African Union newsletter on decentralization January 2016

SEASON’S FOCUS… The African Charter on values and principles of decentralization, local governance and local development in miniature.

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he African Charter on values and principles of decentralization, local governance and local development (hereinafter Charter) is an international legal and consensual instrument that enacts consensual values and principles that Member States of the African Union must respect to promote, protect, strengthen and consolidate decentralization, local governance and local development in the 2063 horizon.

WHAT IS ITS CONTENT?

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he Charter consists of a preamble and four chapters. The first chapter contains definitions, objectives, the scope and the values advocated. The second binds principles into 13 Articles; the third focuses on monitoring mechanisms, describing the role of the parties involved in it (the state, local governments, regional economic communities, the African Union Commission, civil society organizations, the private sector), the system of recognition, award and commemoration. Finally the fourth contains final provisions including signature, ratification, accession and entry into force.

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WHY RATIFY THE CHARTER?

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he ratification of the Charter imputes on Member States and all local actors the respect for fundamental rules guaranteeing the administrative autonomy, financial, economic and cultural life of local communities. The Charter thus enables Central and Local Government in each sub-national level to share a common vision of governance. It therefore reflects the commitment of Central Government to give a more important position position to Local Authorities in improving the living conditions of all peoples of the continent.

WHAT TO DO NOW?

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ign and ratify the Charter in each Member State, and then deposit the instruments of ratification with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission so that its entery into force immediately produces all the desired effects.

NEWSLETTER

AU-STC8 entitled Public service, Local Government, Urban Development and Decentralization.

I The AU/DLG Subcommittee led by its Second Vice-chair, Honorable Mrs Jeanne d’Arc KAGAYO, Minister of Municipal Development of the Republic of Burundi prepared and took part in the Political Dialogue which brought together Ministers, Local Authorities and Development Partners on December 2nd and 3rd 2015. The declaration of the Ministers which will be transmitted to all Focal Points in all AU member States will be presented in the next edition of our Newsletter. Our exhibition stand welcomed delegates from over 21 countries and distributed over 1 500 Charters to delegations of each country present.

As usual our Subcommittee will be present in the 8th edition of Africities to be hosted by Brazzaville, Republic of Congo in 2018!

Minister of Local Government of Benin Chairperson.

n accordance with article 5 (1 g) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU) and pursuant to the decision of the Conference of the African Union (Assembly/AU/Dec.227 (XII) (DOC.) E.G. CL/496 (XIV) on the Specialized Technical Committees (STC), the All Africa Ministerial Conference on Decentralization and Local Development (AMCOD) has become the Decentralization and Local Governance Subcommittee of the

This transformation resulting, among other things, the change in paradigm occurred within the African Union, made of the Specialized Technical Committees (STC) bodies of its governance Architecture. As we all know, our pan-African organization given for creed now being a Union of peoples, intends to translate it into reality by being closer to African populations.

The decentralization and local governance Subcommittee is therefore strongly challenged through the values and principles of the Charter of decentralization, local governance and Local development. It is an opportunity that we must seize to further contribute to the advent of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful

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EDITORIAL

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Commmissioned by: Author: Supervision: Layout: Edition:

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African Union Sub - Committee on Decentralisation and Local Governance Rachel N. IKOME

CONTACTS :

Joseph MBONG IYAWA ONOMO Jean Pierre January 2016

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AU/DLG Coordination Unit

P.O. Box 330 Yaounde - Cameroon Tel. : +237 222 219 247 / 670 854 132

REPORT OF ACTIVITIES

Local funding of development: innovation of municipal financing for inclusive growth.

Rachel IKOME

AU/DLG Coordination Unit

Africa, vision of agenda 2063 of the African Union.

In my capacity of Chairperson of the Decentralization and Local Governance (DLG) Subcommittee cumulatively with my duties as first Vice-chair of the AU-STC N°8 Bureau, I measure the magnitude of the task at hand and the weight of the charge entrusted to me.

However, I count on men and women committed, dynamic and Panafricans that make up our Subcommittee.

I therefore want to assure each and others, of my full availability and my determination to work with you, so that together we contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Agenda 2063.

CONTENT

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Published by:

AU/DECENTRALISATION AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE - SUB-COMMITTEE

EDITORIAL

H.E. Veronique BRUN HACHEME

AFRICITIES CLGA did it again!

The 7th edition of the Africities Summit was held in Johannesburg, from November 29th to December 3nd 2015, at the Sandton Convention Centre, under the theme “Shaping the future of Africa with the People: Africa’s Local Government contribution to the Africa 2063 Vision. Thousands of visitors and delegates (Mayors and local authorities) were present and enjoyed the meetings organized on a daily basis and a huge exhibition site.

AU/DLG Coordination Unit

UNDER STC8 UMBRELLA

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MOMENTUM TOWARDS AN AFRICAN COMMON POSITION ON HABITAT III

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SEASON’S FOCUS…

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AFFRICITIES

WHAT’S BREWING

ROUND TABLE OF DONORS

http://www.amcod.info

NEWS FROM AFRICA MALI TAKES THE LEAD!!

Bravo ! The first African Union Member State to ratify the African Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralization, Local Governance and Local Development is known: MALI. By so doing, this Sovereign State supports the 2063 AU Agenda, for the Africa we want!

Who next?

DECENTRALISATION AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE - SUB-COMMITTEE

N°001 - January 2016

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UNDER AU/STC8 UMBRELLA

REPORT OF ACTIVITIES

MOMENTUM TOWARDS AN AFRICAN COMMON POSITION ON HABITAT III

LOCAL FUNDING OF DEVELOPMENT: INNOVATION OF MUNICIPAL FINANCING FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH.

the next 20 years is alive to and addresses Africa’s unique urban demographics and spatial formation.

