic sustainability and poverty alleviation not only in Zimbabwe but also in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African continent. Due to the intensity of the interparty negotiations and parliaPage 40
mentary activity around the new Constitution and the elections, it was agreed that the programme would continue after the 2013 Elections. Subsequently, the Parliament has requested the delayed exchange visits and additional activities regarding induction of new Members in areas such as financial oversight, human and gender rights awareness.
Objective The objective of the AWEPA programme in Zimbabwe is to support the development of an open and participatory Parliament that effectively carries out its duties of oversight, law making, and representation, while also maintaining peace and good governance. The programme provides capacity building support for MPs and staff.
Impacts The activities that were implemented contributed to the following results: • The programme ensured the participation of Zimbabwean MPs in national and global debates on climate change issues. In this sense, a briefing on the Doha 2012 UN Climate Change Conference (COP18) was held in the United Kingdom, in February, for members of the portfolio Committee on agriculture, water, land and resettlement as well as for members of the thematic Committee on MDGs. In addition, Members from the Zimbabwean parliamentary Committee on environment, climate, water and tourism attended the Warsaw 2013 UN Climate Change Conference (COP19) with the support of AWEPA. This activity increased the knowledge and raised the awareness of MPs as regards climate change, ensuring that the issue is tabled in Committees and all other parliamentary business; • Three separate one-week exchange visits for Committee Clerks and researchers to the Parliaments of South Africa, Zambia and Uganda took place during April. The activities aimed to ensure the improved capacity of staff to provide technical and administrative support to the Parliament and to the MPs; AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
•
•
A three-day training activity for SAPST staff on parliamentary financial oversight was held in Harare, in June. The purpose of the workshop was to introduce participants to key concepts related to financial oversight and accountability; highlight the systems, processes and information that facilitates financial oversight; and provide an opportunity to discuss the challenges and possible solutions to exercising oversight within the emerging Zimbabwean context; Two separate three-day training activities for SAPST staff were facilitated in Harare. The activities focused, on the one hand, on legislative drafting and analysis, and on the other hand, on gender and its influence on legislative matters and institutions.
Example Activity
tween members from other countries and facilitate opportunities for future cooperation between countries. The delegates attended various activities and presentations including a workshop facilitated by the Global Legislators Organisation (GLOBE) International, where the members were briefed on the progress and possibilities of the UN Strategy to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). The main message was that engaging parliaments is an absolute necessity in order for REDD to be successfully implemented on a national level, and for international REDD and climate negotiations to advance. The members very much appreciated the opportunity to liaise with their colleagues from other parliaments who attended the event, given that at the time of the activity there were still sanctions instituted by the EU on members of the ruling party, ZANU-PF. •
Zimbabwe Members of Parliament participate in UN Climate Change Conference. 25-27 November 2013, Warsaw, Poland. The Chair of the Zimbabwean parliamentary Committee on Environment, Climate, Water and Tourism, Hon. Anastancia Ndhlovu, and other members including both Zimbabwe’s political parties Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP19). The purpose of the mission was twofold: to capacitate members in matters and strategies pertaining to climate change mitigation and adaption; and to engage in knowledge sharing be-
Zimbabwean MPs during an AWEPA study visit to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP19) in Warsaw, Poland. AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Page 41
Partnership Council AWEPA has a Partnership Council which serves as its advisory body. It is jointly chaired by the Chair of the Eminent Advisory Board, Ms. Graça Machel, and the Presi¬dent, Minister of State Ms. Miet Smet. The Council aims to convene once a year to discuss issues of a strategic and visionary nature, where northern and southern stakeholders meet to dialogue around issues that play a part in Africa’s right-based development. The Partnership Council consists of: 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 organisations 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 the ongoing debate on aid 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 the CAADP. 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. Page 42
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Eminent Advisory Board AWEPA’s relations with Africa are guided by the advice of the Eminent Advisory Board. The Board aims to meet 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. He now plays a leading role in The Elders; an independent group of eminent global leaders who support peace building 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. 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. 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. 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. Prof. Ruth Oniang’o A former Member of the Kenyan Parliament, founder and executive director of the Rural Outreach Africa , the founder and editor-in-chief of the African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Development (AJFAND), and also a food and nutrition scientist, Professor Ruth Oniang’o has dedicated a great deal of her time over the past three decades to poverty and hunger eradication, nutrition, health and gender issues and the restoration of human dignity.
