11 th RCM-Africa 14-15 November 2010 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

1. 11th RCM-Africa14-15 November 2010Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Progress Report on the Sub-regional Coordination Mechanism (SRCM) By Antonio M.A. Pedro Director SRO-EA

2. Objectives • Provide brief account of activities undertaken to operationalise the SRCM since the 10th RCM • Offer options on the way forward • Seek RCM advice and eventual endorsement of options to start delivering as one at sub-regional level

3. The HLM • In line with decisions of the 10th RCM and SG’s report to the 61st GA on the SRCM,SRO-EA/SA convened a HLM on Regional Integration and the SRCM (19-20 March 2010/Kigali) to deliberate on how to operationalise the SRCM • Well attended; Co-chaired by DES and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda • Key outcome: Missing link at sub-regional level can be case of the past

4. The HLM (2) • Centrality of the MYPs as a tool to establish multi-UN agencies partnerships with RECs confirmed • SRCM Task Force established • Task Force to meet with RECs to examine existing MYPs with a view to identify entry points/programmes for coordinated UN support at sub-regional level

5. The Task Force • ECA, UNDP, UNEP, WHO, UNIDO, UNESCO • 25-26 October: Inaugural Meeting in Kigali • Agreement that the SRCM should be based on thematic areas consistent with the priorities of the RECs • Broader participation and leadership of UN agencies based on their comparative advantage • SRCM should be lean and not overburden UN agencies

6. The Task Force (2) • Un interventions should be catalytic and add value to the work of RECs and focus on policy analysis, knowledge creation and dissemination, capacity building, and policy alignment and harmonisation • SRCM to kick start with focus on five thematic areas: Regional integration and infrastructure; Climate change and natural resources management; Governance; Gender and social development; and Agriculture and food security

7. Challenges • Variable geometry, scope and focus of work of UN agencies • Ownership by RECs and Alignment of MYPs with their needs • Achieve a right balance between supply and demand of services using available normative and operational capacity: RECs should own the MYPs

8. Working modalities • Clustering around the 5 thematic areas anchored on MYPs • Lead agency to anchor work and reporting in thematic subject • Pooling resources around selected joint programmes (e.g. ECA-led food security programme for Eastern Africa and UNIDO-led industry upgrading and modernisation programme) • Regular meetings of the SRCM during the RCM

9. Working modalities (2) • VCs/teleconferences for ad-hoc SRCM meetings if and when necessary • Side-line meetings during statutory meetings of RECs in particular the SADC/EAC/COMESA tripartite meetings • Yearly joint programming with RECs? • SRO-EA to coordinate SRCM reporting for the RCM Secretariat • 10-year capacity building programme: Good framework for SRCM

10. Next steps Circulate existing frameworks for collaboration with RECs (e.g. ECA MYPs) to identify entry points for UN-wide collaboration Convene 2nd meeting of the task force to populate the matrix Get RCM endorsement to kick start consultations with RECs Initiate coordinate support to RECs in 2011

11. Conclusions We can indeed address the missing link Encouraged with the progress made to date, but momentum needs to be maintained Demand is there, we need practical and ingenuous ways to respond it without overburden anybody

12. THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION