NGLS Roundup, no. 63, December 2000 NGO Consultations on the UN Horn of Africa Initiative BACKGROUND Vulnerability to famine in the Horn of Africa is a complex issue. Its causes and solutions involve interactions between economic, social, institutional and technical issues and the harsh physical environment. The United Nations is committed to helping people of this afflicted region find and implement durable solutions to their problems. In addition to addressing the emergency needs of vulnerable people, the United Nations system is focusing attention on the underlying causes and conditions that year after year lead to famine, human suffering and the death of thousands of men, women and children. The UN Secretary-General took first steps towards a concerted strategy at a meeting of the United Nations Administrative Committee on Co-ordination (ACC) in April 2000. At that time he announced the establishment of an Inter-Agency Task Force on the UN Response to Long-Term Food Security, Agricultural Development and Related Aspects in the Horn of Africa. It covers the countries of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD): Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda. The Task Force was charged by the Secretary-General with generating practical and sustainable proposals for mitigating the conditions that generate hunger, and with mobilizing resources required for their implementation. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Jacques Diouf, was appointed Chairperson of the Task Force. The other participating agencies are: the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Fund (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Bank, World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). As part of the process and with the assistance from Task Force focal points in each agency, FAO has coordinated the preparation of a final report that suggests the main thrust of a plan of action. The report will be used as the basis for extensive consultations with governments, donors, rural producers' organizations, NGOs and others, leading to a series of country and regional food security programmes of investment and supporting policy and institutional reform. Mr. Diouf presented the final report of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Horn of Africa to the meeting of the UN Secretary-General and the ACC on 27 October 2000. Mr. Diouf said the Horn of Africa was one of the most food-insecure regions in the world, with around 45% of the population undernourished. The report builds upon the varied mandates and capacities of the agencies concerned and recognizes that many of the solutions to the problem of food security in the region, while related predominantly to agriculture and rural development, also depend on supportive action in other sectors. The Committee endorsed the report's analysis of the underlying causes of food insecurity in the region and emphasized the need to ensure that the report's conclusions should lead to concrete actions. It said the 40% decline in official development assistance to the region is worrying, and it agreed that no impact on food insecurity could be expected without substantial public investment. Mr. Annan indicated to the ACC that he would explore the possibility of the World Bank taking the lead within a follow-up mechanism for mobilization of resources to implement the strategy and programmes identified in the report. Major bilateral agencies active in the region should also be brought into the process, the report said, and food security would need to be included in the Poverty Reduction Strategies for countries of the Horn of Africa. The role of governments of the region and of the regional organization IGAD was recognized in the report as crucial to the success of the UN response. This would involve strong country ownership, as well as government commitment to eliminating famine and food insecurity, including through allocation of domestic resources and formulation of relevant policies and programmes. UN Country Teams and NGOs would play important roles in supporting the governments and IGAD. A special effort has been made to reach out to NGOs and other civil society organizations (CSOs) in order to highlight their role in addressing problems of food insecurity in the Horn of Africa, and to integrate their proposals into the final report. The NGO/civil society organizations offices of all participating UN agencies and programmes were asked to contribute their experience in working with these actors and to supply names of their partners in the Horn of Africa. They also contributed to the development of a questionnaire for NGOs/CSOs in order to systematically gather their views and experiences. The questionnaire, along with the draft report of the Task Force, was distributed to organizations at national level through the UN and FAO country offices and to the headquarters of 35 major international NGOs active in the Horn of Africa. The teams that visited the Horn of Africa countries during preparation of the Task Force report made a point of including meetings with NGOs/CSOs in their programmes. In Ethiopia, at the team's request, the umbrella body Christian Relief and Development Association (CRDA) organized a consultation on 2 August 2000, which brought together 75 NGO representatives. Representatives of CRDA and the regional NGO Inter-Africa Group participated in a concluding workshop on 7-8 August. The following presents an overview of information and reflections from NGOs/CSOs gathered through this process. A much more detailed report is appended in an