terms in the glossary1.5 navigating this guide 1.6 the status of this guide chapter 2 the cotonou...

Terms in the Glossary are indicated throughout the text with an asterisk*.

Throughout the text there are four kinds of boxes containing tips,practical examples, views and comments, and background information,which are indicated using the following icons:

Tips and practical suggestions about actions you can take, or things toremember before you start.

Examples of the experiences of non-state actors who have participated inconsultations, project implementation or reviews.

Views and comments from the non-state actors and practitioners whowere consulted in preparing this guide.

Background information - these boxes provide more detailed informationand suggestions for further reading.

EXAMPLEA

NSA

USER'S GUIDE

The Cotonou AgreementA User’s Guide for

Non-State Actors

November 2003

Compiled by the ECDPM

ii

www.acpsec.org A User’s Guide for Non-State Actors www.ecdpm.org

Published by

ACP Secretariat, Brussels, BelgiumCopyright © 2003 ACP Secretariat

Conditions of usePrior permission is not required for quoting, translating or reproducing the contents of thispublication, provided the source is fully acknowledged as follows:ACP Secretariat. 2003. ‘The Cotonou Agreement: A User’s Guide for Non-State Actors’

ISBN: 90 808 3371 1

ACP Secretariat

The ACP Secretariat coordinates the activities of the ACP Group. Its mission isto facilitate the implementation of theCotonou Agreement.

It is in this context that the ACPSecretariat took the initiative to produceand publish this User’s Guide on theCotonou Agreement for non-state actorsin all ACP countries.

451 avenue Georges HenriB-1200 Brussels Belgium

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel.: +32 (0)2 743 06 00Fax: +32 (0)2 735 55 73

www.acpsec.org

ECDPM

The European Centre for DevelopmentPolicy Management (ECDPM) aims toimprove international cooperationbetween Europe and countries in Africa,the Caribbean, and the Pacific. As an independent foundation, the Centre’sobjectives are:• to enhance the capacity of public and

private actors in ACP countries; and • to improve cooperation between

development partners in Europe andthe ACP Region.

The ECDPM was entrusted to elaboratethe User’s Guide (based on consultationswith non-state actors).

Onze Lieve Vrouweplein 21NL-6211 HE MaastrichtThe Netherlands

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel.: +31 (0)43 350 29 00Fax: +31 (0)43 350 29 02

www.ecdpm.org


The role and place of non-state actors inthe implementation of the CotonouAgreement is clear. What is not clear,however, are the modalities and condi-tions to ensure their full and effective participation.

At the initiative of the ACP Secretariat,and with the agreement of the EuropeanCommission a decision was taken toproduce a user’s guide for non-stateactors. This initiative is rooted in theknowledge of a lack of awareness in ACPStates, at the level of n0n-state actors, ofthe benefits and opportunities availableunder the Cotonou Agreement as well asthe dynamic and more participatoryapproach to ACP-EC cooperation.

The main objective of the guide istherefore to disseminate appropriate

information on how the n0n-state actorscan benefit from and the opportunitiesavailable under the Cotonou Agreement.It will also serve as a primary referencedocument for ACP non-state actors.

The guide provides a comprehensive coverage of the relevant issues of interestto n0n-state actors and reflects the suc-cessful consultation process undertakenwith a wide range of stakeholders fromthe six ACP regions and the EuropeanCommission. In particular, the guide alsoprovides practical information and specificanswers on the modalities for theenhanced engagement of n0n-stateactors in ACP-EC cooperation.

Special acknowledgement to the ECDPMfor the professional manner in which theyhave completed this very difficult task.

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Chapter 1 Introduction1.1 What is this guide about?1.2 Who is it for?1.3 Why the Cotonou Agreement is also your affair1.4 How was this guide produced?1.5 Navigating this guide1.6 The status of this guide

Chapter 2 The Cotonou Agreement in a nutshell2.1 A quick look into the past2.2 Cotonou - a new way of doing cooperation2.3 A house built on three pillars2.4 Key terms and acronyms

Chapter 3 Opportunities for participation under the Cotonou Agreement3.1 Participation as a fundamental principle3.2 Legal framework for non-state actor participation3.3 The dual role of non-state actors3.4 Who can participate?3.5 Facilitating participation3.6 Some observations

Chapter 4 Participation in practice4.1 Participation: a learning process4.2 Participation in development cooperation4.3 Participation in trade policies4.4 Participation in the political dimensions of partnership

Chapter 5 Accessing funding: What non-state actors need to know5.1 Funding is available, but with limitations5.2 The two main funding routes5.3 The three windows of the European Development Fund5.4 Additional resources through EU budget lines5.5 What are the procedures for accessing and managing funds?

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Chapter 6 Four steps to promote the quality of participation6.1 Clarifying the identity, missions and role of non-state actors6.2 Promoting an effective tripartite dialogue6.3 Improving coordination among non-state actors6.4 Making creative use of capacity building opportunities

Chapter 7 Translating this guide into practice7.1 Disseminating this guide7.2 Starting a discussion7.3 Sustaining information flows and knowledge sharing7.4 The role of umbrella organisations and networks7.5 The role of information and communication technologies (ICTs)

Glossary of terms

List of acronyms

AnnexesI ACP countries and institutions in the framework of CotonouII European Member States and institutions in the framework of CotonouIII Joint ACP-EC institutionsIV The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiationsV Institutions and instruments for private sector developmentVI Eligibility criteria for non-state actors - Access to funding under the EDFVII The ACP Civil Society ForumVIII Contact details: National Authorising Officers IX Contact details: Delegations of the European Commission X Contact details: European Non-Governmental Organisations XI Extract from a Country Strategy PaperXII Regional Indicative Programmes under the 9th EDFXIII Resource allocation to ACP countries - Needs and performance criteriaXIV European Commission preliminary assessment of non-state actor

participation in programming

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USER'S GUIDE

Introduction1.1 What is this guide

about?

1.2 Who is it for?

1.3 Why the Cotonou Agreement is also your affair

1.4 How was this guideproduced?

1.5 Navigating this guide

1.6 The status of this guide

1

In June 2000, the European Union (EU) and 77 countries inAfrica, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) signed a newcooperation agreement - the Cotonou Agreement. This

partnership is not restricted to governments. Opportunities forparticipation are also provided to civil society organisations,

economic and social partners and the private sector in the ACPcountries. However, for these non-state actors to be fully

involved in cooperation, they need to be well informed on thecontents of the Agreement, and on ways and means provided

for them to participate effectively. It is in that context that theinitiative was taken to produce this user's guide to the

Cotonou Agreement for non-state actors.

'This Cotonou Agreement seems most relevant for ourcommunities in the rural areas. But we are only starting to

discover it, to understand what it is all about and what it couldmean for us. It is a world of which we had no clue so far.'

Representative of a women's organisation in Fiji

'We have nearly 20,000 members across Kenya, yet we havelittle information about this Agreement. How can this be if civil

society is supposed to be involved?' Representative of the street traders' association in Kenya


3

International cooperation betweendeveloped and developing countries hasbeen going on for more than 50 years. Thiscooperation covers diverse areas (e.g.development, trade, peace and security,environmental protection) and takes dif-ferent forms (predominantly financial ortechnical assistance).

Cotonou AgreementThe European Union* (i.e. the EuropeanCommunity and the Member States of theUnion) is also an active player in interna-tional development cooperation. It hasentered into cooperation agreements withall developing regions of the world. One ofthe flagships of European developmentcooperation is its longstanding relationwith countries in Africa, the Caribbeanand the Pacific, known collectively as the ACP Group*. This cooperation formally began in 1975 withthe signing of the Lomé I Convention - thefirst in a series of partnership agreements.In June 2000, the ACP countries and theEU concluded a new 20-year cooperationagreement, named the CotonouAgreement after the capital of Benin inWest Africa, where it was signed. Thisagreement entered into force in April2003.

The Cotonou Agreement is in many waysa unique document. It defines how theEuropean Community* (EC) and the ACP

countries intend to cooperate in the fieldsof aid, trade and political cooperation inorder to fight poverty, support democracy,promote economic growth and foster sus-tainable development.

A key feature of the Cotonou Agreementis its emphasis on the participation of'non-state actors' in ACP countries in theimplementation of the Agreement. Theseactors are now recognised as essential inhelping to ensure the relevance andimpact of cooperation policies and pro-grammes between the ACP and the EC.

Yet without adequate information on the Cotonou Agreement, the envisagedbenefits from a more participatoryapproach may well remain elusive. It wasin this context that the idea of producinga user's guide to the Cotonou Agreementarose.

Two main purposesThis guide has two main purposes:

• to inform civil society organisations,economic and social partners and theprivate sector in ACP countries on themost important features of theCotonou Agreement, and

• to provide practical guidance on how andunder what conditions non-state actorscan participate in ACP-EC cooperation.

1.1 What is this guide about?

4


This guide is targeted at the differentgroups of non-state actors across the ACP.

Non-state actorsThe concept of 'non-state actors' may beunfamiliar to many readers. In the formallanguage of the Cotonou Agreement, theterm is used to refer to a wide range ofdevelopment actors - other than govern-ments - whose participation in ACP-ECcooperation is now to be promoted.

The Cotonou Agreement provides a basicdefinition of who should be considered asnon-state actors (see box).

This is obviously a very open-ended definition. In practice, it means that partici-pation is open to all kind of actors, such asthe private sector, community-based organi-sations, women's groups, human rights

associations, non-governmental organisa-tions (NGOs), religious organisations,farmers' cooperatives, trade unions, univer-sities and research institutes, the media, etc.Also included in this definition are informalgroups such as grassroots organisations,informal private sector associations, etc.

Some limitations

• A wide range of ACP non-state actors maytake an interest in this guide. Their infor-mation needs are likely to be extremelydiverse. Some may expect detailed infor-mation on how to write a project proposalor to obtain funding. Others may needtechnical information on the ongoingtrade negotiations between the ACP andthe EC. A short guide like this cannot pos-sibly address all of these needs. However,whenever possible, the text includes references and links to sources of morespecialised information.

• This guide focuses primarily on civilsociety organisations. The private sectoris considered only in so far as it isinvolved in non-profit activities (e.g.private sector associations, chambers ofcommerce, etc.). The reason for this isthat the Cotonou Agreement hasdeveloped a set of specific instrumentsfor supporting ACP private sector actorsinvolved in profit-oriented activities(e.g. the Investment Facility, the Centrefor the Development of Enterprise)These instruments are not addressed indetail in this guide. For basic infor-mation see Annex V.

1.2 Who is this guide for?

Who are non-state actors?

According to Article 6 of the CotonouAgreement, non-state actors include:

• the private sector;

• economic and social partners,including trade unionorganisations; and

• civil society in all its diversity,according to nationalcharacteristics.


• Local governments are importantactors in development, particularly inACP countries that are involved in adecentralisation process. While acknowledging their role in ACP-ECcooperation, this guide does not providespecific information for them.

Why should non-state actors in ACP coun-tries bother about the CotonouAgreement? Why should they take aninterest in it or try to get involved in theprocesses of cooperation between theirgovernment and the EC?

Three main reasonsThere are three main reasons why localorganisations should indeed regard theCotonou Agreement as their affair.

Cotonou is about 'big issues' that affectyour life The Cotonou Agreement is not justabout financing EC aid programmes andprojects. It is concerned with manyimportant issues that may have directimpacts on the lives of millions of ACP citizens. It is, among other things, about• reducing poverty;• social development, including

employment policies;• helping to avoid conflicts and wars, and,

in areas where these are occurring, torestore peace and security;

• establishing a new trade regimebetween the ACP and the EC;

• improving the capacity of the ACPprivate sector to produce and exportgoods and services;

• strengthening cooperation between theACP and the EC in the field of migration;

• promoting human rights anddemocracy; and

• furthering regional cooperation andintegration.

Cotonou invites you to participateThe Cotonou Agreement represents a breakwith the tradition of cooperating almostexclusively with central governments. Itfully embraces the concept of participatorydevelopment*, following a trend that canbe observed in all parts of the world andamong virtually all donor agencies.

Making Cotonou work is a shared responsibilityThe Cotonou Agreement is a fascinatinglegal document, with 100 articles and many

5

1.3 Why the Cotonou Agreementis also your affair

6


annexes that together provide a frameworkfor setting in motion all kinds of processesand programmes that can have a positiveimpact on a country's development.

The challenge now, and in the years tocome, will be to make full use of thiscooperation tool, to tap its dormantpotential, and to exploit all its relevantprovisions and instruments.

Achieving this will be the shared responsi-bility of all state and non-state actors. TheCotonou Agreement is too important tobe left to governments alone. The activeparticipation of non-state actors can helpto transform the words of the CotonouAgreement into an effective tool that canbe used to foster the development processof a country or region.

Further information about the Cotonou Agreement

For the full text of the Cotonou Agreement, please visit the European Commission'swebsite: http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/cotonou/agreement_en.htm

For a copy of the Cotonou Infokit, which explains the Agreement in non-technical language, visit ECDPM's website www.ecdpm.org and check under 'Publications'.

The ACP Secretariat, the body repre-senting the interests of ACP countries inBrussels (Annex I) took the initiative toproduce a guide for non-state actors, in ajoint effort with the services of theEuropean Commission. The EuropeanCentre for Development PolicyManagement (ECDPM), an independentfoundation specialising in ACP-EC cooper-

ation, was asked to carry out the tech-nical work.

In compiling this guide, consultations withnon-state actors took place in six ACPcountries - Democratic Republic of Congo,Fiji, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi and Mali.These consultations involved informationand discussion sessions with a wide range

1.4 How was this guide produced?


of local actors, as well as national work-shops. In each country, the process wasfacilitated by a local platform of non-stateactors or local experts who produced acountry report containing their conclu-sions and recommendations.

To complement the consultation processesin the six countries, between May andSeptember 2003 an interactive dialoguewas conducted via the Internet, to collectthe views and experiences of actors inother ACP countries.

Finally, in September 2003, a validationseminar was held in Brussels at which allinstitutional stakeholders (the ACPSecretariat, the European Commission*,etc.) as well as non-state actors from afurther ten ACP countries (representingthe different ACP regions) and Europeanorganisations were able to comment onthe first draft of the guide.

The structure of the guide is as follows:

Background informationChapters 2 and 3 provide backgroundinformation. Chapter 2 describes theessential features of the CotonouAgreement, and Chapter 3 provides an

overview of the legal opportunities fornon-state actor participation, as enshrinedin the Agreement.

Practice of participationChapters 4 and 5 are concerned with thepractice of participation. Chapter 4 isintended as a guide for non-state actorson how best to engage in the differentparticipation processes. Chapter 5describes how to access EC funds, andbriefly explains the rules that apply in themanagement of ACP-EC cooperation.Wherever possible, concrete examplesfrom the field are included. It should beremembered, however, that although theCotonou Agreement was signed in 2000,it entered into force only in April 2003.This means that so far practical experi-ences involving non-state actors arelimited.

What next?Chapter 6 looks to the future. It provides anumber of suggestions to ensure thequality of non-state actor participation.

Chapter 7 reflects on ways to make thisguide a dynamic and effective tool thatcan be adapted to the needs of each ACPcountry.

Glossary - list of acronymsGlossary of terms (indicated throughoutthe text with an asterisk*).

7

1.5 Navigating this guide

1.6 The status of this guide

8

AnnexesThe annexes provide further information:

I ACP countries and institutions in theframework of Cotonou

II European Member States and institu-tions in the framework of Cotonou

III Joint ACP-EC institutionsIV The Economic Partnership Agreement

(EPA) negotiations V Institutions and instruments for private

sector developmentVI Eligibility criteria for non-state actors -

Access to funding under the EDFVII ACP Civil Society Forum

VIII Contact details:National Authorising Officers

IX Contact details:Delegations of the EuropeanCommission

X Contact details:European Non-GovernmentalOrganisations

XI Extract from a Country Strategy PaperXII Regional Indicative Programmes under

the 9th EDFXIII Resource allocation to ACP countries -

Needs and performance criteriaXIV European Commission preliminary

assessment of non-state actor partici-pation in programming

Support to non-state actors should alwaysconform to the legal provisions of theCotonou Agreement and the EC FinancialRegulation*.

This guide, by contrast, is not a legallybinding document. Its main purpose is toprovide accessible information to non-stateactors on the Cotonou Agreement.

The guide complements existing sources ofinformation produced by the EuropeanCommission or the ACP Group.

A case in point is the recent 'Communi-cation from the Commission to the Council,the European Parliament and the Economic

and Social Committee' on the Participationof Non-State Actors (NSA) in ECDevelopment Policy, COM(2002) 598 final.(http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/cnc/2002/com2002_0598en01.pdf)

Building on the Communication, theEuropean Commission is now elaboratingguidelines on principles and good prac-tices for the participation of non-stateactors in the development dialogue andconsultations. These guidelines areintended to cover EU cooperation with alldeveloping regions.(http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/index_en.htm)


Article 3

Article 1

Article 2

2.1 A quick look into the past

2.2 Cotonou - a new way of doing cooperation

2.3 A house built on three pillars

2.4 Key terms and acronyms

The CotonouAgreement in a nutshell

2

The Cotonou Agreement builds on generations of cooperationagreements between the expanding ACP Group and an evolvingEurope. In many ways, however, the Cotonou Agreement marksan important break with the past. Major innovations have been

introduced to improve the overall impact of aid, trade andpolitical cooperation between the ACP and the EC. This chapter

summarises the most important features of this uniqueinternational cooperation agreement.

'The Cotonou Agreement will give a new momentum to the relationship between the ACP States and the European

Union. It represents an important component of internationalefforts aimed at promoting sustainable development and

reducing poverty.' Poul Nielson, European Commissioner

for Development and Humanitarian Aid1


Before presenting the contents of theCotonou Agreement in some detail, it maybe useful to look back for a moment intothe past in order to understand the originof some of the key elements of ACP-ECcooperation.

ACP-EC cooperation has been going on formore than 25 years. In the process, thetwo parties have developed a certain wayof doing business, which some people callthe 'culture of ACP-EC cooperation'. TheCotonou Agreement clearly builds on thistradition. Over time, this cooperation hasevolved, with some dramatic changes.

European Economic CommunityIn 1957, six European states founded theEuropean Economic Community (EEC),which marked the beginning of the processof European integration. The process wassystematically pushed forward, culminatingin the creation of the European Union (EU)in 1993. The number of EU Member Stateshas continued to grow, and will include noless than 25 in 2004.

ACP GroupThe ACP Group has evolved from analliance of 46 states when it was set up in1975, to include 79 countries in 2003. Inthis group, 77 countries effectively signedthe Cotonou Agreement and benefit fromit. Cuba is member of the ACP Group, butdid not sign the Cotonou Agreement,while EC support to South Africa is fundedunder a special budget line.

ACP-EC cooperationThe idea of 'European cooperation' startedin the 1960s with economic cooperationagreements, mainly with independentFrench-speaking African countries. In 1975,the newly constituted ACP group andEurope concluded their first major part-nership agreement - the Lomé IConvention. European cooperation nowreaches out to all parts of the world. TheEU (the European Community and theMember States) is now the world's largestprovider of aid.

This is not the place to dwell on thedetails of past ACP-EC cooperation, butthe time chart ‘Milestones in ACP-EC coop-eration’ indicates some key moments inthe history of the partnership.

The transition from the Lomé Conventionsto the Cotonou Agreement involved morethan a change of name. The CotonouAgreement provides a number of innovativeapproaches to cooperation, all of which aimto address more effectively the pressing andvarying challenges in the development ofACP countries. The following paragraphsoffer an overview of innovations introducedin the Cotonou Agreement.

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2.1 A quick look into the past

2.2 Cotonou - a new way of doing cooperation

12


1957

1963

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1996

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June 2000

April 2003

Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany sign theTreaty of Rome creating the European Economic Community (EEC). The treatyincludes a legal provision for a specific European cooperation programme.

As African countries gain independence, the EEC develops a first generationof economic cooperation agreements, mainly with French-speaking Africancountries (the so called Yaoundé Conventions).

The UK joins the EEC, bringing along its former colonies in Africa, theCaribbean and the Pacific.

Creation of the ACP group, an alliance of 46 ACP States.

Lomé I Convention (1975-80), the first major aid and trade cooperationagreement between Europe and the ACP.

Lomé II Convention (1980-85).

Lomé III Convention (1985-90) includes for the first time a 'human rightsclause'.

Lomé IV Convention (1990-95).

Lomé IV bis Convention (1995-2000) reinforces political cooperation andintroduces the possibility of suspending aid in cases of grave violation ofagreed values and principles.

The European Community (EC) starts informal consultations on the future ofACP-EC cooperation (the 'Green Paper process').

Negotiations of a successor agreement to the Lomé IV bis Convention.

The Cotonou Partnership Agreement (2000-2020) is signed in Cotonou,Benin.

The Cotonou Partnership Agreement enters into force.

Milestones in ACP-EC cooperation


Poverty reduction is the core objective

Article 1: 'The partnership shall becentred on the objective of reducingand eventually eradicating poverty'

The fight against poverty has always beenhigh on the European cooperation agenda,but under the Cotonou Agreement it isseen as the central objective and per-formance indicator. Rather than definingpoverty in a narrow economic sense (e.g.in terms of incomes), the CotonouAgreement aims to ensure that thepolitical, social, cultural and environ-mental circumstances of people living indeveloping countries change for thebetter.

Ensuring ownership

Article 2: 'ACP states shall determinethe development strategies for their economies and societies in allsovereignty'

This principle should guide all aspects ofcooperation between the ACP and the EC.In practice, this calls upon the EC tosupport existing national developmentstrategies, or the development of suchstrategies, and to work primarily withexisting institutions and capacities in theACP countries. It also implies a shifttowards supporting national budgets,rather than funding 'stand-alone' projectsand programmes.

Promoting dialogue and collaborationbetween state and non-state actors

Article 4: '…the Parties recognise thecomplementary role of and potentialfor contributions by non-state actorsto the development process'

This is another major innovation of theCotonou Agreement. For the first time,ACP-EC cooperation fully recognises theessential role that non-state actors canplay in the development process of an ACPcountry. New opportunities are created forthese actors to participate in all aspects ofcooperation (formulation, implementationand evaluation). The purpose is not tooppose governments, but to foster dia-logue and collaboration between govern-ments and other actors in development,all of whom have a legitimate role to play.

From trade preferences to economiccooperation

Article 36: '…the Parties agree to con-clude new World Trade Organization(WTO) compatible trading arrange-ments, removing progressively barriersto trade between them and enhancingcooperation in all areas relevant totrade'

Perhaps the most radical change intro-duced by the Cotonou Agreement lies inthe area of trade cooperation. For the past25 years, under the Lomé Conventions,the EC has granted 'non-reciprocal tradepreferences' * to ACP countries. This

13

14


means that ACP countries could exportnearly all of their products to the EUmarket without having to pay customsduties, and without having to open uptheir own markets in return.

Under the Cotonou Agreement, this pref-erential regime will be maintained untilDecember 2007. In the meantime, theACP countries and the EC will negotiate'Economic Partnership Agreements' *(EPAs). These are comprehensive tradearrangements, including free trade agree-ments (FTAs), between the EC andregional ACP groupings. EPAs will nor-mally take effect in 2008 (for furtherdetails see section 2.3).

Priority to political cooperation

Article 8: 'The Parties [to theAgreement] shall regularly engage ina comprehensive, balanced and deeppolitical dialogue leading to commit-ments on both sides'

Whereas the successive LoméConventions focused primarily on eco-nomic cooperation, the CotonouAgreement places much more emphasison 'politics', with support for democrati-sation processes and reforms to improvegovernance in ACP countries. There isalso scope for the partners to imposesanctions (as a measure of last resort) ifa party violates any of the essential elements* underpinning the Agreement,such as human rights.

Performance matters

Annex IV, Article 5: '…the [European]Community may revise the resourceallocation in the light of the currentneeds and performance of the ACPstate concerned'

Under the Lomé Conventions, ACP countrieswere 'entitled' to a given amount of aid, irre-spective of their development performance.The Cotonou Agreement now wants to'reward' countries and regions if theyperform well in fulfilling mutually agreedobligations. At regular intervals, this per-formance will be reviewed (on the basis ofcriteria such as sound economic policies,governance, effective implementation,support to non-state actors). Some ACPcountries may see their allocation increase,while for others it may be reduced.

The Cotonou Agreement can be seen as ahouse built on three pillars - developmentcooperation, trade and the politicaldimensions of ACP-EC cooperation -which are closely interrelated. Remove anyone of these pillars and the stability of thewhole house is likely to suffer.

For instance, providing vast sums of deve-lopment aid to a poor country may help to

2.3 A house built on three pillars


alleviate poverty in the short term, but inthe absence of sound domestic policies(including respect for the rule of law), thismay not lead to sustainable development.Similarly, aid alone will not do the job. ACPcountries also need adequate tradepolicies, supported by a set of fair interna-tional rules.

We now look at each of these three pillarsand their most important features inmore detail.

This first type of support provided underthe Cotonou Agreement takes the form offinancial and technical assistance tosupport cooperation priorities, jointlyagreed upon by the partners.

Although much could be said about thedevelopment cooperation component ofthe Cotonou Agreement, only the mostimportant elements are discussed here.

Cooperation follows a five-year cycleThe Cotonou Agreement may have beensigned for the duration of 20 years, butevery five years a 'financial protocol' * willhave to be agreed and attached to it. Thisprotocol indicates how much money theEC will put at the disposal of the ACPcountries over the next five years.

There is a special fund for the ACP countriesThe resources for development cooper-ation with the ACP countries do not comefrom the regular budget of the EuropeanUnion, as do the funds for cooperationagreements with other developmentregions. For historical reasons, there hasalways been a separate funding mech-anism for the ACP, known as the EuropeanDevelopment Fund* (EDF). Every five years,the EU Member States agree on their con-tributions to this Fund. The amount eachcountry has to pay into the EDF is nego-tiated between EU Member States. We arecurrently in the 9th EDF, because eightsimilar financial protocols have precededit under the Yaoundé and LoméConventions.

There is no shortage of resources There is a considerable amount of money inthe 9th EDF - some EUR 13.5 billion for thecurrent five-year period - which is to be

15

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Pillar 1DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

Trad

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shared among the ACP countries andregions. In addition, the resources thatremain unspent2 from previous EDFs.Almost EUR 2.5 billion have been transferredfrom the old EDFs to the 9th EDF and canalso be used for new commitments.

There are two cooperation instrumentsThe Cotonou Agreement drasticallyreduced the number of cooperationinstruments that existed under the pre-vious Lomé Conventions. From now on, allthe resources of the EDF will be chan-nelled through two facilities:

• A grant facility will finance a widerange of long-term development opera-tions such as macro-economic support,sector policies (e.g. education andhealth), democracy programmes, debtrelief, regional cooperation and inte-

gration etc. Support programmes fornon-state actors will also be financedthrough this grant facility.

• An Investment Facility will financeprivate sector development operations.The European Investment Bank (EIB)will manage these resources (for moreinformation see Annex V).

Sharing out the pieThe resources of the 9th EDF are to beshared among the 77 ACP countries andthe six ACP regions. The allocation is doneby the EC according to 'needs' and 'per-formance'. The Cotonou Agreementdefines both a set of objective needs cri-teria (e.g. per capita income, populationsize) and performance indicators. (SeeAnnex XIII of this guide.)

Cotonou Agreement Financial resources

(EUR in billion)

9th EDF = 13.5

Long-term envelope (1) = 10Regional envelope = 1.3Investment facility = 2.2

(1) includingCDE = EUR 90 million CTA = EUR 70 millionJoint Parliamentary Assembly = EUR 4 million


Trade cooperation has been a major buil-ding block of the ACP-EC partnership. Asmentioned above, it is now being funda-mentally reviewed, as the EC and the ACPcountries and regions seek to concludeEconomic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).

Trade negotiationsThis second pillar covers a broad andcomplex policy area. One should also notforget that while negotiating with the EC,most ACP countries are simultaneouslyengaged in other trade negotiations atbilateral, regional and multilateral levels,the outcomes of which will also influencethe final outlook of the EPAs. ACP coun-tries will need to determine a coherentand cross-cutting strategy for all of thesenegotiations. The EC has launched severalinitiatives to support ACP countries inthese negotiations (see section 4.3).

The following paragraphs attempt to clarifysome of the main questions you may havewith regard to trade cooperation.

What are EPAs?Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)are the new trade arrangements that aredue to replace the current non-reciprocalpreferences enjoyed by ACP countries by2008. They will need to be 'compatible'with the requirements of the World TradeOrganization (WTO).

This means that for the ACP countries tomaintain or improve their EU marketaccess, they will gradually have to open uptheir own markets to EU products over aperiod of up to 12 years. In addition totrade in goods and agricultural products,the EPAs will also regulate trade inservices, as well as a range of other trade-related matters such as investment, gov-ernment procurement, product standards,etc. They will be accompanied by devel-opment co-operation measures to supportthe adjustment process.

EPAs will be negotiated with ACP regionsand, depending on their legal situation,ACP countries will be invited to sign eitheras groups (e.g. if they form a customsunion) or individually. Implementation ofEPAs will focus, especially at the beginning,on deepening regional integration.

Are EPAs the only way forward?No. For those countries who do not feel ina position to negotiate EPAs, alternativetrade possibilities will be considered in2004. So far, however, very little attentionhas been given to these alternativeoptions. Since March 2001 the leastdeveloped countries (LDCs) have been ableto benefit from the 'Everything-but-Arms' *(EBA) initiative, which grants duty-freeaccess to all products, except for arms,from LDCs without quota restrictions.3

What about the ACP-EC negotiatingprocess? The negotiations for a new trade regimestarted in September 2002. In a first phase,

17

Pillar 2TRADE

18


negotiations were held at an all-ACP level,with the aim of establishing the main prin-ciples and objectives of the EconomicPartnership Agreements. In the secondphase, negotiations take place at regionallevel. West Africa (ECOWAS/CEDEAO) andCentral Africa (CEMAC) have opened negoti-ations with the EC at the beginning ofOctober 2003. Other regions are in thepreparatory stage, and are holding consulta-tions at national and regional level beforestepping into the ring. The major steps inthe negotiation process can be found inAnnex IV.

Who is negotiating the tradearrangements? On the European side, the negotiationsare being conducted by the EuropeanCommission, in particular officials from

the Directorate-General for Trade, liaisedwith the Directorate of Development andin collaboration with other services suchas Agriculture or Fisheries.

On the ACP side, the ACP Council ofMinisters assumes the political leadershipfor the trade negotiations at the all-ACPlevel. A Ministerial Trade Committee (asspecified in article 38 of the CotonouAgreement) is to offer recommendations tothe Council, with a view to preserving thebenefits of the ACP-EC trading arrange-ments. The Committee of ACP Ambassadorsdeals with the day-to-day negotiations. It isup to each region to decide how theyorganise the division of tasks among theirministers, ambassadors and organisationsin the regional negotiations.

www.acpsec.org - ACP Secretariat

www.acp-eu-trade.org - an independentwebsite that provides information andanalysis of both thematic and regionalissues

http://agritrade.cta.int - Agritrade isthe CTA’s web portal on internationalagricultural trade issues, established in2001 in the context of the ACP-EU tradenegotiations.

www.epawatch.org - EPA Watch,a civil society organisation that followsthe trade negotiations and reports onthe activities of civil society advocacygroups

www.acp-eu-trade.org/tni.html ‘Trade Negotiations Insights’, abimonthly newsletter that providesregular updates on the tradenegotiations

Further information on trade issues

More detailed, regularly updated agendas of the major trade events and ministerialmeetings, and other information, can be found on the following websites.

2


The Cotonou Agreement puts the politicaldimension at the centre of the relationsbetween the ACP and the EC.

The critical importance of politicaldialoguePolitical dialogue is considered as astrategic and continuous tool in thepartnership between the ACP countriesand the EC. The idea is not simply tolaunch an ad hoc dialogue when majorproblems in the partnership arise, suchas violations of human rights in an ACPcountry. Instead, the communicationchannels should be left open and usedat all times:

• dialogue can now be organised on awide range of issues, such as the armstrade, asylum and migration, etc.;

• dialogue can take place in eitherformal or informal settings and atdifferent levels - national, regional and global;

• non-state actors may be involved inpolitical dialogue; and

• ACP countries can also ask to discussthe coherence of EU policies, theirimpact on ACP countries, and relatedissues.

Essential and fundamentalelementsThe Lomé IV bis Convention (1995-2000)defined human rights, democratic prin-ciples and the rule of law as 'essential elements' of the partnership between theACP and the EC, whose violation could lead to the suspension of aid. TheCotonou Agreement goes a step furtherby considering 'good governance' * as afundamental element * and by addressingspecifically the fight against corruption.

Focus on conflictThe signatories to the CotonouAgreement have committed themselvesto pursue 'an active, comprehensive andintegrated policy of peace-building, con-flict prevention and resolution'. Particularemphasis is placed on targeting the rootcauses of conflict and on capacitybuilding.