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
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The yearly meeting of the AWEPA Governing Council in the Belgian Senate, in December.
Governing Council AWEPA’s highest policy body is its Governing Council, comprised of some 40 representatives from AWEPA’s Sections within the European Parliament and the national parliaments of Europe. Every five years, the Governing Council elects an Executive Committee and the President of the organisation, who are accountable to this Council. The Governing Council operates as a general assembly for a five-year term and meets at least once a year. The Council determines the organisation’s overall policy and direction, and is chaired by AWEPA’s President. As the highest policy organ in the structure of AWEPA and as per article 4 of its statutes, the Governing Council is responsible for determining the approval of the Annual and Financial reports, the determination of policy and procedures on the objectives, the budget for the upcoming year and the appointments of members not representing a Section on the Governing Council. AWEPA has a broad network of parliamentarians and former parliamentarians from across Europe, with over 1900 members. Each European Parliament that forms an AWEPA Section appoints a Head of Section who is the first contact point for AWEPA, and functions as their Section’s first representative on the Governing Council unless they delegate otherwise. The Heads of Section for 2013 were: Austria: Hon. Petra Bayr Belgium: Hon. Alain Destexhe Denmark: Hon. Karsten Lauritzen Estonia: Dr. Mart Nutt European Parliament: Hon. Filip Kaczmarek Finland: Hon. Eila Tinainen Flanders: Hon. Jan Roegiers Germany: Hon. Patrick Meinhardt Greece: Mr. Theodossis Georgiou Hungary: Hon. Gàbor Harangozó Page 44
Ireland: Hon. Maureen O’Sullivan Italy: Hon. Lia Quartapelle Latvia: Hon. Ingrida Circene Lithuania: Hon. Egidijus Vareikis The Netherlands: Hon. Marit Maij Norway: Hon. Marianne Marthinsen Poland: Hon. Tadeusz Iwiński Portugal: Hon. Maria Antónia de Almeida Santos Romania: Hon. Minodora Cliveti
Spain: Hon. Josep Maldonado i Gili Sweden: Hon. Kerstin Lundgren Switzerland: Hon. Maja Ingold United Kingdom: Lord David Chidgey
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Executive Committee AWEPA’s Executive Committee is the executive board of the organisation and meets around four times per year. It is elected by the Governing Council for a period of five years to prepare and execute the organisation’s policy. It is composed of AWEPA’s President, Vice-Presidents and one Observer, totalling seven members in 2013. Minister of State Ms. Miet Smet (Belgium) President and Chair
Hon. Olivia Mitchell (Ireland) Vice President
Ms. Rosita Runegrund (Sweden) Vice President
Hon. Maja Ingold (Switzerland) Vice President
Hon. Henk Jan Ormel (the Netherlands) Vice President
Hon. Egidijus Vareikis (Lithuania) Vice President
Hon. Prof Tadeusz Iwiński (Poland) Observer
Africanisation policy During 2013, AWEPA’s internal Africanisation policy has been furthered in its Africa-based offices. In total, 19 staff members, with an additional 11 consultants, were employed to coordinate and/or implement AWEPA programmes from these offices. Bilateral and national parliamentary capacity building programmes are run from the African offices and from the Brussels office. In addition, a limited number of thematic programmes are run from Amsterdam headquarters in close cooperation with the African offices, wherever relevant and possible. In most cases, headquarters plays a facilitating, advisory and supporting role with regards to finance, logistics, human resource management, communications, and programme management and reporting. This situation is partly different for programme interventions in West Africa and some areas of Central Africa, where AWEPA does not currently have a local presence. Bilateral programme implementation is done completely by the African offices in Juba, Nairobi, Kampala, Arusha, Kinshasa, Kigali, Bujumbura, Maputo and Cape Town together with a Political Coordinator and Senior Parliamentary Advisor from Europe. AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
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Staff
Staff mentioned in this report reflects 2014.