At its second consultative meeting towards generating a Draft ACPH3 held at the AUC Headquarters in Addis Ababa from 27th to 29th July 2015, the Experts generated a Draft Framework towards an ACPH3 which was later adopted by the Ministers as a process which is aimed to be finalized by the time of the Regional Meeting for Africa which is expected to be convened

by UN-ECA in partnership with habitat III Secretariat later this year in Abuja-Nigeria.

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he Sub-Committee on Urban Development and Human Settlements (HUD) of the STC No. 8 has stepped up efforts towards the crafting of an African Common Position on Habitat III(ACPH3). This has largely been driven by the need for Africa to ensure that the outcome of the Habitat III process which will guide housing and urban development for

In her address to the Ministers’ Segment, the Commissioner for Political Affairs, H.E Dr. Aisha Laraba Abdullahi, underscored the need for Africa to approach the Habitat III process in a coordinated and structured manner and urged the Ministers to consider constituting a team which will lead Africa’s negotiation.

Thomas OGUTU

APSD BRAZZA Jun.19.2015 - Jun.23.2015 COMMEMORATION OF THE 2015 AFRICA PUBLIC SERVICE DAY (APSD) Under the theme “The Role of Public Services in Women Empowerment, Innovation and Accessible Service Delivery in Africa”

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frica calls for a gender centered public service on the continent towards Agenda 2063 aspirations. This was agreed after discussions and deliberations of the 2015 APSD held under the theme “The Role of Public Services in Women Empowerment, Innovation and Accessible Service Delivery in Africa”.

During the five days event, different stakeholders of public services and administrations in Africa discussed various issues related to innovation and women empowerment in service delivery, which will lead to a significant transformation of service delivery in public institutions. The effective guarantee of women empowerment in

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n the sidelines of the third international conference on development funding, conference-debates were equally organized in Addis-Ababa on the 13th and 14th of July 2015, culminating on the 15th in a parallel event at the headquarters of the African Union.

development and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The parallel event that held on 15 July 2015 at the headquarters of the African Union and presided at by the Chair of the Decentralization and Local Governance Sub-committee, Mme Véronique BRUN HACHEME, Minister in charge of Local Jointly organized by Government of Benin, provided an UN-Habitat, UNCDF, the opportunity for participants to identify new African Union, the Global resources that could be mobilized at regional Fund for City Development and/or local level, in order to contribute (French acronyme FMDV) to local development in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Participants were able and the Global Task to appreciate the use of public-private Force, these conference partnership in most african countries, as debates provided a they noted the originality and efficiency forum for regional and of resorting to the private sector and the financial market for local governments to exchange with other experts and representatives of central governments, development partners, the mobilization of significant resources for the realization of infrastructure projects that are very necessary for the the private sector and civil society on various mechanisms improvement of the living conditions of the local populations, and new funding tools, as additional support to the normal and thereby completing the decisive but inadequate actions of available resources of local authorities in order to boost local central governments.

Joseph MBONG IYAWA

WHAT’S BREWING

African Union member states was identified as a non-negotiable prerequisite to ensure the participation of women and provide equal opportunities for men and women in our societies.

ROUND TABLE OF DONORS

The outcomes of the event were presented during the closing session and the participants, among others, recognized the fundamental role of the African Charter on Values and Principles of Public Service and Administration on the theme of this 2015 APSD and urged AU Member States to increase the ratification of the Charter from the current nine to fifteen for it to enter into force; they urged African countries to implement the African Union‘s recommendation of 50% gender equality in all appointive and elective positions in public service and administration in Africa should be taken

into consideration as this is critical to the accomplishment of the African Agenda 2063 aspirations; and underscored the need for the development of experiences and best practices exchange programmes among African countries on women leadership and participation in decision making process should be encouraged as well as the mainstreaming of the National Gender Policies into the African public services and administrations at all levels of Government.

Jerry LEMOGO

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U/DLG-SC opens to new horizons.

The permanent executive Secretary, Mr Joseph MBONG IYAWA, is working hard to have many development partners in a round table next year, in order that these, together with the African Union, strategise on working together to have the “Africa we want.” We met him for more information: RI: You have contacted and met several development partners since October 2014,

can you say you are hopeful now, after the winding down of the GIZ support Program to your Institution?

JMI: I am. During the First ordinary Session of the STC8 held in Brazzaville last year a harmonized workplan was adopted in which the DLG Subcommittee has to work on three pillars - The African Governance Architecture (AGA) with its two activities: the ratification of the Charter and the celebration of the African Day of Decentralization and Local Development every 10th of August, - The support to National Association of Local Authorities, in the operationalization of the High Council of Local Authorities (HCLA), - Support Member States in implementing decentralization policies, through knowledge management, peer learning and best practices in Africa by strengthening the Coordination Unit in

DECENTRALISATION AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE - SUB-COMMITTEE

Yaounde (human, financial and material resources), so they keep the flow of information to Member States RI: What do you hope to achieve with this round table of donors?

JMI: The first meeting will be in Johannesburg during Africities, where we will discuss and take appointments for next year. An MoU will be signed with those with common activities.

If development partners work with the African Union, we will avoid duplication. Our target is to reach the grassroots population by helping the Central Government to implement the provisions of the Charter. There is thus a need of cooperation.

Thank you, Sir. We wish you all the best in your quest and await the report of the round table.

Interviewed by Rachel IKOME

N°001 - January 2016

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