Assessing performanceThe performance of ACP countries will bechecked systematically through annual,mid-term and end-of-term reviews. Basedon the findings of these reviews, theinitial choices of the programming processcan be modified. In 2004, the mid-termreview of the Cotonou Agreement willtake place (see section 4.2).

19

Pillar 3POLITICAL DIMENSIONS

20


To be an effective player in ACP-EC cooper-ation, it is first necessary to master someof the jargon used by official parties*. Thissection lists ten key terms and acronymsfor non-state actors to keep in mind.

Each ACP country appoints a senior gov-ernment official as its NationalAuthorising Officer (NAO) to represent it inall EC-supported programmes. The NAOclosely cooperates with the EC Delegationofficials in that country. The NAO isresponsible for day-to-day tasks such asputting contracts out to tender, autho-rising expenses and making the necessaryadjustments to ensure that projects andprogrammes are properly implemented.The Cotonou Agreement adds newresponsibilities to this list, including ma-naging relations with non-state actors.

At the regional level, these tasks are theresponsibility of the Regional AuthorisingOfficer (RAO).

The Delegations of the EuropeanCommission act as embassies for the EU in

almost all countries outside the Union.The Delegation performs representativefunctions, manages day-to-day relationsbetween the EC and the country inquestion, and plays an important role inthe management of development coope-ration.

A Head of the Delegation of the EuropeanCommission in an ACP country works inclose cooperation with the NAO in identi-fying, implementing and evaluatingprojects and programmes.

The European Commission has noDelegations in some small ACP countries(often island states), in which cases rela-tions with these countries are handled byanother Delegation in the region.

'Programming' refers to the national (orregional) process of consultation betweenthe EC and the ACP government (orregional organisation) to determine whattype of cooperation will be provided to agiven ACP country (or region). During thisprocess, both parties need to agree on pri-ority sectors of intervention, the type ofassistance to be provided, and the mostappropriate implementation strategies.

Two aspects are worth noting here. First,programming is not a 'one-shot exercise',to be done only at the beginning of thefive-year cooperation period. The CotonouAgreement introduces the concept of

2.4 Key terms andacronyms

National and Regional AuthorisingOfficers - NAOs and RAOs

The Delegations of the EuropeanCommission

Programming

1

2

3


'rolling programming' *, which means thatthe initial priorities and budget allocationscan be revised. Second, non-state actorswill be able to participate in this pro-gramming process (see chapters 3 and 4).

The Country Strategy Paper (CSP) is the do-cument underlying all cooperation of theEuropean Community with a given ACPcountry. The CSP is a strategic tool that isused to make a clear analysis of thecountry's situation and priorities, as well asto identify a truly coherent package of ECsupport measures. It is prepared throughextensive dialogue with different actors.The CSP for a given ACP country includes:

• an assessment of the country's political,economic and social situation;

• an assessment of its basic needs;• an outline of the country's medium-

term development strategy;• an outline of the activities of other

donors in the country to ensure comple-mentarity and coherence;

• response strategies detailing how theEC can contribute to the country'sdevelopment;

• a definition of support mechanisms toimplement the strategies; and

• the National Indicative Programme, orNIP (see key term 5).

For an example of the contents of a CSP, seeAnnex XI.

At the regional level, the Regional StrategyPaper (RSP) is negotiated by mandatedbodies in six regions: the Caribbean, thePacific, Southern, Central, East and WestAfrica. The RSP includes:

• an analysis of the political, economicand social situation of the region;

• an assessment of the prospects for theintegration of the region into the worldeconomy;

• regional strategies and priorities, andexpected financing requirements;

• an outline of the activities of otherdonors in the region to ensure comple-mentarity and coherence;

• a proposal for the specific EC contri-bution to regional integration; and

• the Regional Indicative Programme, orRIP (see key term 5).

The National Indicative Programme (NIP) ispart of the CSP, compiled by each ACPcountry. The NIP maps out the sectors andareas that will receive EC aid, explainshow the aid will fulfil its objectives, givesa timetable for its implementation, andspecifies how non-state actors will beinvolved in the cooperation (if applicable).The NIP is subject to annual as well asmid-term and end-of-the-term reviews.Within the last two mentioned timeframes, the review may lead to adjust-ments of the CSP and the NIPs/RIPs.

21

Country and Regional StrategyPaper - CSP and RSP

National and Regional IndicativeProgrammes - NIPs and RIPs

4

5

22


The Regional Indicative Programme (or RIP)provides a similar framework to guide theuse of resources allocated to each of thesix ACP regions. For details of the resourcesallocated to RIPs, see Annex XII.

The NIPs and RIPs can be regarded asroadmaps for action. They show what pri-orities have been chosen by each countryor region, and where the money will bespent.

NIPs and RIPs concentrate the resourceson a limited number of 'focal areas', suchas transport, health or education. There isalso a separate (much smaller) windowfor other 'non-focal areas'. In practice,possible support programmes for non-state actors are included in the non-focalareas.

The Cotonou Agreement is all about sup-porting national development strategiesand sectoral policies. In practice, thismeans that there are now few individualprojects, and that aid is concentrated on alimited set of sectors.

This change in the targeting of EC aid hasalso affected the ways in which it isdelivered. The Cotonou Agreementactively promotes the use of 'budgetsupport' as a tool to ensure stronger local

ownership, to achieve greater impact andto improve the sustainability of the assis-tance provided. Budget support meansthat the EC pays money directly to thebudget of an ACP country (to particularsectors, jointly agreed upon).

The priorities included in the NationalIndicative Programme of an ACP countryhave to be translated into concrete deve-lopment programmes and projects. Thismeans that a support programme needsto be identified ('what do we want to doand to achieve?'), appraised ('is it feasible?')and then approved ('will we finance it?').

For instance, if a NIP includes a supportprogramme for non-state actors, the dif-ferent parties involved will first have toelaborate a 'Financing Proposal', providingall the necessary details on how themoney will be spent and managed.

This Financing Proposal can then be sub-mitted for approval. If at the end of thisprocess the green light is given to a pro-gramme, the official parties - the ACP government and the EC - sign a ‘FinancingAgreement’. This document is the legalbasis for the programme. It spells out theobjectives of the programme, the resultsto be achieved, the modalities for imple-mentation (including the managementstructure for the programme), and thefunding involved.

6

7

Focal and non-focal areas

Budget support

Financing Proposals and Financing Agreements

8


EC aid is funded from public money con-tributed by European taxpayers. A broadset of procedures has been put in place toensure accountability and transparency inthe management of the funds.

For the European Development Fund (EDF)special provisions apply, called the 'EDFprocedures'. For more information aboutthese procedures, see the financial regu-lation applicable to the 9th EDF, adoptedin March 2003:http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2003/l_083/l_08320030401en00010031.pdf

The machinery of ACP-EC cooperationtends to move quite slowly, particularlywhen it comes to the disbursement offunding. One of the reasons for this is theneed to ensure accountability at all levelsof decision making.

Being accountable means that a decisionmaker has to be able to defend everythingthat has been decided within his or herrealm of responsibility. For example, if an ECDelegation and the NAO decide to disbursefunds to a third party (such as a non-stateactor organisation) they will require thatthird party to be fully accountable to them.They will also need to be able to defend thisdecision to the European Commission inBrussels. In turn, the European Commissionis accountable to the EU Member States.

Of course such accountability is essential,since these are public funds provided byEuropean taxpayers, but it can slow downprocesses significantly. It also presents anobstacle to small or informal groups ofnon-state actors who would like toparticipate in ACP-EC cooperation, butcannot guarantee that they will be fullyaccountable due to their lack of experienceor limited capacity.

Notes

1 The Courier ACP-EU, special issue on theCotonou Agreement, September 2000(European Commission, Brussels).

2 Many factors can contribute to major delaysin spending resources, including bureau-cratic/administrative reasons (linked to cum-bersome procedures). The ongoing reform ofthe EC external assistance aims to speed upthe process of spending EDF resources.

3 The trade in bananas will be liberalised in2006, and in sugar and rice in 2009.

23

9

10

EDF procedures

Accountability

24


Personal

notes

Coto

nou

Agre

emen

t

§

§

§

§

§

Opportunities for participationunder the Cotonou Agreement

3

Participation

Dialogue

Criteria

Opportunities

NSA

3.1 Participation as a fundamental principle

3.2 Legal framework for non-state actor participation

3.3 The dual role of non-state actors

3.4 Who can participate?

3.5 Facilitating participation

3.6 Some observations

The Cotonou Agreement recognises the essential role that non-state actors can play, alongside governments, in fighting poverty,

promoting growth, delivering social services and fosteringdemocracy and good governance. For the first time, the ACP

countries and the European Community have legally committedthemselves to involving non-state actors in all phases of thecooperation process. This chapter looks in more detail at thespecific provisions in the Cotonou Agreement to ensure the

participation of non-state actors.

'The government has signed the Cotonou Agreement and iscommitted to effectively implementing all its provisions,

including those related to the participation of non-state actors.We hope that this can improve the overall impact of

cooperation while helping us to achieve the performancerequired to be able to attract additional EC support'.

NAO official

'In civil society there is good and bad. At all levels, genuinechange agents co-exist with opportunistic or fake organisations

attracted by donor resources. How will ACP-EC cooperationmanage to select the real non-state actors?'

Civil society representative from West Africa


From a legal perspective, the CotonouAgreement offers a promising frameworkfor the participation of non-state actors.The importance that both the ACP and theEC give to the issue of participation isclearly reflected throughout the text of theAgreement. In particular,• Article 2 defines participation as a 'funda-

mental principle' of ACP-EC cooperation.This clearly underscores the political weightgiven to participation.

• A separate chapter on the 'Actors ofPartnership' (Articles 4-7) sets out thebasic rules and principles for the partici-pation of non-state actors.

• Article 33 recognises the need for institu-tional development of non-state actors.

• The Agreement includes mechanisms tocheck whether parties are adhering totheir commitment to involve non-stateactors (see box).

We now take a closer look at the entrypoints for non-state actor participation thatare foreseen under the Cotonou Agreement.

Compared with the previous LoméConventions, the most important innovationin the Cotonou Agreement is that the parti-cipation of non-state actors is no longerrestricted to the implementation of projects.

27

3.1 Participation as a fundamental principle

3.2 Legal framework for non-state actor participation

There is no ombudsman to whom non-state actors can appeal if theirgovernment does not value and uphold theprinciple of participation. However, thereare a number of institutions and processesthat may provide a helping hand:

• The joint ACP-EC institutions (see Annex III) will assess the progressachieved in implementing the CotonouAgreement. The issue of participationcan be discussed at high political level,for instance in the ACP-EC Council ofMinisters, which meets once each year.

• A particularly important body is the ACP-EC Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Itcan call upon the official parties toaccount for their policies towards non-state actors. There are also opportunitiesfor non-state actors to attend meetingsof the Assembly as observers.

• The European Economic and SocialCommittee (see Annex II) oversees theinvolvement of economic and socialactors in ACP-EC cooperation.

• The quality of participation by non-stateactors (including levels of financialsupport) will be one of the performanceindicators used in the review process.

How is participation monitored?

28

Relevant non-state actors are now to beinvolved in all of the important areas of thecooperation process. In the language of thedevelopment sector, this is referred to as'mainstreaming' participation.

The Cotonou Agreement provides threeentry points for non-state actor

participation, based on the three pillars ofthe ACP-EC cooperation: developmentcooperation, trade and the politicaldimensions (see section 2.3). The box belowprovides a basic (but not exhaustive)overview of the legal provisions in theCotonou Agreement that deal with non-state actor participation.

Provisions of the Cotonou Agreement dealing with non-state actors

De

ve

lop

me

nt

coo

pe

rati

on

Po

liti

cal

dim

en

sio

ns

Tra

de

Article 4: 'Non-state actors shall, where appropriate:• be informed and involved in consultation on cooperation policies and strategies, on

priorities for cooperation especially in areas that concern or directly affect them, and onthe political dialogue;

• be provided with financial resources, under the conditions laid down in this Agreementin order to support local development processes;

• be involved in the implementation of cooperation projects and programmes in areasthat concern them or where these actors have a comparative advantage; …'

Article 19: 'Governments and non-state actors in each ACP country shall initiate consultations on country development strategies and community support thereto.'

Article 33: 'Cooperation shall span all areas and sectors of cooperation to foster the emergence of non-state actors and the development of their capacities; and to strengthenstructures for information, dialogue and consultation between them and national authorities, including at regional level.'

Article 4: 'Non-state actors shall, where appropriate, be informed and involved in consultation on cooperation policies and strategies, on priorities for cooperation especiallyin areas that concern or directly affect them (....).'

The Cotonou Agreement does not specify non-state actor involvement in the EPA negotiations. However, a policy paper issued by the ACP Committee of Ambassadors inlate 2002 states that:• Non-state actor participation and involvement could complement the ACP Group's

negotiating obligations, position and strategy. Non-state actors should also be seen aspartners that possess a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise, and a strategy forthe participation for non-state actors must include the possible utilisation of non-stateactors to enhance the ACP Group's negotiating and lobbying capabilities and capacities.

• Non-state actors are important partners that could be effectively utilised to communicate the positions of the ACP Group to other interest groups, lobby forsupport, and to inform the grassroots levels of society.

Article 8: '…representatives of civil society organisations shall be associated with this[political] dialogue.'

Article 10: '…greater involvement of an active and organised civil society and the privatesector' [are seen as] 'contributing to the maintenance and consolidation of a stable anddemocratic political environment.'


On the basis of the legal provisions listedabove, the Cotonou Agreement foreseestwo major roles for non-state actors inACP-EC cooperation:• as service providers (or implementing

agencies), and/or• as partners in dialogue (or advocacy

agents).Non-state actor organisations may playeither or both of these roles (see figure 1).

Non-state actors as service providers In many ACP countries, non-state actorshave built up a tradition and considerableexperience in the delivery of socialservices in sectors such as health and edu-cation. The Cotonou Agreement acknow-ledges this potential and seeks topromote stronger linkages between theefforts of non-state actor organisationsand of central and local governments.

One form of collaboration is the public-private partnership* (PPP), in which apublic agency such as a ministry links upwith a private agency (either a company ora non-state actor organisation) toimplement a project or strategy. Jamaica'sIntegrated Drug Abuse PreventionProgramme (see box) provides an exampleof a PPP in the education sector.

Non-state actors as partners in dialogueThe Cotonou Agreement invites andencourages non-state actors to participate

in dialogue with their governments andwith the EC on their country's developmentstrategy, and on the contribution the ECwill make to support that strategy. In thisprocess, non-state actors are expected toadvocate the views of the group they rep-resent (for instance, the representative of abanana growers' association would raisethe concerns of banana farmers withregard to government policies).

29

3.3 The dual role ofnon-state actors

Under the 8th European Development Fund,the EC has sponsored the Integrated DrugAbuse Prevention Programme (IDAPP) inJamaica, totalling EUR 1.2 million.This is thefirst national project in Jamaica that is beingimplemented jointly by a government agency,the National Council on Drug Abuse, and anNGO, the Addiction Alert Organisation.

Set up in April 2000, the IDAPP focuses oneducation in schools (in collaboration with theMinistry of Education), rapid assessmentsurveys, telephone lifeline counselling, peereducation, and counselling through theAdolescent Programme. In addition, sixCommunity Drug Awareness ActionCommittees have been established to provideleadership and drug awareness training incollaboration with schools, churches, healthcentres and other related agencies, involvingmore than 3000 people.

The Integrated Drug Abuse PreventionProgramme (IDAPP)

A public-private partnership in Jamaica

EXAMPLEA

30


Opportunities for non-state actors to par-ticipate in policy processes are a recentphenomenon. They are the outcome ofthe wave of democratisation that sweptacross ACP countries in the 1990s. Duringthat decade all kinds of civil society orga-nisations suddenly emerged, and the

private sector also had more opportunitiesto operate. These 'new' actors have nowstarted to make their views heard, toexpress their demands and to pressure forchanges in the policies that affect theirlives - in other words, to engage in'advocacy' work.

PARTNERS IN DIALOGUE

(in the formulation andevaluation of policies)

ObjectivesTo represent the views of non-stateactors, and to consult with decision

makers on the strategic andprogrammatic orientation of

cooperation with the EC.

Monitoring and evaluation of programme implementationTo inform decision makers of the perceptions of non-state actors with regard to the impact and efficiency of ACP-EC cooperation.

SERVICEPROVIDERS

(in the implementation ofprogrammes)

ObjectivesTo improve the living conditions ofpopulations or their access to social

services by participating in tenders andcalls for proposals relating to the

implementation of EDFprojects/programmes.

Type of actorsAdvocacy groups

(e.g. trade unions, human rightsorganisations).

Type of actorsNon-state actors involved in

service provision (e.g. NGOs workingin sectors such as health and

education).

Figure 1: The dual role of non-state actors in ACP-EC cooperation


The Cotonou Agreement does not addressin detail the question of who can parti-cipate in ACP-EC cooperation, but providesfor a flexible approach. The Agreementincludes a set of basic rules that apply

across the ACP, but the decision on thebest way to apply them is left to each ACPcountry or region.

The figure below summarises the main prin-ciples defined in the Cotonou Agreement(Article 6) with regard to the type of actorsthat can participate in ACP-EC cooperation.

31

Figure 2: Who can participate in ACP-EC cooperation?

3.4 Who can participate?

Who are the actors?

• State actors, including actors at local, national and regional levels;

• Non-state actors: the private sector, economic and social partners, including trade union organisations and civilsociety in all its forms.

What eligibility criteria* apply?

To be 'eligible', non-state actors must:• address the needs of the population;• have specific competencies;• be organised and led democratically and transparently.

Who selects non-state actors?

Recognition of non-state actors will be done by the officialparties (ACP governments and the EC).

32

How should one read and understandthese legal provisions? Five points areworth noting:

Non-state actors are broadly definedThe Cotonou Agreement provides a verybroad definition of 'non-state actors' thatencompasses, in addition to non-govern-mental organisations (NGOs), many differentcategories of actors, including private sectororganisations, economic and social actors, aswell as a diverse group of actors that fallunder the general heading of 'civil society'.

The Cotonou Agreement does not provide aclear-cut definition, let alone categorisation,of civil society actors. However, it explicitlyrecognises their diversity when it refers to'civil society in all its forms' (Article 4).

It will be a major challenge to respect thisdiversity in the practice of participation. Abetter understanding of the complex worldof civil society actors is a first pre-requisite.There is no single model that can capturethe reality of civil society, but some tools areavailable, such as the pyramid below.

1st level

2nd level

3rd level

4th level

Grassroots organisations/community-based organisationsInformal groupings or ad hoc organisations working in the immediate local context.

Limited geographical or thematic focus. Mostly self-financed through members’ fees andcontributions,( e.g. cooperatives, women’s associations, etc.).

Organisations formally constitutedLegally registered organisations with approved statutes,

working mostly for the direct benefit of the population or inservice delivery, sometimes in collaboration with grassroots

organisations, (e.g. NGOs, associations).

Umbrella Organisationsand thematic networks

National associations, federationsand thematic groupings of

organisations mandated to defendcommon interests.

Fig

ure

3:

Leve

ls o

f o

rga

nis

ati

on

s o

f n

on

-sta

te a

cto

rs

PlatformsCommon

dialogue forafor umbrella

organisations and networks of the

third level.


Selection will take place atnational/regional levelThe decision of the negotiators of theCotonou Agreement to provide a minimallegal framework means that the processof identifying and selecting non-stateactors will largely take place at either thecountry or the regional level. Thus, non-state actors should try to be part of thatprocess, in order to influence it. Non-stateactors can be identified at several stages:

• during the overall country and regionalprogramming process (in several ACPcountries the programming process hasbeen used to define, in dialogue withnon-state actors, country-specific eligi-bility criteria);

• when EC support programmes to thefocal sectors in a NIP/RIP are beingdesigned; and

• when specific EC support programmes fornon-state actors are being designed.Usually this is done following a so-called'mapping study' at the beginning of theprocess and/or a feasibility study (see box).

Guidelines on 'eligibility criteria' toaccess EDF fundingAs part of an ongoing effort to clarify themodalities for non-state actor participation,both the ACP and the EC have recentlyagreed upon a set of eligibility criteria foraccess to funding for non-state actorsunder the EDF. These guidelines should notbe seen as a rigid framework. They simplyprovide additional recommendations onhow best to identify and select non-stateactors in a given ACP country. It is sug-gested that, in each ACP country, thegeneral criteria are adapted to country spe-cific circumstances following a consultative

33

What is a mapping study?

In order to understand 'who's who' in the world of non-state actors in a given ACPcountry, it is useful to undertake a mapping study. As the name suggests, the aims ofsuch an exercise are:• to 'map out' and identify the different categories of non-state actors;• to understand the roles they play;• to assess how they function and identify their capacity constraints; and• to analyse the relationships between non-state actors and the government.

A mapping exercise also provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to agree uponcountry-specific eligibility criteria for selecting non-state actors.

Mapping studies are initiated either by the NAO or by EC Delegations, and are conductedby independent local and/or international consultants.

34


approach involving the NAO, representa-tives of non-state actors and the EC Dele-gation.For the full text of the 'Eligibility Criteria forNon-State Actors under the EDF', see Annex VI.

The country's developmentcooperation priorities also determine who participatesIn most ACP countries civil society is abooming sector, with many hundreds oforganisations working in all possibleareas. ACP-EC cooperation cannot hope toinvolve all of them, but will seek to workprimarily with those non-state actors thatcan contribute to the development coope-ration priorities that have been definedfor the country or region, and on which EC

aid will be concentrated. Just as these pri-orities will differ from country to country,so will the choice of non-state partners.

Do European non-state actors havea role to play?European non-state actors are notincluded in the formal definition of the'actors of partnership'. This is consistentwith the overall philosophy of the CotonouAgreement, which puts local actors in ACPcountries at the centre of their own deve-lopment process. This does not mean, ofcourse, that European actors have no roleto play. The Cotonou Agreement recognisesthe support they can provide, and stressesthe need for partnerships between non-state actors from the ACP and from thedifferent Member States of the EU.

The Cotonou Agreement recognises that itwill be very difficult for many non-stateactors to participate fully and effectivelywithout capacity support. For the first time,both the ACP and the EC have explicitlycommitted themselves to providingresources for strengthening the capacity ofnon-state actors to enable them to play thenew roles assigned to them.

The purpose of such support is not simplyto fund capacity building projects here andthere, but to contribute to the emergenceof an active and viable civil society, withorganisations that will be independent

3.5 Facilitating participationWhat types of capacity

support are possible?

The Cotonou Agreement (e.g. Article 4)provides examples of the types ofcapacity support that non-state actorscould receive. Assistance could beenvisaged to support non-state actors incritical areas in order to reinforce theircapabilities, particularly with regard to:• organisation and representation;• the establishment of consultation

mechanisms, including channels ofcommunication and dialogue;

• the maintenance of non-state actornetworks; and

• strategic alliances among non-stateactors.


and credible partners in the developmentprocess. This support may take differentforms (see box, page 34).

Most of the non-state actors consulted inthe compilation of this guide clearly sawcapacity building as essential for ensuringtheir effective participation. Their list of'top ten' capacity needs is presented in thebox below.

Capacity building may also be required forACP governments and EuropeanCommission officials. For many of them pro-

moting participatory developmentapproaches are a fairly new experience.They may lack the knowledge, experience,skills and tools to establish balanced part-nerships with a variety of non-state actors.For instance, in most EC Delegations, ajunior person is in charge of relations withnon-state actors (under the supervision of asenior official). This can be risky, as issues ofparticipation are often highly political andcomplex. It may also hamper the 'main-streaming' of participatory approaches inother parts of the EC Delegations (e.g.among sector specialists).

35

1. Better and up-to-date information on theCotonou Agreement, as well as on WTO rulesand the EPA negotiations.

2. Management skills (e.g. organisationalmanagement; financial accountability;planning ahead, etc.).

3. IT skills (e.g. how to find information on the Internet; how to disseminateinformation, etc.).

4. Motivational skills (e.g. how to motivatepeople to get involved; how to convince themthat being united means being stronger).

5. Networking skills (e.g. how to link up withother organisations).

6. Leadership/dialogue skills (e.g. how to takethe lead on an issue; how to link up with the

authorities; how to present a case to politicalleaders, and to follow it up).

7. Representative structures (e.g. how to buildplatforms that take into account diverseorganisations' views, and represent them in acommon voice vis-à-vis the authorities).

8. Literacy training, writing skills (e.g.particularly in writing project proposals).

9. Analytical skills (e.g. what do policypapers/legal texts actually mean; how toimprove an organisation's strategy).

10.Encouraging institutional learning (e.g. howto avoid the situation that if key personsleave, a large part of the organisation'sknowledge goes with them).

Top ten capacity needs

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While capacity building for non-stateactors is a priority (see box below) it is notclear how best to provide capacity buildingfor non-state actors. There is a danger ofcreating aid-dependent non-state actorstructures, with limited legitimacy (interms of representation) and viability.

Three concluding observations can bemade on the legal framework for partici-pation under the Cotonou Agreement.

Participation is not a matter ofchoice The Cotonou Agreement is a legal textwith binding provisions, which ACP governments and the EC have signed andratified. This also applies to the com-mitment of the parties to facilitate theparticipation of non-state actors. In prin-ciple, this means that participation is nota favour that governments may or maynot grant to their civil society or privatesector organisations. It is a legal right towhich non-state actors are entitled (undercertain conditions).

There is no 'one size fits all'approachThe Cotonou Agreement does not providedetailed provisions on how participationshould be organised in each and every ACPcountry. The negotiators decided to for-mulate general principles regarding theparticipation of non-state actors ratherthan to provide exact guidelines for orga-nising that participation. It was thoughtthat this would make it possible for eachACP country to find the most suitable wayto implement these general provisions. Inview of the sometimes very different cir-cumstances in the 77 ACP countries, suchflexibility was believed to be essential.

• Community-based organisations areunlikely to be able to make their voicesheard on issues such as povertyreduction unless they are organised.

• Economic and social actors may fail toprovide relevant inputs to the crucialnegotiations on the EconomicPartnership Agreements if they lack thecapacity to analyse the proposals anddevelop alternatives, or if they lack theresources necessary to participate inconsultation processes.

• Non-state actors are increasingly beinginvited to engage in dialogue withgovernments and donors on a widevariety of policy issues at different levels(local, national and regional). In order toorganise such dialogue efficiently, non-state actors need to work together and toset up representative structures, such as aforum or a platform, with minimalfunding and secretarial capacity. All ofthis costs money and time as wellexpertise - resources that many non-state actors do not necessarily have.

• Many non-state actors may find itdifficult to obtain funding for projects ifthey lack the capacity to understand theprocedures, to write proposals, or toprovide guarantees that the money willbe properly accounted for.

Why is capacity building so critical?

3.6 Some observations


Some of the ACP countries are well-esta-blished democracies, with efficient andaccountable governments and a wellorganised civil society, while others lackboth of them or are involved in armed con-flict. Yet other ACP countries have little tradition or experience with dialogue andcooperation between state and non-stateactors. In this context, it would have madelittle sense to adopt a 'one size fits all'approach, and to impose on all countries asingle set of fixed rules and procedures toorganise the participation of non-stateactors.

Non-state actors see a risk of non-compliance Several non-state actors, consulted duringthe compilation of this guide, have voicedtheir concern that the Cotonou Agreementgives too much leeway to governments indealing with participation issues (see box).The absence of a legal possibility to fundnon-state actors directly, withoutgovernment interference, is a commoncriticism. Such flexibility brings with it therisk that some ACP countries may fail tocomply with the Agreement.

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During the compilation of this guide many non-state actors were able to contribute via an interactiveplatform on the web (www.dgroups.org/groups/nsaguide), where they voiced a number of concerns:

'The assertion that participation is not a favour but a legal right to which non-stateactors are entitled could be rather hollow, as these conditions appear to be dependent

on the goodwill of the parties - ACP governments and Delegations of the EuropeanCommission. If the government or the Delegation do not want certain categories of

non-state actors to participate, their exclusion will follow. It will therefore be a favour,not a right.'

A non-state actor from Swaziland

'All money (including for capacity building) is not directly available to non-state actors.Individual non-state actors will have to lobby their governments for funds for capacity

building, projects, etc., in every ACP state. All has to be incorporated in the CountryStrategy Paper and the National (or Regional) Indicative Programme … Is participation

really a right if every penny will have to be negotiated?' A non-state actor from Suriname

Concerns of non-state actors participating in the NSA User’s Guide

interactive web space

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notes

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Participation in practice

4

4.1 Participation: a learning process

4.2 Participation in developmentcooperation

4.3 Participation in trade policies

4.4 Participation in the political dimensions of partnership

Development Cooperation

Political Dimensions Trade

40

We now turn to the practice of participation. This chapter startswith a note of caution by pointing to factors that may complicatethe effective implementation of participatory approaches. It then

explains the different forms that participation can take (accordingto the text of the Cotonou Agreement) in each of the three pillars

of ACP-EC cooperation (development cooperation, trade and political dimensions), and provides both examples of innovative

practices and tips.

'The participation of non-state actors should be seen as aprocess … and we're just at the beginning of that process.

The rules of the game will be clarified as we move on.'ACP official

'The political space for participation has increased in ourcountry, but as non-state actors we have not yet been able to

fully use it.' Caribbean civil society actor

'We're keen to apply a multi-actor approach in managing ourfocal sector programme. But how should we do this in practice?We may need to bring all the actors (including the EC) together

to sort out new modalities for such joint management.' Pacific NAO official


The Cotonou Agreement provides a legalframework for the participation of non-state actors (see chapter 3), but this doesnot mean that implementation willquickly follow in all ACP countries andregions. In the first few years in particular,there is likely to be a gap between thepossibilities offered in the Agreement andthe reality on the ground.

The following paragraphs highlight someof the factors that may complicate theeffective implementation of theAgreement.

Participation amounts to a 'culturalrevolution'Decades of centralised management ofdevelopment processes and cooperationwill not be erased with the stroke of apen. Participation is a 'new thing' for allparties involved in ACP-EC cooperation. Itwill take time to adapt attitudes, roles andworking methods to the requirements ofparticipatory development approaches.However, there is much good will on allsides.

There are no 'blueprint' approachesThere can be no standard model of how tocooperate with non-state actors. Thenational contexts of the 77 ACP countriesare simply too different for uniformapproaches. The Cotonou Agreementspells out the basic rules, but each country

and region will have to find the mostappropriate way to implement partici-pation. As a result, some countries maymove faster than others.

Politics may interfere in the processParticipation of non-state actors can be asensitive matter. This holds particularlytrue for countries with fragile democratictraditions, where the government mayconsider non-state actors as 'oppositionforces' rather than as 'partners' to be con-sulted and supported. But non-stateactors can be part of the problem as well.In some cases, civil society can be mis-used as a forum for political purposes,thus creating tensions with (elected) governments.

The legitimacy, governance andcapacity of non-state actorsIn most ACP countries, the world of non-state actors is highly diversified, dynamicand fragile. The rapid increase in donorfunding has often had perverse effects,including fierce competition among non-state actors, or the creation of 'fake' civilsociety organisations. All this means thatthe official parties should not rely on'quick fixes' in organising the participationof non-state actors. If the process is to begenuine, time will be required to under-stand 'who's who' - i.e. to identify legi-timate non-state actors that can providereal added value. It will also take time toput in place support programmes toimprove the governance structures andcapacity of non-state actor organisations.

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4.1 Participation: a learning process

42


Prerequisites for participation areoften missingIn most ACP countries, the institutionalconditions necessary for the effective par-ticipation of non-state actors - includingadequate information flows, structuredmechanisms for dialogue, functioningplatforms of non-state actors, capacitysupport programmes, etc. - are not (yet) inplace. The existence of these implemen-tation bottlenecks was confirmed by thenon-state actors consulted in the prepa-ration of this guide (see box below).

Clearly, the promotion of participatoryapproaches will be a challenging learningprocess for all parties involved.

Against this background, it can be usefulfor non-state actors to better understandwhat forms of participation are possible(and which are not) in the practice of theCotonou Agreement. The following sec-tions are intended to provide suchguidance for non-state actors involved ineach of the three pillars of ACP-EC coope-ration: development cooperation, tradeand political dimensions.

• Governments may pay only lip service toparticipation.

• The obligations of the parties are so vaguelydefined that even a superficial involvement ofa few compliant non-state actors could sufficeto fulfil the legal requirements.

• Official parties may 'hand-pick' a limitednumber of 'trusted' non-state actors.

• The space for non-state actors promotingpolitical change (e.g. human rightsassociations) is often limited.

• Ad hoc approaches to consultations with non-state actors still largely apply.

• There is a danger of creating an artificial, top-down structure that claims to represent allgroups of non-state actors, which may beused by official parties as the preferredinterlocutor.

• The absence of direct funding for non-stateactors may result in a dependency on the'goodwill' of the National Authorising Officer(NAO) and the EC.

