The Economic Commission for Africa, Southern Africa Office (ECA-SA) is one of the five ECA subregional offices (SROs) serving as vital links between policy-oriented analytical work generated at headquarters and policy making at the subregional level.

The office monitors the evolution of regional integration in support of the African Union Commission’s regional integration agenda with a special focus on activities vital to the regional integration process. It seeks to strengthen capacity and provide technical assistance to institutions driving the regional integration agenda most importantly SADC and COMESA. The Office undertakes subregional preparation on programmes addressing Africa’s special needs and emerging global challenges such as the MDGs, and spearheads subregional follow-up of global conferences. The Office also serves as a sub regional hub for the dissemination of ECA’s policy analytical work-employing extensive public information and outreach activities including workshops, training and publication of the quarterly newsletter.

Contents

About the ECA-SA Office “Our mission is to facilitate increased contact and collaboration among member States to deepen the process of concerted and collective response for harnessing regional resources to meet Southern Africa’s development priorities by conducting research and analysis, and providing policy advice and technical assistance to COMESA/SADC and their memberships.”

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Economic Commission for Africa – Issue 5, June 2008

Protocols in Southern Africa: Tracking Progress in Implementation

Fourteenth Intergovernmental Committee of Experts for Southern Africa (ICE)

SADC–UNECA Technical Meeting on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Building Pillars of e-parliament in Southern Africa

Jack Jones Zulu Joins ECA-SA

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for Development Policy Analysis, Southern African Research and Documentation Centre, Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies, ECA ICT and Science and Technology Division, the private sector, civil society and media.

The review of progress showed that both COMESA and SADC are generally on track towards achiev-ing the CU and FTA milestones for 2008. However, challenges towards the wider regional integration agenda still remain. The challenges identified are in four key areas; the simplification and harmoni-zation of customs and immigration procedures, the development and implementation of monitoring mechanisms for tracking the implementation of protocols, information needs for trade facilitation, and financing regional integration.

The Forum observed that currently customs and im-migration procedures are complex, time consuming and inefficient and hence these will adversely affect attainment of the 2008 milestones and beyond. To address these challenges, the following recommen-dations were made:

Development of an implementation framework • for the protocol on facilitation of movement of persons within SADC in consultation with all stakeholders;

Protocols in Southern Africa: Tracking Progress in Implementation

By Mr. Munorweyi Dhliwayo, Senior Economic Affairs Officer & Mr. Oliver Maponga Economic Affairs Officer

As part of its multi-year programme for 2008-09 with the Southern Africa Development Commu-nity (SADC), the ECA Office in Southern Africa convened a Forum at the Cresta Golfview Hotel in Lusaka, Zambia from 29 to 31 May 2008 to re-view progress towards regional integration in the sub region in light of the coming into force later this year of the SADC Free Trade Area and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Customs Union.

The Forum was attended by representatives from the governments of Botswana, Malawi, Namib-ia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the African Union Commission, SADC, COMESA and SACU Secretariats, the African Development Bank, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the Inter-national Organisation for Migration, the Southern Africa Enterprise Network, the Federation of East and Southern Africa Road Transport Associations, the Walvis Bar Corridor Group, Botswana Institute

Southern African Development Forum participants

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To address the ICT challenges, the forum rec-ommended;

the development of a matrix of ICT • infrastructure needs of border operations, incorporation of these in regional ICT policies and provide resources for implementation,

upgrading and strengthening of joint IT and • other infrastructure and human resources management systems at border posts; and

the development of a framework for • the harmonization of trade and regional integration statistics.

The lack of resources to finance regional integration programmes continues to impact negatively on both COMESA and SADC. The need for the African Development Bank to develop and strengthen mechanisms aimed at enhancing the absorptive capacities of the sub-region was underscored by the forum. The Forum highlighted the need to promote strong stakeholders and donors support to the regional integration process. To improve the prospects for the financing of regional integration programmes the Forum recommended;

the creation of a Project Preparation and • Development Unit within SADC, and strengthen the same within COMESA; and

the development of mechanisms to • operationalize the COMESA Fund and the Development Fund for SADC.

The Forum recognized the important role which the private sector plays in regional integration as one of the key stakeholders. The private sector can be key in conceptualizing, designing and adopting integration programmes, providing human and financial resources for regional projects, generating wealth to stimulate growth and finance regional projects. In recognition of the key role of the transport sector in trade facilitation, the Forum recommended the following;

Development of sustainable funding • mechanisms for regional associations and corridor management institutions;

Harmonisation of the immigration procedures, • policies and laws among member States;

Reinforcement of the technological, human and • financial capacities of border management insti-tutions;

Enhancement of policy dialogue among immigra-• tion officials with other stakeholders in regional integration and build public awareness regarding the benefits of migration;

Establishment of a unit to address the implemen-• tation of protocols related to immigration and free movement of persons;

Expedite and operationalize the SADC Transit • Bond System and strengthen the COMESA sys-tem;

Standardization and harmonization customs ICT • systems;

Development of simple, harmonised and transpar-• ent customs procedures;

Acceleration of the establishment of the one-stop • border mechanisms in the sub-region and develop fora for building awareness and sharing experi-ences; and

Strengthening the role of immigration in trade fa-• cilitation.