annex to the final report of the Task Force. Given time constraints, not all relevant organizations have been reached, and the number of responses to the questionnaire varies among countries. These limitations notwithstanding, the details of the annex prepared for the Task Force represents a valuable basis for building strong involvement of NGOs/CSOs in formulating and implementing the country and regional food security programmes recommended in the main body of the Task Force report. SUMMARY OF ISSUES AND ACTION PROPOSALS The current policy context of structural adjustment and liberalization, and the concern for democratization and decentralization of decision making, have important consequences for rural peoples' organizations and NGOs in the Horn of Africa as elsewhere in the developing world, according to the NGO/CSO annex. With the role of the state being redefined to minimize direct intervention in the productive and economic life of the nation, these other actors are being expected to take on responsibility for providing services that governments are relinquishing. At the same time, it is suggested, these organizations should participate in policy and programme formulation in order to voice their views and advocate for the enabling environment and resources they need to get on with the job. Yet it cannot be assumed that an active and articulate civil society will simply spring up automatically to fill the gaps left by state retrenchment. Years of conflict, strong central state control of the economy and rural institutions, political strife, top-down development strategies and other factors have taken their toll on rural peoples' organizations. These have also hindered the construction of effective frameworks for cooperation between governments and NGOs/CSOs. Corrective action needs to be taken to enable civil society actors to take on their new responsibilities with the full support of governments, says the annex. Civil society is a broad and heterogeneous category. In building strategies to enhance the participation of CSOs, the annex says it is important to draw distinctions between: the multiple forms of associations that exist at community level, both formal and informal, traditional and "modern;" rural producers' organizations, which in some countries have formed federations at national level, provide services to members and represent them in policy negotiation; and NGOs--national and international--which function as service providers, intermediaries and advocates but do not represent rural people. The situation of civil society organizations varies from country to country in the Horn of Africa from Somalia, where family-based clans are the basic functioning structure of the country; to Ethiopia, where the development of autonomous rural producers' organizations was retarded during the years of authoritarian government; to countries such as Kenya and Uganda, where powerful national farmers' unions are present with a host of other rural peoples' organizations and a rich variety of both international and national NGOs. Taking the region as a whole, civil society organizations are playing a crucial role in relief and rehabilitation operations, providing information for early warning systems and vulnerability targeting and ensuring basic social services in the less well-endowed regions. As documented in the annex, CSOs/NGOs have developed particular expertise in a number of areas which the Task Force's final report identifies as important for strengthening rural livelihoods. These include micro-finance and rural credit, literacy, income-generating activities for women and young people, processing units and cereal banks. Some are working with local communities to develop farming and livestock systems adapted to dryland areas. Others have specialized in management and conflict resolution. Still others have developed education and advocacy programmes to broaden the space of public debate and defend human rights. Some NGOs have pioneered participatory approaches aimed at building up the organizational strength of local communities and their ownership of project activities. The experience accumulated in these activities constitutes a capital that has not yet been systematized and utilized as it should be, notes the annex. In a period of deep and rapid change in the roles of the various food security actors, it is understandable that problems arise in the interfaces among them, it says. Relations between government and civil society often are still difficult in most countries. The interface between intermediaries and community-based organizations (CBOs) is a key one in ensuring that the vulnerable, particularly women, are reached and empowered. Relations between NGOs and rural producers' organizations have tended to be distant, but contacts and cooperation are beginning to be built up in some countries and should be encouraged. Relations among national and international NGOs, the annex observes, is another area in which progress needs to be made in those cases in which partnering is not yet the rule and effective networking does not exist. Three priority issues that have emerged from the consultations undertaken in the context of the Task Force's work follow. Improving NGO/Government Dialogue and Cooperation The present situation in most countries is characterized by greater or lesser degrees of distrust and recrimination on both sides. NGOs complain about what they see as unnecessarily complicated and confusing procedures, difficulties in dialogue and coordination with government and, in some cases, barriers to accessing funding