• There is a risk that non-state actors will be'instrumentalised' as subcontractors.

• The lack of information and capacity supportmay prevent genuine participation.

• Political and technical support from theDelegation of the European Commissioncould turn out to be limited.

• Effective mechanisms to ensure complianceare lacking.

Participation in practice:the concerns of non-state actors

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According to the Cotonou Agreement thisis the first major area where the partici-pation of non-state actors needs to bepromoted. It relates to the EC support(aid) provided to each ACP country orregion through the National and RegionalIndicative Programmes (NIPs and RIPs).

As mentioned in Chapter 3, the basic prin-ciples for involving non-state actors indevelopment cooperation are spelled outin the Cotonou Agreement:• non-state actors are invited to parti-

cipate in all aspects of cooperation (for-mulation, implementation, review andevaluation); and

• non-state actors can play a dual role(they can participate either as partnersin dialogue processes or as imple-menting agencies, or both).

In order to understand what this means inpractice, development cooperationbetween the EC and a country (or region)can be conceived as a process that goesthrough a number of stages. Where appro-priate, there are opportunities for partici-pation of eligible non-state actors at eachof these stages, as shown in the box.

These avenues for non-state actor partici-pation are briefly discussed in the fol-lowing paragraphs.

1 Participation in the formulation ofnational/regional developmentpolicies and strategies

EC cooperation is not provided in avacuum. Both the text and the spirit ofthe Cotonou Agreement make it clear that EC aid is there to supportnational/regional development strategies.

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4.2 Participation in development cooperation

1. the formulation of national/regionaldevelopment policies and strategies;

2. the preparation of Country StrategyPapers (programming);

3. the definition of sector strategies;4. the implementation of programmes and

projects included in the NationalIndicative Programme (NIP);

5. the implementation of specificprogrammes in support of non-stateactors; and

6.the reviews of progress achieved inimplementing the Country StrategyPaper (annual, mid-term and end-of-term), as well as evaluations of projectsand sector programmes.

Six possible avenues for participationin development cooperation

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This is consistent with the principle ofpromoting ownership of the developmentprocess (and of external support pro-grammes).

However, if cooperation is to be based onnational/regional policies, these policiesshould also reflect the concerns and aspi-rations of ordinary citizens. This explainswhy the participation of non-state actorsin broader processes of formulatingnational/regional development strategieshas become an important matter for ACP-EC cooperation as well.

What form can non-state actor participation take?The forms of non-state actor participationwill depend on country conditions and thetype of processes used to formulatenational/regional development strategies:

• Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers*(PRSPs). Many ACP countries areinvolved in donor-supported processesto define comprehensive PRSPs throughbroad-based consultations betweenstate and non-state actors. The actualmodalities of non-state actor partici-pation will be defined through the PRSPprocess itself.

• National development plans. Other ACPgovernments do not have a PRSP, buthave taken initiatives to formulatecoherent national developmentstrategies. In the process, they usuallyalso involve a wide range of non-stateactors.

• Regional development strategies. Alsoat the regional level, the idea of formu-lating comprehensive regional deve-lopment strategies throughconsultative processes with non-stateactors has recently gained momentum.Several regional bodies, includingCARICOM (for the Caribbean), theCEDEAO/ECOWAS (for West Africa) orthe South Pacific Forum (for the Pacific)have made efforts to involve non-stateactors in the formulation of theirstrategy for development.

Ideally, these national or regional deve-lopment strategies, whether designed in aparticipatory manner through PRSPs orotherwise, should serve as the basis foridentifying the most relevant EC support(see box, page 45).

2 Participation in programming

'Programming' is the next stage in thecooperation process. By definition, EC aidresources are limited. They need to be tar-geted at specific priorities, taking intoaccount existing national/regional deve-lopment strategies (see above), as well asthe efforts of other donor agencies.

Programming thus refers to the formalprocess of consultation and decisionmaking on the substance of the deve-lopment cooperation, i.e. 'what will we dowith the available resources?'


This is a critical stage of the cooperationcycle, as it determines the nature andimplementation strategies of EC assis-tance to a given ACP country/region.Non-state actors have an obvious interestin influencing the programming process,not least to ensure that it includes specificsupport programmes for non-state actors.

Before addressing the question of theform participation of non-state actors cantake, it may be useful to say a word aboutthe programming process itself. Two mainactivities have to be carried out at thisstage of the process:

• Preparation of a Country Strategy Paper(CSP) based on the country's ownmedium-term development objectivesand strategies. The CSP also containsthe EC response strategy ('what contri-bution can the EC provide?').

• Preparation and adoption of a NationalIndicative Programme (NIP). This is infact a kind of roadmap showing howthe CSP will be implemented with EC funds. It specifies the focal and non-focal sectors of assistance and the(indicative) allocation of resources. Inprinciple, it should also explain whatkind of support will be provided to non-state actors. This indicative pro-gramme is to be adopted by commonagreement between the official partiesand annexed, as a binding document,to the CSP.

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In Tanzania, the programming for the 9th EDFtook its cue from the Poverty Reduction StrategyPaper (PRSP), in which basic education was high-lighted as a key area for support. The indicativeEC allocation of EUR 43.5 million will be providedin the form of sector-specific budget support forthe implementation of the Education SectorDevelopment Programme (ESDP) which receivesassistance from a wider group of donors.

Although transferred via the governmentbudget, a part of the basket funding is ear-marked for civil society. The National PolicyForum, a group of NGOs that have organisedthemselves to participate in national policyprocesses, have representatives in the workinggroups for implementation and monitoring ofthe Poverty Reduction Strategy. Non-stateactors are also represented on the steeringcommittee for the ESDP. Advocacy groups andnetworks, such as the NGOs HakiElimu and theTanzania Education Network (TEN/MET) play acritical role in disseminating information to abroader group of non-state actors and schoolcommittees in order to broaden participation.(www.hakielimu.org)

It is not yet clear whether the participatingnon-state actors will be able to enjoy capacitybuilding support through the NIP agreedbetween the Tanzanian government and the EC.

Non-state actor involvementin national policies

The case of education in Tanzania

EXAMPLEA

46


What form can non-state actor participation take?According to the Cotonou Agreement, theCSP shall be prepared by the ACP Stateand the EC 'following consultations with awide range of actors in the developmentprocess' (Annex 4, Article 2).

In practice, this means that non-stateactors can participate in the debate on thepriorities of the cooperation betweentheir country and the EC. They can expresstheir opinions and comment on the direc-tions sketched out by the official partiesor on the use of the funds set aside fortheir country by the EC. In particular, theycan report on the specific needs of non-state actors and make suggestions as tothe type of support programmes thatwould be most relevant for them.However, they can neither decide norimpose specific directions: the finaldecision rests with the official parties. Theonly thing they can do is to influencethese choices through constructive partici-pation in the programming process.

Emerging lessons from experienceThe programming exercise for the 9th EDFhas been largely completed for the differentACP countries and regions. What lessonscan be drawn from this first experience ofprogramming under the new framework ofthe Cotonou Agreement as far as the parti-cipation of non-state actors is concerned?

A first way to draw lessons is to look insome detail at a specific country expe-rience. The example of Jamaica (see box)

highlights the process followed to ensureparticipation, and the practical difficultiesthat were encountered.

A second way to draw lessons is to makequalitative assessments of the partici-pation of non-state actors in pro-gramming. Such analyses have recentlybeen conducted by several organisations,including the following:

• the European Commission, coveringmost ACP countries (for a summary ofthe main findings, see Annex XIV);

• the Cotonou Monitoring Group of CONCORD (the European Federation ofDevelopment and Relief NGOs) for aselected number of ACP countries (seeAnnex X);

• the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, also fora selected number of countries;1 and

• the World Confederation of Labour (WCL)for a particular set of actors (tradeunions) through a questionnaire sent toits affiliates in some ACP countries.2

Not surprisingly, the reports produced bynon-state actors tend to be more criticalof the quality of participation than theassessment by the EC. However, almost allof these assessments identified some keyimplementation challenges. In particular,improvements were needed in:(i) the timely flow of relevant information;(ii) the methods and transparency of pro-

cedures for selecting non-state actors;(iii) the feedback to constituencies; and (iv) the mechanisms for dialogue (less ad

hoc) and follow-up.


3 Participation in the definition ofsector strategies

The focus here is on the policies definedby ACP governments for key developmentsectors such as health, education, naturalresource management, transport, etc.These sector strategies occupy a centralposition in the cooperation processbetween ACP governments and the ECbecause:

• under the Cotonou Agreement, the ideais not to fund a multitude of projects inall kinds of sectors (as was often thecase in the past), but to support sectorstrategies, properly designed and'owned' by the ACP country; and

• it is now a general rule that EC supportto a given ACP country will be concen-trated on a limited number of sectors (amaximum of two or three). This alsomeans that these sectors will attract afairly large proportion of the funds fromthe NIP.

Against this background, it is clear whynon-state actors have a stake in partici-pating in the formulation of sectorstrategies and in the design of related ECsupport programmes.

What form can non-state actor participation take?Article 4 of the Cotonou Agreement pro-vides the legal basis for the participationof non-state actors at this stage of thecooperation process. Sector strategies are

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Key features of the processThe participation of non-state actors in Jamaicawas facilitated in several ways, includingthrough the organisation of a nationalconference on the Cotonou Agreement. A seriesof technical meetings with EC advisors andconsultants in the preparation of the CountryStrategy Paper (CSP) were also held, as well astwo consultation workshops with non-stateactors to discuss a draft version of the CSP.

The government's perceptionsOn the whole, the government is supportive ofthe new, participatory approach toprogramming. But the novelty of the approachhas brought its own complications, includingthe identification of actors to be consulted, thescope of their participation, time and fundingconstraints, as well as capacity bottlenecks (e.g.to ensure a proper information flow).

The perceptions of non-state actorsThe opportunity to participate in programmingacted as a trigger for many non-state actors. Ithelped to increase their awareness of theCotonou Agreement and to kick off new forms ofcollaboration between non-state actors on policyissues.Yet many non-state actors also recognisetheir own weaknesses, including the lack ofstructures for joint advocacy work,the difficultyin arriving at united positions,and their limitedcapacity to disseminate the results of thedialogue process to their own constituencies.

Non-state actor participation in programming EC development

cooperation in Jamaica

EXAMPLEA

48


clearly cooperation priorities that concernor directly affect a wide variety of non-state actors. In an ACP country that hasdecided to focus EC aid on the educationsector, for example, the strategy will be ofinterest to parent-teacher associations.

What else do non-state actors need toknow about the modalities of partici-pation in formulating sector strategies?

First, non-state actors are not supposedto play a role in the selection of the twoor three priority sectors that will beincluded in the National IndicativeProgramme of their country, or theRegional Indicative Programme of theirregion. As it stands now, this decision istaken during the programming process(see point 2) by the official parties alone.In some ACP countries this may causetensions, as non-state actors may dis-agree with the choices made by their government and the EC. But there is notmuch that can be done about this.

Second, while in consultation processeson national development strategies (orPRSPs) the aim is to follow an inclusiveapproach to participation, a differentstory prevails in sector policy consulta-tions. Whether non-state actors will beinvited to participate in sector policymaking will depend on the specificexpertise they may be able to contributeto the process.

Third, the sectors that have been includedin a country's NIP still have to be trans-

lated into concrete programmes. Inpractice, this means deciding on theobjectives of the EC sector support pro-gramme, defining priority areas forfunding, or agreeing on the most appro-

In Fiji, it was decided to focus almost all theresources of the NIP (9th EDF) on just onefocal sector - rural education. Within thissector, 15% of the resources will be allocatedto non-state actors.

In order to work out a concreteimplementation strategy for this focal sector,a team of consultants was recruited to carryout an identification study. This should help todefine clearly the objectives, priorities andmanagement modalities of the programme,including the non-state actor component.

The study was carried out using aparticipatory approach, which enabled thenon-state actors to provide inputs at an earlystage of the process, and to comment on thefirst draft. They were also successful indefending the need for decentralisedmanagement of the 15% allocated for non-state actors, contrary to the initial proposal bythe consultant to centralise management atthe level of the Ministry of Education.

Non-state actors and the design ofa rural education strategy in Fiji

EXAMPLEA


priate forms or 'modalities' of implemen-tation. In principle, relevant non-stateactors should be invited to participate inthis process, as illustrated in the case ofsector planning in Fiji (see box, page 48).

4 Participation in the implementation of programmes and projects

Implementation is the next stage of thecooperation process. It comes logicallyafter the formulation of a Country

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• Check if any sector dialogues are currentlytaking place between the official partiesand non-state actors in your country. Ifnot, for when are they foreseen, and whodo you need to link up with to participate?Your umbrella organisation or thematicnetwork may have the latest information.

• Is anyone representing your interests insuch a dialogue? If not, try to find out whatissues and programmes they are discussingand see whether you have an added valueto bring to the discussion. Then see if thereare other non-state actors or umbrella net-works with similar concerns to link upwith.

• Contact your non-state actorrepresentative best suited to representyour interest and views in sectorconsultations, or the official parties directlyto express your desire to get involved.

• Find out about information networks onyour topic of interest and how to stayinformed on future opportunities toparticipate.

• Check whether there is any supportprogramme from the government and/or

donors for non-state actors who want to getinvolved (e.g. capacity building support).

• Link up with the structures andmechanisms in place for non-state actorparticipation in sector strategies, (e.g.working groups, dialogue platforms,information distribution channels,intermediary organisations with anetworking mandate).

• Don't forget that the donor community as a whole has moved in the direction ofsupporting sector programmes. In theframework of the OECD's DevelopmentAssistance Committee* (DAC), donors have recently agreed upon a new set ofguidelines. One of the keyrecommendations of the DAC guidelines is that non-state actors should besystematically included as developmentpartners (see www.oecd.org/dac). If yoursector has not been identified as a focalarea in the CSP for EC cooperation, you maywant to explore what other donors aredoing to support the participation of non-state actors in the sector of your expertise.

Some practical tips on how to get involved in sector strategies

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Strategy Paper (CSP), the elaboration of aNational Indicative Programme (NIP) spe-cifying the focal and non-focal sectors,and the identification of concrete pro-grammes (like the identification study forthe rural education programme in Fiji, seebox on page 48).

What form can non-state actor participation take?The legal basis for participation is againArticle 4 of the Cotonou Agreement:non-state actors shall 'be involved in the

implementation of cooperation projectsand programmes in areas that concernthem or where these actors have a com-parative advantage'.

In practice, this means non-state actorscan participate in the implementation ofdevelopment programmes by:

• providing added value in terms ofknowledge, skills or legitimacy;

• delivering services.

Providing added valueThe implementation of a NIP programme maybe entrusted to a non-state actor organisationif the official parties feel it is best placed to dothe job, perhaps because of its knowledge,skills or legitimacy. In Malawi, for instance, theexecution of a civic education programme (8thEDF) was initially left to a network of churchorganisations as they were considered to beable to reach out to the grassroots level.However, as the political climate in Malawibecame more tense and churches becamemore involved in advocacy work, it was decidedto entrust the second phase of the programmeto a more neutral executing agency.

Government agencies and non-state actors canalso agree to jointly implement a programmeand to divide up the roles and responsibilities

according to their respective comparativeadvantages. An example is the 'Public-PrivatePartnership project' in Suriname, where privatesector associations and the government havejoined forces to create an environment thatwill be conducive to private sectordevelopment.

Service provisionNon-state actor organisations could participatein the implementation of programmes orprojects involving the provision of services (e.g.road building under EC support to thetransport sector, or delivering health careservices for AIDS victims). Market rules (e.g.tender procedures) will usually be used todetermine which non-state actors will beawarded contracts.

Two forms of non-state actor participation in implementation

EXAMPLEA


5 Participation in the implementation of specificsupport programmes for non-state actors

There are two main types of support pro-gramme specifically intended for non-state actors:

• Programmes to support developmentinitiatives conceived and implementedeither wholly or partially by non-state

actors. A well-known example is themicro-projects programme. However,several NIPs include support for broaderlocal development programmes (some-times called 'decentralised coope-ration’), which generally seek topromote collaboration between non-state and local governments (seeexample of Madagascar in section 5.2).

• Programmes to support capacity building in critical areas in order to reinforce the capabilities of non-stateactors to participate effectively in ACP-EC cooperation.

Clearly, in some countries the NIP mayinclude support programmes thatcombine these two objectives of sup-porting development initiatives andcapacity building.

What form can non-state actor participation take?There are different opportunities for non-state actors to participate in the designand implementation of development pro-grammes or capacity building initiatives,specifically intended for them:

• Programming process. If non-stateactors are associated with the pro-gramming process (see point 2), theycan advocate the inclusion of a supportprogramme on their own behalf in theNational Indicative Programme. Theycan also influence the overall orien-tation and the level of funding.

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Non-state actors could consider thefollowing for enhancing their participation:

• Maintain regular contacts with the officialparties to obtain up-to-date informationon the status of implementation of theprogrammes and projects.

• If official parties cannot provide thisinformation, find out if there are otherumbrella networks or platforms thatcould.

• Form strategic alliances. For example,non-state actors could choose to link upwith a European partner that can help incarrying out the necessaryadministrative procedures aroundtendering for contracts.

Some practical tips for participatingin implementation

52


• Identification phase. Like any projectfunded by the EC, the support pro-grammes for non-state actors also haveto be properly identified in order todecide how the resources will actuallybe used. This identification stage is avery important moment for non-stateactors. Ideally, they should be fullyinvolved in the design of the pro-gramme, including the choice of themost suitable institutional arrange-ments for implementation. Mali offers agood example of non-state actors par-ticipating in the identification processat an early stage (see box).

• Decision-making and management.Decisions on the allocation and management of funds are taken by theNational Authorising Officer and the EC.Different modalities can be agreed

between the NAO and the EC to managethe funds reserved for non-state actors.In some countries, this may lead to a situation where the Delegation of theEuropean Commission is in the drivingseat when it comes to administering thesupport programme (for more details seesection 5.5, point 3).

• Implementation. Depending on theinstitutional arrangements adopted,non-state actors can play an importantrole in the implementation of the pro-grammes intended for them. Both themicro-projects scheme and the decen-tralised cooperation approach are based on the principle of delegatingmanagement responsibilities to thenon-state actors involved. (for moredetails see section 5.5, point 6)

In Mali, the National Authorising Officer (NAO)and the Delegation of the EuropeanCommission have adopted a participatoryapproach in the design of the non-state actorssupport programme (EUR 15 million under the9th EDF). An 18-month preliminary programmeis in the process of being identified, with ateam of consultants recruited to carry out theidentification study.

Non-state actors have been involved at a veryearly stage in the design of the programmethrough a consultation process to draw up theterms of reference (TORs) for the identificationstudy. Two meetings with non-state actorshave been held to discuss the TORs, which wereamended by the official parties taking intoaccount the contribution of the participants.

Elaborating the terms of reference for an identification studyThe case of Mali

EXAMPLEA


6 Participation in reviews and evaluations

Reviews and evaluations are the processeswhereby cooperation is assessed throughoutits implementation. The purpose is to checkwhether cooperation is being implementedin accordance with the commitments made,and whether it is effective.

Depending on the results of theseprocesses, the content of cooperation maybe revised to respond more effectively tothe needs and constraints of the country(or region) concerned. The quality of parti-cipation is one of the criteria used in thereviews. Non-state actors can contribute toan assessment of their own participation.

What form can non-state actor participation take?According to the Cotonou Agreement, non-state actors shall, where appropriate, beconsulted on cooperation policies and prior-ities (Article 4) and in the elaboration ofCountry Strategy Papers (Annex 4, Article 2).

The reviews are part of the overall (rolling)programming process.They can be used tomodify cooperation strategies. Quite logically,this implies that non-state actors should alsobe involved in the review process.

First, we look in some detail at what thevarious reviews entail, in order to help clarifywhere non-state actors could be involved.

The Cotonou Agreement distinguishesthree types of review:

• Annual review. In order to promotesmooth and efficient implementation, itis foreseen that the NAO and the Headof the Delegation of the EuropeanCommission will undertake an annualoperational review of the National orRegional Indicative Programme. Inpractice, this will be a joint assessmentof implementation progress achieved.Note that one of the issues to becovered in the annual reviews is 'the useof resources set aside for non-stateactors' (Annex 4, Article 5).

• Mid-term review. Since each NIP isadopted for a period of five years, themid-term review takes place, in prin-ciple, two and a half years after the NIP is signed. The mid-term review is a keymoment, for it allows an overall reviewof cooperation with the country con-cerned, in terms of its performance inimplementing the programme (see box).

53

The mid-term review

The mid-term review (MTR) involves asystematic examination of programmeimplementation. The purposes of theMTR are:• to review and adapt, if needed, the

Country Strategy Paper (CSP);• to introduce new objectives into the

CSP to reflect changing conditions inthe country; and

• to reallocate funding, if necessary.

54


• End-of-term review. The final reviewtakes place at the end of the five-yearperiod of the NIP. It has the same pur-poses as the mid-term review.

As in the case of programming, responsi-bility for carrying out these reviews lieswith the National Authorising Officer andthe EC. The official parties may (or maynot) decide jointly on the need to adaptthe CSP (e.g. to reallocate funds from oneprogramme to another).

In contrast, it is up to the EC alone torevise the overall resource allocation to agiven ACP country following the com-pletion of the mid-term and end-of-termreviews.

What roles do the non-state actors play inall this? Where appropriate, they shouldbe consulted during the mid-term andend-of-term reviews. This implies thatthey need to be properly informed on theissues to be discussed. It also requires amechanism to ensure efficient dialogue.

The official parties are currently workingout concrete modalities for the upcomingmid-term review (due to take place mid-2004), and will provide more details onhow non-state actors will be associatedwith the process.

• Ensure that there is a mechanism in placefor the systematic gathering and analysisof information on the implementation ofthe Cotonou Agreement as seen from theperspective of non-state actors. Such amechanism would preferably be createdin collaboration with national or sectoralplatforms and jointly with official parties.

• Initiate a discussion with official partiesaround the development of simple,realistic evaluation indicators, especiallyin relation to monitoring the quality ofnon-state actor participation.

• Use the reviews to propose new projectsand support programmes. The reviewscan be used to start a dialogue on needsthat may not have been properlyidentified or taken into account at theinitial programming stage.

• Try to work out, together with officialparties, joint learning mechanisms thatcan ensure that non-state actors aresystematically involved in monitoring andevaluation on an ongoing basis ratherthan in an ad hoc manner during reviews.

Some practical tips for participating in reviews and evaluations


Trade cooperation is the second pillar ofACP-EC cooperation. It is linked to the keydevelopment objective of ensuring thesmooth and gradual integration of ACPcountries into the world economy. Yettrade is a policy area that is subject tomajor changes, as a result of globalisationprocesses and worldwide trends towardsliberalisation.

The ACP Group and the EC are negotiatingamong themselves a radically new traderegime within the framework of theCotonou Agreement (see chapter 2). Theaim is to conclude Economic PartnershipAgreements (EPAs), which are both deve-lopment-oriented and compatible with therequirements of the WTO. Needless to say,the outcome of these negotiations is likelyto have a major impact on the economiesof ACP countries and the lives of its people.

Hence, it is important to ensure the effi-cient, relevant and coherent involvementof non-state actors. This section focusesspecifically on non-state actor partici-pation in the trade negotiations under theCotonou Agreement.

What form can participation take?The Cotonou Agreement foresees thatnon-state actors should be consulted on'cooperation policies and strategies, onpriorities for cooperation especially inareas that concern or affect them directly'

(Article 4). Trade policies clearly fall underthis legal definition, as they constitute abuilding block of national or regionaldevelopment strategies.

Several opportunities for the participationof non-state actors in trade policies haveemerged in recent years (see box ‘Avenuesfor non-state actor engagement in tradepolicy’, page 56).

Addressing the capacity gap ontrade mattersTrade is a very complex, technicallydemanding policy area. The formulationand negotiation of trade policies takesplace through processes at different levels(global, regional and national), involving awide range of institutions and actors withdifferent interests, and spread over a longperiod of time.

For many non-state actors it is not clearhow they would be able to participate inthese kinds of trade policy processes, for anumber of reasons:

• inadequate information flows on thetrade issues involved (for each ACPcountry or region);

• the overall fragility of existing struc-tures for representing the interests ofnon-state actors;

• their limited analytical skills to prepareinputs and position papers on crucialtrade issues; and

• the lack of resources to participate in asystematic and coherent way in trademeetings at different levels.

55

4.3 Participation in trade policies

56


National consultations on trade Governments can decide to organise broad-based consultations on trade policies prior toengaging in trade negotiations. South Africaprovides an interesting example. The NationalEconomic Development and Labour Council(NEDLAC), through its Chamber of Trade andIndustry, brought together government, labourand the private sector in a tripartite dialogueon trade.

Participation in negotiating teamsSeveral ACP countries (e.g. Guyana, Jamaicaand Mauritius) have built up a tradition ofincluding non-state actors (particularly fromthe private sector) as observers in countrydelegations attending trade negotiations.

Structured dialogue at the regional levelFuture EPAs will be primarily defined at theregional level. This has pushed several regionalorganisations from the ACP to put in placemechanisms to allow structured dialogue withnon-state actors from the region.

All-ACP levelAs mentioned in section 3.2, the ACP Group hasbeen working on a set of guidelines to promotethe effective involvement of non-state actors inthe EPA negotiations with the EC.

DG Trade initiativesThe European Commission's DG Trade is thedepartment responsible for trade policies. Inrecent years, it has made efforts to promotethe timely flow of information on trade policyissues, including through a 'Civil SocietyDialogue' on the web.(http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/issues/global/cds/dcs_proc.htm)

DG Trade also supports the execution of so-called sustainability impact assessments (SIAs).These studies assess, using a participatoryapproach, the likely impacts of newly proposedtrade arrangements with a view to informingthe negotiating process.(http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/issues/global/sia/index_en.htm and http://www.sia-acp.org/acp/uk/news.php)

European Economic and Social Committee(EESC)This institution has also been highlightingtrade issues, and especially EPA negotiations, inits consultation with economic and socialpartners in ACP countries. The EESC organisesregularly workshops and conferences with theACP partners on both the all-ACP level and theregional level.

Avenues for non-state actor engagement in trade policy

EXAMPLEA


In addition, one should not forget thattrade issues are of interest not only to theformal private sector. They also concernother non-state actors such as tradeunions, farmers, the informal sector aswell as civil society organisations. Each ofthese actors may face different capacityconstraints when engaging in trade talks,and may also be defending competingpositions.

Against this background, it is not sur-prising that non-state actors are oftenunable to fully use the space available forparticipation in trade talks. This 'capacity

deficit' can lead to a situation in whichofficial parties (e.g. the EC or a regionalACP body) may actively seek to involvenon-state actors, yet do not receive sub-stantial inputs from them.

All of these factors mean that capacitysupport to non-state actors is a prere-quisite for their successful participation inthe area of trade. Initiatives to tackle thiscapacity gap on trade matters can betaken by different actors, as the examplespresented in the box ‘Initiatives to tacklethe capacity gap on trade issues and economic development’, (page 58).

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4.4 Participation in political cooperation

Compared with the successive LoméConventions, the Cotonou Agreementattaches much more importance to thepolitical dimensions of cooperation (seechapter 2). Non-state actors clearly have astake in the political agenda of theCotonou Agreement, both in their capacityas citizens, and as potential agents ofchange.

What form can participation take?The principle of non-state actor partici-pation in political dialogue processesbetween the ACP and the EC is clearlyenshrined in Articles 4 and 8 of theCotonou Agreement. However, as in otherareas of cooperation, the modalities ofparticipation are not spelt out in any

detail. This means that practice, as itevolves over time, will clarify the terms ofengagement of non-state actors.

So how should non-state actors envisagemeaningful participation in this domain?A number of avenues for participationexist.

Designing and implementingpolitical cooperation programmesA growing number of National IndicativeProgrammes across the ACP include pro-grammes to support ongoing democrati-sation processes or governance reforms (e.g.support to improve the rule of law). Theseprogrammes provide a first opportunity fornon-state actor participation. Different


Jamaican Trade and Adjustment Team (JTAT)In January 2001, the Jamaican Ministry ofForeign Affairs and Foreign Trade created theJamaican Trade and Adjustment Team (JTAT),which consists of trade experts, researchers,civil servants from the Ministry and AdvisoryGroup leaders. The team's mission is, amongother things, to assess sectoral and nationalplans in order to guide trade policy andnegotiation strategies. These efforts shouldhelp to increase Jamaica's competitivenessduring the period of adjustment providedunder the Cotonou Agreement . Since it was setup, JTAT has made various attempts to initiate anational discussion on the coming changes inthe global trade regime, for instance byorganising meetings at the parish level or withvarious non-state actors. JTAT also consults witha Civil Society Advisory Group to exchangeinformation and perspectives on trade issueswith grassroots organisations. For moreinformation on JTAT, visit the Ministry'swebsite:www.mfaft.gov.jm/Ministry/Departments/Foreign%20Trade/JTAT.htm

The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA)This new initiative in Kenya seeks to develop acommon voice on cross-cutting concerns of aninclusive private sector.The focus is economicdevelopment through the active participation ofthe private sector.This initiative is theculmination of a process which started inDecember 2000, during the launch of the privatesector consultations on the Poverty ReductionStrategy Paper (PRSP).These consultations werecarried forward through private sectorparticipation in the formulation of the EconomicRecovery Strategy for Wealth and EmploymentCreation, which was launched in June 2003.These consultations solidified the formation ofKEPSA as a structured mechanism for privatesector engagement in public policy dialogue.

KEPSA brings together existing private sectorgroupings from various interests under onecommon umbrella with an establishedmechanism for regular consultations. It alsoincludes members and private sectorfoundations with more social concerns to havemore of a 'development outlook' for thecountry. It is an interesting example of how

existing private sector organisations canovercome sector differences to participateunder a common umbrella body for a morecoherent approach and stronger developmentimpact. The newly formed Alliance also intendsto engage on ACP-EC cooperation issues relatedto private sector development and trade, and isseeking linkages with other similar platforms atthe regional and international levels.

Capacity Building InitiativeThe ACP and the EC have set-up a EUR 20 millionfacility to promote capacity building of ACPactors (e.g. national governments; regionalorganisations, non-state actors) in trade matters.The facility provides project funding for a widerange of capacity building activities related tothe trade negotiating process. Under thisprogramme, EUR 150,000 was granted to theSenegalese NGO ENDA to organise national andregional workshops of non-state actors in WestAfrica to discuss their role and interests in theEPA negotiations. A second programme of thistype, for an amount of EUR 50 million, should beoperational by early 2004.

Information networks: the ACP-EU trade websiteEasy and timely access to relevant informationis a precondition for effective non-state actorsparticipation. Information networks can help inthis. The ACP-EU trade website, for example, is ajoint initiative of several organisations -including the ECDPM, the EU-LDC Network andODI - that aims to be a non-partisan source ofinformation, documents and links on ACP-EUtrade matters (www.acp-eu-trade.org).

CTA’s support to trade capacity buildingIn addition to Agritrade (CTA’s web portal onACP-EU agricultural trade), CTA co-organisesand funds meetings and consultations inBrussels and ACP regions on ACP-EUagricultural trade issues. The Centre can alsofund the participation of international expertsto ACP meetings on trade issues and supporte-consultations and websites (e.g.www.cotton-forum.org) to increase awarenessof ACP stakeholders on ACP-EU initiatives andexchange of information on progress in tradenegotiations. Finally, CTA publishes a number ofkey reference documents on trade issues(http://agritrade.cta.int).

Initiatives to tackle the capacity gap on trade issues

4


groups of non-state actors could usefullycontribute to the design and implemen-tation of these political cooperation pro-grammes. Such involvement would beconsistent with the general principles ofnon-state actor participation (Article 4).

Monitoring budget supportAs EC aid increasingly takes the form ofbudget support to governments, there is agrowing need for a new set of accounta-bility mechanisms. Non-state actors couldplay a useful role in monitoring how thegovernment manages budget aid. Theycould, for instance, work together withparliament to assess whether the agreedpro-poor expenditure targets in social sectors (linked to the provision of budgetsupport) are being effectively met. In several ACP countries, networks of non-state actors are already performing suchroles in the framework of assessing theimplementation of the PRSPs.

Non-state actors in difficultpartnershipsSeveral ACP countries are experiencingconflicts, collapsing state structures ormajor political instability.

If there is no development cooperationwith the Government, specific solutionsare required. If it is not possible to use EDFfinance, use of the EC budget lines shouldbe considered (see further chapter 5.4).All this has implications for non-stateactors as well. In difficult partnerships, aspecific set of opportunities for partici-pation exist:

• Aid suspension affects cooperation withthe government. It does not exclude thecontinuation of support programmesfor non-state actors. Thus, in Zimbabwe,the Zimbabwe DecentralisedCooperation Programme (ZDCP) has notbeen halted and has even beenexpanded (despite the sanctions).

