DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL CHAIRS COORDINATING MEETING OF UN SYSTEM IN AFRICA NAIROBI -- 5 MARCH
Press Release
DSG/5
ECOSOC/5815
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL CHAIRS COORDINATING MEETING OF UN SYSTEM IN AFRICA NAIROBI -- 5 MARCH
19990310 The first Annual Regional Coordination Meeting of the United Nations system in Africa was held at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON). The gathering, part of a series of meetings convened to discuss enhanced coordination of the activities of the United Nations system at the regional level -- in response to Economic and Social Council resolution 1998/46 -- was chaired by United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette. Representatives of 23 United Nations agencies working in Africa attended the meeting.In an introductory statement, Ms. Fréchette stressed that the meeting was in line with the United Nations programme of reforms and was intended to improve coordination and collaboration among the entities active in the African region.
The meeting revolved around three main questions: What was the vision of the United Nations work in Africa? Was there a coherent United Nations approach in implementing the vision? How effective were the coordinating mechanisms?
Participants engaged in frank discussions on these questions. Noting the proliferation of programmes and initiatives, they questioned whether the existing coordinating mechanisms for these programmes were effective. They underscored the need for enhanced coordination and collaboration, at the country as well as the regional and subregional levels. They also stressed the need for periodic review of the achievement of the system's commonly agreed goals and objectives for Africa.
The meeting agreed that the vision for the United Nations work in Africa must be shaped and determined by Africa's agreed priorities. Since such priorities were continuously evolving, there was a need for the United Nations system to review and adjust its activities accordingly. It was, however, emphasized that in view of the existing coordination arrangements and mechanisms, new structures for this purpose should not be created. Instead, existing ones should be used and strengthened as appropriate.
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The meeting agreed that the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa (SIA) could provisionally constitute an appropriate mechanism for coordination of the United Nations system's work in Africa. The existing SIA sub-themes or clusters would be reviewed and augmented to include other priority areas, as desirable. This modified mechanism would: facilitate the sharing of information among agencies; establish goals and identify priorities; and periodically monitor achievements of targets.
The co-chairs of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) Steering Committee on the Special Initiative were requested to prepare a report containing detailed proposals on how it could play this coordinating role. The report, to be prepared in consultation with the participating entities, would be submitted to the Deputy Secretary-General for approval within three months. The role of the SIA as the coordinating mechanism would be subject to review after two years.
In view of the high priority accorded to Africa by the United Nations system, and to demonstrate to Member States the effectiveness of the work of the United Nations in the region, the meeting underscored the necessity for the entities of the United Nations system to work together more coherently.
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