The Netherlands Office Mr. Theo Kralt, Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Jeff Balch, Director Research and Evaluation Ms. Marion Verweij, Head of President’s Office and Communications Department Project Department Ms. Liselot Bloemen, Programme Manager Ms. Tatjana van den Ham, Programme Manager Ms. Kristen Heim, Programme Manager Ms. Shelly Sayagh, Project Officer Ms. Ambra Scaduti, Project Officer Mr. Loïc Whitmore, Programme Manager Mr. Nicolaas van der Wilk, Project Officer Communications Department Ms. Marion Girard Cisneros, Communications Officer Finance Department Mr. Martin Smeding, Senior Financial Officer Mr. Erick Hoekzema, Financial Reporting Officer Ms. Sahila El Fahsi, Financial Officer Ms. Gül Mert, Junior Financial Officer Human Resources Ms. Martien Meenhorst, Human Resources Officer Quality Ms. Gabriela Quiroga, Quality Officer Secretariat Ms. Jackline Kaaria, Page 46
Head of Secretariat Ms. Magdalena Ornat, Office Assistant IT Department Mr. Patrick Fruneaux, IT Coordinator Mr. Ronald Borggreve, IT Assistant
Belgium Office Mr. Patrick Mpoyi Luabeya, Programme Manager Ms. Katrin Verstraete, Programme Manager
Ms. Alzira Muchanga, Project Officer Ms. Telma Mahiquene, Programme and Administrative Assistant Ms. Ilda Mbeve, Office Assistant Ms. Ivete Antonio Tivane, Office Attendant Mr. Raimundo Langa, IT Assistant Mr. José Matavele, Driver
Rwanda Office Vacant
Burundi Office
South Africa Office
Mr. Gérard Mfuranzima, Head of Office / AWEPA Representative Ms. Angeline Nahimana, Project and Administrative Officer
DRC Office
Ms. Jessica Longwe, Director Partner Relations Ms. Alexandrina Wonani, Head of Office Mr. Richard Kurt-Pfaff, Project Officer
Ms. Gertrude Bamba Makabi, Project Officer / AWEPA Representative
South Sudan Office
Kenya Office Ms. Peninah Ogeto, Project Officer / AWEPA Representative
EALA Office, Tanzania Ms. Tine Hemelings, Programme Manager Ms. Geraldine Rwekaza, Programme Assistant Anoek van der Vinne, Project Officer
Mozambique Office Ms. Elisa Muianga, Acting Head of Office Ms. Amarilia Mutemba, AWEPA Representative Ms. Zaida de Pena Beete, Financial Officer Ms. Rosita Alberto, Project Officer
Ms. Kris Debref, Project Coordinator Mr. Herbert Ariko, Program Manager Mr. Jackson Baa, Project Officer Mr. Peter Elamu, Administrative Officer Mr. Andrew Namara Project Officer Mr. Moses Bainipai Oliver, Legislative Officer Mr. Umar Turyakira, Logistics Assistant/ Project Officer Mr. John Simon Yokwe, Operations Support Officer Mr. Simon Jude Zikusooka, Finance Officer/ Accountant
Uganda Office Ms. Jeniffer Kwarisiima, Project Officer / AWEPA Representative AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
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, South Africa and South Sudan.