• In countries where aid has been sus-pended, priority programmes can beredirected away from governmentagencies to non-state actors. This is thecase, for instance, with food aid orhumanitarian assistance, which arefinanced from EC budget lines andwhich can be channelled through NGO.

• In extreme cases, where the state hasceased to function (as in Somalia, forexample), the EC directly manages aidto the country, using non-governmentalchannels.

• The importance of associating non-state actors in political dialogueprocesses is increasingly being recog-nised (as foreseen in Article 8 of theCotonou Agreement). The case of Sudanoffers an interesting example, asdescribed in the box on page 60.

Political dialogue at the global ACP-EC levelPolitical cooperation between the officialparties to the Cotonou Agreement alsotakes place at global level, through a setof joint ACP-EC institutions responsible forthe overall management of the part-nership (see Annex III).

59

60

Two such institutions are worth men-tioning here, as they increasingly provideopportunities for non-state actor partici-pation on political matters.

• The ACP-EC Council of Ministers is the keypolitical body of ACP-EC cooperation. Itmeets once a year to review the overallhealth of the partnership, to discusspolitical issues or to formulate newpolicies. For example, during the meetingof the ACP-EC Council of Ministers inPunta Cana, Dominican Republic, in June2002, there was a vivid political debate onthe type of eligibility criteria that shouldapply to non-state actors.

• The ACP-EC Joint ParliamentaryAssembly (JPA) also monitors theimplementation of the CotonouAgreement, including issues related tothe participation of non-state actors.

In both cases (the Council and JPA), theparticipation of non-state actors is at anearly stage. Yet significant progress hasbeen made to ensure the involvement ofnon-state actors at this global level. Bothparties to the Cotonou Agreement haveagreed to a standard procedure to invitecivil society representatives to the ACP-ECCouncil of Ministers and the JointParliamentary Assembly meetings. It istherefore important for non-state actorsto organise themselves to ensure thatthey have truly representative structuresat national, regional and global levels.

Notes1 R. Traub-Merz and A. Schilberg, Consultation of

Non-State Actors under the New ACP-EUPartnership Agreement: Empirical survey of 17countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Friedrich EbertStiftung, Africa Department, Bonn(www.fes.de/cotonou).

2 G. Fonteneau, 'Trade unions are developmentstakeholders!', The Courier ACP-EU, No. 199(European Commission, Brussels), pp. 29-30.

Sudan has been affected by civil war fordecades. EC aid was suspended in 1991 as aresult of the poor human rights situation. Inrecent years, however, the prospects for acomprehensive peace settlement haveimproved. In order to support this, the EU hasbeen involved in political dialogue with theSudanese authorities. The resumption ofcooperation is being used as a tool to exerciseleverage on the success of the peace process.

These political debates are vital for thecountry as well as for future cooperation. TheEU has regularly invited selected groups ofnon-state actors in the north and the south ofthe country to discuss items on the agenda ofthe political dialogue. These bilateral talksbetween the EU (in this case, the EuropeanCommission and the EU Member Statespresent in Sudan) are rather informal, but theSudanese government is kept informed aboutthe meetings and is briefed on their outcomes.

EXAMPLEA

Sudanese non-state actors contribute to the in political dialogue

Accessing fundingWhat non-stateactors need to know

5

5.1 Funding is available, but with limitations

5.2 The two main funding routes

5.3 The three windows of the European Development Fund

5.4 Additional resources through EU budget lines

5.5 What are the procedures for accessing and managing funds?

Among ACP non-state actors, there is a clear expectation thatthe current emphasis on participatory approaches will be

translated into new opportunities to access EC funding. Thischapter provides an overview of the main 'funding routes' that

are open to non-state actors in ACP countries. It also explainsthe basic procedures that are used to access and manage funds

under the Cotonou Agreement.

'The participation of non-state actors in the governance structureof programmes intended for them is crucial. It helps to ensure

ownership and a focus on real needs. It may also contribute tobuilding trust among state and non-state actors and to gradually

expand the scope for constructive partnerships.' East African civil society organisation

'How serious will the engagement of the Delegation of theEuropean Commission be in terms of promoting participatory

development, particularly in countries which are not keen towork with civil society?'

West African civil society representative

'We don't want the money of the EC, as it means too much stress.' Caribbean civil society organisation


Compared to the previous LoméConventions, the Cotonou Agreementoffers a considerably wider range of oppor-tunities for non-state actors to obtain ECfunding. Before providing practicalguidance on how to access these funds,however, it is important to offer somewords of caution in order to avoid raisingunrealistic expectations. All non-stateactors should be aware of some limitationswith regard to obtaining EC funding.

It is not possible just to knock onthe door and get a project fundedThe resources available for the ACP underthe Cotonou Agreement cannot be usedfreely for all kinds of purposes or projects.On the contrary, EDF resources are allo-cated and planned according to a processand set of procedures, as spelled out inthe Cotonou Agreement.

ACP governments have to approvenon-state actor programmesThe EC cannot decide on its own to fundindividual projects. In accordance with theprinciple of partnership that underpinsACP-EC cooperation, ACP governments arein the driving seat in the process of deter-mining and managing aid policies. Clearchoices will have to be made on where ECaid resources will be spent, and specified

in the National and Regional IndicativeProgrammes.

This process of setting priorities, togetherwith an estimation of the needs, will alsohelp to determine the amount of fundingavailable to non-state actors in ACP coun-tries or regions. In addition to this, it willalso be crucial to properly identify theneeds of non-state actors (e.g. during a'mapping exercise').

In practice, this means that ACP stateshave a major say in the funding that goesto non-state actors.

The procedures for managing EC aidcan be complex Non-state actors should not expect a'quick fix' when it comes to obtainingfunding. There are rather complicated pro-cedures that must be followed, and it maytake quite a long time - between threeand twelve months at least - for projectsto be approved. To some extent, this isinevitable, since it takes time to decide onpriorities or prepare projects. Such proce-dures are also a 'necessary evil' if trans-parency in decision making andaccountability for the use of the moneyare to be promoted.

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5.1 Funding is available, but with limitations

64


ROUTE 1The European Development Fund(EDF) is used for the cooperation

between the ACP and the EC

Key features

• The EDF is the source of funding forofficial cooperation between theACP and the EC, as defined in theCotonou Agreement.

• These resources are jointly managedby the ACP States and the EC.

• Non-state actors can accessresources from the EDF.

• There are three 'windows' open tonon-state actors to obtain fundingfrom the EDF (see section 5.3).

ROUTE 2The EU budget lines are used forprojects proposed by non-stateactors from the ACP and from

other developing regions

Key features

• The EU budget lines are funded fromthe overall budget of the EU, andnot from the EDF. These budget linesare intended to finance projects on awide range of priority issues, such as human rights, HIV/AIDS and environmental protection.

• The resources involved are managedby the European Commission alone,and not in association with the governments of developing countries(including the ACP states).

• Non-state actors can accessresources from the budget lineseither directly or indirectly (througha partnership with a European actor)

• There are several thematic budgetlines that may be of interest to non-state actors (see section 5.4).

5.2 The two main funding routes

There are two main funding routes for non-state actors who wish to obtain resourcesfrom the EC.


Let us start with the first major fundingroute for non-state actors: the resourcesfrom the European Development Fund(EDF) that have been put aside to financethe cooperation with the 77 ACP countriesand the six ACP regions under theCotonou Agreement.

Under Route 1, there are three windows ofopportunity for non-state actors to getpart of the EDF resources allocated to agiven ACP country/region:

1 capacity building programmes for non-state actors;

2 microprojects and decentralised cooper-ation programmes; and

3 standard EDF development projects.

Purpose • This new window of funding opportu-

nities in ACP-EC cooperation was intro-duced in the Cotonou Agreement inorder to enable non-state actors to playtheir role in the development process.Several ACP countries have decided toinclude such a specific programme ofcapacity building for non-state actors intheir recently elaborated NationalIndicative Programme (9th EDF).

Types of activity funded• The definition of capacity building for

non-state actors is quite flexible. Thetypes of activity to be funded willdepend on the country context and onthe specific needs of non-state actors.

• Activities can include efforts to improvethe organisation and representation ofnon-state actors; to establish consultationmechanisms among non-state actorsorganisations; to facilitate networking; orto build their capacity for lobbying.

Who can benefit?• First, a specific capacity building pro-

gramme for non-state actors must beincluded in the National IndicativeProgramme of the country. If this is thecase, the question of who can benefit isaddressed during the so-called 'identifi-cation phase', when the content andimplementation modalities of the pro-gramme are defined in detail.

• It is desirable for non-state actors to beinvolved in the design of these pro-grammes and in definition of the eligi-bility criteria that will be used to selectbeneficiaries.

• Under the Cotonou Agreement privatesector organisations may be supportedin the same way as non-state actorsfrom civil society, as long as they carryout relevant activities that are non-profit making. For instance, chambers ofcommerce that organise seminars forprivate sector actors on trade-relatedissues could be eligible for support.

65

5.3 The three windows of the European Development Fund

Window 1CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMMES

FOR NON-STATE ACTORS

66


Special features• Alongside a support programme for

non-state actors, funded under the EDF,non-state actors in a given ACP countrycould also benefit from fundingavailable under the EU budget lines (seefurther section 5.4).

• Capacity building initiatives for non-state actors can go beyond providingorganisational support to individual

organisations. They can also aim atstrengthening the civil society as awhole (see example of the Sudan in thebox below).

• If the National Indicative Programmedoes not include a specific capacitybuilding programme, non-state actorsmay be able to obtain capacity supportthrough either of the other twowindows.

During the protracted civil war in Sudan all aid(except for humanitarian assistance) wassuspended. As a result, the capacity buildingneeds of Sudanese non-state actors are huge.In February 2002, the Delegation of theEuropean Commission in Khartoum took theinitiative to start a dialogue process with non-state actors in this vast and divided country.

The overall aim of the dialogue was to preparenon-state actors in the north and south of thecountry for the possible resumption of EC-Sudan cooperation once peace is concluded. Tothis end, the Delegation of the EuropeanCommission entered into extensiveconsultations with all relevant actors - non-state actors, official parties, donor agencies andinternational non-governmental organisations- and conceived a comprehensive capacitybuilding programme.

The EUR 2 million allocated for this programmeis intended not to finance a myriad of isolatedprojects from individual organisations, butrather to help build an active and viable civil

society. The activities will typically focus on anumber of priority areas:

• building capacity at both national and locallevels;

• building confidence between non-stateactors and governments;

• promoting the development of a coherentvision of the role of civil society vis-à-vis thestate;

• helping non-state actors to make the shiftfrom humanitarian approaches to longer-term development strategies;

• exploring mechanisms to ensure effectiverepresentation so that grassroots concernsare heard at higher levels of policy making;

• initiating capacity building and trainingactivities that will benefit all non-stateactors; and

• preparing non-state actors to becomeeffective and eligible partners in futurecooperation by improving their governancestructures, as well as their capacities forpolicy analysis, advocacy and projectexecution.

Capacity building for non-state actors in Sudan

EXAMPLEA


Beyond the capacity building programmesdescribed above, the Cotonou Agreement(Articles 70 and 71) also makes it possibleto fund two other programmes specificallyintended for non-state actors - micropro-jects and decentralised cooperation.

These two approaches existed under theLomé Conventions. In recent years, it ispossible to observe an evolution in severalACP countries whereby microprojectsgradually evolve towards decentralisedcooperation approaches (see box, page 68).

However, both the ACP and the EC agreethat the provisions with regard to decen-tralised cooperation in the CotonouAgreement need further clarification. Inorder to avoid confusion at this stage, theguide will not deal with decentralisedcooperation in any detail.

MICROPROJECTS

Purpose• As the name suggests, microprojects are

small-scale projects at the local level,involving limited funding, that addressimmediate and concrete needs.

• This is the oldest financing instrumentfor non-state actors. It was introducedunder the Lomé I Convention (1975-80)and retained in the Cotonou

Agreement. Several ACP countries haveincluded a new microproject pro-gramme in their recently elaboratedNational Indicative Programmes.

Types of activity funded• small infrastructure projects, such as

building a rural school or a bridge; and• income-generating activities.

Who can benefit?• local communities; and• grassroots organisations.

Special features• There is a strong focus on direct action

with a view to alleviate poverty.• The local community is expected to con-

tribute up to 25% of the cost of a micro-project.

• The funds are generally managed by aseparate unit (often called the projectmanagement unit), under the super-vision of the National AuthorisingOfficer (NAO) and the EC.

• Microprojects tend to be stand-aloneinterventions, with limited links toother development programmes or tolocal governments.

Several evaluations of microprojects pro-grammes were made. Generally, they con-clude that microprojects can be a usefulapproach to fight poverty at local level.However, they also stress the need tobetter 'embed' these projects into thebroader development process and theactivities of other players (e.g. local governments).

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Window 2MICROPROJECTS AND

DECENTRALISED COOPERATIONPROGRAMMES

68


This is fully consistent with the basic phi-losophy underpinning the CotonouAgreement to build bridges between stateand non-state actors. Madagascar offersan interesting example of an evolving

microprojects programme that promotesjoint action between non-state actors andlocal governments, based on theirrespective comparative advantages (seebox).

The support programme for local developmentinitiatives in Madagascar (with funding of EUR 8 million under the 8th EDF) is defined as amicroprojects programme. However, it displayssome specific features that clearly distinguishit from a traditional microprojects programme.In particular, it:

• targets both non-state actors and localgovernments;

• puts dialogue between local governmentsand the local population at the centre of thecooperation process;

• encourages the full participation of local non-state actors in this broader partnership; and

• stresses the need for coordination with thedeconcentrated state services, and forcoherence with local development plans andsector strategies.

The purpose of this new approach is to gobeyond the logic of small ad hoc projects. While

concrete development activities will still befunded, the programme is also being used asan instrument to promote dialogue andcollaboration between local governments andnon-state actors to address broader localdevelopment challenges.

The programme offers two opportunities fornon-state actors to access funding:

• local groups (e.g. grassroots organisations,women's or youth associations, smallproducers, etc.) can obtain funding for theexecution of infrastructure projects (as intraditional microproject programmes); and

• non-state actor support structures (e.g. localNGOs specialised in capacity building) orlocal experts can be contracted to provideand facilitate a wide range of services (e.g.context analysis, capacity building for non-state actors, promoting dialogue with localgovernments, etc.)

Support programme for local development initiatives in Madagascar

EXAMPLEA


Purpose• Non-state actors can also access funds

by participating in the implementationof standard EDF programmes, i.e. sectorprogrammes or development projectspromoted by their government (andincluded in the National IndicativeProgramme).

• In practice, this means that funds areput aside in these programmes to payfor the services provided by non-stateactors in the implementation process.

Types of activity funded• The types of activity to be funded will

depend on the nature of the sector pro-gramme or project to be implemented.

• Non-state actors can play different rolesin the implementation process, to beagreed upon with the government foreach project.

• Non-state actors are usually invited toprovide specialised services that will con-tribute to the realisation of the project.

• The participation of non-state actorscan take the form of public-private part-nerships for implementing a pro-gramme or project. Implementation canalso be entrusted to a non-state actorto provide services or added value (seesection 4.2).

Who can benefit?• Different groups of non-state actors,

depending on the sector programme orproject.

• The main criteria to access this type offunding are likely to be the skills andcompetencies of each non-state actor.

Special features• The government is clearly in the driving

seat, as this concerns the implemen-tation of government programmes.

• When analysing the NIP of theircountry, non-state actors are advised tolook beyond the specific programmesintended for them to see whether thereare any other opportunities for them toparticipate and access funds throughthe other programmes.

• The involvement of non-state actors instandard EDF programmes and projectswill contribute to the gradual main-streaming of their participation in theoverall cooperation process.

In addition to EDF funds under theCotonou Agreement, the EC also providesresources through a number of specialbudget lines. These are managed by theEuropean Commission, without theinvolvement of ACP governments, and arefinanced through the overall EU budget.Perhaps the best known among non-stateactors is the 'Co-financing with NGOs'

69

Window 3STANDARD EDF PROGRAMMES

AND PROJECTS

5.4 Additional resources through EU budget lines

70


budget line, through which EuropeanNGOs can support the activities of theirpartners in ACP countries.

Over time, the number of budget lines hasincreased dramatically. They now providefunding for a wide range of activities, suchas promoting human rights, democracyand decentralised cooperation, combatingHIV/AIDS, etc.

Four thingsThere are four things that non-stateactors should know about the EU budgetlines:

1. The budget lines offer funding for activities proposed by non-state actors.Some funds are reserved for Europeannon-state actors (for example, the 'Co-financing with NGOs' line), while othersare open directly to non-state actorsfrom the ACP countries as well (forexample, the 'Decentralised coope-ration' line).

2. In ACP countries where the relationshipbetween state and non-state actors isdifficult, and funding for non-stateactors activities through the NationalIndicative Programme is not forth-coming, the budget lines provide analternative source of funding that isbeyond their government's control.

3. Funding through the EU budget lines isincreasingly made available through aprocess of calls for proposals* which arepublicised widely. This means that, atregular intervals, the EC invites non-stateactors to submit project proposals. Callsfor proposals are posted on the EUwebsite and are published in the EU's‘Official Journal’, together with guidelineson what applicants have to do to obtainfunds. Note, however, that these guide-lines need to be followed very strictly, pro-cessing times are often long, andcompetition is usually fierce, so expecta-tions of success should not be too high.

Further information on the

EU budget lines on the Internet

For readers who have access to theInternet, detailed information on thebudget lines and the applicationprocedures can be found on the websiteof the EuropeAid Cooperation Office:www.europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/index-en.htm

The EuropeAid Cooperation Office hasissued an Info Guide for Co-financing withNGOs and Decentralised CooperationProjects, which provides detailedinformation on the procedure for applyingfor funding under these and other budgetlines:www.europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/ong_cd/info_guide_en.pdf

BOND, the network of Britishdevelopment NGOs, also provides up-to-date information on the budget lines forits member organisations:www.bond.org.uk/eu/budglines.htm


If you want to apply for funding, it maybe useful to get support from a non-stateactor based in Europe who may be morefamiliar with the procedures.

4.The EU is currently reviewing and har-monising the system of budget linesin order to improve the coherencebetween them and other sources of EC aid, such as funding for the NationalIndicative Programmes under the EDF.

Relevant budget linesThe EU budget lines relevant for ACP non-state actors are listed in the table below.

To apply for project funding under one ofthese budget lines, first get in touch withthe Delegation of the EuropeanCommission in your country for furtherinformation. Note that the EuropeanCommission is currently engaged in theprocess of 'deconcentrating' staff andresponsibilities from Brussels to theDelegations. Once this process is com-pleted, applications for funding under theEU budget lines will be dealt with by theDelegations of the European Commission,but for the moment, they are stillmanaged by the EuropeAid CooperationOffice in Brussels.

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Code Name Directly available to ACP non-state actors

Europeanpartner needed

B7 6000 Co-financing with NGOs XB7 200 &B7 201

Food aid and food security X

B7-70 Democracy and human rights XB7 6312 Reproductive health X

B7 6211 Fight against poverty diseases (HIV/AIDS,malaria, tuberculosis)

X

B7 6002 Decentralised cooperation XB7 6200 Environment and tropical forests X

B7 6220 Integrating gender issues in developmentcooperation

X

B7 641 Rehabilitation and reconstruction in ACPcountries

To await newcall for proposalsto see if directlyavailable

Table 1: EU budget lines

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Whilst we do not wish to turn non-stateactors into procedural experts, this finalsection offers some essential practicalinformation on how cooperation pro-grammes (including support to non-stateactors) are managed and administeredwithin the framework of the CotonouAgreement.

Ten questions and answersThe main aspects that non-state actorsneed to know are summarised below inthe form of 10 questions and answers.

Who should we contact to find outabout funding opportunities for non-state actors?

In order to find out about funding oppor-tunities for non-state actors you do notneed to contact European Commissionstaff or the ACP Secretariat in distantBrussels. There are three contact points inyour own country where you should beable to obtain the necessary information:

• The National Authorising Officer (NAO).In some countries, NAO offices have adesk for non-state actors (for theaddresses of NAO offices, see Annex VIII).

• The Delegations of the EuropeanCommission. All Delegations of theEuropean Commission should have one

officer specifically responsible for rela-tions with non-state actors. It is thisliaison officer you should ask for whenyou call or pay a visit (for the addressesof Delegations of the European Commis-sion in ACP countries, see Annex IX).

• National or regional platforms of non-state actors. In some countries (such asFiji, Mali and Chad), non-state actorshave begun to form their own plat-forms, umbrella organisations and/ornetworks to focus on issues related tothe Cotonou Agreement. These organi-sations and networks can be sources ofrelevant information. Check whethersuch a body exists in your country. Somenon-state actors (e.g. NGOs) have alsostarted to organise themselves at theregional level. They can help you to findinformation on opportunities for partic-ipation in EC-supported regional pro-grammes (for the regional ACP Civil Society Forum focal points, see Annex VII).

Can the European Commissionprovide funds directly from the 9thEuropean Development Fund?

There are three possible scenarios:

• In principle, no funds can be disbursed tonon-state actors without the priorconsent of the National Authorising

5.5 What are the procedures for accessing and managing funds?

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Officer. The Cotonou Agreement deter-mines that the NAO must sign allfinancing agreements. This is the generalrule of decentralised management (ormanagement by the ACP state) as it isapplied in ACP-EC cooperation.

• This principle of decentralised man-agement has raised quite some concernamong non-state actors, since in somecountries there is no tradition of governments and non-state actorsworking together. In others, the NAOoffice may lack the capacity and some-times also the will to deal with andsupport non-state actors. In such cases,the Delegation of the EuropeanCommission can discuss and seek toagree with the NAO to manage thefunds within the Delegation (this iscalled centralised management).

• The NAO can decide on its own to del-egate the management and adminis-tration of funds for non-state actors to theDelegation of the European Commission.This has been the case in South Africa, forexample.

What is the role of the NAO andthe Delegation of the EuropeanCommission in managing funds fornon-state actors?

Under the Cotonou Agreement, the NAOand the Head of Delegation of the

European Commission jointly manageprogrammes for the non-state actors. Ifthe disbursement of funds to non-stateactors is foreseen in the NIP, both the NAOand the EC can play a facilitating role bytaking a number of initiatives.

In practice, this facilitating role mayinvolve:

• identifying the relevant non-stateactors in the country, and the roles theyare playing or could play in imple-menting the national developmentstrategy;

• providing non-state actors with infor-mation on the funding opportunitiesavailable to them;

• drawing up financing proposals forsupport to non-state actors;

• supervising the implementation of non-state actors projects and monitoringthem to ensure that the funds are usedcorrectly;

• ensuring the complementarity of projectsfunded through the EDF and thosefunded from the EU budget lines (princi-pally the task of the Delegation); and

• ensuring coordination between projectsfunded through the EDF and those sup-ported by other donors and devel-opment partners.

These are quite demanding tasks for theNAO and the Delegations of the EuropeanCommision, many of which are under-staffed, and often lack expertise and expe-

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rience in managing programmes for non-state actors. In order to strengthen theircapacities, Technical Assistance (TA) willgenerally be necessary (in the form oflocal or international consultants) to helpwith some of these functions.

What is the application procedure forobtaining funding through the EDF?

Just as in the case of EU budget lines, theprocedure of calls for proposals (see section5.4) also applies to funding for non-stateactor programmes under the EDF.

In practice, this procedure works as follows:• The first requirement is that a support

programme for non-state actors isincluded in the country's NIP (and allo-cated a certain amount of funds).

• Then the programme needs to gothrough an identification process ('whatare the priorities for support?' 'what arethe selection criteria?').

• Based on these priorities, the officialparties launch a call for proposals andpublicise it in local newspapers.

• Non-state actors are invited to submitproject proposals according to a standardformat and within certain deadlines.

• An evaluation committee will then beset up to judge the projects submittedin response to the call for proposals.

Many non-state actors might submit pro-posals, in which case, depending on theamount of funding available, competitionmay be fierce. Thus, the better and moreconvincing your proposal, and the morequality it offers, the more likely it is thatyour project will be selected.

An exception to the calls for proposal rulecan be made if there is only one non-stateactor organisation that is capable of deliv-ering a particular service. For example, ifyour organisation is the only one special-ising in delivering education on HIV/AIDS,and this is something the NAO/Delegationof the European Commission have decidedto support, then the contract may beawarded directly to you.

Can we obtain EDF money nomatter what area we work in?

Whether you can obtain EDF resourcesdepends on several factors:

• The priorities included in the NationalIndicative Programme. If, for example,you want funding for an environmentalprotection project, but this does not fitinto any of the programmes specified inyour country's NIP, it is unlikely that youwill be assisted.

• The existence of a capacity buildingprogramme. If the NIP includes such aprogramme (see section 5.3) and youwant to strengthen the capacity of your

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organisation, it may not matter whetheryou work in health, environment or edu-cation. In this case, you might be able toobtain funding as long as you meet theeligibility criteria of the programme andget your project approved.

Do non-state actors have a say inthe management of programmesintended for them?

As mentioned above, responsibility formanaging development programmesunder the Cotonou Agreement lies withthe official parties - the NAO and theDelegation of the European Commission.However, when there is a specific supportprogramme for non-state actors, ways are generally sought to involve non-stateactors in the management of the pro-gramme.

This is usually sorted out during the pro-gramme identification phase, when deci-sions have to be made on the focus of thesupport programme, as well as on theinstitutional arrangements that will needto be put in place to manage it. Non-stateactors will normally be consulted. Theycan thus influence the decision on thefocus and most appropriate managementstructure for the programme.

In practice, there are two main ways inwhich non-state actors can be involved inthe management of the programme:

• Overall policy orientation. Each supportprogramme for non-state actors, likeany other programme supported underthe Cotonou Agreement, should havegovernance structures that givedirection to and supervise the pro-gramme management team. The NAOand the Head of the Delegation of theEuropean Commission will normalyseek to involve non-state actors in suchstructures.

• Administration of funds. It is also pos-sible that non-state actors may beentrusted with the administration ofthe funds involved in a support pro-gramme under the ultimate responsi-bility of the NAO (see box ‘Non-stateactors as implementing agency. The caseof Tuvalu’, page 77).

Who is responsible for the day-to-day management of a programmespecified in the NIP?

In principle, depending on the nature ofthe programme, any of four actors - orimplementing agencies - may be respon-sible for day-to-day management. Theseare:

• A Ministry. For instance, if the NIPincludes a programme aimed atreforming the judicial system, theimplementing agency will most likelybe the Ministry of Justice.

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• A private company. Private sector com-panies are often involved in managingprogrammes under the CotonouAgreement. In practice, this means thata company is contracted to take care ofday-to-day management, under thesupervision of the NAO. The companythen recruits technical assistants tostaff a programme management unit(PMU) or programme implementationunit (PIU) that will carry out the work.

• Non-state actors. As the example ofTuvalu illustrates (see box, page 77), themanagement of particular project com-ponents can be delegated to non-stateactor organisations provided they meetthe necessary legal, financial and anyother requirements.

• The Delegation of the EuropeanCommission. When the Delegation actsas the implementing agency, it mayrecruit technical assistants to carry outsome of the work (e.g. preparatory workon a call for proposals).

Is training available for non-stateactors on how to write projectproposals?

Resources can be reserved in the budgetof a development programme to providetraining for non-state actors (e.g. to helpwriting project proposals) .

How long will it take to obtainfunding?

A long time can pass between getting intouch with the NAO and/or the Delegationof the European Commission andobtaining funding from EDF resources (ifyou are eligible). It can take anythingbetween several months to several years,depending on where the official partiesstand in their programme implementation.

For many non-state actors this is too longa time to be feasible. They may be fightingfor the survival of their organisations on adaily basis, and so need money todayrather than tomorrow. Engaging in ACP-ECcooperation requires long-term, strategicplanning, and a lot of pro-active efforts onthe part of the non-state actors. Yet, if youmanage it, it can be a rewarding process.

The EU is currently trying to speed up itsprocedures, to make things easier for non-state actors and to disburse funds morequickly to needy organisations.

Is there a deadline for finalisingprojects?

This is regulated in the GeneralRegulations and Conditions, as well as inthe EC Financial Regulation applicable tothe 9th EDF.

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Because of the delays experienced infinancing many projects in the past, con-siderable funds remain unspent.

The financial regulation of the 9th EDFsets quite tight timeframes by whichfinancing agreements must be made,projects must be implemented, etc.

When participating in a project fundedthrough the EDF, make sure you are awareof these timeframes, and stick to them, ifpossible. Otherwise, your funding may becut and reallocated.

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Tuvalu is a tiny island in the Pacific andmember of the ACP Group. In the programmingprocess under the 9th EDF, Tuvalu decided todevote all of its EC aid to a single sector: socialdevelopment (in the areas of education,environment and water) as specified in thenational budget. Within this sector framework,90% of the EC support is allocated togovernment, and the remaining 10% to non-state actors.

An innovative institutional arrangement hasbeen devised to give non-state actors a leadingrole in managing the 10% 'envelope' reservedfor them. The following features of the schemeare worth noting:

• The NAO of Tuvalu has overall responsibilityfor the implementation of the programmethrough an annual work programme (AWP).

• The non-state actors created a structurecalled the Tuvalu Association of NGOs(TANGO) to act as the implementing partner.TANGO will be responsible for running,coordinating, reporting and monitoring thenon-state actor component of the AWP.

• Specific eligibility criteria have been definedfor non-state actors to access the fundsunder the 10% envelope.

• All project proposals submitted by non-stateactors will be processed through TANGO.They will need to be agreed on an annualbasis by the NSA Forum for Cotonou, anumbrella group of non-state actors(coordinated by TANGO) in which relevantline ministries and the Delegation of theEuropean Commission participate.

• TANGO will submit approved projectproposals to the NAO and the relevant lineministries for inclusion in the nationalbudget.

Non-state actors as implementing agencyThe case of Tuvalu

EXAMPLEA

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Personal

notes

Four steps to promote the qualityof participation

6

6.1 Clarifying the identity, mission and role of non-state actors

6.2 Promoting an effective tripartite dialogue

6.3 Improving coordination among non-state actors

6.4 Making creative useof capacity building opportunities

So far this guide has provided information and practicalguidance for non-state actors based on the emerging

experiences with participation. The challenge in the comingyears will be to ensure that this participation is gradually

'mainstreamed' into all aspects of the cooperation process. Non-state actors share the responsibility for making this happen, but

first they may have to do some 'homework' in order to becomecredible partners. They can also pro-actively promote innovativeapproaches to dialogue and cooperation with their government.

This chapter suggests four key steps that non-state actors cantake to promote the quality of their participation.

'In a first phase, we had to fight to be heard. Now that spacefor engagement in policy processes has been obtained, we will

have to show what we have to offer as non-state actors.' Southern African civil society representative

'The boom of participation has led to a situation in which thereare too many non-state actors with no clear role to play.'

West African civil society actor

'It makes little sense to strengthen the muscles of non-stateactors in the absence of responsive capacity at the level of

state institutions.' East African civil society actor


New doorwaysThe Cotonou Agreement has created newdoorways for non-state actors to parti-cipate in ACP-EC cooperation, but thedoors will not open automatically. Theprocesses of enhancing participation andconstructing a new partnership betweenstate and non-state actors are still youngand fragile. Both ACP governments andthe EC on the one hand, and the non-stateactors on the other, will need to worktogether to unlock the developmentpotential of the new participatoryapproaches.

This chapter focuses on what non-stateactors can do to open up the space forparticipation and to ensure its quality. Theunderlying idea is that non-state actors do

not have to wait for the official parties totake the initiative. They themselves can bean agent for change, by stimulating in-country discussion or experimenting withnew ways of working, and in the processimprove their own credibility and impact.

Four steps to considerThe following sections suggest four stepsthat non-state actors could consider:

• clarifying their identity, mission androle;

• promoting an effective tripartite dialogue;

• improving coordination; and• making creative use of capacity building

opportunities.

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6.1 Clarifying the identity, mission and role of non-state actors

The 'participation boom' has undoubtedlyunleashed new forces and creative ideasfor generating development in many ACPsocieties. Yet the entry of a wide range ofnew actors into the development arenahas also complicated the picture. In amulti-actor policy environment, a numberof questions resurface:

• Who are these different groups of non-state actors that are now asking to beheard and supported?

• What is the basis of their legitimacy -who do they represent?

• What are their motivations - why dothey want to participate?

• What specific contributions can theymake to the development process?

• How do they perceive the division ofroles (or complementarity) betweenstate and non-state actors?

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These questions are also highly relevant inthe context of ACP-EC cooperation. TheCotonou Agreement makes it clear that par-ticipation is not simply a question of sharingout the aid 'pie'. It is also about building anew partnership between state and non-state actors, with due respect for the legi-timate role that each of them can play. It isconcerned with promoting dialogue andpublic-private partnerships in order toachieve greater development impact.