from both domestic and external sources. Government services point to what they feel is reluctance on the part of NGOs to coordinate among themselves and with government, insufficient capacity, self-centred motivation, and a geographic outreach that does not necessarily target the most needy. Among numerous measures that have been recommended to improve relations, two important ones identified in the annex are: ensuring an adequate legislative framework governing operations of the various types of CSOs, which balances flexibility with the need for coordination; and establishing effective fora at all levels for government/civil society information sharing, dialogue and negotiation. Supporting Efforts of Local Peoples' Organizations to Achieve Food Security This is perhaps the most important common civil society/government objective and one in which NGOs can play an important role, the annex states. The Task Force final report identifies a community-based fund as the most effective mechanism for action, but community-based approaches can remain supply-driven and reinforce dependencies on outside resources. Activities are often undertaken without adequate ownership by community-based organizations, which are treated more as a means for project implementation than as the primary actors in poverty alleviation. Identifying and exchanging experience in community-level planning and capacity building is a priority, according to the annex. CSO/NGO/government reflection should be promoted on approaches that are most appropriate and constraints and how they could be addressed, while at the same time promoting simple, inexpensive initiatives that help to empower local people by providing them with access to information and resources. Exchanges of experience with other African countries would also be rewarding with a view to seeing how autonomous grassroots movements have grown from the local level up to national and regional levels. Building the Capacity of Decentralized Development Structures One of the biggest challenges in working towards food security objectives in Horn of Africa countries today is to build capacity to ensure that the decentralized structures responsible for technical assistance, service provision and promoting local development are capable of fulfilling their roles. International NGOs, working together with national NGO/CSO partners, decentralized government services and local authorities, can make a strategically important contribution, particularly in areas in which they are recognized to have special expertise. These include participatory development, farmer-based research, community savings and credit schemes, low external input farming, and in general testing innovative approaches that can then be scaled up by government. To tackle these and other issues, a focus programme on civil society is proposed in the annex to the final report, which would operate at both national and regional levels and include the following components. --Investigating and Building on What Exists In each country a detailed mapping would be undertaken of formal and informal civil society organizations and the dynamics governing them and their interactions with government, from the community level on up. The exercise would focus on their present or potential capacity to represent and/or support the interests of the "food insecure" and would identify their strategies, the constraints they encounter and action required to overcome them, as well as successful experiences that merit replication. --Technical Assistance to Governments Where required, technical assistance would be provided to governments to assist them in developing legislative frameworks and procedures for the operations of civil society organizations, establishing fora for dialogue and cooperation at various levels and effective channels for information flow, and sensitizing cadres at central and local levels to the new procedures. Assistance would also be provided to IGAD to establish a bureau and a programme of civil society cooperation, taking inspiration from the experience of its sister organization in West Africa, the Comite Permanent Inter-Etats de Lutte Contre la Secheresse dans le Sahel (CILSS). --Capacity Building Based on the mapping and needs identification exercise, capacity building programmes would be developed to cater for the different types of civil society organizations. For CBOs, perhaps the most effective vehicle for capacity building is facilitating self-controlled planning and management of assets, including whatever training is required in the process. Ensuring free access to information at community level is also a potent form of empowerment. For rural producers' organizations and national NGOs, three important areas are enhancing capacity to: -- participate meaningfully in policy dialogue by building awareness of policy issues, attaining access to information and documentation, and developing the ability to measure the impact of policy measures and to formulate and advocate alternative policies; -- provide the services that rural producers require in a privatized and liberalized market economy in areas such as marketing and input provision, development of small farm enterprise, technology acquisition and development, and micro-finance; and -- develop organizational capacity to a level where rural producers' organizations and national NGOs are competent in participatory planning and decision making and able to efficiently manage resources, financially sustain their services, and disseminate demand-driven information to stakeholders. --Networking Networking