NEPAD Agency signs MoU with UNDP… parties agree to focus on results….

By Andrew Kanyegirire

New York, 11/10/2011 – The NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Africa Bureau.

The following shall constitute the key areas of cooperation, on which both parties shall focus: Development Policy and Strategy, Governance, Capacity Development, South-South Cooperation and Aid Effectiveness, Knowledge Management, Environment and Climate Change, Trade; and Gender Equity and Women Empowerment.

The signing ceremony took place on Tuesday the 11th of October 2011, at the UNDP Africa Bureau offices at the UN, New York in the United States of America. The MoU was signed by Mr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NEPAD Agency and Mr. Tegegnework Gettu, Director of the UNDP Africa Bureau and Assistant Secretary-General of the UN.

"This is an opportune moment for us both, UNDP and NEPAD, to tackle intelligently the challenges of the continent. Within the context of this MOU, we have a very specific mandate to show the challenges on the ground and more importantly to find relevant solutions to the challenges,” said Mr. Mayaki at the signing of the MoU.

Mr. Gettu called for the focused implementation of the MoU with an emphasis on sound technical results that can be used to address the challenges of development in Africa.

On signing the MoU, both parties agreed to explore opportunities for supporting the specific request for capacity development from countries such as South Sudan and Kenya. In addition, UNDP and the NEPAD Agency are also set to work together in terms of the strategic strengthening and profiling of the African position and response towards the current global economic crisis.

For more information, please contact:

UN-DPI: Andre-Michel Essoungou, essoungou@un.org [3],             1-917-367-9995      

UN-OSAA: François Charlier, charlier@un.org [4],             1-212-963-0359      

NEPAD Agency: Andrew Kanyegirire, andrewk@nepad.org [5],             +27 83 704 4506      

AU/NEPAD: Sarah Lawan, sarah.lawan@gmail.com [6]             +13475307926      

Also, please visit UN/NEPAD@10 website at http://www.nepad.org/ [7] and http://www.un.org/africarenewal [8]