Many non-state actors in ACP countries stillhave to address these fundamental ques-tions. They are not yet properly equipped totake advantage of the new opportunitiesfor participation, or to be credible andeffective partners in policy processes.

This should not be surprising. Participationis a fairly recent phenomenon. Civil society

is a young, diverse and dynamic sector inmost ACP countries. Non-state actors, likethe states, are confronted with majorpolitical and economic transition processes taking place at national and global levels.

This may help to explain the fragility ofmany non-state actors, yet it also putspressure on them to start addressingthese 'existential' questions related totheir identity, mission and their comple-mentary role vis-à-vis the government.

How can non-state actors definetheir complementary role?A possible way for non-state actors toproceed is to initiate an in-depthreflection on these issues, both withintheir own organisation and among dif-ferent groups of non-state actors.

To guide this process of reflection, non-state actors may askthemselves the following questions:

1. What common values and principles do we adhere to?2. What mission do we want to achieve as development partners?3. To what extent do we consider ourselves as agents for social change? If so,

how do we want to play this role?4. What relationship do we have with the people/groups we claim to represent? 5. How do we define ourselves vis-à-vis the state at both central and local levels?6. How can we build our credibility as partners in policy processes? 7. How can we best demonstrate our added value?8. How can we safeguard our independence?9. How can we reconcile the desire to maintain our diversity with the need for

unity and joint action?10.What can we do to ensure the long-term viability of our organisation?


The experience of non-state actors inZimbabwe illustrates the important chal-lenges at stake. There, non-state actorsengaged in a lengthy debate to definetheir role in the development process. Thisled to the establishment of an inclusiveNon-State Actors' Forum, which then hadto address many of the questions men-tioned above (see box).

Article 2 of the Cotonou Agreement recog-nises 'the pivotal role of dialogue' in theACP-EC partnership. Further, Article 4stresses that 'non-state actors shall beinformed and involved in consultation oncooperation policies and strategies'. Incombination, these provisions have given

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The Non-State Actors' Forum (NSAF) emerged inthe context of a decentralised cooperationprogramme in Zimbabwe funded under the 8thEDF. Non-state actors were invited to organisethemselves in order to discuss with the officialparties how best to manage the programme.The Forum members quickly saw the value oftaking this process further, beyond the aidprogramme.The newly formed NSAF:

• sought to ensure, from the outset, that itsmembership was inclusive and exhaustive,including local government and privatesector associations;

• spelled out a clear vision - to promote acoordinated approach to non-state actorparticipation in local, national, regional andinternational cooperation and developmentprocesses;

• agreed on a dual mission - to provide non-state actors with a platform for dialogue andconsensus building on developmentstrategies, and to interface with publicinstitutions and policy makers; and

• elaborated a constitution that definedeligibility criteria and a set of basic principlesfor its members.

The NSAF does not want to act as asuperstructure, but to facilitate theinvolvement of all citizens through their civilsociety organisations. A pool of experts hasbeen constituted in various specialised areas ofdevelopment, which can quickly be mobilised.The Forum is now focusing not only on ACP-ECcooperation, but on overall development andcooperation strategies for Zimbabwe.

Defining identity, mission and roleThe experience of the Non-State Actors' Forum (NSAF) in Zimbabwe

EXAMPLEA

6.2 Promoting an effective tripartite dialogue

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birth to the concept of a 'tripartite dialogue' * involving the government, theEC and non-state actors in ACP countries.

As participation is something new for allparties involved, dialogue can help tobuild confidence, and ensure a collectiveeffort to search for adequate implemen-tation strategies, as well as joint learning.Such dialogue can also enhance the overallimpact of the efforts of non-state actors.There is a need to ensure a smooth andefficient tripartite dialogue at all levels -local, national, regional and global.

It is highly likely that the government orthe EC will take the initiative in estab-lishing tripartite dialogue mechanisms.However, non-state actors are not passiveplayers in this game. If properly prepared,they can influence both the nature andthe functioning of such mechanisms.

A concrete example may help to see whatall this means in practice. In the Sudan, atripartite dialogue was launched in 2002between the government, the Delegationof the European Commission and non-state actors from the north and south ofthe country within the framework of theCotonou Agreement. As described in thebox in section 5.3, one of the objectives ofthe dialogue was to prepare for theresumption of cooperation when a peaceagreement was reached. It soon becameclear that it was in the interests of allparties to agree on a set of principles thatwould guide non-state actor involvementin all areas of future cooperation (see box).

Dialogue as a multi-level challengeThe effective involvement of non-stateactors in policy dialogue processes isimportant not only at the national level(around the Country Strategy Paper and

How can non-state actors prepare themselves for dialogue?

1. Is there already a tripartite dialogue in this country on ACP-EC cooperation?2. If so, what is the focus of the dialogue?3. Is there already a relevant network of non-state actors involved in such

dialogue that we can join?4. What principles should underpin an effective dialogue?5. How is the dialogue organised?6. Who facilitates the dialogue?7. Is there agreement on the expected outcomes of such a dialogue?8. Can the dialogue be institutionalised?9. Can the dialogue be monitored?10. How can we ensure the quality of our participation?


the National Indicative Programme). Italso represents a multi-level challenge, asillustrated in table 2.

Improving the capacity for dialogueat the global level In most ACP countries, it seems thatprogress is being made in tripartite dialogueat the local, national and regional levels. Butwhat about at the global ACP-EU level?

In the framework of the CotonouAgreement mechanisms exist for non-stateactors to be involved in policy dialogueprocesses at the global ACP-EU level. As

mentioned elsewhere, the JointParliamentary Assembly (JPA) and theEuropean Economic and Social Committee(EESC) provide opportunities to discussissues of participation. Their role is institu-tionalised in the ACP-EU dialogue. Certaincategories of non-state actors, such as eco-nomic and social partners, can participatein a structured manner in the EESC.

Other channels for tripartite dialogue atthe global ACP-EU level have recentlyemerged, including informal arrange-ments such as the Civil Society Follow-upCommittee (see box, page 87).

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In order to ensure the coherent application ofparticipatory approaches in all spheres andsectors of Sudan-EU cooperation, the followingsix principles were agreed among the differentparties involved:

Principle 1: Dialogue. Cooperation should sys-tematically be underpinned by a focused, con-structive and purpose-oriented tripartitedialogue. Non-state actors should have thefreedom to express their views, no matter howcritical.

Principle 2: Involvement of relevant non-stateactors. Non-state actors that are both directlyconcerned with the issues and able to make com-petent inputs should be involved in the dialogue.

Principle 3: Transparency. Full transparencyshould apply to all actors involved in the con-sultation at all levels.

Principle 4: Inclusive approach. The highestpossible degree of inclusion should be sought.

Principle 5: Non-partisan approach. In order tosafeguard against exclusion, discrimination ormanipulation, the parties agreed to involvenon-state actors irrespective of their race,gender, ethnicity, religion or political affiliation.

Principle 6: Accountability. All parties shouldbe accountable for commitments undertakenin the framework of the tripartite dialogue.

Principles guiding non-state actor involvement in Sudan

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On the basis of these initial experiences withtripartite dialogue at the global ACP-EUlevel, non-state actors face many challenges:

• It is not at all easy for non-state actorsfrom 77 ACP countries to organisethemselves into effective and represen-tative structures that can participate inglobal policy talks, particularly since theprocesses of structuring at national andregional levels are still not completed.For the experience of the ACP CivilSociety Forum, see Annex VII.

• Non-state actors often lack theresources and capacities necessary toestablish networks or to engage inintra-ACP consultations.

• It is difficult for non-state actors to definecommon positions and interests that canbe articulated at the global level.

• The dialogue tends to be dominated bya few (regional) organisations, repre-senting only part of the interests ofnon-state actors.

Level Dialogue PossibleEC Funding

Local Grassroots views on the impacts of imple-mentation and strategies, to be facilitatedand voiced by intermediary organisations.Linkages with local governments.

EDF - NIP

National(77 ACPcountries)

Non-state actors get organised;interlocutors are mandated to dialoguewith official parties (NAO, Delegation ofthe European Commission) about thenational strategy and monitoring andevaluation of the cooperation.

EDF - NIP

Regional(6 ACPregions)

Regional bodies lead dialogue on policyissues, transnational programmes orinternational negotiations (e.g. trade).Non-state actors could be represented ingovernment delegations (e.g. in theCaribbean).

EDF - RIP

Global Issues-oriented policy dialogue with ACP-EC institutions. Within institutionalframework (e.g. EESC, JPA) or informal dialogue processes (e.g. Civil SocietyFollow-up Committee, intra-ACP non-stateactors with the ACP Civil Society Forum).

All-ACPfunds

Table 2: Dialogue on ACP-EC cooperation: a multi-level challenge


• Non-state actors have only limitedaccess to information on the opportu-nities for participation or on the out-comes of dialogue processes.

• Non-state actors need to define moreclearly the added value of dialogueprocesses at the global ACP-EU level (com-pared to what happens at other levels).

• Non-state actors often face overallcapacity constraints that prevent them

from making the best use of the oppor-tunities available for participating indialogue.

The message is clear: in the years to come,considerable efforts will be needed tostrengthen non-state actor involvement inglobal ACP-EU policy dialogue.

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The Civil Society Follow-up Committeewas set up at the end of a conferenceorganised under the Belgian Presidencyof the EU in July 2001 to discuss theparticipation of non-state actors in ACP-EC cooperation. The idea was to establishan informal channel through which theparties involved could follow up on thedialogue and exchange experiences. Thecommittee has met several times so far.

The committee focuses its dialogue onprogress in implementing the provisionsof the Cotonou Agreement with regardto non-state actor participation. Itprovides an opportunity to discuss newpolicy documents, to take stock ofstructured processes of involving non-state actors in different countries andregions, and to reflect on how best to

associate civil society in theupcoming trade negotiations.

The committee is intended to provide an informal space for dialogue andexchange of information and practicalexperiences. As an informal, ad hocstructure, the committee does notpretend to be a representative body,or to have any decision-making role.

The participants in the meetings of theFollow-up Committee have includedrepresentatives of the ACP Secretariat,the Belgian Ministry of DevelopmentCooperation, ACP and European civilsociety organisations, the Economic and Social Committee, the EuropeanCommission, and the EU Presidency.

The Civil Society Follow-up Committee

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Coordination among non-state actors iskey to enhancing the quality of partici-pation in ACP-EC cooperation. In par-ticular, improved coordination could:

• facilitate ongoing processes of infor-mation sharing, dialogue and consul-tation among non-state actors at alllevels;

• strengthen the collective voice andimpact of non-state actors in defendingtheir common interests in dialogue withofficial parties;

• ensure that non-state actors with spe-cific skills and competencies areinvolved in the processes of pro-gramming, implementing and evalu-ating the CSP and the NIP; and

• enhance the inclusion of differentgroups of non-state actors.

RisksThere are also some risks attached to non-state actor coordination, however. Muchwill depend on the process followed tocreate coordination structures. In someACP countries, non-state actor coordi-nation has been negatively affected by:

• top-down approaches, leading to theestablishment of non-representativestructures that tend to be disconnectedfrom most non-state actors, especiallythose working at decentralised local levels;

• the politicisation of coordination struc-tures;

• in some cases, the coordinationstructure has been 'hijacked' by indi-viduals seeking to position themselvesfor their own personal gain;

• power battles between different groupsof non-state actors; and

• the pressure from official parties to dealwith a single body representing all non-state actors, which may lead to the creation of an artificial, non-viablestructure that does not respect the rich diversity of the groups it claims torepresent.

Non-state actor coordination has taken avariety of forms in different ACP countries,reflecting national dynamics and thenature of the relations between differentgroups of non-state actors. The diagramillustrates four possible scenarios.

6.3 Improving coordination among non-state actors

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Different groups of non-stateactors have developed atradition of working togetheron sector issues.They maydecide to join forces toparticipate in EC-supportedsectors, such as education.

In some ACP countries, non-state actors may decide tocreate a new umbrellastructure to work exclusivelyon ACP-EC cooperation, eitherby playing a coordinating roleor by providing services tomembers (e.g. a CotonouPlatform or Forum).

Non-state actors choose tocreate a forum to promoteparticipation across theboard (at different levels andtowards the donor com-munity as a whole).Participation under theCotonou Agreement is addedto the forum's agenda.

Loose consultations can takeplace between a wide rangeof non-state actors sharing acommon interest or expertisein a certain theme. The coordi-nation is not institutionalisedor linked to a specific cooper-ation framework, but can bemobilised for Cotonou issues.

Voluntary coordinationbetween existing networks

in EDF-supported sectors

Coordination structure with a mandate confined to

Cotonou issues

Forum of non-state actorscovering all relevant policies

(including Cotonou)

Ad hoc collaborationbetween thematic networks

on Cotonou issues

Sector-basedcoordination

Coordination throughcommittees focusing on

ACP-EC cooperation

Coordination through anumbrella platform

Coordination through athematic network

Figure 4: Possible scenarios for non-state actor coordination

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6.4 Making creative use of capacity building opportunities

Capacity building is probably the mostimportant 'key' to unlock the potential ofthe Cotonou Agreement as far as non-state actors are concerned.

During the consultations to produce thisguide, non-state actors pointed out that

the overall purpose of capacity buildingshould be to enhance their participationin all areas of ACP-EC cooperation, and notjust project implementation. In order torealise this ambitious agenda, non-stateactors will need to devise and adopt cre-ative approaches to capacity building.

What makes coordination effective?

Developing representative, democratic and capable coordination structures will taketime. The non-state actors involved will need to go through a dialogue process amongthemselves, in the course of which they will need to address many questions, including:

1. What coordination structures already exist?2. Do these existing bodies have the legitimacy and capacity to ensure

coordination?3. Is there a need to create a new structure?4. What groups of non-state actors should be included in the coordination structure?5. What should be the governance principles of the coordination structure?6. How can a balance be achieved between the need for centralisation (to ensure

effective coordination) and decentralisation (to ensure the legitimacy and viabilityof the strucure)?

7. How can responsibilities be shared among non-state actors with different roles,competencies and added value?

8. What are the best ways of sharing information in a regular and cost-effective wayamong non-state actors?

9. How can the autonomy, democratic development and sustainability of the coordi-nation structure be ensured?

10. What can be done to ensure coherence between the coordination efforts of non-state actors in the framework of ACP-EC cooperation and in other key processes(such as the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers)?


How can creative approaches tocapacity building be developed?Non-state actors can play a major role inpushing forward innovative approaches tocapacity building that go far beyondproject implementation or traditionalmodalities such as training or technicalassistance.

The success of some platforms as theNon-State Actors' Forum (NSAF) inZimbabwe, can be attributed to the cre-ativity they displayed, throughout theprocess, in coming up with new ideas on

how to build sustainable capacity. Forinstance, in the initial years of theZimbabwe Decentralised CooperationProgramme (ZCDP), which formed thebedrock for the emergence of the NSAF, animportant part of the budget wasreserved for capacity building at differentlevels (district, regional, national). Ratherthan establishing a traditional 'ProjectManagement Unit' (PMU) to run the pro-gramme, it was preferred to put in place a'Technical Facilitation Unit' (TFU) with amuch broader mandate than managingthe resources (see box).

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A key objective of the Zimbabwe DecentralisedCooperation Programme (ZDCP) was to putnon-state actors largely in the driving seat inmanaging the programme. Yet this is not aneasy undertaking to achieve in practice. Thereare complex financial accountabilityrequirements to be respected. Non-state actorsmay lack the capacities to take a leading role inthe initial stage.

To this end, ZDCP decided to set-up a 'TechnicalFacilitation Unit' (TFU) as an overall supportmechanism for the non-state actors involved.With regard to accountability, the TFUfunctions like a traditional 'ProjectManagement Unit' (PMU). It is in charge offinancial management and ensures that the

programme is implemented according to EDFprocedures. But in addition to this, it isexplicitly mandated to act as a 'processfacilitator' or an enabling structure at theservice of non-state actors. Individual staffmembers are responsible for:

• carrying out capacity building activities fornon-state actors;

• facilitating dialogue between differentactors at local and national level

• ensuring joint learning;• communicating the outcomes of the ZDCP to

all stakeholders (government, the EuropeanCommission, non-state actors); and

• helping non-state actors to buildrepresentative structures.

The role of the Technical Facilitation Unit (TFU) in Zimbabwe

EXAMPLEA

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In order to define a comprehensive and audacious capacity building agenda, non-state actors should consider the followingquestions

1. What are the most relevant strategic priorities for capacity building?2. What can be done to avoid a fragmented approach to capacity building, such as

providing ad hoc project support to a myriad of individual organisations?3. What is the most efficient and effective way to develop the capacities needed for

dialogue and advocacy?4.What new capacities are required to operate in a multi-actor environment,

including the capacity to enter into public-private partnerships, based on a divisionof tasks?

5. What roles can certain categories of non-state actors play in facilitating or pro-viding capacity building services?

6.How can capacity building objectives be mainstreamed in all cooperation pro-grammes and projects?

7. What will it mean in practice to strengthen the 'emergence of an active andorganised civil society' as a whole?

8.What can be done to reinforce the sustainability of investments in capacity building?

Translating thisguide into practice

7

7.1 Disseminating this guide

7.2 Starting a discussion

7.3 Sustaining information flows and knowledge sharing

7.4 The role of umbrella organisations and networks

7.5 The role of information and communication technologies (ICTs)

As we have seen in previous chapters, it will be necessary for non-state actors to work together to organise themselves, create

strategic alliances and monitor progress in implementing theCotonou Agreement. This chapter explores how this guide can serveas a catalyst in that process. If widely disseminated, the guide couldcontribute to ongoing discussions and sustain information flows on

non-state actor participation in practice. The chapter also looks atthe role of umbrella organisations and networks, and provides a

brief overview of the potential role of information andcommunications technologies (ICTs) in this process.

'The challenge lies in translating and transforming informationso that it flows from the grassroots level, via national fora, to

international negotiations, and back again. It is not enoughwith a handful of informed individuals representing NSAs in

each country. We need to invest in information brokeringbetween these different levels.'

A non-state actor in Kenya


The Cotonou Agreement stresses theimportance of information sharing at alllevels - not just in formal dialoguebetween ACP governments, the EuropeanCommission and non-state actors in ACPcountries, but also among non-stateactors themselves. This is particularlyimportant as the EC, like many otherdevelopment agencies, and ACP govern-ments have only limited capacity when itcomes to information dissemination.Non-state actors are best placed to passon information of relevance to them -including this guide - using their owncommunications channels and networks.

Further disseminationThe ACP Secretariat will be the focal pointfor the distribution of printed copies of theguide. In order to be cost-effective, dissemi-nation will be primarily organised throughthe official parties (NAOs, Delegations ofthe European Commission) and throughnetworks of non-state actors. The guidecan also be downloaded from the ACPSecretariat website (www.acpsec.org).Yet it would be unrealistic to expect officialparties to have sufficient means andmechanisms to distribute it to all the hun-dreds of thousands of non-state actors inthe 77 ACP countries who could potentiallybenefit from the information it contains.

To ensure that this guide can serve as thebasis and starting point for discussion, it

is important that non-state actors take itas their own task to disseminate it furtherto anyone who may be interested.In doing so, non-state actors should keepin mind that this guide is intended only toprovide information - it is not binding onthe official parties in any way. It can serveas a useful tool for defining your owndesired roles and functions in gettinginvolved in implementing the CotonouAgreement, and as the basis for discus-sions with official parties on how theguide applies to the national context.

New information productsA first step is to spread the word aboutthis guide among your colleagues andnetworks, and ask them to download,email, photocopy, translate if necessary,and distribute it further. The informationit contains can also be used to create newinformation products that may be bettersuited for the needs of network members,such as:

• training modules;• posters or pamphlets explaining

relevant sections using simple termsand language; and

• translations of relevant sections of theguide into local languages, especiallyfor use in rural areas.

Such information products can providecommon reference points for launching a

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7.1 Disseminating this guide

96


debate on how this guide relates to yourown circumstances, and what action youcan take together to engage in ACP-ECcooperation. Remember that this is yourproduct, from which you can selectrelevant parts to be used for influencingpolicy, lobbying, or simply as an organisingtool.

Further fundingAll of these activities will cost money, ofcourse. You could therefore jointly, or vianational platforms or umbrella organisa-tions, try to obtain further funding foryour planned dissemination and commu-nication activities, either from the EC orfrom other donor agencies.

Be creative in your fundraising campaigns.It is usually difficult to obtain funding tostart up a new information and communi-cations network, or to expand a networkthat is not yet well established and thebenefits for its members are not clear.However, networking and informationsharing processes that do take off andprove to be successful usually have littletrouble in getting support from bothmembers and donors.

This highlights a common dilemma: inorder to get further funding you will needto strengthen the mechanisms for net-working and communicating with others,yet in order to do so, you will (most likely)need further funding. To avoid gettingstuck at the outset, look for cheap solu-tions to get a dissemination process offthe ground that could lead both to a

debate about this guide and to follow-upactions afterwards. However, it isimportant that you make full use ofexisting communication channels to startup the process before investing in newtechnologies.

Taking an active role in information dis-semination and discussion fora aroundthe Cotonou Agreement can also facilitateyour access to broader national debateson policy formulation and programmeimplementation, including the PRSPprocess or other national developmentstrategies (see section 4.2, point 1).

Non-state actors are encouraged to tailorthe information in this guide to meet spe-cific needs. Discussions on how it can beadapted could take place at several levels:

• at the local level, on a small scale,among your partners;

• at the sector level, through umbrellaorganisations and other representativebodies; or

• at the national level, among themembers of national platforms, whichwill vary from country to country,depending on national characteristics ofcivil society participation and thepolitical climate.

7.2 Starting a discussion


In discussions at any of these levels, it isimportant to get together with others todetermine what particular role andfunction your organisation or networkwould be best suited to play, and how itcan complement the work of others. It willalso be necessary to identify in what areaof the Cotonou Agreement you wish tointervene as a non-state actor.

Following the initial dissemination anddiscussion phases, the next step will be toensure that the dialogue and exchange ofexperiences continue once the guide isput into practice. For this non-state actorsmay need to set up new or strengthenexisting information distribution mecha-nisms that will foster linkages betweenlocal, national, regional and internationallevels, and maintain a two-way flow ofinformation.

As the body of evidence and experienceon how things work in practice increases,non-state actors will be able to monitorprogress in the implementation of theCotonou Agreement over time, as well asthe quality of participation. Equipped withsuch evidence non-state actors will beable to intervene more effectively at keystages of the programming and reviewprocesses, such as in the mid-term andannual reviews of national implemen-tation and policies (see section 4.2, point 5).

Learn lessons based on experiencesPolicy makers both at the national leveland in Europe are keen to understand howthe provisions of the Cotonou Agreementfor non-state actor participation will workin practice on the ground. Information onall aspects of their participation thereforeneeds to be systematically gathered anddisseminated, allowing for a wide range of

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7.3 Sustaining information flows and knowledge sharing

Some questions to stimulate reflection onhow to make this guide relevant in thecontext you are working could be:

• How does this guide relate to us?• Does a platform exist in our area of

operations that is currently hosting orwould be willing to facilitate a dialogueon this topic?

• What role can we play ininitiating/sustaining such a dialogue?

• Who else can we inform about thisguide?

• How can we use extracts from this guidein our current communications tools -newsletters, meetings, seminars or othermedia?

• What new communications tools do weneed in order to engage withorganisations or platforms operating atother levels - district/local level,national, regional or international?

Making this guide locally relevant

98


examples to be put forward in the variousreviews. Such information could alsoencourage non-state actors themselves toengage with others, to learn lessons basedon experiences in other countries andregions, to share their frustrations, or toplan new ways forward.

Local and/or national non-state actors inACP countries may want to team up withEuropean partner organisations, where

such partners would provide added valuein feeding their experiences to wider net-works, such as decision makers in Brussels,European donors and the public at large. Anumber of European organisations (seebox) are working to ensure that infor-mation on how implementation works inpractice, and the lessons learned in theprocess, flows beyond national bordersinto the ACP-EU debate.

The Cotonou Monitoring Group is thecoordinating structure for a number ofEuropean development non-governmentalorganisation (NGO) networks. The Groupexchanges information and ideas onmonitoring and advocacy approaches in theimplementation of the Cotonou Agreement.www.eurostep.org

The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) works inmany ACP countries, where it organisestraining seminars on the Cotonou Agreementfor decision makers, NGOs and other non-stateactors, and the media. The FES also facilitates anumber of dialogue processes to follow theimplementation of the Agreement at the ACP

country level, in order to ensure that thelessons learned are fed into the Europeandialogues. www.fes.de/cotonou

The European Centre for Development PolicyManagement (ECDPM), as well as facilitatingthe production of this guide, is building up aseries of country case studies of non-stateactor involvement in implementing theCotonou Agreement. In the coming years theCentre will monitor the process ofimplementation in practice, with the aim offacilitating wide use and sharing of nationalexperiences and evidence-based learning.www.ecdpm.org

Examples of European initiatives around non-state actor participation

EXAMPLEA

Sharing informationAt the national level, structures to ensurevertical information flows, both from thetop down and from the bottom up needsto be put in place to ensure a two-way flowof information between central and decen-tralised/local non-state actors. The linksbetween these different levels of discussionand information sharing are critical forensuring that the approach adopted by

non-state actors is coherent, and that theirparticipation is truly representative.

Similarly, sharing information with peersand partners in horizontal informationflows can enhance learning, coordinationand encourage coalition building amongdifferent groups of non-state actors. This,in turn, can increase their ability toinfluence policies, access funding, etc.

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1st level

2nd level

3rd level

4th level

Grassroots organisations/community-based organisationsInformal groupings or ad hoc organisations working in the immediate local context.

Limited geographical or thematic dimensions. Mostly self-financed through members’fees and contributions, e.g. cooperatives, women’s associations, etc.

Organisations formally constitutedLegally registered organisations with approved statutes,

working mostly for the direct benefit of the population or inservice delivery, sometimes in collaboration with grassroots

organisations, e.g. NGOs, associations.

Umbrella Organisationsand thematic networks

National associations, federationand thematic groupings of

organisations mandated to defendcommon interests.

PlatformsCommon

dialogue forafor umbrella

organisations and networks of the

third level.

Horizontal information flow

Vert

ical i

nfor

mat

ion

flow

Figure 5: Vertical and horizontal information flows between non-state actors

100


The implementation of the CotonouAgreement, as with many other interna-tional development cooperation agree-ments, will rely heavily on the existence ofwell functioning networks for sharinginformation and keeping non-state actorsup-to-date with progress.

Important roleUmbrella organisations and platformshave a particularly important role to playin strengthening both vertical and hori-zontal information flows. However, it is

challenging to make a network functionwell, which calls for careful planning andinvestments, especially in making sure theinformation is passed up and trickles backdown to the local level and rural areas.

Such networks and national platformscould perform an important function inhosting dialogue processes and facili-tating information sharing on how thisguide can be adapted to country andsector-specific contexts. They could also bepivotal in sustaining the process over timeand in building up a body of evidence andexperience on how the guide can be usedin practice in different settings.

Many of the non-state actors consulted inthe preparation of this guide stressed theneed for second-level or intermediaryorganisations (such as umbrella organisa-tions, networks and other knowledgebrokers) to explain in non-technical termsand in local languages what the differentdevelopment cooperation frameworks,policies and programmes mean inpractice. Various media outlets (such asradio bulletins, newspapers and onlinenewsportals) could also assist by com-piling 'information digests' and by 'trans-lating' this guide for different audiences.

The EC Delegations are trying to maketheir operations more transparent. Forinstance, they are increasingly using theirown country-specific websites to make

7.4 The role of umbrella organisations and networks

• If such a platform exists in your countryor area of operation, contact them to seewhat plans they have in relation to thisguide, and offer your own suggestions.

• If you are a part of such a platform, findout what funding might be available tostart a national process to adapt thisguide to your country-specific context.Could such a communications processaround this guide also help tostrengthen existing means of sharinginformation among platform members?You may also want to consider whatchannels and technologies would be thebest suited for communicating with dif-ferent groups of non-state actors.

Get in touch with your network


relevant information available to a largeraudience. On its own, however, this is notenough to broaden their outreach to allnon-state actors in a country. Here, inter-mediary organisations and platforms couldplay an important role by gathering infor-

mation from these websites, translating itinto easily understandable language, andpassing it on to their members. In this waythey can also help to even out 'informationinequalities' due to the poor connectivityin the rural areas of many ACP countries.

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The following suggestions for improvingcommunication and information disseminationamong non-state actors were made during theonline consultation with over 130 participants andat national seminars in the different ACP regions.

• The Internet can be used to make information -including this guide - more widely available, butit first needs to be 'digested' and forwarded byother means to potential users in areas whereInternet connections are slow or non-existent. Italso needs to be complemented by moreparticipatory methods for those with minimalbackground knowledge (Jamaica, Cameroon).

• E-newsletters can be a useful and inexpensiveway to disseminate information (Zimbabwe).

• A neutral 'information exchange point' couldbe created at the national level, with a directoryof the activities of broad groupings/categoriesof non-state actors, as well as their advocacyinterests and geographical scope. It should alsocontain a directory of what the EC andgovernment priorities are for each area, andwhat support is available for capacity building.This information exchange point should ideallybe managed by a neutral third party that couldalso match interests, send out targeted alerts tonon-state actors, and identify any informationgaps. This third party could also facilitate adialogue process on how the guide can beadapted to particular working environments

and in different areas of operations of non-stateactors (Kenya).

• Work more closely with the media and specificjournalists (Mali, Kenya). In particular, makegood use of radio outlets for disseminatinginformation, such as community radio (Jamaica)and Pan-African Radio (Cameroon). Radiostations could host debates between EC andnon-state actor representatives on differenttopics that would be of interest to a wide rangeof listeners (Malawi).

• Mobilise and strengthen non-state actornetworks so they can communicate better withmembers to inform them about this guide. (Mali,Swaziland). Invest in the information sharingfunction of non-state actor platforms (Fiji).

• Broaden knowledge about the CotonouAgreement and the opportunities for participationbeyond a handful of informed individuals using adiversity of information channels at local,nationaland regional levels (Fiji).

• Work in partnership with national knowledgeinstitutions to build up the capacity to participatein debates in an informed manner (Kenya).

• Within each EC Delegation one person should bedesignated as non-state actor liaison officer toact as a common entry point and to respond torequests for information (Mauritius).

Communication and information disseminationSuggestions from non-state actors

NSA

USER'S GUIDE

102


Information and communication tech-nologies (ICTs) can play a valuable andcomplementary role in dissemination, dis-cussion and sustained knowledge sharing.However, this is only the case if 'new'technologies (such as the Internet andvarious online tools) are integrated withexisting, more traditional means of com-munication, such as face-to-face meetingsand consultations.

It is important to keep in mind, however,that technologies are just that - tech-nologies. Just as you can get from point Ato point B faster by car than if you walk,ICTs can transmit messages more effi-ciently. But ultimately they simply faci-litate human interaction, and assist you ingetting from A to B.

7.5 The role of information and communication technologies (ICTs)

Some initial questions to askwhen choosing ICTs

1. What kind of information do we need topass on to network members in order forus to start discussions and get involvedat local, national and regional levels?

2.What channels of communicationwould be most effective for reachingthe different groups in the network - i.e.what should the mix of ICTs look like?

3. Is there a role for new, digitally basedICTs in addition to the communicationschannels and tools we already use?

4. Do all of the people we want to engagewith have access to and know how touse these new technologies? If they donot, would it mean that some peoplewould be excluded from the discus-sions? If so, how can we overcome suchinformation inequalities?

5. What capacities do we need to developin order to communicate more effec-tively and share our experiences?

The Centre has more than 10 years experience inworking with non-state actors in the field ofagriculture and rural development and has amandate to support the ICM (Information andCommunication Management) strategies of anygroup, rural or otherwise, pursuing issues insupport of or in the interest of the rural sector. Inaddition to the more traditional methods ofinformation dissemination, such as printpublications (e.g. Spore Bulletin), conferences,radio programmes and face-to-face meetings,CTA also exploits available ICTs such as web-portals, e-forums and satellite broadcasting toreach its audiences. CTA has dedicated one of itsthematic web portals to ICTs with the ‘ICTUpdate’website focusing on the use of ICTs forACP agricultural and rural development.

See: http://ictupdate.cta.int/

CTA’s experience in ICTs

7


Sharing information through onlinecommunitiesThe Internet is an efficient means of dis-seminating this guide to those who haveonline access. Yet it may not be sufficientin areas where Internet connections areslow. In many cases it may be moreeffective to photocopy the guide andhand it out to colleagues. As mentionedabove, intermediary networks and plat-forms can play an important role in levelling the playing field in relation toinformation inequalities (see section 7.4).

Although some people may have diffi-culties downloading big documents fromthe Internet due to poor connectivity,email (electronic mail) requires less interms of hardware, and is used by manynon-state actors for information dissemi-nation and networking. There arenumerous electronic discussion groupsorganised by individual organisations or,increasingly, by communities of interest ornetworks.