among civil society organizations within the region would be encouraged--building on existing networks--through support to electronic exchanges and focused exchange visits to capitalize on successful experiences. Exchanges would also be encouraged with civil society organizations in other parts of Africa, particularly the dryland regions of West Africa where producers' organizations and NGOs are operating in similar climatic conditions. --Civil Society/Government Policy Dialogue on Food Security Support would be provided for civil society organizations to prepare for and participate in major food security policy fora at national and regional levels through activities such as accessing, re-packaging and diffusing information and documentation to the public; developing positions on the issues under debate; and sending representative civil society delegations to attend regional meetings. --Ensuring CSO Participation in the Formulation of Country Programmes Every effort has been made to involve civil society organizations in the reflections and discussions that have led to the preparation of the report through direct contact, questionnaires and participation of CSO representatives at in-country meetings. This inclusive approach will be maintained during the next phases of the Horn of Africa Initiative, both at country and regional levels. ************************************************************************************ "Unfortunately, most interventions are put into action when all coping strategies of the affected population do not work any more, which is at a very late stage thus requiring much more effort to achieve at least the status quo without contributing to avoid or being better prepared for future disasters in any way. In this context, a better coordination between donors is also required." --Deutsche Welthungerhilfe *********************************************************************************** OVERVIEW OF NGO/CSO RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE The views and responses of the 66 NGO/CSO respondents have been synthesized in a detailed format that will be made available for future country formulation missions and consultations. NGO/CSO respondents were asked to look at the current situation regarding NGO/CSO dialogue and cooperation with government and the UN system, existing information flows, and experience in field programmes and service provision; desirable future trends regarding priority policies to be implemented, the changing roles of NGOs/CSOs and their efforts to empower the vulnerable, and suggested measures to improve cooperation with government and the UN system; and the Horn of Africa Initiative and how it could complement and reinforce their existing activities. The following section provides a summary of the responses. *********************************************************************************** "The needy should be placed in good environments and they should have access to essential services which provide them a decent living: health, clean drinking water, education, access to land to enable them to produce food for themselves; loan programmes (credit) between the harvest season which will help the needy to rely on themselves and help them direct their efforts on their land; and direct relief programmes to the most vulnerable, i.e. internally displaced persons, women and the disabled." --Sudanese Council of Churches ********************************************************************************** Current Situation Participation in Policy Dialogue and Cooperation with Governments NGOs/CSOs described a variety of ways in which they are currently participating in policy discussions and planning exercises at local and national levels. The situation varies from country to country. Openings for participation exist in some countries, particularly Uganda and Kenya, while in Sudan and Eritrea respondents reported a lack of mechanisms to facilitate regular involvement of NGOs/CSOs in policy and planning. In all cases, emphasis was made on the need to strengthen partnerships and engagement between government and NGOs. Cooperation with UN Agencies Respondents provided many examples of how NGOs/CSOs cooperate with the UN agencies in programme planning and implementation, policy discussions and information sharing. Participation in policy discussions and programme planning was viewed as weaker than programme and project implementation. NGOs/CSOs said they are often treated as "sub-contractors" rather than "partners." Respondents from Kenya, in particular, reported good experiences in a variety of forms of cooperation with the UN. However, putting plans into action needs to be done more efficiently. Existing Information Flows and Networks Respondents said that networking at local and national levels, both formal and informal, and access to information are very powerful tools in the work of NGOs/CSOs. Overall, there are too few formal networks and information flows available at the local and national levels. Clan affiliation is very strong in the Horn of Africa and acts as an informal means of communication. NGO/CSO Experience with Field Programmes and Service Provision Respondents cited experiences in field programmes and service provision that they judged to be significant, and could be taken as one element on which to build future action in the Horn of Africa aimed at strengthening food security. Significant experiences are mainly in the following areas: -- community-based natural resource management -- enhancing productivity of pastoralists and agro-pastoralists -- enhancing small-scale