Overview Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) was established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations in 1958 as one of its five regional commissions. ECA’s mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its member States, foster intra-regional integration, and promote international cooperation for Africa’s development. Its dual role as a regional arm of the United Nations and as a part of the regional institutional landscape in Africa, positions it well to make unique contributions to the efforts of member States to address their development challenges. The Commission has a staff of some 850, comprising professionals with a wide range of expertise, as well as general support staff. In recent years, with the establishment of the African Union (AU) and the adoption of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), African leaders have shown their collective determination to improve the development prospects of the continent through increased economic integration, improved governance and a concerted effort to tackle persistent challenges. The international community has in turn undertaken several initiatives to match the commitment of African leaders. In 2006, in line with current efforts to reform the United Nations system and with the renewed international commitment to improving Africa’s development prospects, ECA repositioned itself and strategically realigned its programmes with the AU and NEPAD priorities. Accordingly, ECA now concentrates on developing capacity and managing knowledge towards achieving regional integration and meeting Africa’s special needs. In this regard, special emphasis is placed on strengthening collaboration between the ECA’s Subregional Offices (SROs) and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), while building and strengthening partnerships with other countries and agencies in support of Africa’s development.
Thematic Focus Within the two pillars – Promoting regional integration and Helping to meet Africa’s special needs – the Commission focuses on the following thematic areas: (a)
Regional Integration, Trade and Infrastructure;
(b) Meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with a special emphasis on Poverty Reduction and Growth, Sustainable Development and Gender; (c)
Promoting Good Governance and Popular Participation;
(d) Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Science and Technology for Development; and (e)
Statistics and Statistical Development.
The choice of activities to be undertaken under each thematic cluster is based on the demand expressed by member States and RECs in various forums, as well as on ECA’s areas of comparative advantage: (a)
The first thematic area reflects the consistently stated desire of African countries for greater integration within the continent and with the global economy;
(b) By helping countries in meeting the MDGs, ECA continues to place due emphasis on issues such as the eradication of poverty as well as the need to place African countries on the path of sustainable growth, while accelerating the empowerment of women; (c)
Good governance is central to improving Africa’s development prospects because of the crucial role of institutions in development and because popular participation is vital in establishing legitimacy and reducing the potential for conflict;
(d) ICT and Science & Technology have key roles to play, not only in the provision of infrastructure, but also in helping African countries to bridge the “digital divide” quickly and join fully the 21st Century Knowledge Economy; and (e)
A scaled-up, key activity in the strategic orientation of ECA is Statistics and Statistical Development, aimed at supporting the establishment of strong statistical systems in African countries and to enable proper tracking of progress made in attainment of the MDGs.
Regional and Subregional Dimensions The focus of ECA service delivery is at the regional and subregional levels with strengthened Subregional Offices (SROs), each taking the lead in its respective subregion. At the regional level, the thrust of activities is predominantly focused on two areas. First, ECA aims to play a significant role in monitoring and reporting on the continent’s progress on meeting global and continental commitments, thus supporting progress in mutual accountability. ECA is building on its Poverty Reduction Strategies’ peer learning experience to foster knowledge dissemination and sharing of best practices through the Peer Learning Groups across a wide range of topics. Second, ECA aims to continue its significant contribution in the area of advocacy and consensus building, including developing common positions to give the continent a stronger voice in global forums. With regard to subregional activities, particular emphasis is placed on advisory services and technical assistance aimed at building the capacity of the RECs to implement their agendas and, particularly, to promote regional integration.
Emphasis on Achieving Concrete Results The strategic focus of ECA’s work on these two pillars is matched by a clear articulation of measurable results and outcomes, all aimed at improving capacity development in Africa, for sustainable and integrated growth and development. Some results that are expected to emerge include: (a)
Increased regional integration and integration into the global economy;
(b) Accelerated progress toward achieving the MDGs including poverty reduction, sustainable development and gender equality; (c)
Improved macroeconomic policies, political and economic governance;
(d) Enhanced development of ICT and participation in the knowledge economy; (e)
Improved statistical capacity of member States to enable planning for achieving the MDGs and for monitoring of progress; and
(f)
Strengthened and better-networked institutions and centres of excellence.
Some of the expected outcomes are in crosscutting areas, such as more gender sensitive structures, sustainable development of productive sectors, improved governance, appreciable post-conflict development, and a more human rights-based approach to development. ECA’s work will therefore contribute to supporting these results in the entirety of its work programme. Results in all areas are underpinned by emphasis on quality, knowledge management and strengthened capacity in member States, RECs and other regional institutions.