Of course, setting up an online consultationis not an easy task. It requires a lot ofpreparatory work, coordination and effort,not only on the technical aspects. It will alsotake time and effort to motivate andencourage members of a network to parti-cipate. On the other hand, online consulta-tions can be an effective way of connectingmembers of a community of interest arounda common goal (such as to discuss follow-upactions to this guide). They could also be par-ticularly useful for exchanging lessonslearned across borders and in enabling non-

state actors to participate in dialogue at theregional or international level.

103

Dgroups: development through dialogue During the preparation of this guide, anonline workspace and electronic discussionran in parallel with the in-country seminarsand meetings to consult the widest possiblenumber of non-state actors and stakeholdersacross the ACP countries. Dgroups is one ofseveral portals/online networking tools thatenable groups and communities ininternational development to shareinformation and interact online. It is targetedat low-bandwidth users in developingcountries. www.dgroups.org

ACP Civil Society Information NetworkA joint project of the ACP Civil Society Forum(represented by Environmental DevelopmentAction in the Third World, ENDA), Euforic andECDPM, the ACP-EU Civil Society InformationNetwork aims to extend and enhance theappropriate use of ICTs by civil society actorsin ACP countries and in Europe. The Network isworking to raise awareness, and to createknowledge-sharing systems and partnershipson priority issues like poverty reduction,sustainable development, and the integrationof ACP economies into the world economy.http://acp-eu.euforic.org/civsoc/

Online communities

EXAMPLEA

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RadioAs the reach of the Internet increases, it issometimes forgotten that a more tradi-tional ICT like radio can be a very effectivecommunications tool. Almost everyoneacross the globe has access to a radio athome, at work or in public places. Radiocan also be both instructive and enter-taining. Many of the non-state actors con-sulted in the preparation of this guidestressed the value of community radio.One participant suggested that radio sta-tions could host live debates and phone-insessions on non-state actor participationin the Cotonou Agreement based on thisguide, focusing on one chapter per week.

Many NGOs and platforms now operatetheir own radio stations. They commissionlocal journalists all over the world to filereports specifically for the developmentsector, and distribute story clips via theInternet.

Video and TVVarious online platforms are beinglaunched where individuals and organisa-tions can upload their own video clips toshare with others (http://tv.oneworld.net).This is based on the 'open documentary'concept. Stories are collectively built up,based on video clips uploaded by indi-viduals and organisations, which can thenbe edited into a story and broadcast on acommunity TV channel. Although this israther technologically advanced, it could beused for broadcasting interviews with non-state actors and stories of their experiencesin implementing the Cotonou Agreement.

Another more traditional way to dissem-inate information is of course to workwith local TV stations and their ownreporters, keeping them informed aboutthe involvement of non-state actors ininfluencing and implementing policiesunder the Cotonou Agreement.

Radio Galkayo broadcasts throughout theHorn of Africa, and is the only community-based media outlet in northeastern Somalia.It was set up in 1993 to provide an alternativeto the radio stations controlled by the localwarlords. Run by young people on a voluntarybasis, its programmes focus on socio-economic issues, development strategies,education, demining, sports and culture, theconcerns of women, peace and reconciliation.www.radiogalkayo.com/

Community radio in rural AfricaRadio Galkayo, Somalia

EXAMPLEA


105

• Contact the local/national/regional office or correspondent for the mediaorganisation you have in mind.

• Find out how the media organisation canhelp you tell your story. For example, doesthe organisation have its own journalists,or can you submit your own material(video, radio clip or article)?

• Build up long-term relationships withinterested journalists covering your areaof operations.

• Be aware of general news debates, anddecide what story would be best suitedfor which media outlet (radio, TV or print).

Working with the media print, radio and TV

Glossary

Acronyms

Annexes


This glossary provides brief definitions ofsome key terms and concepts used in ACP-ECcooperation. Please note that some terms areexplained in the text (see sections 2.4 and 5.5,for example), and are not repeated here.

ACP Group (page 3): Established in 1975 withthe signing of the Georgetown Agreement,the ACP Group now comprises 79 African,Caribbean and Pacific countries (for details seeAnnex I). Two members of the ACP Grouphave a special status. South Africa acceded tothe Lomé Conventions and the CotonouAgreement, and is represented in all jointACP-EC institutions. However, it does nothave access to the resources of the EuropeanDevelopment Fund. European support is pro-vided through a special EU budget line, andthere is also a separate trade agreement.Cuba is also a member of the ACP group buthas not signed the Cotonou Agreement.These special cases explain why the guiderefers to just 77 ACP countries.

Call for proposals (page 70): This refers tothe procedure used to allocate fundingthrough EU budget lines (see section 5.4) aswell as through the EDF for support pro-grammes to non-state actors (see section 5.3).In practice, non-state actors are invited (or'called' upon), at regular intervals, to submitproject proposals. Calls for proposals are pub-licly announced (e.g. in the major newspapersof ACP countries). Information is provided onthe type of projects that will be considered forfunding and on specific conditions to be metin each Call for Proposals. Only part of theproposed projects will pass the selection test.

CTA - The Technical Centre for Agriculturaland Rural Cooperation ACP-EU(page 18): The Technical Centre forAgricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU(CTA) was established in 1983 under thesecond Lomé Convention between the ACPand the EU Member States. Since 2000, it hasoperated within the framework of the ACP-ECCotonou Agreement. CTA’s tasks are todevelop and provide services that improveaccess to information for agricultural andrural development, and to strenghten thecapacity of ACP countries to produce, acquire,exchange and utilise information in this areathrough the support of ACP organisations.(www.cta.int)

Development Assistance Committee(DAC) (page 49): The principal body troughwhich the OECD deals with issues related tocooperation with developing countries. It is akey forum in which bilateral donors worktogether to increase the effectiveness of theircommon efforts to support sustainable devel-opment. (www.oecd.org/dac)

Economic Partnership Agreements(EPAs) (page 14) : These are trade agreementsbetween the EC and ACP countries that willreplace the current system of non-reciprocaltrade preferences. The EPAs will be com-patible with the requirements of the WorldTrade Organization (WTO), and will progres-sively remove barriers to trade between theEU and the ACP sub-regions and enhancecooperation in all areas. EPAs are designed tofoster regional integration processes in theACP. The EPA negotiations are to be concluded

107

Glossary of terms

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by December 2007 at the latest, and theagreements are expected to enter into forceby January 2008.

Eligibility criteria (page 31): In order to par-ticipate in ACP-EC cooperation, non-stateactors need to be 'eligible'. The CotonouAgreement defines a basic set of eligibilitycriteria for non-state actors (Article 6). Theymust address the needs of the population;have specific competencies and be organisedand led democratically and transparently.More refined eligibility criteria can be definedat country level (e.g. during the programmingprocess or at the time of identifying asupport programme for non-state actors).

European Commission (page 7): As the EU'sexecutive body, the European Commissionworks in close partnership with the otherEuropean institutions and the governmentsof EU Member States. The Commission hasthe right to take the initiative in proposingpolicies, although all major legislative deci-sions are taken by the Ministers of EUMember States in the Council of theEuropean Union, and the democraticallyelected members of the EuropeanParliament. The European Commission playsa key role in implementing the EU's externalpolicies, working through its 128 Delegationsand Offices around the world. The ECDelegations are gradually being strengthenedto ensure the effective delivery of Europeanexternal assistance.

European Community (EC) (page 3): In1957, six European states founded theEuropean Economic Community (EEC). Sincethen, the process of integration has been sys-tematically pushed forward into areas other

than economic cooperation. The EuropeanCommunity and the Member States togetherform the European Union (EU).

European Development Fund (EDF) (page 15): For historical reasons, ACP cooper-ation is not funded through the regularbudget of the European Union, but throughthe European Development Fund (EDF), aspecial fund to which Member States con-tribute every five years. The resourcesavailable to ACP countries through each EDF(currently the 9th) are specified in a 'financialprotocol' to the partnership agreement foreach five-year period.

European Union (EU) (page 3): The EU is theresult of a process of regional cooperationthat began in the early 1950s. The EU's singlemarket, comprising 374 million consumers, isthe world's largest trading bloc. The EU (i.e.the European Community and the MemberStates) is also the largest provider of officialdevelopment assistance. The 15 EU MemberStates (as at the end of 2003) are: Austria,Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, theNetherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and theUnited Kingdom. In 2004, ten further coun-tries will join the Community: the CzechRepublic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia andSlovenia (see Annex II).

Essential elements (page 14): The part-nership between the ACP and the EC isunderpinned by a set of shared core values.The Lomé IV bis Convention (1995-2000)explicitly included respect for human rights,democratic principles and the rule of law asthe 'essential elements' of ACP-EC cooper-


ation, whose violation could lead to the sus-pension of aid. The Cotonou Agreementbuilds on this and refines the consultationprocess between the parties in cases of pos-sible violation of these essential elements(see Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement).

Everything but Arms (EBA) initiative(page 17): Launched by the EU in 2001, theEBA initiative extends duty free and quotafree access to the European market to allproducts originating in the least developedcountries (LDCs), except arms and ammu-nition. The EBA thus completes the liberali-sation of trade in agricultural products,including sensitive items such as meat, dairyproducts, cereals, fruit and vegetables. Thisinitiative is relevant in the context of thisguide because 34 of the 49 states classified asLDCs are in Africa and are members of theACP group.

Financial protocol (page 15): The CotonouAgreement has been concluded for 20 yearsand contains a clause allowing for its revisionevery five years. Alongside the Agreement is afinancial protocol, which indicates the totalresources that are available to the ACP coun-tries through the European DevelopmentFund (EDF) for a period of five years.

Financial regulation (page 8): This termrefers to a broad set of financial rules andprocedures that determine how the ECshould manage its development cooperationresources. These legal provisions, negotiatedwith the Member States, also apply to ACP-ECcooperation, and must be respected in everyprogramme, project or contract.

Fundamental element (page 19): During

the negotiation of the Cotonou Agreement,the EU wanted to expand the essential ele-ments of the partnership (see above) toinclude 'good governance'. The ACP countriesfelt that this concept was already adequatelycovered by the existing categories of essentialelements, and were concerned that it couldbe applied by the EC in a discretionarymanner. Under the compromise subsequentlyreached, good governance is a 'fundamentalelement' of the Cotonou Agreement. Unlikein a situation involving the violation of an'essential element', an ACP state facing amajor governance crisis need not fear thesuspension of aid, with the notable exceptionof 'serious cases of corruption'.

Good governance (page 19): The CotonouAgreement (Article 9) defines good gover-nance as 'the transparent and accountablemanagement of human, natural, economicand financial resources for the purposes ofequitable and sustainable development'.

Non-reciprocal trade preferences (page13): For the past 25 years, under successiveLomé Conventions, the EC has granted non-reciprocal trade preferences to ACP countries.This means that ACP countries have beenable to export nearly all of their products tothe European market without having to paycustoms duties, and without having to openup their own markets in return. Under theCotonou Agreement, this preferential regimewill be maintained until December 2007 andshould then be replaced by EPAs (see above).

Official parties (page 20): The CotonouAgreement has been concluded between ACPstates and the EC. They constitute the officialparties in the cooperation process. Alongside

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110


these official parties, other institutions andactors play a major role, including non-stateactors.

Participatory development (page 5): Fortyyears of development cooperation haveclearly demonstrated the limits of top-down,centralised approaches to development. Thewave of democratisation that swept throughthe developing world after the end of theCold War gave a further impetus to thedesign of more participatory approaches todevelopment and cooperation processes. TheCotonou Agreement fully subscribes to thisapproach by creating space and opportunitiesfor all possible categories of relevant non-state actors to participate in the formulationand implementation of ACP-EC cooperation.

Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers(PRSPs) (page 44): In recent years, led by theinternational financial institutions (theInternational Monetary Fund and the WorldBank), many developing countries haveorganised national consultation processesaimed at formulating comprehensive povertyreduction strategies. The idea is not just toproduce a plan, but to elaborate a frameworkthat should guide policy-making and the allo-cation of resources, including joint donor con-tributions. EC support to ACP countries isexpected to align itself to the priorities spec-ified in the PRSP, and to facilitate theireffective implementation.

Public-private partnership (PPP) (page29): The Cotonou Agreement insists on the'complementary role' that state and non-state actors can play in fostering the processof development. It therefore seeks to

promote dialogue and collaboration betweenthe government and other developmentactors, as well as partnerships between publicagencies (e.g. a ministry) and private organi-sations (e.g. a company or non-governmentalorganisation) to jointly implement a policy ora programme.

Rolling programming (page 21): EC supportto ACP countries is programmed, or allocatedto priority sectors and activities, through dia-logue between the official parties and in con-sultation with non-state actors. Under theCotonou Agreement, programming is nolonger seen as a 'one-shot exercise', to bedone only at the beginning of each five-yearcooperation period. It now has to be carriedout in a systematic way, through ongoingreviews of the initial priorities and budgetallocations. In this sense, programmingbecomes a 'rolling' process.

Tripartite dialogue (page 84): This term isincreasingly being used in ACP countries inthe context of organising the participation ofnon-state actors in ACP-EC cooperation. Inorder to avoid instrumental approaches (e.g.focusing on providing aid directly to non-state actors), it is important to ensure thateffective tripartite (three-way) dialogue takesplace between the ACP government orregional body and the EC (the official parties),and representative structures of non-stateactors. The relevance and effectiveness ofsuch dialogue has been well demonstrated insome ACP countries (e.g. Uganda) that havebeen able to move forward in promoting non-state actor participation.


ACP African, Caribbean and Pacific countries

AWP Annual work programme CAP Common Agricultural Policy (EU)CARICOM Caribbean CommunityCDE Centre for the Development of

EnterpriseCEDEAO Communauté Économique des

États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest(ECOWAS)

CEMAC Communauté Économique etMonétaire de l'Afrique Centrale

CONCORD European Federation of Development and Relief NGOs

CSP Country Strategy PaperCTA Technical Centre for Agricultural

and Rural Cooperation ACP-EUDAC Development Assistance

Committee (OECD)EBA 'Everything-but-Arms' initiative EC European Community ECDPM European Centre for Development

Policy ManagementECOWAS Economic Community of West

African States (CEDEAO)EDF European Development FundEEC European Economic CommunityEESC European Economic and Social

CommitteeEIB European Investment BankEPA Economic Partnership AgreementESDP Education Sector Development

Programme (Tanzania)EU European UnionEuforic European Forum on International

CooperationEurostep European Solidarity towards

Equal Participation of People

FES Friedrich Ebert Stiftung FTA Free trade agreementGDP Gross domestic productIDAPP Integrated Drug Abuse Prevention

Programme (Jamaica)JPA Joint Parliamentary Assembly JTAT Jamaican Trade and Adjustment

TeamLDC Least developed countryMTR Mid-term review NAO National Authorising OfficerNEDLAC National Economic Development

and Labour Council (South Africa)NGO Non-governmental organisationNIP National Indicative ProgrammeNSA Non-state actorNSAF Non-State Actors' Forum

(Zimbabwe)ODI Overseas Development Institute

(UK)OECD Organisation for Economic

Cooperation and DevelopmentPIU Programme implementation unitPMU Programme management unitPPP Public-private partnershipPRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper RAO Regional Authorising OfficerRIP Regional Indicative ProgrammeRSP Regional Strategy PaperSIA Sustainability impact assessmentTANGO Tuvalu Association of NGOsTEN Tanzania Education Network ToR Terms of referenceUN United NationsWCL World Confederation of Labour WTO World Trade OrganizationZDCP Zimbabwe Decentralised

Cooperation Programme

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List of acronyms

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* Least Developed Countries (LDCs)1 South Africa is a member of the ACP Group

and the Cotonou Agreement, however aidgranted to South Africa is taken from the EUbudget, not the EDF.

2 Cuba is a member of the ACP Group, but hasnot signed the Cotonou Agreement.

ANNEX I ACP countries and institutions in the framework of Cotonou

SouthernAfrica

Angola BotswanaLesotho*Malawi*Mozambique*NamibiaSouth Africa1

SwazilandZambia* Zimbabwe

CentralAfrica

Burundi*CameroonCape Verde*CentralAfricanRepublic*Chad*DemocraticRepublic ofCongo*EquatorialGuinea*GabonRepublic ofCongoRwanda*Sao Tomé andPrincipe*

EastAfrica

Comores*Djibouti*Ethiopia*Eritrea*KenyaMadagascar*MauritiusSeychellesSomalia*Sudan* Tanzania*Uganda*

WestAfrica

Benin*Burkina Faso* Gambia*GhanaGuinea* GuineaBissau*Ivory CoastLiberia*Mauritania*Mali*Niger*NigeriaSenegal*Sierra Leone*Togo*

Caribbean

Antigua andBarbudaBahamasBarbadosBelizeCuba2

DominicaDominicanRepublicGrenadaGuyanaHaiti*JamaicaSt-Christopherand NevisSt LuciaSt Vincent andthe GrenadinesSurinameTrinidad andTobago

Pacific

Cook IslandsEast TimorFijiKiribati* MarshallIslandsMicronesiaNauruNiuePalauPapua NewGuineaSamoa*SolomonIslands* TongoTuvalu*Vanuatu*

ACP countries by region


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ACP SecretariatThe ACP Secretariat supports the activitiesof the ACP Group institutions (Council ofMinisters, Committee of Ambassadors,Joint Assembly, Economic and SocialCommittee) and assists related institutions,particularly CDE and CTA. It follows up theimplementation of the CotonouAgreement and coordinates the work ofthe above-mentioned institutions andother related groups.

The ACP Secretariat is based in Brussels andemploys about 70 staff from all over the ACP.

ACP Committee of AmbassadorsThe Committee of Ambassadors iscomposed of all ACP Ambassadorsaccreditied to the EU. It is responsible forcarrying out the ACP Council decisions. It isheaded by a bureau and technical sub-committees are set up to follow up ondifferent aspects of the CotonouAgreement.

ACP Council of MinistersThe Council is the highest institution of theACP Group. It determines commonpositions for the ACP Group in thenegotiations with the EU on the ACP-ECcooperation.

For more information on these institutions,their staff and activities, see

www.acpsec.org

ACP Secretariat451 Avenue Georges HenriB-1200 BrusselsBelgiumTel.: +32 (0)2 743 06 00Fax: +32 (0)2 735 55 73E-mail: [email protected]

The ACP institutions

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European Member StatesIn 1957 six countries - Belgium, France,Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and theNetherlands - signed the Treaty of Rome estab-lishing the European Economic Community(EEC). Since then, a further nine countries havejoined the Community: Denmark, the Republicof Ireland and the United Kingdom in 1973,Greece in 1981, Portugal and Spain in 1986, andAustria, Finland and Sweden in 1995.

Over the years, the Member States havesigned a number of treaties, the MaastrichtTreaty (1992) establishing the European Union,and the Treaty of Amsterdam (1999), whichled to further integration of social, politicaland defence policies, and the strengthening ofEuropean institutions. Currently, the EUMember States are discussing the draft for acommon European constitution.

New Member StatesThe European Union is now preparing towelcome a further ten countries - Cyprus,the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, andSlovenia - which will become Member Statesin 2004.

Possible candidatesIn the coming years Bulgaria and Romaniaare expected to follow, and Turkey andUkraine are possible candidates, dependingon their economic performance and respectfor human rights.

European InstitutionsOver the decades, a complex set of institu-tions has emerged to administer theEuropean Union, most of which are based inBrussels in Belgium. Extensive informationon European institutions and EU policies canbe found on the websitewww.europa.eu.int

Three institutions play a role in the cooperation between ACP countries and theEuropean Community.

The Council of the European UnionThe Council of the European Union is the institution that represents the interests of EU Member States. This is the main legislative and decision-making body in the EU.

For more information contact:The Council of the European Union175 rue de la LoiB-1048 Brussels, BelgiumTel.: +32 (0)2 285 61 11www.consilium.eu.int

The European ParliamentThe European Parliament represents thevoice of citizens of the EU Member Statesand is directly elected by them.The European Parliament:• examines and adopts European legislation

proposed by the European Commission, insome cases in association with the Councilof the European Union;

ANNEX II European Member States and institutions in the framework of Cotonou


• approves the annual EU budget;• exercises democratic control over the EU

institutions; and • assesses the implementation of important

international agreements, including theCotonou Agreement.

For more information contact:The European ParliamentRue WiertzB-1047 Brussels, BelgiumTel.: +32 (0)2 284 21 11www.europarl.eu.int

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Source: EU website, situation: spring 2003Map: EU Member States (current, new and possible candidates)

The European Union

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The European CommissionThe European Commission is the EU's admi-nistrative body, which is appointed by and isanswerable to the European Parliament.The European Commission:• proposes policies, although the actual

power to take legislative decisionsremains with the Council and theParliament;

• monitors the application of Communitylaw by Member States and other actors;and

• oversees and manages policies, and nego-tiates international agreements with thirdcountries or regional groupings on behalfof the Community.

For more information contact:The European CommissionRue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200B-1049 Brussels, BelgiumTel.: +32 (0)2 299 11 11www.europa.eu.int/comm

Two other institutions are consulted in theformulation of Community legislation. TheCommittee of the Regions is consulted bythe Council, Parliament and the Commissionon matters affecting local and regionalinterests. More important in the context ofthis guide is the European Economic andSocial Committee.

The European Economic and SocialCommittee (EESC)The European Economic and SocialCommittee (EESC) is a consultative body ofthe European Union. The Committee:• consists of representatives of the various

economic and social components oforganised civil society;

• plays an integral part in the process ofpolicy formation and decision-makingwithin the Community;

• can decide to come up with 'own-initiativeopinions' or information reports;

• can be consulted on an exploratory basisby the European Commission (i.e. beforethe Commission draws up its own pro-posal).

Since the 1970s, the EESC has been com-mitted to ACP-EC relations and stagedregular meetings with economic and socialgroups from the ACP countries. Since 1998,the EESC has adopted a new strategy basedon closer contacts with ACP partners and onthe organisation of regional seminars in theACP. It has issued several opinions on rela-tions with ACP countries and on a variety ofdevelopment cooperation issues. It has con-sistently called for a greater degree of parti-cipation by civil society representatives inthe development process.

For more information contact:The European Economic and Social Committee2 rue RavensteinB-1000 Brussels, BelgiumTel.: +32 (0)2 546 96 04http://www.esc.eu.int


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Institution ACP-EC Council ofMinisters

ACP-EC Committee ofAmbassadors

The ACP-EC JointParliamentary Assembly(JPA)

Members One representative ofgovernment of each ACPcountry, each EU MemberState, and of the EuropeanCommission.

Representatives of eachEU Member State to theEU, the head of mission ofeach ACP state to the EU,and a member of theEuropean Commission.

An equal number of EUand ACP parliamentarians .

Frequencyof meetings

Normally once a year. About once a month.There are sub-committeesthat meet morefrequently.

Twice a year in plenarysession. It has standingcommittees that meetmore frequently.

Functions • engages in politicaldialogue

• adopts policy guidelines• takes legally binding

decisions concerning theimplementation ofcooperation agreementsbetween the ACP and theEC

• monitors theimplementation ofcooperationagreements

• assists the ACP-ECCouncil of Ministers

• promotes democraticprocesses throughdialogue andconsultation

• adopts resolutions,and makesrecommendations tothe ACP-EC Council ofMinisters

• raises public awarenessof cooperationagreements

Address 75 rue de la LoiB-1048 BrusselsBelgium

451 ave. Georges HenriB-1200 BrusselsBelgium

Rue WiertzB-1047 BrusselsBelgium

There are three joint ACP-EC institutions1 whose task it is to steer, implement and supervisethe implementation of cooperation agreements between the ACP countries and the EuropeanCommunity. The composition and functions of these institutions are summarised in below.

For more information about these institutions visit the website of the ACP Secretariat(www.acpsec.org). The website of the European Parliament also includes pages dedicated tothe JPA: www.europarl.eu.int/dg2/acp/en/default.htm

1 There are other specialised joint ACP-EC institutions, such as the Centre for the Development ofEnterprise (CDE) and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA).

ANNEX III Joint ACP-EC institutions

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ANNEX IV The Economic Partnership Agreement(EPA) negotiations

Timing Steps in the EPA negotiations Relevant trade events

June 2000 Signing of the Cotonou Agreement, whichincluded an understanding to agree, by2008 at the latest, on new development-oriented and WTO-compatible tradingarrangements.

March2001

The EU launches the 'Everything-but-Arms' (EBA) initiative for least developedcountries (LDCs), which provides for fullduty-free access to EU markets foralmost all products from LDCs.

November2001

WTO waiver granted to the EU to continueits existing Lomé preferences for ACPcountries until 2008.

4th Ministerial WTO meeting in Doha,referred to as the 'Doha DevelopmentRound'.

September2002

Opening of the trade negotiationsbetween ACP and the EU, phase I: negotia-tions at an all-ACP level on principles,objectives and issues common to all ACPcountries.

September2003

Start of phase II: negotiations with thoseACP regions that consider themselvesready to enter into Economic PartnershipAgreements (EPAs).

5th Ministerial WTO meeting in Cancun,which was expected to have majorimpacts on the form and content of thenew ACP-EC trade relations, but failed toachieve results.

2004 The EU and ACP countries study possiblealternatives for non-LDC countries thatdecide that they are unable to enter intoEPAs.

• The EU revises its Generalised Systemof Preferences (GSP);

• Reform of the EU Common AgriculturalPolicy (CAP);

• EU enlargement from 15 to 25 MemberStates.

2006 Both parties ensure that the calendar ofnegotiations permits adequate prepa-ration.

January2008

Application of a new ACP-EC trade regime -the end of the global ACP Lomé preferentialregime.

2008-2020 Implementation of trade liberalisationwithin the context of the EPAs.

The major steps in the negotiation of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between theEuropean Union and ACP countries are summarised below.


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More detailed information, and the updatedagendas of major trade events and minis-terial meetings, can be found on a number ofwebsites:

• ACP Secretariat: www.acpsec.org

• www.acp-eu-trade.organ independent site maintained jointly bythe ECDPM, the EU-LDC Network and ODIthat provides relevant information andanalysis, both topical and regional

• www.epawatch.net, a site maintained bythe Coalition of the Flemish North-SouthMovement, that follows progress in thetrade negotiations and civil societyadvocacy actions

• Agritrade Portal: http://agritrade.cta.intLaunched by CTA in 2001, the Agritradeportal serves as an information resourcefor agricultural trade negotiations both atthe bilateral level with the EuropeanUnion (Economic Partnership Agreements- EPAs) and at the mulilateral level (WorldTrade Organization - WTO). Agritrade con-tains a monthly newsletter on agriculturaltrade and a bi-monthly newsletter dedi-cated to fisheries trade issues, severalpolicy briefs/discussion papers, a calendarof events, a guide to online informationsources and a glossary of technical terms.

• Trade Negotiations Insights, a bimonthlynewsletter published jointly by ECDPM,ICSTD and ODI, provides regular updateson the EPA negotiations:www.acp-eu-trade.org/tni.html

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The Cotonou Agreement provides for a rangeof institutions and instruments to supportthe development of the private sector in ACPcountries.

Centre for the Development ofEnterprise (CDE)Founded in 1977 as the Centre for theDevelopment of Industry, the CDE is a jointACP-EU agency, based in Brussels. The CDEhelps ACP businesses become more compet-itive and fosters partnerships betweenEuropean and ACP businesses. It provides ACPenterprises and associations with advice andtechnical assistance, before, during and afterthe investment stage, in the form of feasibilitystudies, staff training, restructuring assis-tance, etc. The Centre will contribute up totwo-thirds of the cost of assistance, but doesnot provide investment finance. Under theCotonou Agreement CDE's remit has beenexpanded to cover service sectors such astourism, transport and telecommunications.In addition to its wide network of contacts,CDE has established several decentralisedunits in ACP countries to allow for quickerinterventions, greater use of local expertise,and a lower threshold for small enterprises tobenefit from CDE support. CDE is also respon-sible for the management of the PROINVESTprogramme (see below). The Centre has a five-year budget of EUR 90 million.

For further information, please contact:Centre for the Development of Enterprise(CDE) 52 avenue Hermann DebrouxB-1160 Brussels, BelgiumFax: +32 (0)2 679 26 03E-mail: [email protected]: www.cdi.be

CTA, The Technical Centre for Agriculturaland Rural Cooperation ACP-EUIn accordance with the objectives of theCotonou Agreement, the mandate of the CTAhas also evolved towards the greaterinvolvement of the representatives of theprivate sector in the ACP countries. In thiscontext strong partnerships have beendeveloped with the CDE, the EC andPROINVEST in common areas of work such asthe fisheries sector, organic agriculture, theidentification of niche markets such asherbal and medicinal plants. CTA financesthe participation of private sector represen-tatives in key meetings on agricultural policy,preparations for trade negotiations as wellas trade fairs. This support is intended tostrengthen the visibility of the ACP products,to facilitate contacts with their Europeancounterparts and as with the other non-stateactors to enable ACP voices to be heard ininternational fora. www.cta.int

PROINVESTDeveloped in consultation with the privatesector, PROINVEST was launched in October2002 to facilitate and support investmentpromotion and technology flows in the ACPprivate sector. PROINVEST aims to increaselevels of investment in ACP countries by sup-porting intermediary organisations and pro-fessional associations and developinglong-term partnerships between North-South and South-South companies. The pri-ority beneficiaries of this programme aresmall businesses, intermediary organisationsand private ACP consultants.

PROINVEST comprises two facilities that willfunction on a demand-driven and cost-sharing basis:

ANNEX V Institutions and instruments for private sector development


• INTERPOWER will address requests forinstitutional strengthening, in order tobuild the capacity of intermediary organi-sations to make strategic proposals forchanging the investment policy envi-ronment, to support public-private dia-logue on the investment climate, toorganise inter-enterprise meetings, etc.

• INVESTTECH will provide support to indi-vidual enterprises operating in key growthsectors.

PROINVEST will be managed by CDE, and willhave a budget of EUR 110 million over aseven-year period.www.proinvest-eu.org/

The European Investment Bank The European Investment Bank (EIB) is an EUinstitution that finances capital investmentprojects both within the EU and in countriesthat have cooperation agreements with theEU. It provides loans to public and private bor-rowers to support productive projects andprogrammes or other investments aimed atpromoting the private sector in all areas of theeconomy, such as production, transport,telecommunications; water supply and sew-erage; power generation and transmissioninfrastructure; oil and gas development;tourism, etc. It is the principal source ofinvestment capital for the private sector in theACP countries. In the context of ACP-EC coop-eration, the EIB manages resources totallingEUR 3.9 billion, which account for some 30%of the aggregate endowment under the firstfive-year financial protocol to the CotonouAgreement. This amount is divided into a EUR2.2 billion Investment Facility (see below) andEUR 1.7 billion of its 'own resources'.

The EIB mainly finances large-scale infra-structural and industrial projects by granting

individual loans (upwards of EUR 25 million)either directly to promoters or throughfinancial intermediaries. Small- and medium-scale projects are funded indirectly through'global loans', i.e. lines of credit extended tofinancial institutions operating in either theEU or ACP countries, for on-lending insmaller portions.

When the EIB provides loans out of its ownresources, it applies the same terms and con-ditions as in the past, with one mainexception: the scope and extent of interestsubsidies. Under the Lomé Conventions, aninterest subsidy was automatically granted inall cases, except for non-ACP private-sectorborrowers. Under the Cotonou Convention,however, an interest subsidy is by no meansautomatic, although still considered a normalfeature of public sector projects that are 'inprinciple […] eligible for an interest subsidy'.In the case of private sector projects, whetherthe borrower is ACP or non-ACP, eligibility foran interest subsidy is restricted to projectsfalling into certain categories (i.e. 'projects[involving] restructuring operations in theframework of privatisation, or projects withsubstantial and clearly demonstrable social orenvironmental benefits').

Investment FacilityThe newly created Investment Facility will bemanaged by an autonomous unit within theEIB and is specifically oriented towardsdevelopment. This facility differs consid-erably from previous EIB activities in termsof modus operandi, objectives and size, as aresult of a greater focus on the private sector(although commercially run public sectorentities will still be eligible for support).Annex II to the Cotonou Agreement lists thekey features of this facility:

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• the Facility shall be managed as arevolving fund and aims at being finan-cially sustainable;

• the Facility's operations shall be onmarket-related terms;

• the Facility shall endeavour to have a ca-talytic effect by encouraging the mobili-sation of long-term local resources andattracting foreign private investors andlenders; and

• the Facility shall try to avoid displacingprivate sources of finance.

In terms of its operations, the InvestmentFacility will offer a variety of instruments,including equity, quasi-equity, guarantees andordinary loans. It is expected that a good dealof the resources will be made available in theform of loans. The lending terms will reflectthe relevant cost of capital and the perceivedlevel of risk. The risk capital will be used toenhance the capital base of projects, therebyreassuring other prospective investors, playingits catalytic role. The EIB will target potentiallyprofitable projects with a high risk factor, andtake all or part of the risk, but unlike underLomé, the Bank will also expect an appro-priate share of the rewards. Guarantees are anew instrument aimed to enhance the creditof local borrowers and to support the deve-lopment of local financial markets.