The attainment of the regional integration milestones is adversely affected by inadequate mechanisms to track and monitor progress in the implementation of protocols by member States. To address these chal-lenges, the Forum recommended;

the strengthening the capacity of the national and • regional protocol monitoring and enforcement mechanisms including bilateral structures; and

the development mechanisms for disseminating • information on implementation of protocols to all stakeholders.

The Forum emphasized the importance of upgrading ICT and other infrastructure at border posts and also that of collecting and sharing statistics, not only on trade but on all regional integration issues. Efficient information sharing is key in regional integration as it reduces the cost of doing business.

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Development of a system of accreditation of • transport companies and clearing agents by national authorities within the region in order to facilitate cross border trade;

Speeding up the process of implementing the • proposed SADC road user charge guidelines and harmonizing them with COMESA;

Harmonization of motor vehicle insurance • practices throughout the region;

Strengthening support to HIV and AIDS • initiatives along transport corridors;

Development of maintenance units along • transport corridors supported by rescue operations; and

Development and strengthening of mechanisms • for constructing and maintaining transboundary infrastructure

The Forum underscored the importance of expediting the work of the taskforce on the harmonization of the SADC/COMESA/EAC programmes to quicken the pace of regional integration. Other key areas to facilitate integration include;

the development of a simplified and trade • facilitating regime with a strong development component;

the strengthening of the capacity of the • policy regulatory framework for SADC and COMESA;

the enhancement of the role of private sector • and regional business organizations in regional integration and in particular, trade development; and

the establishment of a trade, transport, • immigration and customs committee to deal with the broader issues of regional integration.

Fourteenth Meeting of the 1. Intergovernmental Committee of Experts for Southern Africa (ICE)

The 14th ICE meeting held from 2 – 4 June 2008 in Lusaka, Zambia under the theme “Achieving Free Trade Area (FTA) and Customs Union (CU): Emerging Challenges and Opportunities for Southern Africa” was preceded and informed by the forum on the implementation of the SADC protocols and COMESA Treaty Provisions having direct bearing on the establishment of the FTA and the CU. Representatives from member States, regional economic communities (RECs), United Nations agencies, private sector, civil society, academia and research institutions undertook a status review on the preparedness of the stakeholders in establishing and operating the upcoming SADC FTA and COMESA CU in Southern Africa and made recommendations on the way forward.

The meeting discussed the Economic and Social Conditions in Southern Africa in 2007 and salut-ed the progress accomplished on macroeconomic convergence while noting the likelihood of recent adverse global developments, including high oil and food prices and power shortages, to undermine progress made so far. The committee saluted the current policy changes in the mining sector aimed at increasing benefits from the current price and un-derscored the need to align this with the on-going development of a conducive business environment in the sub-region.

In addressing the theme of the meeting, the ICE ad-opted the outcomes of the Forum which attempted to address the bottlenecks in the process of ratifying the protocols and putting in place adequate mecha-nisms for their implementation, monitoring and compliance taking stock of best practices from oth-er RECs. Simplified and harmonized customs and immigration procedures, reinforced capacities of border management institutions and efficient infor-mation management system, through strengthened ICT infrastructure and harmonized and accurate

Recent Events

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trade statistics, will be instrumental in the develop-ment of the integrated border management in the sub-region.

The need for sustainable funding mechanisms for re-gional integration will require setting and/or strength-ening of the Project Preparation and Development Units as well as the establishment of Development Funds within SADC and COMESA and promoting a balanced approach in the mobilization of domestic and external resources. The meeting recommended the de-velopment of an action plan on the recommendations of the Forum.

The ICE reviewed the ECA-SA Programme Perfor-mance for the Period 2006-07, highlighted key achieve-ments and raised the need to enhance the information dissemination and outreach of the Office. The meeting-provided a platform for launching the ECA-SA Knowl-edge Management programme and was informed about some ECA HQ outputs, namely the joint AU-ECA

Economic Report on Africa 2008, the African Economic Outlook 2007/2008 and the “United Nations System-wide Support to the African Union and its New Partnership for Africa’s De-velopment (NEPAD) Programme and different development cooperating partners` activities.

Hon. Jonas Shakafuswa, Deputy Finance and National Planning Minister, Zambia opening the ICE Meeting

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SADC–UNECA Technical Meeting 2. on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

As an integral part of the implementation of the SADC/ECA-SA multi-year collaboration programme, the first technical meeting on the e-SADC initiative was held in Benoni, Johannesburg, South Africa from 4 to 6 April 2008. The programme is jointly supported by ECA-ISTD and ECA-SA. Representatives from the SADC member States participated in the meeting. The Africa Union, CISCO, CRASA, EMC-South Africa, Indian High Commission, NEPAD, SATA, SADC and SADC-PF Secretariats, TCIL-India, and UNECA Secretariat representatives also participated in the meeting.

