The 42^nd session of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Steering Committee (SC) took place in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on Saturday, 25 June 2011, with members welcoming the progress being made in the implementation of  programmes and the 10^th Anniversary of NEPAD.

In his presentation to the 42^nd SC session, Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency), said that capacity building, infrastructure and agriculture as in the shape of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) accounted for some of the critical areas in which the Agency was making progress in the roll-out of continental projects and programmes.

The NEPAD Agency CEO also briefed the SC on the progress that has been made with regard to the integration of the NEPAD Agency into the African Union (AU) structures and processes, with specific reference being given to the Agency’s strategic direction and its’ adoption of AU rules, regulations and practices for human resources and finance.

In his remarks, Dr Mayaki revealed that in commemorating the 10th Anniversary of NEPAD, the Agency would give a strong signal on how Africa can harness its development challenges under the umbrella of the AU.

Crucially, the 41st SC was also briefed on the upcoming United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) in Durban, South Africa, where the NEPAD Agency in partnership with the African Union will participate in firming up the African common position on climate change.

In response to the presentation the NEPAD SC went on to endorse the recommendations in the NEPAD Activity Report and outlook for 2011, noting in particular the:

• programmatic activities based on NEPAD’s thematic and priority areas such as Agriculture and Food Security, Regional Integration and Infrastructure, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management , Human Development as well as Economic Governance and Corporate Governance and Cross Cutting Issues;
• institutional efforts at results-based management and performance and;
• the roll-out of key regional and continental programmes, in collaboration with the AU Commission.

Heads of key development agencies, leading experts as well as heads of regional bodies such as Dr. Emmanuel Nnadozie, Director of the Economic Development and NEPAD Division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Zemenay Lakew, Senior Programme Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme and Bakary Kone, Chief of External Affairs and Partnerships at the African Capacity Building Foundation elaborated on their continued support for the implementation of the NEPAD programme.

The NEPAD SC is primarily responsible for developing the terms of reference for identified programmes and projects, and for overseeing the work and programmatic activities of the NEPAD Agency. This committee consists of the personal representatives of the heads of state that seat on the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC).

For more information and to arrange for interviews, contact:

Andrew Kanyegirire, OIC – Communications, Cell: +27-83-704-4506, Email: andrewk@nepad.org