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>> download the SWAC's newsletter - March Issue
SWAC 2008 Work Priorities
“Attentive to SWAC members”
The conclusions of the SWAC’s Strategy and Policy Group (SPG) Meeting, held in Paris on 31 January and 1 February 2008, focus on the following three aspects: « regional approach, political impact and innovation ». These conclusions greatly influenced the SWAC team in the development of the 2008 Work Programme. In the coming months, the SWAC will aim to provide more and better support to its members. Several individual meetings with donors are scheduled for the coming months. Most recently, Mr. Normand Lauzon, SWAC Director, met with Representatives of the USAID Regional Office in Accra (Ghana) to actualize joint initiatives. The Summary Record also takes stock on the SWAC’s financial situation. A restricted SPG meeting with the SWAC’s financial donors will be organised on 16 June 2008. This meeting will evaluate the implementation of the financial mobilisation and cost reduction strategy as set out in the 2008-2012 Work Plan, as well as the implementation of the recommendations set out above.
> SPG Summary Record | > SWAC 2008 Work Programme
Aid Effectiveness and Regional Co-operation
“The President and the SWAC Director present proposals to the DAC Chairman”
“Regional co-operation can be a remarkable tool for improving aid effectiveness. With regard to agriculture, many of the production basins cross over borders and are subject to policies and projects conceived and implemented without co-ordination among the countries concerned. These distortions lead to additional costs and the lack of effectiveness. In the health sector, two hospitals situated on either side of the border will have the same medical specialty when complementary services could be provided. On a different scale, the same could be said for schools and health centres located in border zones. Post-conflict management and prevention programmes are often developed only at the national level whereas the spreading of instability is for the most part, transnational. Most natural resources management programmes stop at the border.”
This paragraph is an extract from the letter sent by Messrs. Charles Goerens and Normand Lauzon to Mr. Eckhard Deutscher, Chairman of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee. The letter continued by stating that regional co-operation needed to be included in the Paris Declaration with regard to international assistance. They completed the letter by setting out concrete proposals.
> download the SWAC letter to DAC
Early Warning and Conflict Prevention
The SWAC, along with the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) and ECOWAS, is involved in preparations to operationalise early warning systems at the regional and international levels.
Preparatory Committee of the Early Warning and Conflict Prevention Meeting
The SWAC participated on 17 March 2008 in the Preparatory Committee of the Early Warning and Conflict Prevention Meeting to be held on 21 and 22 April at OIF Headquarters in Paris. The meeting aims to improve the co-ordination of actions undertaken by various regional and international organisations and institutions involved in conflict prevention. Actors such as United Nations Representatives, the African Union, the European Union, ECOWAS and the CEEAC participated in the brainstorming process. The SWAC, represented by Gwénola Possémé-Rageau, highlighted the essential role of civil society in crisis prevention and the need to involve civil society representatives in the formulation of conflict prevention policies.
Contact: gwenola.posseme-rageau@oecd.org
Launching of the Early Warning and Response Network (ECOWARN)
Conakry (Guinea), 17-22 March 2008
Within the framework of the official launching of the Early Warning and Response Network (ECOWARN – French version), ECOWAS organised two workshops addressing conflict prevention. The SWAC was represented by Mr. Massaër Diallo, Head of the SWAC’s Governance, Conflict Dynamics, Peace and Security Unit.
Representatives of the Guinean government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Representatives of the armed forces, the President’s Economic and Social Council, Guinean civil society representatives, ECOWARN local correspondents and USAID staff (ECOWAS’ main donor in the area) attended the official launching ceremony. Discussions focused on the role of this early-warning system within the framework of current tensions in Guinea. Further launching sessions are scheduled for various countries in the sub-region to have a better understanding of this crisis and conflict prevention tool.
The first workshop (17-19 March) focused on gender-specificities of the ECOWAS Early Warning System. Drawing on the experience of the Intergovernmental Authority (IGAD), another sub-regional organisation which includes 7 East African countries, participants brainstormed on how to address the gender aspect within this system and its 94 indicators.
The second meeting (20-22 March) focused on the harmonisation of technical procedures to facilitate the implementation of the various existing African Early Warning Systems, notably those of the AU, IGAD and ECOWAS and to develop a compatible system.
Contact: massaer.diallo@oecd.org
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