The programme is a follow-up of the vision of AISI which provided the framework for formulating policies and plans through Regional Economic Communities (RECs) including the, harmonization and coordination of national efforts as an integration strategy focused in the areas of:

Harmonization of national regulatory • frameworks as countries deregulate and liberalize their telecommunication markets;

Creation of a framework for the development • of ICT infrastructure that facilitates regional economic integration goals of the continent; and,

Strengthening capacity at the sub-regional • level in ICT for development and building a critical mass to facilitate regional integration through ICTs.

The main focus of the meeting was to develop terms of reference for the e-SADC initiative taking into account the need to harmonise the various ICT infrastructure initiatives at both regional and continental levels.

The major aspects identified for address in the implementation of the e-SADC-initiative entailed the following:

a) Review the institutional framework and e-legislations at country level, status of

e-readiness, e-strategies and various protocols and declarations adopted by SADC, COMESA and the African Union taking into account e-strategies developed in other parts of the world as well as the models recommended by international organisations such as the UN, the ITU, the European Union, the World Bank, etc. for the purpose of show-casing best practice as potential models for adoption within the SADC sub region;

b) Through country visits, identify areas of capacity building, ICT requirements and skills set for the short and medium terms and formulate an appropriate human resource development plan to enable the region to meet its needs and participate as an equal partner in the global economy;

c) Create a regional database of centres of excellence in ICT and experts within the region, supported by a communication strategy for the promotion of e-SADC initiative;

d) Propose strategies to promote an enabling and secure environment for e-transactions, to enhance regional trade and integration;

e) Develop a framework for the standardisation and harmonisation of infrastructure, and make recommendations on harmonized regulatory framework and appropriate legislation for harnessing ICT within the region;

f) Develop a framework for the initiation, participation and promotion of partnerships for financing and implementing the SADC e-strategy supported by a knowledge-sharing platform.

ECA-SA and ECA-ISTD have prepared a project document based on the above-mentioned areas of address.

Building Pillars of e-parliament in Southern 3. Africa

ECA-SA, ISTD and SADC parliamentary forum (SADC-PF) organized a workshop for Chairpersons of Parliamentary Committees responsible for ICTs, Members of Parliament, ICTs/ IT Managers from Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries in Johannesburg, South Africa from 8 to 10 April 2008 to discuss the effective utilisation of ICTs in Parliaments. Participants came from Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique,

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Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, SADC and UNECA Secretariats.

The following were some of the major outcomes of the workshop;

Adoption of the SADC Parliamentary Forum • Regional ICT Strategy as the guiding framework for the development of ICTs in SADC parliaments and recommendation on the intensification of the roll out, and securing of funding for the implementation of immediate to medium priority actions of the Strategy;

Identification of the critical need to transform • policies into implementable plans and the vital/ critical role parliamentarians play in the policy formulation and subsequent implementation;

The immediate advocacy and lobbying for the • establishment of dedicated Portfolios/Standing Committees for ICTs to lead the development of ICTs and the strengthening of existing structures responsible for ICTs to ensure effective mainstreaming and harnessing of ICTs;

The need for SADC PF and SADC Secretariats to • develop model e-laws in the region to provide a framework and capacity for national parliaments and enable member states and its business community to fully participate in the global economy; and,

The need to establish a Network for Chairpersons • of Portfolio/Standing Committees responsible for ICTs in SADC Parliaments to provide learning and sharing platforms as well as increase inter parliamentary cooperation;

In this regard the meeting recommended that an action plan be developed to implement the Regional ICT Strategy. ECA made the following commitments to support the short-term implementation of the strategy:

Render technical assistance in developing the • training materials for:

ICT and Governance;

ICT and Gender and provide assistance in the Women and ICTs project to increase its scope; and

ICTs and Regional Integration.

Assist with connectivity of Parliaments • through satellite connection;

Develop a programme for the Network • of MPs to include a biennial conference; and,

Mobilize resources for the development • of e-parliament through the e-SADC initiative

The SADC-PF programme has since been included in the proposal for the e-SADC Initiative.

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The Economic Commission for Africa, Southern Africa Office (ECA-SA), launched this quarterly newsletter to connect ideas and information to our constituencies. We sincerely hope you will find the information useful and enjoyable.

We encourage you to please contact us for any further information regarding ECA-SA.

Sincerely, Jennifer Kargbo Director, ECA-SA

For this and other publications, please visit the following address www.uneca.org/eca-sa or contact:

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Southern Africa Office P.O. Box 30647 Lusaka, Zambia Tel.: +260-211-228502/5 Fax : +260-211-236949/234757 E-mail: srdcsa.uneca@un.org Web: www.uneca.org/eca-sa

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Staff Issues .

Jack Jones Zulu Joins ECA-SA

Mr. Jack Jones Zulu joined ECA-SA as a Social Affairs Officer in June 2008. He comes from a civil society background where he has worked for several years in different organizations, the last being the Southern Africa Regional Poverty Network (SARPN) in South Africa where he worked as Programmes Manager-Economic Dimensions.