In this Issue: Cote d’Ivoire’s CAPEC is strengthening local management capacity | ACBF is a “center of excellence for the continent” – Kithinji Kiragu | ACBF-assisted Centre sustains Madagascar’s poverty alleviation plan | ACBF gets Gates Foundation grant to support tobacco control in Africa | Fostering a win-win US-Africa Partnership | ACBF Board of Governors Chair pays maiden visit to Secretariat | Events | Download PDF (600 KB)
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Africa Capacity Bulletin. It has been a busy time at the Foundation as we engage deeper with our various stakeholders in our efforts to remain abreast and ahead of the capacity development agenda on the continent. At the Foundation level we have continued in our efforts to better connect with our Boards. We held our second Executive Board meeting in August and we discussed the new directions to be explored for capacity development in Africa which include private sector development, infrastructure project preparation and management, domestic resource mobilization and fighting illicit financial flows, management of complex infrastructure contracts and Africa’s engagement with the rest of the world. We also had the privilege of welcoming to Harare our new Chair of the Board of Governors, Hon. Minister Christian Magnagna, Minister of Budget and Public Accounts of the Republic of Gabon. Mr. Magnagna visited the ACBF to familiarize himself with the work of the Foundation as well as his role as Chair. It provided an opportunity for extensive discussions on the short- to medium-term priorities of the Foundation and how to set the Foundation on a path of financial sustainability.
In July, ACBF and partners held a workshop in Addis Ababa to validate the position papers emanating from an earlier workshop on US-Africa relations ahead of the first US-Africa Leaders’ Summit that took place in Washington D. C. on 4-6 August 2014. The Addis Ababa workshop provided a platform for consultation and dialogue among African countries on how to strengthen Africa’s capacity for effective engagement with the US. The workshop ended with the adoption of a framework for a common African position along six key areas, namely peace and security, good governance, trade expansion, strategic investment partnership, human capital development, and strengthening the capacity of institutions.
During this period, ACBF also vigorously supported African countries in strengthening their capacity for engagement with the US. To this end, the Foundation prepared a series of position papers on US-Africa relations in the five geographical sub regions of the continent and Francophone Africa.
This edition of Africa Capacity also features ACBFs achievement in building sustainable human and institutional capacity across Africa as evidenced by the support to Cote d’Ivoire through the Centre for Economic and Social Research (CAPEC) in Abidjan. The Bulletin also features interviews of the Outgoing Vice-Chair of the ACBF Executive Board, Mr. Kithinji Kiragu who has served on the Board for seven years. The Foundations renewed focus on results in an ACBF supported center in Madagascar which has recorded remarkable achievements in poverty reduction on results is evident at the of the Centre de Recherches, d’Etudes et d’Appui à l’Analyse Economique à Madagascar, better known as CREAM. It has been fundamental in availing the government, especially the ministries in charge of economic management and development, of well-researched policy advice on key economic issues.
Finally, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funding for Tobacco control will support strategic grant making and capacity building of civil society organizations (CSOs) advancing tobacco control in Africa. The grant will be used to strategically support the formulation and implementation of effective tobacco control policies including tobacco taxation, advertising bans, graphic warning labels, and smoke-free environments.
As we head towards the last quarter of 2014, we will be focusing on strengthening our strategic partnerships and further increasing our efforts in resource mobilization for our third strategic medium term plan. At the Secretariat level we will begin to consolidate our gains for 2014 and begin planning for an exciting 2015.
