NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC)

The NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) was established through Declaration of the 2001 OAU Summit in Lusaka, Zambia. At the 14th African Union (AU) Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in February 2010 the HSGIC was transformed into the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC)

This decision was in line with the integration of NEPAD into AU structures and processes and the transformation of the NEPAD Secretariat into an implementation agency – the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency).

The HSGOC provides leadership to the NEPAD process, sets policies, priorities and the programmes of action. At the inception of the NEPAD programme, the membership of the HSGOC was 15, inclusive of the five originating countries. To promote inclusiveness and inspire ownership within Africa, HSGOC membership was enlarged to the present 20 countries by the AU Assembly.

The Orientation Committee comprises the Heads of State and Government of 20 African states, which are elected on the basis of the AU five regions. This 20-member committee includes the five initiating countries of NEPAD. The membership of the 15 member states elected into the HSGOC rotates every two years, or as advised, following regional consultations within the Union. The Chairperson of the AU Commission also participates in HSGOC Summits. Recently, the 11th AU Assembly endorsed the HSGOC proposal to include the country of the Chairperson of the African Union, if not already a member of the HSGOC, to serve as a member during the tenure of its chairmanship.

The current composition, as at August 2010, is shown below:

Functions of the HSGOC

Generally, the HSGOC provides strategic leadership for the implementation of the NEPAD programme. The HSGOC considers reports tabled by the NEPAD Agency, as recommended by the Steering Committee, across various sectoral priorities. The HSGOC serves as a direct platform and channel to organise the Heads of State/Government on certain strategic approaches of programme and project development, action needed or required by African countries and partners, determines common action on engaging our partners on certain development issues, resource mobilisation and advocacy.

According to the NEPAD base document of October 2001, the functions of the HSGOC (which are based on its pre-cursor of the HSGIC) consist of the following:

• Identify strategic issues that need to be researched, planned and managed at the continental level;
• Set up mechanisms for reviewing progress in the achievement of mutually agreed targets and compliance with mutually agreed standards; and
• Review progress in the implementation of past decisions and taking appropriate steps to address problems and delays.

Over the past six years, the NEPAD HSGOC has focused on:

• Accelerating the political and socio-economic integration of the continent through the endorsement of key programmes and projects with regional impact;
• Monitoring the implementation of policies and decisions of NEPAD;
• Determining the common policies of NEPAD and establishing its priorities;
• Pursue efforts to implement the priority sectoral programmes of NEPAD through the mandate given to the NEPAD Steering Committee;
• Establishing sub-committees of the HSGOC, as deemed necessary; and
• Considering reports and recommendations presented by the NEPAD Agency.

Each Head of State and Government on the NEPAD HSGOC also designates one Personal Representative to the NEPAD Steering Committee, while those from the five original promoters of NEPAD delegate two Personal Representatives per country

Frequency of HSGOC Summits - The HSGOC meets at least two times per year at summits held back-to-back with the African Union summits. The HSGOC reviews progress and take decisions on strategic issues and reports to the AU Summit, through its chairperson, who is presently, H. E. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia.

African partner institutions in HSGOC Membership - Selected African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and partner institutions are also official members of the HSGOC. In this regard, Heads of the eight AU-recognised RECs (ECOWAS, ECCAS, EAC, CEN-SAD, SADC, AMU/UMA, COMESA and IGAD), and the African Development Bank (ADB), UNDP, UN Office of Special Adviser on Africa (UN-OSAA) as well as the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA), also participate in the Summits of the Organising Committee.

The HSGOC is supported by a Steering Committee and a Secretariat. These two bodies are responsible for developing and co-ordinating the detailed technical work and for facilitating the various interactions necessary to take NEPAD forward.

The 23rd NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC) was held in Kampala, Uganda, from 19-27 July 2010, on the eve of the 15th AU Assembly Summit.