Operational Modalities The Commission undertakes research and analysis on the common needs and priorities of African countries. It also advocates mutual approaches that countries can take to tackle socioeconomic problems: (a) As a policy centre with a board preview, ECA analyses issues and advocates positions to policy makers in Africa and abroad; (b)
As an interlocutor, ECA uses its convening powers to bring donors and senior African policy makers together to articulate an African perspective on key development issues, such as formulation of Poverty Reduction Strategies;
(c)
As a knowledge-based organization, ECA provides its stakeholders with comprehensive access to a wealth of knowledge on African development and seeks to promote and improve knowledge management and peer learning on development policy analysis and implementation;
(d) As a builder of development management capacities, ECA provides policy analysis, training, and advisory services to African States; and (e) As a consensus-builder, ECA facilitates the governmental processes in which African States define, articulate, and advocate common positions on development polices and issues.
Leveraging Partnerships Collaboration among continental institutions, United Nations Agencies and development partners working for Africa or in pursuit of its interests is key to fostering the required resources, ensuring coherence and avoiding duplication of activities. Building and strengthening partnerships is therefore integral to ECA’s strategic orientation. The Commission uses partnerships and networks to draw on the work of the member States and other development actors to catalyze national development efforts, emphasizing its role as an innovator and developer of regional strategies. When entering partnerships, its primary goal is to respond better to the needs of its main stakeholders - the governments and peoples of Africa. In implementing its programmes, ECA works with five main groups of partners: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)
African intergovernmental organizations; United Nations bodies and specialized agencies; Donor countries; African universities and research institutions; and African civil society organizations.
Most collaboration involves research, advocacy, advisory services, information-sharing seminars and workshops. ECA also assists in building capacity through fellowships, internships, and lectureships in support of jointly agreed research.
ECA’s Comparative Advantage within the United Nations System ECA brings synergies to the work of the United Nations in Africa, mobilizes resources in support of the continent, and sustains interest in Africa in a time of declining resources. The Commission’s comparative advantage within the United Nations family comes from: (a)
A multidisciplinary operational capacity that covers a wide spectrum of development issues;
(b) Access to policy makers and opinion leaders, which enables effective policy advocacy on critical development issues; (c)
Ability to convene policy makers and other stakeholders regionally and subregionally, which makes it possible to hold dialogues, share common goals, and coordinate positions on major efforts;
(d) Leadership in articulating positions on behalf of Africa in international forums; and (e)
Close partnerships with the African Union Commission and the African Development Bank, which allows the three institutions to identify and execute comprehensive strategies for Africa.
ECA Programmes African Centre for Statistics (ACS) In the area of statistics ECA aims to strengthen capacities for statistical development at national, subregional and regional levels, including promotion of the development of improved and integrated statistical databases in support of decision-making and policy formulation, monitoring and evaluation. In particular, ECA plays a leading role in this field through its position as the Secretariat of the newly established Statistical Commission for Africa (StatCom-Africa), which provides a forum for discussions and decisions on all aspects related to statistical development. http://www.uneca.org/statistics
Food Security and Sustainable Development The overall objective of the Food Security and Sustainable Development Division (FSSD) is to strengthen the capacity of member States to design institutional arrangements and implement national policies and programmes in order to achieve sustainable development. It also places a strong emphasis on supporting efforts to build the capacity of African countries to utilize science and technology in this field. Within the framework of its mandate, ECA is increasing the emphasis of its work on climate change, an emerging considerable challenge that threatens to derail progress in achieving the MDGs and sustainable development in Africa. Projected impacts of climate change in Africa include an increase in droughts, floods and other extreme events, which will exacerbate the stress on water resources, agriculture and food security. http://www.uneca.org/fssdd
Gender and Social Development The overall objective of the African Centre for Gender and Social Development (ACGS) is to inform and influence the content as well as the direction of economic and social development within Africa, with a view to making them more gender-responsive. ECA’s gender policy underlines the message that African women’s economic and social advancement is a crucial precondition for Africa’s development, and that gender must be an integral part of the development challenges Africa is facing. Economic and social policies, if not properly designed, can have differential and negative impacts on women and men. A major role that ECA plays, therefore, is to support governments’ efforts in designing and implementing gender-responsive policies and programmes. The Centre also aims to strengthen capacity in member States to formulate policies and programmes designed to reduce poverty and integrate human and social dimensions in the development process, in line with internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs and NEPAD. Its publications include the African Women’s Report, Africa’s Sustainable Development Bulletin and annual reports on Progress towards the MDGs in Africa. http://www.uneca.org/acgd
Governance and Public Administration
Trade, Finance and Economic Development
