Institutional and Strategic Frameworks for Sustainable Development in Africa Summary Report

This report assesses the institutional and strategic frameworks for sustainable development at regional, sub regional and national levels on the basis of data gathered through desk review and field visits. The desk review covered published and unpublished material and online resources of a wide array of institutions at the global, regional, sub-regional and national levels. The field visits covered the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union Commission, the ECOWAS Commission, AMCOW Secretariat and SADC Secretariat. In addition, direct teleconference was held with officials from UNEP Africa Regional Office, which also acts as the interim Secretariat of AMCEN, the African Development Bank, and the UNECA subregional Office for North Africa. Direct interview was conducted with the Director, Programme Implementation and Coordination Directorate of NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA). The objective of the study is to show how relevant and effective are institutional and strategic frameworks in promoting the integration of the three pillars of sustainable development in a balanced manner, enhancing institutional linkages and encouraging multi-stakeholder participation and decentralization in the planning and implementation of programmes. The study also aims at assessing how these frameworks cater for intra-generational and intergenerational equity through long term planning and strategies that bridge the equality gaps. In terms of scope, the report focuses on the institutional and strategic frameworks for sustainable development at the regional, subregional and national levels. It is understood that the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) is leading the review of the frameworks at the global level. Therefore the coverage of the few UN organizations in this report is limited to their regional activities and to the linkages they foster at regional, subregional, and national levels.