Amsterdam Office
Brussels Office
Burundi Office
Prins Hendrikkade 48 - G 1012 AC Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel: +31 20 524 5678 Fax: +31 20 622 0130 Email: amsterdam@awepa.org
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
BP 2442 Immeuble NEW SPACE Avenue du 18 Septembre N°2 Bujumbura, Burundi Tel: +257 22 24 54 69 Fax: +257 22 24 54 70 Email: burundi@awepa.org
Congo Office (DRC)
Mozambique Office
Rwanda Office
Av. de la Justice 2721 Bâtiment ABC Kinshasa/Gombe, DRC Tel: +243 81 00 44 270 Email: rdc@awepa.org
Rua Licenciado Couthino 77 CP 2648 Maputo, Mozambique Tel: +258 2141 86 03 Fax: +258 2141 8604 Email: mozambique@awepa.org
Parliament of Rwanda C/O Chambre des Députés B.P. 352 Kigali, Rwanda Tel: +250 788306488 Fax: +250 583975 Email: rwanda@awepa.org
South Sudan Office
South Africa Office
Tanzania Office (EALA)
Southern Sudan National Legislative Assembly Parliament Building Juba, Sudan Tel: +249 123 248218 +249 918 689 835 Email: southernsudan@awepa.org
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
EAC EALA Wing G22 EAC Close 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 Fax: + 256 414 254 947 Email: uganda@awepa.org
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Page 47
Financial Overview 2013 Income per Donor in â‚Ź Grants
2013
2012
Income and grants received from: Austria - ADA
236.584
350.000
Belgium - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
712.892
727.387
63.861
30.059
1.668.750
1.828.766
Ireland - Irish Aid
180.571
277.407
Luxembourg UNFPA
192.886
131.871
1.357.928
510.025
Netherlands - NIMD
163.303
100.592
Norway - Embassy Dar es Salaam
243.109
146.136
Norway - Embassy Maputo
476.080
266.653
Sweden - Diakonia
651.688
636.688
1.361.571
1.485.229
366.515
311.185
-
57.362
101.083
70.050
Belgium - Flanders European Commission
Netherlands- Min. of Foreign Affairs
Sweden - SIDA Switzerland - SDC United Kingdom - Foreign and Commonwealth Office Others
Total
Page 48
7.776.821 6.943.100
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Diagram Showing Income per Donor Received in 2013 Austria - ADA
€ 236.584
Belgium - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Belgium - Flanders
€ 712.892 € 63.861
European Commission
€ 1.668.750
Ireland - Irish Aid
€ 180.571
Luxembourg - UNFPA
€ 192.886
Netherlands - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Netherlands - NIMD Norway - Embassy Dar es Salaam
€ 1.357.928 € 163.303 € 243.109
Norway - Embassy Maputo
€ 476.080
Sweden - Diakonia
€ 651.688
Sweden - SIDA Switzerland - SDC Others
AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
€ 1.361.571 € 366.515 € 101.083
Page 49
Expenditures - Income and Grants Spent per Programme Grants
2013
2012
Income and grants, spent in country/ programme: 352.155
350.000
and parliaments
148.444
22.696
Parliament of Burundi
162.459
103.823
Core and institutional funding
525.154
588.574
Congo (DRC)
149.324
161.636
EALA - East African Legislative Assembly
788.917
822.636
192.886
131.871
518.732
520.203
1.170.125
944.549
-
42.322
87.498
33.891
Parliament of Rwanda
158.177
44.102
SAPL - South Africa Provincial Legislatures
123.012
341.245
602.953
774.536
238.043
28.404
2.345.770
1.590.219
2.650
18.952
183.711
35.555
26.811
387.666
Development Effectiveness Bridging the gap between political parties
Parliament of the Democratic Republic of
FGM/C - Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting programme Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) programme Mozambique Strategic Vision programme PAP - Pan-African Parliament RFPAC - Network of Women Parliamentarians of Central Africa
Supporting Legislative Institutions in Somalia PF-ICGLR - Parliamentary Forum of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region South Sudan Parliament of Uganda Parliament of Zimbabwe Various
Total Page 50
7.776.821 6.943.100 AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Diagram Showing Expenditures - Income and Grants Spent per Programme in 2013 Zimbabwe 2,36% Uganda 0,03%
Various 0,34%
Development Effectiveness 4,53%
Benin 1,91%
Core and institutional Burundi funding 2,09% 6,75% DRC 1,92%
South Sudan 30,16%
EALA 10,14%
FGM/C 2,48%
PF-ICGLR 3,06%
MDG Programme 6,67%
Somalia 7,75%
Mozambique 15,05%
SAPL 1,58% Rwanda 2,03% RFPAC 1,13% AWEPA Annual Report 2013 www.awepa.org
Page 51
Back Photo Group photo at the AWEPA Irish EU Presidency seminar “Africa’s Development Future: land, hope and hunger” (Photo credit: Fennell Photography).
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