A major innovation in the modus operandi, isthat the facility will managed as a revolvingfund, operating on market terms. Thisimplies that the investments need to befinancially viable projects to enable the re-

investment in ACP countries and ensure thesustainability of the facility.

In terms of objectives, special efforts will bemade to improve the access of small andmedium-sized enterprises to risk-sharinginstruments and to finance. This impliesactive support to the development of localfinancial sector and capital markets. Viablepublic or private infrastructure projects willbe funded with the aim of developing asound economic environment. The projectswill have to be financially and economicallyviable, and contribute to economic growth.An emphasis will be put on investmentsgeared to improving income distribution, i.e.projects with a significant impact onemployment.

An amount of EUR 2.2 billion has beenreserved for the first five-year financial pro-tocol, as compared to the risk capital of EUR 1million that was available under Lomé IV bis.www.eib.org/lending/acp/en/

For further information, please contact:European Investment Bank Department forACP Countries 100 boulevard Konrad AdenauerLX-2950 Luxembourg,Luxembourg

Fax: +352 43 79 31 89E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.eib.org


ACP-EC COTONOU AGREEMENT

AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND COUNCIL OFPACIFIC GROUP OF STATES THE EUROPEAN UNION

Brussels, 25 February 2003

ACP/29/002/02 REV 7 ACP-CE 2154/1/02 REV 1ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR

NON-STATE ACTORS

ACCESS TO FUNDING UNDER THE EDF

1. Introduction

The Cotonou Agreement provides a definition for non-state actors (NSA) in Article 6.

The actors of cooperation will include: State (local, national and regional); Non-State:Private Sector, Economic and Social partners, including trade union organisations; and CivilSociety in all its forms according to national characteristics.

Article 6 further states,

"Recognition by the parties of non-governmental actors shall depend on the extent to whichthey address the needs of the population, on their specific competencies and whether they areorganised and managed democratically and transparently".

This article is extremely important as it acknowledges that ACP national characteristics are toplay an important role in the identification and recognition of non-state actors, taking intoaccount their basic and universal characteristics. The operational modalities for non-stateactors access to funding in the framework of the National, Regional and All-ACP programsconcluded under the Cotonou Agreement still remain to be defined.

In terms of policy dialogue and access to funding, non state actors should have clearlydefined interests, be representative and should operate in a transparent and accountablemanner within the broader framework of national and regional programmes. It is alsoaccepted that access to funding will be limited to non-profit non state actors.

A national/regional Steering Committee should be created to take the final decision on theeligibility criteria in accordance with these guidelines. This should comprise of theNAO/RAO, the relevant ACP Government authorities, a mandated non state actor represen-tative(s), and the EC.

123

ANNEX VI Eligibility criteria for non-state actors Access to funding under the EDF

124


2. Purpose of the paper

Non-state actor participation in consultations and in the policy dialogue is a much broaderissue than access to funding. The purpose of the paper is to identify the eligibility criteria fornon state actors access to funding in the National and Regional Indicative Programmes. Thecriteria are also useful in promoting non state actor participation in policy dialogue.

This joint ACP-EU document, shall form the basis for future discussion and refinement, witha view to each country or region, adapting the criteria to their specific and unique circum-stances.

3. Eligibility criteria for ACP non-state actors

On the basis of Article 6 in the Cotonou Agreement, the following principles should be con-sidered as forming the key eligibility criteria for NSA. Each criterion identified in Article 6should be translated into operational and practical principles that need to be fulfilled in orderfor each criterion to be satisfied.

3.1 Extent to which Non-state actors address the needs of the population (criterion of representation)

1. The interventions must promote poverty reduction and sustainable development in the ACPStates, complementary to the national and regional programmes.

2. Non-state actors should demonstrate proof of activities and experience.

3. Non-state actors should not be profit making and there should be proof of a clear organisa-tional structure which reflects the basic tenets of transparency and accountability.

4. The organisations must demonstrate a local character, predominantly through the partici-pation and membership of ACP citizens.

5. Non-state actors should be able to prove that they are representative.

3.2 Specific competencies

1. Non-state actors should be able to prove that their competencies in working towards the key objectives of the Cotonou Agreement : address the priorities of poverty reduction, vulnerable social groups with inter alia gender specific needs, human rights and demo-cracy, promoting good governance, enhance economic, social development as well aspromote and strengthen social and political dialogue.

2. Non-state actors must operate under existing ACP State laws.

3. Non-state actors should prove the capacity to carry out projects.


4. Special attention should also be given to small and grass root organisations, which have thecapacity to reach and represent, isolated and excluded parts of the population.

5. In the case of new organisations, non state actors should be able to demonstrate their know-how and potential to contribute to the objectives of the Cotonou Agreement.

3.3 Democratic and transparent organisation and management

Non-state actors should be able to provide:

1. proof of a clear organisational structure which reflects the basic principles of democracy, transparency and accountability, and the organigram of the organisation;

2. information on the decision-making process of the organisation;

3. an indicative financial list reflecting sources of funding and expenditure;

4. as far as possible proof of independence from state and administrations; and

5. description of the relations, other than financial, with any government with respect to the management of the organisation and the orientation of the activities undertaken.

4. Grounds for Exclusion

Natural or legal persons are not eligible if:

1. they are bankrupt or being wound up, are having their affairs administered by the courts, have entered into an arrangements with creditors, have suspended activities or are in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations;

2. they are the subject of proceedings for a declaration of bankruptcy for winding up, for administration by the courts; for being sued or prosecuted; an arrangement with creditors, or for any similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations;

3. they are guilty of serious misrepresentation in supplying the information required by the contracting authorities as a condition for participation in a Call of Proposals for contract; and

4. they have been declared to be in a serious breach of contract for failure to comply with obligations in connection with another contract with the same contracting authority.

5. Political parties are not eligible.

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The ACP Civil Society ForumIn October 1997, more than 30 civil societyorganisations from the ACP regions met inEntebbe, Uganda, and agreed to establish acommon platform to address issues relatingto ACP-EU cooperation. Seven ACP NGOs,representing the four African sub-regions(Southern, Central, East and West Africa),the Caribbean and the Pacific were man-dated to drive the process leading to theestablishment of the platform - the ACP CivilSociety Forum.

The Forum is meant to be a democratic,transparent and inclusive coalition of not-for-profit organisations working on issuesrelating to ACP-EU development cooperation.It seeks to cater for the diverse range civilsociety development issues within the widegeographic coverage of the ACP group. It willbenefit from, and be informed by, the diverseexpertise and competencies of the mem-bership.

ObjectivesThe objectives of the ACP Civil Society Forumare:• to provide a platform for civil society

actors in the ACP to formulate commonpositions on issues of concern relevant toACP-EU cooperation;

• to articulate the views and concerns ofmarginalised social groups in ACP coun-tries;

• to facilitate dialogue between ACP civilsociety organisations and official institu-tions of the ACP Group and the EU (e.g.

the ACP Secretariat, the JointParliamentary Assembly and the EuropeanCommission);

• to support and strengthen the partici-pation of ACP civil society organisations inthe ACP-EU development cooperationframework; and

• to regularly access, update and shareinformation on developments at all levelsof ACP-EU cooperation.

Contacts: ACP Civil Society Forumregional focal points

The CaribbeanCaribbean NGO Policy DevelopmentCenter (CPDC) c/o Windward Farmers' AssociationP.O. Box 817Kingstown, St Vincent and the GrenadinesFax: +1 784 456 1383E-mail: [email protected]

West Africa (Senegal)Enda TM Rue Kleber, 7B.P. 3370 Dakar, Senegal Fax: +221 822 26 95E-mail: [email protected]

Third World Network, Africa SecretariatP.O. Box AN19452 Accra, Ghana Fax: +233 21 51 11 88E-mail: [email protected]

ANNEX VII ACP Civil Society Forum


Southern AfricaMWENGO (Mwelekeo wa NGO)P.O. Box HG 817HighlandsHarare, Zimbabwe Fax: +263 4 73 83 10 E-mail: [email protected];[email protected]

Central AfricaConfédération des ONG d'environnement etde développement de l'Afrique Centrale(CONGAC) B.P. 6912 New-Bell, Cameroon Fax: +237 402602 E-mail: [email protected]

East AfricaEconews Africa P.O Box 76406 NairobiKenyaFax: +254 2 72 51 71 E-mail: [email protected];[email protected]

Horn of AfricaInter-Africa GroupP.O. Box 1631Addis Ababa, EthiopiaFax: +251 1 63 58 04E-mail: [email protected];[email protected]

PacificPacific Concerns Resource Center (PCRC) 83 Amy StreetToorak, Fiji Fax: +679 30 47 55 E-mail: [email protected]

ACP Civil Society PlanOne of the results of the Conference on theParticipation of Civil Society in the imple-mentation of the Cotonou Agreement is theelaboration of the ACP Civil Society Plan ofAction. It was organised by the Belgian EUPresidency and the ACP Secretariat in July2001 in Brussels. This document was thenendorsed during the 27th ACP-EC Council ofMinisters meeting in Punta Cana.

This document is available at:www.eurosur.org/wide/EU/Cotonou/Action_plan.htm

For more information please refer to:www.euforic.org/resource/en/doss/civilsociety/

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ANGOLAMinistro do Planeamento,Ordenador nacionalPostal Address:Ministerio do Planeamento,Largo Palacio do Povo,Cidade Alta, Cx. Postal 1205, LuandaTelephone: (244-2) 33 86 86Telefax: (244-2) 33 95 86E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

ANGUILLAPermanent Secretary for EconomicDevelopmentPostal Address:P.O. Box 60, The Secretariat, The ValleyTelephone: (1-264) 497 2451Telefax: (1-264) 497 3761E-mail: [email protected]

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDASenior Foreign Affairs OfficerAddress:Ministry of Trade, Industry and Commerce,Prime Minister's Office, St. John'sTelephone: (268) 462 1532Telefax: (268) 462 1625

BAHAMASMinister of Trade and IndustryAddress:Ministry of Trade and IndustryPostal Address:P.O. Box N-4849, NassauTelephone: (1-242) 328 2700Telefax: (1-242) 328 1324E-mail: [email protected]

BARBADOSPermanent Secretary for Economic AffairsAddress:Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs,Government Headquarters,Bay street, St. MichaelTelephone: (1-246) 436 6435

Telefax: (1-246) 429 4032E-mail: [email protected]

BELIZEFinancial Secretary, NAOAddress:Ministry of Finance, Belize CityTelephone: (501) 822 152Telefax: (501) 822 886

BENINMinistre des Finances et de l'EconomiePostal Address:Ministère des Finances et de l'Economie,B.P. 302, CotonouTelephone: (229) 30 13 37Telefax: (229) 30 18 51

BOTSWANAPermanent Secretary for Economic AffairsAddress:Ministry of Finance,Private Bag 008, GaboroneTelephone: (267) 395 0292Telefax: (267) 390 4525E-mail: [email protected]

BURKINA FASOMinistre des Finances et du BudgetPostal Address:Ministère des Finances et du Budget,03 B.P. 712, Ouagadougou 03Telephone: (226) 32 42 11/15Telefax: (226) 31 27 14

BURUNDIMinistre des FinancesAddress:Ministère des FinancesPostal Address:B.P. 1840, BujumburaTelephone: (257) 22 27 75Telefax: (257) 22 38 27E-mail: [email protected]

ANNEX VIII Contact details:National Authorising Officers


CAMEROONMinistre chargé des Investissements publicset de l'Aménagement du TerritoireAddress:Ministère des Investissements publics et del'Aménagement du Territoire, YaoundéTelephone: (237) 223 84 41Telefax: (237) 222 15 09

CAPE VERDEMinistre des Finances et du PlanPostal Address:Ministère des Finances et du Plan de laRépublique du Cap Vert, PraiaTelephone: (238) 60 75 00 / 01 Telefax: (238) 61 38 97E-mail: [email protected]

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLICMinistre de l'Economie, du Plan et de laCoopération internationalePostal Address:Ministère de l'Economie,du Plan et de laCoopération internationale, B.P. 696, BanguiTelephone: (236) 61 92 85Telefax: (236) 61 96 89

CHADMinistre du Plan, du Développement et de laCoopérationPostal Address:Ministère du Plan, du Développement et dela Coopération,B.P. 286, N'djamenaTelephone: (235) 51 89 81Telefax: (235) 51 51 85 E-mail: [email protected]

COMOROSMinistre des Finances,du Budget et de la PrivatisationPostal Address:Ministère des Finances, du Budget et de laPrivatisation,B.P. 324, MoroniTelephone: (269) 74 41 41Telefax: (269) 74 41 40

CONGO, BRAZZAVILLEMinistre du Plan, de l'Aménagement duTerritoire et de l'Intégration économiqueAddress:Ministère du Plan, de l'Aménagement duTerritoire et de l'Intégration économique,2403 BrazzavilleTelephone: (242) 81 57 13Telefax: (242) 81 06 98

CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OFMinistre de l'Economie, des Finances et duBudgetAddress:Ministère de l'Economie, de Finances et duBudget, 20 Av. Lubefu, 12997 Gombre - KinshasaTelephone: (243) 833 230Telefax: (243) 880 23 81 E-mail: [email protected]

COOK ISLANDSPermanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs andImmigrationAddress:Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration,P.O. Box 35, RarotongaTelephone: (682) 29347Telefax: (682) 24507E-mail: [email protected]

COTE D'IVOIREMinistre de l'Economie et des FinancesAddress:Ministère de l'Economie et des Finances,18 rue du Dr. Crozet, AbidjanPostal Address:BTG 163, Abidjan 01Telephone: (225-20) 20 08 42Telefax: (225-20) 20 08 56

CUBAMinistra para la Inversión Extranjera y laColaboración EconómicaAddress:Ministerio para la Inversión Extranjera y laColaboración Económica, Calle 1, N° 1803,Esquina 18, Miramar Playa, La HabanaTelephone: (53-7) 204 69 56Telefax: (53-7) 204 34 96E-mail: [email protected]

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DJIBOUTIMinistre de l'Economie, des Finances et de laPlannificationPostal Address:Ministère de l'Economie, des Finances et dela Plannification, B.P. 13, DjiboutiTelephone: (253) 35 18 09Telefax: (253) 35 65 01

DOMINICANational Authorising OfficerAddress:Ministry of Finance and Planning,26 King George V street, RoseauPostal Address:P.O. Box 1102, RoseauTelephone: (1-767) 448 2424 / 5512Telefax: (1-767) 449 9443E-mail: [email protected]

DOMINICAN REPUBLICSecretario de Estado, Ordenador Nacionalpara los Fondos Europeos de DesarrolloAddress:Av. México esq. Dr. Delgado, OficinasGuvernamentales, Bloque A, Santo DomingoPostal Address:Apartado Postal 3473, Santo DomingoTelephone: (809) 221 8618 / 221 2145Telefax: (809) 412 7138 / 221 8389E-mail: [email protected]

EQUATORIAL GUINEAMinistro de Economía, Ordenador NacionalAddress:Ministerio de Economía, Malabo, Bioko NorteTelephone: (240) 529 06Telefax: (240) 941 00

ERITREAEconomic AdviserPostal Address:International Cooperation and Macro Policy,Office of the President, P.O. Box 257, AsmaraTelephone: (291-1) 12 49 64Telefax: (291-1) 12 64 22E-mail: [email protected]

ETHIOPIAState MinisterPostal Address:Ministry of Finance and EconomicDevelopment, P.O. Box 1037, Addis AbebaTelephone: (251-1) 55 01 07Telefax: (251-1) 55 01 18

FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIADeputy Secretary for Finance andAdministrationPostal Address:Department of Finance and Administration,P.O. Box PS 158, PalikirTelephone: (691) 320 2641Telefax: (691) 320 2380E-mail: [email protected]

FIJIPermanent Secretary for Finance andNational PlanningPostal Address:Permanent Secretary for Finance andNational Planning,P.O. Box 2212, Government Building, SuvaTelephone: (679) 330 7011Telefax: (679) 330 0834E-mail: [email protected]

GABONMinistre de la Planification et de laProgrammation au DéveloppementPostal Address:Ministère de la Planification et de laProgrammation au Développement,B.P. 2119, LibrevilleTelephone: (241) 72 14 21Telefax: (241) 77 35 90

GAMBIAPermanent SecretaryAddress:Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs,The Quadrangle, BanjulTelephone: (220) 22 72 21 / 22 20 78Telefax: (220) 22 79 54E-mail: [email protected]


GHANAMinister of FinancePostal Address:Ministry of Finance, P.O. Box M 40, AccraTelephone: (233-21) 66 55 87 Telefax: (233-21) 66 70 69

GRENADAMinister of FinanceAddress:Ministry of Finance, Trade and Industry,Financial Complex,The Carenage, St.-GeorgesTelephone: (1-473) 440 2731Telefax: (1-473) 440 4115E-mail: [email protected]

GUINEA (Conakry)Ministre des Affaires Etrangères et de laCoopérationPostal Address:Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et de laCoopération, B.P. 2519, ConakryTelephone: (224) 25 72 72Telefax: (224) 41 16 21

GUINEA-BISSAUMinistre de l'Economie et des FinancesPostal Address:Ministère de l'Economie et des Finances,C.P. 67, BissauTelephone: (245) 20 32 11 / 20 60 92Telefax: (245) 20 16 26

GUYANAMinister of FinanceAddress:Ministry of Finance,Main & Urquhart streets, GeorgetownTelephone: (592) 225 60 88 / 227 11 14Telefax: (592) 226 12 84

HAITIOrdonnateur national du FEDAddress:Bureau de l'Ordonnateur national,4 rue Morelly, Christ-Roi, Port-au-PrinceTelephone: (509) 238 1363Telefax: (509) 245 9907E-mail: [email protected]

JAMAICADirector-GeneralAddress:Planning Institute of Jamaica,10-16 Grenada Way, Kingston 5Telephone: (1-876) 906 3636 Telefax: (1-876) 906 5032E-mail: [email protected]

KENYAAdviser, TreasuryPostal Address: P.O. Box 45119, NairobiTelephone: (254-2) 21 75 65Telefax: (254-2) 21 75 65

KIRIBATIPermanent Secretary for Finance andEconomyAddress:Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning,P.O. Box 66, Bairiki, TarawaTelephone: (686) 21989Telefax: (686) 21307

LESOTHONational Authorising OfficerPostal Address:Ministry of Finance and DevelopmentPlanning, P.O. Box 360, 100 MaseruTelephone: (266) 22 31 11 01Telefax: (266) 22 31 10 41E-mail: [email protected]

LIBERIAMinister of Planning and Economic AffairsAddress:Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs,MonroviaTelephone: (231) 226015

MADAGASCARMinistre de l'Economie, des Finances et duBudgetPostal Address:Ministère de l'Economie, des Finances et duBudget, B.P. 674, Ampaninarenina,AmpananarivoTelephone: (261) 20 22 665 24Telefax: (261) 20 22 285 08E-mail: [email protected]

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MALAWISecretary to the TreasuryPostal Address:Ministry of Finance, P.O. Box 30049,Capital City, Lilongwe 3Telephone: (265) 1 789 355Telefax: (265) 1 789 173E-mail: [email protected]

MALIMinistre des Affaires Etrangères et de laCoopération InternationaleAddress:Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et de laCoopération Internationale,Koulouba, BamakoTelephone: (223) 222 98 20 Telefax: (223) 222 52 26 / 323 00 56E-mail: [email protected]

MARSHALL ISLANDSSecretary for Foreign Affairs and TradePostal Address:Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade,P.O. Box 1394, Majuro, MH 96960Telephone: (692) 625 31 81Telefax: (692) 625 49 79E-mail: [email protected]

MAURITANIAMinistre des Affaires Economiques et duDéveloppementPostal Address:Ministère des Affaires Economiques et duDéveloppement, B.P 238, NouakchottTelephone: (222) 525 16 12 Telefax: (222) 525 51 10

MAURITIUSDirectorAddress:Ministry of Economic Development, Financeand Trade, 9th level, Emmanuel AnquetilBuilding, Sir Seewoosagur RamgoolamStreet, Port-LouisTelephone: (230) 201 12 60 Telefax: (230) 212 41 24 E-mail: [email protected]

MOZAMBIQUEVice-Ministra dos Negocios Estrangeiros e daCooperacionAddress:Ministro dos Negocios Estrangeiros e daCooperacion, Av. Ahmed Sekou Touré 21,2e andar., MaputoTelephone: (258-1) 49 26 91Telefax: (258-1) 49 21 07E-mail: [email protected]

NAMIBIADirector of the National PlanningCommissionPostal Address:National Planning Commission, GovernmentOffice Park, Private Bag 13356, WindhoekTelephone: (264-61) 283 4111Telefax: (264-61) 226 501E-mail: [email protected]

NAURUAssistant DirectorAddress:Department of Foreign Affairs,Government Building,Telephone: (674) 444 3191Telefax: (674) 444 3105

NIGERMinistre des FinancesPostal Address:Ministère des Finances et de l'Economie,B.P. 389, NiameyTelephone: (227) 72 20 37Telefax: (227) 73 33 71E-mail: [email protected]

NIGERIAEconomic Adviser to the PresidentAddress:National Planning Commission,Federal Secretariat, Annexe 3,Shehu Shagari Way, AbujaTelephone: (2349) 523 6626Telefax: (2349) 523 6625


NIUESecretary to GovernmentPostal Address:Office of External Affairs, Premier'sDepartment, P.O. Box 40, Alofi, Fale FoniTelephone: (683) 4200Telefax: (683) 4206

PALAUFinancial Advisor to the Budget OfficePostal Address:Ministry of Administration,P.O. Box 6011, Koror, 96940Telephone: (680) 488 1269Telefax: (680) 488 5642E-mail: [email protected]

PAPUA NEW GUINEADeputy Secretary and Deputy NAOPostal Address:Department of National Planning and Mo,P.O. Box 631, WaiganiTelephone: (675) 328 85 01 Telefax: (675) 328 83 99E-mail: [email protected]

RWANDAMinistre des Finances et de la PlanificationéconomiquePostal Address:Ministère des Finances et de la Planificationéconomique, B.P. 158, KigaliTelephone: (250) 57 57 56 Telefax: (250) 57 75 81E-mail: [email protected]

SAMOAMinister for Trade, Industry and CommerceAddress:Ministry of Trade, Industry and Commerce,P.O. Box 862, ApiaTelephone: (685) 23290Telefax: (685) 20048E-mail: [email protected]

SAO TOME & PRINCIPEMinistre de Affaires Etrangères et de laCoopérationAddress:Ministère de Affaires Etrangères et de laCoopération, Avenue Amilcar Cabral, B.P. 111,Sao ToméTelephone: (239) 222 309Telefax: (239) 222 32 37E-mail: [email protected]

SENEGALMinistre de l'Economie et des FinancesAddress:Ministère de l'Economie et des Finances,20 rue René Ndiaye, DakarPostal Address:B.P. 4017, DakarTelephone: (221) 822 11 02Telefax: (221) 822 41 95 E-mail: [email protected]

SEYCHELLESMinistre des Affaires EtrangèresPostal Address:Ministère des Affaires Etrangères,B.P. 656, VictoriaTelephone: (248) 28 35 00Telefax: (248) 22 48 45E-mail: [email protected]

SIERRA LEONEDirector National Authorising OfficePostal Address:National Authorising Office, Tower Hill,P.O. Box 1402, FreetownTelephone: (232-22) 22 45 30Telefax: (232-22) 22 69 32E-mail: [email protected]

SOLOMON ISLANDSDeputy Prime Minister and Minister forDevelopmentAddress:Ministry for Development,P.O. Box G 30, HoniaraTelephone: (677) 38336Telefax: (677) 30163E-mail: [email protected]

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SOMALIAEconomic AdviserAddress:EC Delegation in Kenya,Somalia Unit, MogadishuTelephone: (254-2) 271 32 50 / 1Telefax: (254-2) 271 09 97 E-mail: [email protected]

SOUTH AFRICADeputy Minister of FinancePostal Address:Ministry of Finance, 240 Vermeulen street,Private Bag X 115, Pretoria 001Telephone: (27) 12 315 5970Telefax: (27) 12 324 2456

ST KITTS AND NEVISPermanent Secretary of FinanceAddress:Ministry of Finance, GovernmentHeadquarters, Church street, BasseterreTelephone: (1-869) 465 2521Telefax: (1-869) 465 1532E-mail: [email protected]

ST LUCIADirector for Special Projects InitiativesAddress:Office of the Prime Minister, ConwayBusiness Centre, Car park building, CastriesTelephone: (1-758) 468 218Telefax: (1-758) 453 6552E-mail: [email protected]

ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINESDirector of PlanningAddress:Ministry of Finance and Planning,Government Headquarters,Bay street, KingstownTelephone: (1-784) 457 215Telefax: (1-784) 456 2430E-mail: [email protected]

SUDANMinister of International CooperationPostal Address:Ministry of International Cooperation,P.O. Box 2092, KhartoumTelephone: (249-11) 772 169 / 775 933Telefax: (249-11) 786 891 / 786 790

SURINAMEMinister of Planning and DevelopmentCooperationAddress:Ministry of Planning and DevelopmentCooperation,Dr. Sophie Redmondstraat 118, ParamariboTelephone: (597) 47 19 38Telefax: (597) 42 10 56 E-mail: [email protected]

SWAZILANDEconomic Planning and Development,PrincipalAddress:Ministry of Economic Planning &Development, 4th Floor,Ministry of Financing Building,Mhlambanyatsi Road, P.O. Box 602, MbabaneTelephone: (268) 404 37 65Telefax: (268) 404 21 57E-mail: [email protected]

TANZANIADeputy National Authorising OfficerPostal Address:Ministry of Finance,P.O. Box 9111, Dar es SalaamTelephone: (255-22) 211 17 25 Telefax: (255-22) 211 65 97E-mail: [email protected]

TIMOR LESTEDirectorAddress:Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation,Palacio do Governo, ADF 1,Avenida Presidente Nicolau Lobato, DIliTelephone: (732) 7158 / 9547 / 8095E-mail: [email protected]


TOGOMinistre de l'Economie, des Finances et desPrivatisationsPostal Address:Ministère de l'Economie, des Finances et desPrivatisations, B.P. 387, LoméTelephone: (228) 221 01 38 / 221 95 54Telefax: (228) 221 09 05 / 221 14 89

TONGANational Authorising OfficerAddress:Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nuku'alofaTelephone: (676) 23600Telefax: (676) 23360 E-mail: [email protected]

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGOPermanent Secretary of the Ministry ofFinance, Planning and DevelopmentAddress:Ministry of Finance, Planning andDevelopment, Eric Williams Finance Building,Independence Square, Port of SpainTelephone: (1-868) 627 9700Telefax: (1-868) 623 8123E-mail: [email protected]

TUVALUSecretary for Finance and Economic PlanningAddress:Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning,FunafutiTelephone: (688) 20 202Telefax: (688) 20 210

UGANDAMinister of Finance, Planning and EconomicDevelopmentAddress:Ministry of Finance, Planning and EconomicDevelopment, 3rd Floor,Ministry of Finance Building,Plot 2-12 Apollo Kaggwa Road, KampalaPostal Address:P.O. Box 8147, KampalaTelephone: (256-41) 234 700Telefax: (256-41) 230 163

VANUATUNational/Regional Authorising OfficerPostal Address:Department of Trade, Industry andInvestment, PMB 030, Port VilaTelephone: (678) 22 770Telefax: (678) 25 640E-mail: [email protected]

ZAMBIASecretary and TreasuryPostal Address:Ministry of Finance and EconomicDevelopment, P.O. Box 50062, LusakaTelephone: (2601) 253 512Telefax (2601) 251 078E-mail: [email protected]

ZIMBABWEPermanent Secretary for Finance andEconomic DevelopmentAddress:Ministry of Finance and EconomicDevelopment, Munhumutapa Building,Samora Machel Avenue, HararePostal Address:Private Bag 7705, Causeway, HarareTelephone: (263-4) 791 189Telefax: (263-4) 250 615

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Delegation of the European CommissionANGOLA, LuandaHead of Delegation: CALZUOLA GlaucoAddress:Rua Rainha Ginga 45 - 3°, LuandaPostal Address: Caixa Postal 2669, LuandaTelefax number: (244-2) 39 25 31Telephone number: (244-2) 39 13 39E-mail: [email protected]: www.delago.cec.eu.int

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA -> BARBADOSBAHAMAS -> JAMAICA

Regional DelegationBARBADOS, BridgetownHead of Delegation: CALOGHIROU JohnAddress:Mervue House, Marine Gardens, Hastings,Christ Church, Barbados, West IndiesPostal Address:P.O. Box 654 C, BridgetownTelefax number: (1-246) 427 7687Telephone number: (1-246) 427.4362E-mail: [email protected]

BELIZE -> JAMAICA

Delegation of the European CommissionBENIN, CotonouHead of Delegation: NULLI FrancoAddress:Av. Clozel, Bâtiment Administratif, CotonouPostal Address:01 B.P. 910, CotonouTelefax number: (229) 31 53 28Telephone number: (229) 31 26 084E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionBOTSWANA, GaboroneHead of Delegation: WIEDEY-NIPPOLDClaudiaAddress:Northring Road, Plot 68, GaboronePostal Address:P.O. Box 1253, GaboroneTelefax number: (267) 31 36 26Telephone number: (267) 31 44 55E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionBURKINA FASO, OuagadougouHead of Delegation: GARCIA VELAZQUEZAntonioAddress:Avenue Kwame N'Krumah, OuagadougouPostal Address: B.P. 352, OuagadougouTelefax number: (226) 30 89 66Telephone number: (226) 30 86 50E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionBURUNDI, BujumburaHead of Delegation: ANDRE GeorgesAddress:Avenue du 13 Octobre, BujumburaPostal Address:B.P. 103, BujumburaTelefax number: (257) 22 46 12Telephone number: (257) 22 34 26E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionCAMEROON, YaoundeHead of Delegation: HUGHES PeterAddress:105, rue 1770, Quartier Bastos, YaoundePostal Address:B.P. 847, YaoundeTelefax number: (237) 2 20 21 49Telephone number: (237) 2 21 00 28E-mail: [email protected]

ANNEX IX Contact details:Delegations of the European Commission


Regional DelegationCAPE VERDE, PraiaResponsible Delegation: SENEGAL, DakarResident Adviser SORRIBES MANZANAEduardoAddress:Achada de Santo Antonio, PraiaPostal Address:C.P. 122, PraiaTelefax number: (238) 62 13 91Telephone number: (238) 62 13 92 / 93 / 94Website : www.delcpv.cec.eu.intE-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionCENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, BanguiHead of Delegation: LLOVERAS JosepAddress:Rue de Flandre, BANGUIPostal Address:B.P. 1298, BANGUITelefax number: (236) 61.65.35Telephone number: (236) 61.30.53 3 linesE-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionCHAD, N'DjamenaHead of Delegation: FESSAGUET JoelAddress:Concession Caisse Coton, Route de Farcha,N'DdjamenaPostal Address:B.P. 552, N'djamenaTelefax number: (235) 52 71 05Telephone number: (235) 52 72 76E-mail: [email protected]

Technical OfficeCOMOROS, MoroniResponsible Delegation: MAURITIUS,Port-LouisAddress:Boulevard de la Corniche, MoroniPostal Address:B.P. 559, MoroniTelefax number: (269) 73 24 94Telephone number: (871) 762 657 797 / 8

satelliteE-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionCONGO, DEMOCRATIC REP., KinshasaHead of Delegation: DE FILIPPI CarloAddress:Immeuble BCDC, Boulevard du 30 juin,Gombre, KinshasaPostal Address:B.P. 2699, Gombre, KinshasaTelefax number: (243) 880 64 82Telephone number:(243) 878 94 66 90 / 67 01 / 67 03E-mail:[email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionCONGO, REP., BrazzavilleHead of Delegation: HOLZAPFEL Jean-EricAddress:Avenue Lyautey (face à l'Ambassade d'Italie),BrazzavillePostal Address:B.P. 2149, BrazzavilleTelefax number: (242) 21 74 02 Telephone number: (242) 81 31 34 / 02 85Telephone number: (242) 21 74 00 /01E-mail: [email protected]

COOK ISLANDS -> FIJI

Regionalised DelegationDJIBOUTI, DjiboutiResponsible Delegation:ETHIOPIA, Addis Abeba Resident Adviser PHILIPPE PierreAddress:11 boulevard du Maréchal Joffre, DjiboutiPostal Address: B.P. 2477, DjiboutiTelefax number: (253) 35 00 36Telephone number: (253) 35 26 15E-mail: [email protected]

DOMINICA -> BARBADOS

Regional DelegationDOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Santo DomingoHead of Delegation: AMADO MiguelAddress:Edificio Plaza J.R. pisos 7°, 8° y 9°, AvenidaTiradentes esq. Roberto Pastoriza,Ensanche Naco, Santo Domingo

