European Parliamentarians for Africa

After broad consultation with African partners and stakeholders, a five-year (2005-2010) parliamentary support programme was developed:

Mobilising Parliaments for NEPAD (MPN): Towards the Millennium Development Goals 

Objective

• The forging of a new partnership that balances the existing unequal relationship between Africa and Europe toward achieving MDGs in Africa
  

Result Areas

• Awareness about NEPAD will be raised among African MPs and concrete measures identified to integrate into parliamentary work in Africa
• Awareness about NEPAD will be raised among European MPs and concrete measures identified to integrate into parliamentary work in Europe
• Exchange of NEPAD perspectives between African and European MPs will be facilitated for identification of parliamentary action

Themes

In the 2008 programme, special focus has been given to:

• Sustainable Development: Climate
• Health and Development: HIV and AIDS and OVC

• Trade and Development: Agriculture, as well as Economic Growth and Entrepreneurship
• Conflict Management: Peacebuilding and Regional Cooperation

• Economic and Human Development Democracy and Accountability
• Gender

Countries/Regions

• Southern, Eastern and Central Africa
• Europe

Partners 

Over the past few years AWEPA has developed a more systematic approach of integrating experts' feedback into its programme monitoring and development. One of the main results of the MPN Programme has been that the programme partners "strategise and prioritise the roadmap for the programme." A specific Executive and Steering Committee have therefore been established in order to guide the programme through to completion. These committees are composed of representatives of the:

• African Parliamentarians Forum for NEPAD
• African Parliamentary Union
• East African Legislative Assembly
• Economic Community of West African States Parliament
• NEPAD Contact Group of African Parliamentarians
• NEPAD Secretariat
• Pan-African Parliament
• Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum

Funding and Donor information

Main donors:

• Sweden (SIDA) 
• Denmark (DANIDA)

• Germany (GTZ)
• The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
• Belgium (DGOS)
• The Netherlands (in combination with other AWEPA Programmes)

Background

NEPAD is a vision and strategic framework for Africa’s renewal. It was initiated by five Heads of State (Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa) who were given a mandate by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, now African Union (AU)) to develop an integrated socio-economic development framework for Africa.

• To eradicate poverty
• To place African countries, both individually and collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development
• To halt the marginalisation of Africa in the globalisation process and insure that Africa integrates both fully and positively into the global economy
• To accelerate the empowerment of women

Programme Logic & Activity Types

• Each year, 1-2 themes are determined.
• These are then discussed in an Expert Workshop, where a draft action plan is prepared and relevant information identified.
• Next, a Regional Seminar is organised in three regions: Southern Africa, East Africa, and West Africa in order to provide a forum for MPs to discuss the topic and to adopt a final parliamentary plan of action.
• Finally, National Follow-Up for the participating country is then conducted to track the implementation level of action points identified during the Regional Seminars.
• In Europe, European National Seminars are organised for general awareness-raising on NEPAD-related issues in combination, where possible, with an Exposure Visit of an African MP delegation. The idea is to implement these in partnership with the AWEPA Europe programme.
• The semi-annual EU Presidency Seminars ensure the regular exchange of African and European MPs on NEPAD related themes.

Outputs and Outcomes

read more...