After more than two years of implementation of the scope|acp project, it is time to gauge progress made in reinforcing national capacities to combat desertification in ACP countries, through the ‘desertification’ component of the MEAs programme. Has the project played its intended role in supporting UNCCD stakeholders at the national, sub-regional and international levels? More broadly, is it effectively contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals?
Two years down the line, I do believe that the project is on track.
The scope|acp strategy, in addressing the challenges related to sustainable land management (SLM) in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, has centered on promoting a shared vision of resource mobilization for UNCCD implementation. It has supported pilot countries in the three regions in developing their integrated financing strategies (IFSs), and enhanced coordination and technical support to countries.
One of its major achievements has been to establish regional and interregional South-South partnership platforms to support resource mobilization efforts, manage and disseminate information and success stories on innovative ways to mobilize resources, and support networking between regional experts with a view to fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange and capacity building. The strengths of the scope|acp project can be summarized as follows:
A common vision on SLM-Finance: this has been achieved in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States (LCD-SIDS) programmes. Through regional capacity-building workshops in Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific, the GM and its partners have developed a common approach as regards the content and scope of the resource mobilization strategy to support the UNCCD implementation. Instead of piecemeal projects, SLM is now viewed as a complex, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary national process that must be mainstreamed into national development frameworks, so that it is given the priority in resource allocation it deserves.
South-South Partnership Platforms: these may be the main tool from which all activities derive, or their final product. In both cases, best practices, financing opportunities and project ideas must be shared on a regular basis, in order to stimulate partnership-building and new opportunities for stakeholders in SLM. This is true for the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI), supported by the European Union in the framework of the EU-AU Partnership, for which scope|acp, with the agreement of the African Union Commission and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and has taken the responsibility for developing the GGSWSSI South-South Partnership Platform on capacity building and resource mobilization. Such recognition of the usefulness of scope|acp at the highest African level, is very encouraging.
The way ahead: Notwithstanding the progress made, we recognize that supporting countries and sub-regional organizations in defining common approaches and promoting platforms for resource mobilisation is only a first step. Further efforts must be channelled into strengthening the capacities of local actors - especially Local Authorities - in the development planning processes including natural resource management, through specific knowledge management programmes and targeted capacity building activities.
A further challenge is how to sustain the regional South-South partnership platforms and build inter-regional bridges on common thematic issues related to SLM finance. This entails stepping up support to existing networks of key actors including women and youth, and feeding the platform with useful information on financial opportunities.
At the international level, the outcomes of the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness held in Busan, South Korea, in November 2011, are heartening. The ‘Busan Partnership’ defines a new Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation. This partnership relies on South-South and triangular co-operation, as voluntary, practical and actionable initiatives to implement the commitments agreed upon. It is also founded on the principle that “better outcomes can be achieved when development actors engage in long-term horizontal partnerships based on equity, trust and mutual benefit”.
In this context, the scope|acp project - a precursor of this North-South-South cooperation defined in Busan – can be seen to be right on track as a potential tool for triangular cooperation on SLM finance.
For more information:
Mr Youssef Brahimi, Programme Coordinator, North Africa & South-to-South Cooperation
Tel. +39 06 5459 2584
y.brahimi (at) global-mechanism.org