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Postal Address:Aptdo. postal 226-2, Santo DomingoTelefax number: (1-809) 227 05 10Telephone number: (1-809) 540.58.37E-mail: [email protected]

EQUATORIAL GUINEA -> GABON

Delegation of the European CommissionERITREA, AsmaraHead of Delegation: LOSTELIUS CarlAddress:Zoba Dibub, Administration DibubawiMeirab, Gainer Street, 58-60, AsmaraPostal Address: P.O. Box 5710, AsmaraTelefax number: (291-1) 12 65 78Telephone number: (291-1) 12 65 66E-mail: [email protected]

Regional DelegationETHIOPIA, Addis AbebaHead of Delegation: GAZZO YvesPostal Address: P.O. Box 5570, AddisAbebaTelefax number: (251-1) 61 28 77Telephone number: (251-1) 61 25 11E-mail: [email protected]

Regional DelegationFIJI ISLANDS, REP. OF THE, SuvaHead of Delegation: BAAN MarinusAddress:Development Bank Centre (4th floor),Victoria Parade, SUVAPostal Address:Private Mail Bag, G.P.O., SuvaTelefax number: (679) 331 59 32Telephone number: (679) 331 36 33E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionGABON, LibrevilleHead of Delegation: KREBS JochenAddress:Bas de Gué-Gué, LibrevillePostal Address:B.P. 321, Libreville

Telefax number: (241) 73 65 54Telephone number: (241) 73 22 50E-mail: [email protected]

Regionalised DelegationGAMBIA, FajaraResponsible Delegation: SENEGAL, Dakar Resident Adviser MATHISSE ThierryAddress:10, 10th Street South, FajaraPostal Address:P.O. Box 512, BanjulTelefax number: (220) 49.78.48Telephone number: (220) 49.51.46E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionGHANA, AccraHead of Delegation: FROWEIN StefanAddress:The Round House, 81 Cantonments Road,AccraPostal Address:P.O. Box 9505, Kotoka Int. Airport, AccraTelefax number: (233-21) 77 41 54Telephone number: (233-21) 77 42 01E-mail: [email protected]

GRENADA -> BARBADOS

Delegation of the European CommissionGUINEA REPUBLIC, ConakryHead of Delegation: DAVID DominiqueAddress:Rue MA 752, Matam, ConakryPostal Address: B.P. 730Telefax number: (377) 98 66 35 25Telephone number: (224) 13 40 48 70E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionGUINEA-BISSAU, BissauHead of Delegation: MOREIRA MARTINSAntonioAddress:Bairro da Penha, BissauPostal Address:C.P. 359, 1113 Bissau CedexTelefax number: (245) 25 10 44


Telephone number: (245) 25 14 69E-mail: [email protected]

Regional DelegationGUYANA, GeorgetownHead of Delegation: DE VISSCHER VincentAddress:11, Sendall Place, Stabroek, Georgetown,GuyanaPostal Address:P.O. Box 10847, GeorgetownTelefax number: (592-22) 626 15Telephone number: (592-22) 626 67Website: www.delguy.cec.eu.intE-mail: [email protected]

Regional DelegationIVORY COAST, AbidjanHead of Delegation: NAGEL FriedrichAddress:18 rue du Dr. Crozet, AbidjanPostal Address:01 B.P. 1821, Abidjan 01Telefax number: (225-20) 21 40 89 Telephone number: (225-20) 31 83 50 E-mail: [email protected]

Regional DelegationJAMAICA, KingstonHead of Delegation: JARCHOW GerdAddress:8 Olivier Road, Kingston 8, Jamaica W.I.Postal Address:P.O. Box 463, Kingston 8, Jamaica W.I.Telefax number: (1-876) 924.63.39Telephone number:(1-876) 924.63.33 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7Website : www.deljam.cec.eu.intE-mail: [email protected]

Regional DelegationKENYA, NairobiHead of Delegation: QUINCE GaryPostal Address:Union Insurance Building, Ragati Road,P.O. Box 30475, 00100 NairobiTelefax number: (254-2) 71 64 81Telephone number: (254-2) 71 30 20 / 1Website : www.delken.cec.eu.intE-mail: [email protected]

KIRIBATI & NAURU -> FIJI

Regional DelegationLESOTHO, MaseruHead of Delegation: COLLINGWOOD RobertAddress:167, Constitutional Road, Maseru WestPostal Address:P.O. Box MS 518, Maseru 100Telefax number: (266) 22 310 193Telephone number: (266) 22 313 726E-mail: [email protected]

Technical OfficeLIBERIA, MonroviaResponsible Delegation: IVORY COAST,Abidjan Resident Adviser : Jeffrey RuddAddress:U.N. Drive, Mamba Point, Monrovia, Liberia,West AfricaTelefax number: (231) 226.274 Telephone number: (231) 226 273 E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionMADAGASCAR, AntananarivoHead of Delegation: PROTAR PierreAddress:Immeuble Ny Havana, 67 HA, AntananarivoPostal Address:B.P. 746, Antananarivo 101Telefax number: 261 20 22 645 62Telephone number: 261 20 22 242 16E-mail: [email protected]

MARSHALL ISLANDS -> FIJI

Delegation of the European CommissionMALAWI, LilongweHead of Delegation: VAN DER GOOT WiepkeAddress:Europa House, LilongwePostal Address:P.O. Box 30102, Capital City, Lilongwe 3Telefax number: (265) 1773 382 OutgoingTelephone number:(265) 1772 743 / 124 / 199 / 230Telephone number: (265) 1773 534 IncomingMain E-mail: [email protected]

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Delegation of the European CommissionMALI, BamakoHead of Delegation: GOSETTI DI STURMECKFrancescoAddress:Immeuble UATT, Quartier du Fleuve, BAMAKOPostal Address:B.P. 115, BAMAKO Telefax number: (223) 222 36 70Telephone number: (223) 222 11 03E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionMAURITANIA, NouakchottHead of Delegation: PAVARD DominiqueAddress:Ilot V, Lot N° 24, NOUAKCHOTTPostal Address:B.P. 213, NOUAKCHOTTTelefax number: (222) 525 35 24Telephone number: (222) 525 27 24E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionMAURITIUS, REPUBLIC OF, Port-LouisHead of Delegation: REY SALGADO JuanCarlosAddress:8th floor, St. James Court Building, St. DenisStreet, Port-LouisPostal Address:P.O. Box 1148Telefax number: (230) 211 66 24Telephone number: (230) 207 15 15E-mail: [email protected]

MICRONESIA -> FIJI

Delegation of the European CommissionMOZAMBIQUE, MaputoHead of Delegation: PINTO TEIXEIRA JoseManuelAddress:Avenida Julius Nyerere 2820 MAPUTOMOZAMBIQUEPostal Address: C.P. 1306, MAPUTOTelefax number: (258-1) 49 18 66Website : www.delmoz.cec.eu.intTelephone number: (258-1) 48 10 00E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionNAMIBIA, WindhoekHead of Delegation: BRUESER AntoniusAddress:Sanlam Bldg. 4th floor, 154 IndependenceAvenue, 9000 WindhoekPostal Address:P.O. Box 24443, WindhoekTelefax number: (264-61) 202 6224Telephone number: (264-61) 202 6000Website: www.delnam.cec.eu.intE-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionNIGER, NiameyHead of Delegation: HOREJS IrenePostal Address:B.P. 10388, NiameyTelefax number: (227) 73 23 22Telephone number: (227) 74 45 08E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionNIGERIA, AbujaHead of Delegation: TEZAPSIDIS LeonidasAddress:Europe House, Plot 63, Usuma Street,Maitama District, ABUJAPostal Address:P.M.B. 280, Garki, ABUJATelefax number: (234-9) 413 31 47Telephone number: (234-9) 413 31 48E-mail: [email protected]

NIUE -> FIJIPALAU -> FIJI

Regional DelegationPAPUA NEW GUINEA, Port MoresbyHead of Delegation: CRASNER AnthonyAddress:The Lodge, 3rd Floor, Bampton street, PortMoresbyPostal Address:P.O. Box 76, Port MoresbyTelefax number: (675) 321.7850Telephone number: (675) 321 3544Website: www.delpng.cec.eu.intE-mail: [email protected]


Delegation of the European CommissionRWANDA, KigaliHead of Delegation: LESTER JeremyAddress:14, rue Député Kamuzinzi, 14, KigaliPostal Address:B.P. 515, KigaliTelefax number: (250) 57 43 13Telephone number: (250) 57 55 86Telephone number: (250) 55 57 89E-mail: [email protected]

Technical OfficeSAMOA, ApiaResponsible Delegation: FIJI ISLANDS, REP. OFTHE, Suva Address:Ioane Viliamu Building, 4th Floor, ApiaPostal Address:P.O. Box 3023, ApiaTelefax number: (685) 24622Telephone number: (685) 20070E-mail: [email protected]

SAO TOME & PRINCIPE -> GABON

Regional DelegationSENEGAL, DakarHead of Delegation: LOPEZ BLANCO ManuelAddress:12, Avenue Albert Sarraut, DakarPostal Address:B.P. 3345, DakarTelefax number: (221) 823.68 85 Telephone number: (221) 889 11 00E-mail: www.delsen.cec.eu.intE-mail: [email protected]

SEYCHELLES -> MAURITIUS

Delegation of the European CommissionSIERRA LEONE, FreetownHead of Delegation: TUNNACLIFFE JeremyAddress:Wesley House, 4 George Street, FreetownPostal Address:P.O. Box 1399, FreetownTelefax number: (232-22) 22 52 12Telephone number: (232-22) 22 73 19E-mail: [email protected]

Regionalised DelegationSOLOMON ISLANDS, HoniaraResponsible Delegation: PAPUA NEWGUINEA, Port Moresby Address:2nd Floor, City Centre Building, HoniaraPostal Address: P.O.Box 844, HoniaraTelefax number: (677) 23.318Telephone number: (677) 21.575E-mail: [email protected]

SOMALIA -> KENYA

Delegation of the European CommissionSOUTH AFRICA, REP., PretoriaHead of Delegation: LAKE MichaelAddress:1-2 Green Park Estates, 27 George StorrarDrive, Groenkloof 0181, PretoriaPostal Address:P.O. Box 945, Groenkloof 0027, PretoriaTelefax number: (27-12) 460 99 23Telephone number: (27-12) 452 52 00E-mail: [email protected]

ST KITTS/NEVIS -> BARBADOSST LUCIA -> BARBADOSST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES ->BARBADOS

Delegation of the European CommissionSUDAN, KhartoumHead of Delegation: DEGERFELT KentAddress:Block 1B, Plot 10, Gamhoria Street, KhartoumPostal Address: P.O. Box 2363, KhartoumTelefax number: (249-11) 77 53 93Telephone number: (249-11) 77 51 48E-mail: [email protected]

Regionalised DelegationSURINAM, ParamariboResponsible Delegation: GUYANA, GeorgetownAddress:Dr. S. Redmonstraat, 239, ParamariboPostal Address: P.O. Box 484, ParamariboTelefax number: (597) 49.30.76Telephone number: (597) 49.93.22Web Site: www.delsur.cec.eu.intE-mail: [email protected]

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Regionalised DelegationSWAZILAND, MbabaneResponsible Delegation: LESOTHO, MaseruAddress:Lilunga House, 4th Floor, Gilfillan Street MbabanePostal Address:P.O. Box A.36, Swazi Plaza, H101Telefax number: (268) 40 46729Telephone number: (268) 40 42908E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionTANZANIA, Dar es SalaamHead of Delegation: HANNA WilliamAddress:Umoja House, Garden avenue, Dar es SalaamPostal Address:P.O. Box 9514, Dar es SalaamTelefax number: (255-22) 211 32 77Telephone number: (255-22) 211 74 73Website: www.deltza.cec.eu.intE-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionTOGO, LomeAddress:37, Avenue Nicolas Grunitzky, LOMEPostal Address:B.P. 1657, LOMETelefax number: (228) 221.13.00Telephone number: (228) 221.36.62E-mail: [email protected]

TONGA -> FIJI

Regionalised DelegationTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO,Port of SpainResponsible Delegation: GUYANA,GeorgetownAddress:The Mutual Centre, 16 Queen's Park West,PORT OF SPAIN, TrinidadPostal Address:P.O. Box 1144, PORT OF SPAIN, TrinidadTelefax number: (1-868) 622.6355Telephone number: (1-868) 622.6628E-mail: [email protected]

TUVALU -> FIJI

Delegation of the European CommissionUGANDA, KampalaHead of Delegation: ILLING SigurdAddress:5th floor Rwenzori House; Plot 1, LumubaAvenue; KampalaPostal Address:P.O. Box 5244, KampalaTelefax number: (256-41) 23.37.08Telephone number: (256-41) 23.33.03Website: www.deluga.cec.eu.intE-mail: [email protected]

Regionalised DelegationVANUATU, Port VilaResident Adviser: TSILOGIANNIS CostaAddress:Moore Stephens House, Ground Floor, KumulHighway, Rue Higginson StreetPostal Address:P.O. Box 422, PORT-VILATelefax number: (678) 23 282Telephone number: (678) 22 501E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionZAMBIA, LusakaHead of Delegation: SPRIETSMA HenryAddress:Plot 4899, Los Angeles Boulevard, LUSAKAPostal Address:P.O. Box 34871, LUSAKATelefax number: (260-1) 25.09.06Telephone number: (260-1) 25.11.40E-mail: [email protected]

Delegation of the European CommissionZIMBABWE, HarareHead of Delegation: MOSCA FrancescaAddress:Construction House, 6th Floor, 110 LeopoldTakawira St., HARAREPostal Address:P.O. Box 4252, HARARETelefax number: (263-4) 725 360Telephone number: (263-4) 701 915E-mail: [email protected]


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Contact details

CONCORD(Confederation for Cooperation of Relief anddevelopment NGOs)This confederation aims to inform andcoordinate the political actions of NGOsfor development at the European level. Itwas created on January 2003 by networksand national platforms from the Europeanmember States. It represents over 1000NGOs.

CONCORD Secretariat10 Square Ambiorix,B-1000 BrusselsBelgiumTel.: +32 (0)2 743 87 60Fax: +32 (0)2 732 19 34President : Mr Frans PolmanE-mail: [email protected]

Cotonou Working GroupThis group is one of the CONCORDworking groups. It acts as a coordinatingstructure for a number of EuropeanDevelopment NGO networks working onACP-EC cooperation. Eurostep is the coor-dinator of the group, while Christian Aidand BOND are lead agencies within thegroup on respectively Trade and Aid.

See below the contact details of some ofthe members.

Further informationFor further information, including a fulllist of members, contact:[email protected], or to participate inthe monitored group discussion, mail at:[email protected]

ANNEX X Contact details:European Non-Governmental Organisations

ACTION AID ALLIANCE10 rue de la ScienceB-1040 BrusselsBelgiumTelephone: +32 2 502 55 01Telefax: +32 2 502 62 03E-mail : [email protected] : www.actionaidalliance.org

RepresentativeLouise Hilditch,[email protected]

ACTSA Action for Southern Africa28 Penton StreetLONDON N1 9SAUnited KingdomTelephone: +44 20 783 331 33 Telefax: +44 20 783 730 01E-mail: [email protected]: www.actsa.org

RepresentativeAlastair Fraser, [email protected]

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AEFJNAfrica-Europe Faith and Justice Network174, rue Joseph IIB-1000 BRUSSELSBelgiumTelephone: +32 2 234 68 10Telefax: +32 2 231 14 13E-mail: [email protected]: www.aefjn.org

RepresentativeMaru Basterrache,[email protected]

APRODEVAssociation of World Council of Churchesrelated Development Organisations inEuropeBoulevard Charlemagne 28B-1000 BrusselsBelgiumTelephone: +32 2234 5660Telefax: +32 2234 5669Website : www.aprodev.net

RepresentativesKarine Sohet, [email protected] Ulmer, [email protected] van Drimmelen, [email protected]@aprodev.net

Associazione di ONG ItalianeVia Giovanni Devoti, 16IT-00167 Roma ItalyTelephone: +39 06 66019202Telefax: +39 06 66032774E-mail: [email protected]: www.ong.it

[email protected]

BOND UK NGO PlatformRegent's Wharf8 All Saint's StreetLONDON N1 9RLUnited KingdomTelephone: +44 20 783 783 44Telefax: +44 20 783 742 20E-mail: [email protected]: www.bond.org.uk/

RepresentativeMikaela Gavas, [email protected]

CHRISTIAN AIDPart of UK NGO platformPO Box 100LONDON SE1 7RTUnited KingdomTelephone: +44 20 762 044 44Telefax: +44 20 752 320 60E-mail: [email protected]: www.christian-aid.org.uk

RepresentativeJenny Brown, [email protected]

CIDSECoopération internationale pour ledéveloppement et la SolidaritéRue de Stévin, 16B-1000 Brussels, BelgiumTelephone: +32 2 2333 757Telefax: +32 2 2307 082E-mail : [email protected]: www.cidse.org

RepresentativeVan Dillen, [email protected]


CIPSI Italian NGO Platform Cordinamento di Iniziative Popolari diSolidarietaViale F. Baldelli, 41IT-00146 ROMEItalyTelephone: +39 6 541 48 94Telefax: +39 6 596 00 533E-mail: [email protected]: http://web.tin.it/cipsi

RepresentativeGuido Barbera,[email protected]

CNCDWalloon half of Belgian NGO platformCentre national de coopération audéveloppement9, Quai du CommerceB-1000 BrusselsBelgiumTelephone: +32 2 250 12 41 Telefax: +32 2 250 12 63E-mail: [email protected] : www.11.be/cncd.htm

RepresentativeGerard [email protected]

CONCORD Secretariat(see above)

RepresentativeEster Asin, [email protected]

COORDINATION SUD French NGO PlatformCFSI-Comité Français pour la SolidaritéInternationale32, rue Le PeletierF-75 009 ParisFranceTelephone : +33 1 44 83 88 70Telefax : +33 1 44 83 88 50Website: www.cfsi.asso.fr

RepresentativesJean-Louis Vielajus, [email protected]égis Mabilais,[email protected] Barry, [email protected]

EROEuropean Research OfficeGrasmarkt 105, bus 46B-1000 BRUSSELSBelgiumTelephone: +32 2 552 03 19Telefax: +32 2 502 02 96E-mail: [email protected]

RepresentativesPaul Goodison, [email protected] Nee, [email protected]

EURODADEuropean network on Debt andDevelopmentAvenue Louise 176, 8th Floor B-1050 Brussels, BelgiumTelephone: +32 2 543 90 60Telefax: +32 2 544 05 59E-mail: [email protected]: www.eurodad.org

RepresentativesFrancis Lemoine, [email protected] Kirk Jensen, [email protected]

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EUROSTEPEuropean Solidarity Towards EqualParticipation of PeopleRue Stévin 115B-1000 BrusselsBelgiumTelephone: +32 2 234 62 23Telefax: +32 2 230 37 80E-mail : [email protected] : www.eurostep.org

RepresentativesSimon Stocker, [email protected] Laryea, [email protected] Ezunkpe, [email protected]

HELPAGE InternationalP.O. Box 32832LONDON N1 9ZNUnited KingdomTelephone: +44 20 7278 7778Telefax: +44 20 7843 1840E-mail: [email protected]: www.helpage.org/

RepresentativeHelen Holder, [email protected]

ICCOInterkerkelijke Organisatie voorOntwikkelingssamenwerkingPostbus 151NL-3700 AD ZEISTThe NetherlandsTelephone: +31 30 692 78 11Telefax: +31 30 692 56 14E-mail: [email protected]: www.icco.nl/

RepresentativeAd Ooms, [email protected]

ICDAInternational Coalition for DevelopmentActionRue Stévin 115B-1000 BRUSSELSBelgiumTelephone: +32 2 230 04 30Telefax: +32 2 230 52 37E-mail: [email protected]: www.icda.be

RepresentativesJanice FoerdeAngela De TomassiEmanuel Bensah, [email protected]

IPPFInternational Planned ParenthoodFederation European NetworkRue Royale 146B-1000 BRUSSELSBelgiumTelephone: +32 2 250 09 50Telefax : +32 2 250 09 69E-mail: [email protected]: www.ippfen.org

RepresentativeSalima Chitalia, [email protected]

KEHYS Finnish NGO PlatformSörnäisten rantatie 25FI-00500 HelsinkiFinlandTelephone: +358 9 584 23 214Telefax: +358 9 584 23 200Website : www.kehys.fi

RepresentativesLinus Atarah, [email protected] Souheimo, [email protected]


11.11.11 NCOS Flemish half of Belgian NGO PlatformVlasfabriekstraat 11B-1060 BRUSSELSBelgiumTelephone: +32 2 536 11 13Telefax: +32 2 536 19 10Website: www.11.be/

RepresentativesMarc Maes, [email protected] Antonissen, [email protected]

OXFAM INTERNATIONAL2nd Floor, Prama House267 Banbury RoadOXFORD OX2 7HTUnited KingdomTelephone: +44 1865 31 39 39 E-mail:[email protected]:www.oxfaminternational.org

RepresentativesJo [email protected] Vila Hopkins,[email protected]

Saferworld 28 Charles SquareLondon N1 6HTUnited KingdomTelephone: +44 (0)20 7324 4646 Telefax: +44 (0)20 7324 4647Website: www.saferworld.org.uk

RepresentativeHesta Groenewald,[email protected]

SOLAGRALBâtiment 14Parc scientifique AgropolisFR-34397 MONTPELLIER CEDEX 5FranceTelephone: +33 4 99 23 22 80Telefax : +33 4 99 23 24 60E-mail: [email protected]: www.solagral.org

RepresentativeKarin Tavernier, [email protected]

SOLIDARRue du Commerce, 20-22B-1000 BruxellesBelgiumTelephone: +32 2 500 10 20Telefax: +32 2 500 10 30E-mail : [email protected] : www.solidar.org

RepresentativeAnja Osterhaus, [email protected]

TRIALOGWohllebengasse 12-14A-1040 ViennaAustriaTelephone: +43 1 319 79 49Telefax: +43 1 319 79 15E-mail: [email protected]: www.trialog.or.at

RepresentativeE Foerg, [email protected]

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VENROGerman NGO PlatformDüsseldorfer Landstrasse 180D-47249 DuisburgGermanyTelephone.: +49 203 7789 238Telefax: +49 203 7789 289 238E-mail : [email protected]: www.knh.de

RepresentativesAnke Kurat, [email protected] Hagemann,[email protected]

WEEDWorld Economy Ecology and DevelopmentAssociationBertha Von Suttner Platz 13D-53111 BONNGermany

Telephone: +49 228 76 61 30Telefax: +49 228 69 64 70E-mail: [email protected]: www.weed-online.org

RepresentativeKlaus Schilder,[email protected]

WIDEWomen in Development EuropeRue de la Science 10B-1000 BrusselsBelgiumTelephone : +32 2 545 90 70Telefax: +32 2 512 73 42E-mail: [email protected]: www.eurosur.org/wide

RepresentativesKarin Arts, [email protected] Karadenizli, [email protected] Specht, [email protected]


UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

-

EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

COUNTRY STRATEGY PAPER

AND

NATIONAL INDICATIVE PROGRAMME

FOR THE PERIOD 2001-2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART A - COUNTRY STRATEGY

0. Executive Summary

1. EC Co-operation Objectives

2. The National Development Agenda

2.1.Background

2.2. The Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRSP)

2.3. Donor Review of the Poverty Reduction Strategy

3. Country Analysis

3.1. Tanzania Today - An overview of the political, economic and social situation

3.2. Analysis of PRS Priority Sectors - A Review of Government Policies

3.2.1. Macro-economic Reforms (Structural Adjustment)

3.2.2. Governance

3.2.3. Road Sector

3.2.4. Education Sector

3.2.5. Private Sector Development and Trade

3.2.6. Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Conservation

3.2.7. Gender, Health and HIV/AIDS

149

ANNEX XI Extract from a Country Strategy Paper

150


4. An Assessment of Past and Ongoing Co-operation

4.1. EC and Donor Co-operation Programmes

4.2. Sector-specific Assessment and Lessons Learned

5. Response Strategy

5.1. CSP Areas of Co-operation

5.2. Non-state actors

5.3. Ongoing Areas of Co-operation

5.4. Coherence and complementarity

5.4.1. All-ACP Funds

5.4.2. Commission Budget Lines

5.4.3. EDF Funds for Regional Programming

5.4.4. ECHO

PART B - INDICATIVE PROGRAMME

6. Presentation of Indicative Programme

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Financial Instruments

6.3. Focal sectors

6.4. Macro support

6.5. Other programmes

6.6. Indicative Work Programme Tables:

- Logical framework per sector,

- Government undertakings for all sectors,

- Chronogramme,

- Commitment and Disbursement tables

ANNEXES


Central Africa (CEMAC and CEEAC)a RIP of EUR 55 million

Focal areas1. Regional economic integration and

support to trade.2. Transport and telecommunications sector.3. Management of natural resources.

Non focal areasPolitical dialogue, conflict prevention andfisheries.

West Africa (UEMOA and CEDEAO)a RIP of EUR 235 million

Focal areas1. Economic integration and support to trade.2. Transport and telecommunications sector.3. Management of natural resources.

Non focal areasConflict prevention and good governance,human resource development and foodsecurity.

East and Southern Africa, and theIndian Ocean (COMESA, EAC, IGAD and IOC)a RIP of EUR 223 million

Focal areas1. Economic integration and trade.2. Management of natural resources.3. Transport and communication.

Non focal areasConflict prevention and resolution, capacitybuilding, higher education and culture.

Southern Africa (SADC)a RIP of EUR 101 million

Focal areas1. Economic integration and trade.2. Transport and communication.

Non focal areasPeace and security, fight against AIDS anddrug trafficking.

Caribbean (CARIFORUM)a RIP of EUR 57 million

Focal areas 1. Regional economic integration and trade

support.2. Human resource development.3. Fisheries development.

Non focal areas Drugs control and disaster management

Pacific (Pacific forum)a RIP of EUR 29 million

Focal areas1. Intensification of regional integration and

trade support.

Non focal areasSupporting the 6 new ACP Pacific statesMarshall Islands, Cook Islands, FS ofMicronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau.

151

ANNEX XII Regional Indicative Programmes under the 9th EDF

152


(Cotonou Agreement, Annex IV, Chapter 1)

Article 3

Resource allocation

1. Resource allocation shall be based on needs and performance, as defined in this

Agreement. In this context:

(a) needs shall be assessed on the basis of criteria pertaining to per capita income, population size,

social indicators and level of indebtedness, export earning losses and dependence on export

earnings, in particular from the sectors of agriculture and mining. Special treatment shall be

accorded to the least developed ACP States and the vulnerability of island and landlocked

states shall duly be taken into account. In addition, account shall be taken of the particular dif-

ficulties of post-conflict countries; and

(b) performance shall be assessed in an objective and transparent manner on the basis of the fol-

lowing parameters: progress in implementing institutional reforms, country performance in the

use of resources, effective implementation of current operations, poverty alleviation or

reduction, sustainable development measures and macro-economic and sectoral policy per-

formance.

ANNEX XIII Resource allocation to ACP countriesNeeds and performance criteria


Summary of the main findings of theEuropean Commission PreliminaryEvaluation of Non-State Actors partici-pation in programming.

This report is a first attempt to assess pro-gress made in implementing the provi-sions of the Cotonou Agreementregarding the involvement of non-stateactors in the programming process. Theaim is to provide a preliminary quanti-tative and qualitative analysis of the invol-vement of non-state actors (NSAs) in theEU-ACP programming process undertakenfor the period 2002-2006. The initial fin-dings of the attached analysis should beconsidered as provisional since 63 draftCountry Strategy Papers approved by theCommission and/or signed by March 2003were analysed. Additional informationprovided by the delegations is to be inte-grated progressively.

Civil society is being involved directly inthe programming exercise for the firsttime in almost 50 years of EU co-operationtowards the South. This new approachmeans new partners, new modalities andeven new patterns of behaviour. In therelatively short period available for theprogramming exercise, the official partieshave followed diverse strategies to ensurethe involvement of civil society.

In 59 countries out of 63, a process of con-sultation was conducted with non Stateactors (NSA). Experience suggests that theEC can contribute to improving the qualityof existing wider consultation processes(PRSP, others).

In other countries innovative modalitieshave been applied and the programmingprocess has led to the creation of newfunctional bodies involving state and non-state actors. In those cases there is anevident concern for ensuring inclusiveness(e.g. by opening-up the consultation forato new members) and transparency.In 36 countries out of 63 the draft countrystrategy paper was modified following theconsultation process.

Different types of strategies have beenfollowed to involve NSAs in future co-ope-ration. In a number of countries the res-ponse strategy is geared at enhancingNSA participation in all sectors of EC co-operation and by different means(mainstreaming). In others NSA invol-vement is mainly foreseen in the focalsectors. A third type of strategy foreseesto provide support to NSAs in non-focalsectors, either as a means for targetingpoor population groups or as a contri-bution to good governance and conflictprevention.

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ANNEX XIV European Commission preliminaryassessment of non-state actor participation in programming

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Out of the three possible sources offunding (access to funding, participationin the implementation of focal or non-focal sector programmes, EC thematicbudget lines) it is often unclear whichsource is going to be mobilised. It is alsooften the case that a provision for directfunding is provided but the amount pro-posed is not precise. However, in 39country programs a provision of direct

funding for NSA capacity building or othersupport is proposed. In total the proposedfunds allocated directly to NSAs in thosecountries amount to approximately 170,18 Meuros out of a total programmingenvelope (A-Envelop) for these countriesof approximately 3,5 Billion Euros. Thisrepresents therefore on average 4% of A-Envelope.

Many people have given willinglysome of their time to contribute toour work on this guide.

First, we consulted a wide variety ofactors in six ACP countries with theprecious assistance of local plat-forms of non-state actors or of localexperts, including the Fiji Forum ofNon-State Actors (FFONSA); theForum for Social and EconomicDevelopment Partners (FOSEDEP)and the Centre for EnterpriseDevelopment and Training (CEDAT)in Kenya; the Comité National dePilotage des Acteurs non Etatiques(Mali); Rosalea Hamilton from theInstitute of Law and Economics(Jamaica); Lambert Mimpiya(Democratic Republic of Congo) andRafiq Hajat from the Institute forPolicy Interaction (Malawi). AnECDPM staff member could alsoattend a regional meeting of non-state actors in the Caribbean regionthanks to the support of RenwickRose (WINFA).

Second, more than 140 actors con-tributed to the interactive dialogueon the Internet, thus providingadditional insights and experiencesthat greatly enriched the guide.

Third, several experts helped uswith specific aspects of the guide.

Fourth, the validation seminar inSeptember brought together insti-tutional actors as well as non-stateactors from ten ACP countries inorder to review the guide.

Finally, all along the process, stafffrom the ACP Secretariat and from

the European Commission (DG-DEVand EuropeAid Cooperation Office)were available to attend coordina-tion meetings, make suggestions ordeliver written comments on suc-cessive drafts. The European Commission also provided the fun-ding for this project. We would liketo thank all these actors for theirgenerous support and we hope wehave done justice to their inputs.Any errors or omissions are of courseentirely our own responsibility.

This guide was produced in a truespirit of teamwork involving:

ECDPM writing team:Jean Bossuyt (overall coordinator),Charlotte Carlsson, GwénaëlleCorre, Nikolaï Hutchinson,Laura Schmidt and Caroline Valette

Interactive webspace:Charlotte Carlsson and Ivan Kulis

Translation:Evelyne Codazzi, Catherine Miginiac,Patrice Pinguet and Van Hoorn Business Translations

Editorial assistance:Valerie Jones and Catherine Miginiac

Design:Jos Baur (SchrijenLippertzHuntjens)and Pia Brand (ECDPM)

Layout:Pia Brand (ECDPM)

Printed:In the Netherlands bySchrijenLippertzHuntjens

Acknowledgements

Funded by the European Commission.This is not an offical EC document.ISBN: 90 808 3371 1

In June 2000, the European Union (EU) and 77 countries in Africa, theCaribbean and the Pacific (ACP) signed a new cooperation agreement:the Cotonou Agreement. This partnership is not restricted togovernments. Opportunities for participation are also provided to civil society organisations, economic and social partners and theprivate sector in the ACP countries. It is in that context that theinitiative was taken to produce this user's guide on the CotonouAgreement for non-state actors.

This guide has two main purposes:

• to inform civil society organisations, economic and social partnersand the private sector in ACP countries on the most importantfeatures of the Cotonou Agreement, and

• to provide practical guidance on how all of these non-state actorscan participate in ACP-EC cooperation.

This guide was not simply conceived and produced behind a desk. It isbased on consultations with a wide range of actors, including civilsociety representatives and officials from both the ACP and Europe.

terms in the glossary1.5 navigating this guide 1.6 the status of this guide chapter 2 the cotonou...

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