NEPAD Governance Structures

Background

The 37th OAU Summit in Lusaka, Zambia in July 2001 adopted the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), as the integrated and comprehensive socio-economic development programme to accelerate Africa's renewal, in the form of Declaration 1 (XXXVII).

The Lusaka Summit also agreed on the creation of the Heads of State and Government Implementiation Committee (HSGIC), which in turn established the NEPAD Steering Committee and the NEPAD Secretariat to coordinate and administer its activities. NEPAD had as its overarching objectives the eradication of poverty, the promotion of sustainable development and the arrest of the marginalisation of Africa under globalisation. In particular, the goal to eradicate poverty in Africa was focused on meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

In line with the integration of NEPAD into the structures and processes of the AU, the 14th AU Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in February 2010, strengthened the NEPAD programme by transforming the NEPAD secretariat into an implementation Agency - the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency).

It is also in this regard that the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) was transformed into the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC). In addition, the Summit authorised the Chairperson of the African Union Commission to exercise supervisory authority over the NEPAD Agency.

The NEPAD leadership and governing structures

The NEPAD governance structures are:

- The Assembly of the African Union (AU)
- The NEPAD Heads of State & Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC)
- The NEPAD Steering Committee (SC)

Relationship between AU Assembly and HSGOC

The Chairperson of the HSGOC reports to the AU Assembly on the activities of the HSGOC and makes recommendations for consideration and adoption. In this regard, the NEPAD Agency provides the chairperson with technical support on drafting the Chair's summary report to the Assembly and prepares the draft decision(s) to be tabled in the Assembly for resolution. The other NEPAD related reports are provided to the Heads of State and Government in order to widen understanding, engagement and ownership of NEPAD by all the Heads of State and Government in the Assembly.