The main goal of ECA’s Governance and Public Administration Division (GPAD) is to improve and enhance national capacity and capability in governance and development management in ECA member States. It also focuses on support for the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process. A key output of the activities in this field is the African Governance Report (AGR), a flagship publication that assesses and monitors progress towards good governance in Africa. In AGR-I, (2005), 26 African countries were surveyed using instruments developed by ECA to assess the perception of governance by households and experts at the country level. AGR-II (2008) covered a total of 35 countries: an update on the first 26 and 9 new ones. The main messages of the report point to improved governance and significantly liberalized political space. There are more political parties and better respect for human rights and the rule of law across the continent, despite formidable challenges. http://www.uneca.org/gpad
The Trade, Finance & Economic Development Division (TFED) focuses on issues relating to macroeconomic analysis, including monitoring of macroeconomic trends and macro-micro linkages. The Division aims to help African countries address the major challenge of reaching and sustaining high levels of economic growth. It thus provides advice and training on the formulation of stable and conducive macroeconomic policies, promotes access to development finance and Africa’s deeper integration into the international trading system and advocates for development of appropriate industrial and sectoral policies. Through the African Trade Policy Centre, located in TFED, ECA organizes continental and subregional workshops on various aspects of the World Trade Organization (WTO) trade negotiations and other multilateral forums and also conducts research on traderelated issues of major interest to African countries. It also helps to convene subregional and regional meetings to build consensus on major trade issues. Additionally, the Commission provides support in trade capacity building in the RECs across all subregions and works towards building consensus for the international negotiations in which they are engaged. TFED leads ECA’s work in producing the annual Economic Report on Africa (ERA), which has become a key instrument for tracking the continent’s economic performance. http://www.uneca.org/tfed
Harnessing Information for Development ECA’s ICT, Science and Technology Division (ISTD) is an integrated information service and resource centre for Africa, making quality information on African development globally accessible and assisting ECA member States to build national ICT capacities. Its core objective is to strengthen the capacity for development and use of information and knowledge systems, such as spatial databases as support tools for decision-making and for socioeconomic development at the local, national, subregional and regional levels. The Division plays a lead role in the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) process. In 2008, it co-convened the first Science with Africa conference, a joint effort between Africa and its partners to promote and enhance the role of science and technology in the continent’s development. http://www.uneca.org/istd
Economic Cooperation and Regional Integration The NEPAD and Regional Integration Division (NRID) drives ECA’s work in this field. Its aim is to promote effective economic cooperation among member States and strengthen the process of regional integration in Africa with particular emphasis on enhanced intra-African trade, physical infrastructure integration and natural resources development. In the area of infrastructure development, support is provided to the infrastructure component of NEPAD, in particular, modes of transportation, trade facilitation and regional integration. In collaboration with the African Union Commission, NRID regularly produces a groundbreaking publication on regional integration in Africa entitled Assessing Regional Integration in Africa (ARIA), which provides a comprehensive evaluation of the state of Africa’s integration process. http://www.uneca.org/nrid
Subregional Activities Critical to ECA’s mission The Commission’s work at the subregional level is led by its five Subregional Offices (SROs) located in: Rabat, Morocco, for North Africa; Niamey, Niger, for West Africa; Yaounde, Cameroon, for Central Africa; Kigali, Rwanda, for East Africa; and Lusaka, Zambia, for Southern Africa. These offices strengthen the Commission’s presence and intervention at the level of the five subregions. To this end, the operational capacities of the SROs are being strengthened to enable them to provide greater levels of technical assistance to member States, RECs and intergovernmental and civil society organizations in the development and implementation of national and subregional policies and programmes. This assistance takes the form of advisory services, organization of workshops and seminars, field projects and multi-year programmes with REC’s. The SROs also play a catalytic role in operationalizing the analytical and normative work of ECA subprogrammes at both subregional and national levels. To attain these goals, the SROs collaborate closely with AU, the African Development Bank and the RECs. Furthermore, the SROs are working to enhance their partnership with other United Nations agencies working in Africa, including participating in United Nations development assistance programmes, so as to forge complementarities, enhance impact and avoid duplication of efforts.
Contacts Headquarters: UN Economic Commission for Africa Menelik II Ave P.O. Box 3001 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel: +251-11-5449900 Fax: +251-11-5514416 Email: ecainfo@uneca.org Web site: www.uneca.org ECA Office in North Africa: 22, rue Jabal Al Ayachi - Agdal P.O.Box: 827 Rabat Mechouar Rabat, Morocco Tel: +212-37654595/37675012/ 37675460/ 37675471 Fax: +212-37675282 Email: srdc-na@uneca.org Web site: www.uneca-na.org ECA Office in West Africa: P.O. Box 744 Niamey, Niger Tel: +227-722961/722788 Fax: +227-722894 Email: srdcwest@eca.ne
ECA Office in Central Africa P.O. Box 14935 Yaounde, Cameroon Tel: +237-231461 Fax: +237-233185 Website: http://www.uneca.org/ca/ Email: srdc@camnet.cm, casrdc@un.cm ECA Office in East Africa P.O. Box 4654 Kigali, Rwanda Tel: +250-86549/50151 Fax: +250-86546 ECA Office in Southern Africa P.O. Box 30647 Lusaka, Zambia Tel: +260-211-228502/5 Fax: +260-211-236949/234767 Email: srdcs.uneca@uneca.un.org