farmers' productivity and livelihoods -- building community capacities and supporting local groups and institutions -- social service facilities and service provision -- advocacy and networking -- community-based integrated rural programmes -- needs assessment -- food security early warning systems -- conflict resolution Looking to the Future Respondents were asked to reflect on the search for long-term solutions to food insecurity and to identify the priority policies they felt should be adopted. They were also asked to discuss how they felt their own roles should change in the transition from relief to development and empowerment, and from conflict to reconciliation. Finally, they were asked to suggest how their relations with governments and with the UN system described earlier could be improved. Priority Policies To Address Food Insecurity The majority of the respondents stressed the importance of developing land policies (land ownership and distribution and land use promoting sound natural resource management). Many also mentioned the importance of developing coherent policies regarding agricultural and pastoralist development, privatization, marketing, subsidized production input supply, food stocks and decentralized stockpiling. Others mentioned the need for pro-poor economic development policy favoring agriculture, sound population growth policy, and food security policy that does not take a narrow "food focused" view but addresses livelihoods. Changing Roles of NGOs/CSOs Most NGO/CSO respondents saw the need to reflect on their evolving roles and find strategies to deal with what is recognized to be the basic cause of food insecurity in the region--conflict--and to avoid the kind of "dependency syndromes" they said past approaches to dealing with crises have instilled. Two roles that are newest for most NGOs/CSOs were advocacy and networking. Respondents also presented information on how NGOs/CSOs are seeking to reorient their actions in order to empower the food insecure and the vulnerable. Ethiopian respondents underlined the need to enhance their advocacy roles on priority issues such as food rights of the marginal sectors of society and the need to shift from dependence to sustainable development. They felt the need to increase their networking capacities and seek cross-sectoral alliances with organizations that have complementary skills and experiences. Kenyan respondents also felt they needed to enhance their advocacy role through direct contributions to consultative meetings, preparation of position papers on thematic issues and sub-sectoral areas including cotton and sugar. They stressed the importance of facilitating processes within beneficiary communities by strengthening local community groups and CBOs to lobby for their rights of access to, and equitable and sustainable use of, their natural resources and helping to change attitudes among community members about "handouts." They too wanted to increase their networking capacities, improve their information systems and learn to convene and facilitate stakeholder forums. Sudanese respondents felt the need to increase networking and to reflect more on the results of programmes and policy changes necessary to enable replication and scaling up to reach a maximum number of resource-poor farmers. Regarding conflict and reconciliation, many respondents were seeking to create a conducive atmosphere for reconciliation and forgiveness. ************************************************************************************* "We are seriously revising our role in light of current circumstances to incorporate a relief and conflict focus. It is no good for us to dream of development and reconciliation when the whole trend is in the opposite direction." --Farm Africa, Ethiopia ************************************************************************************* International NGO/CSO respondents offered the following comments about their changing roles. -- At national level they wished to build capacity for supporting local institutions so that participatory approaches are integrated into local planning and the local authorities can value and use the results. -- They also wished to participate in the definition of joint strategies and elaboration of common criteria. Relief can lead to development, they said, "only if relief activities are addressed to this end; otherwise it becomes an enemy of any possible future development process." -- Whenever possible elements of development should be integrated into relief projects. A medium- to long-term strategy should be kept in mind when implementing relief projects and complex conflict situations should be taken into consideration when planning a project (the "do no harm approach"). -- They said they wanted to "focus more of our energy and resources on global policy issues of multilateral/national organizations that make it difficult to make the transition." -- A livelihoods approach prevents dependency on aid, they said, and enables people affected to cope with shocks without necessarily altering their coping mechanisms. -- They wanted to employ in relief activities some development methodologies (training, support to local organizations and NGOs). At the same time, they were trying to strengthen dialogue with donors and stressing the need to combine, in many areas, development and relief efforts with political initiatives. -- Finally they were taking a more holistic approach to the question of development by linking issues such as poverty alleviation and sustainable agricultural practices. Empowering the Food Insecure and Vulnerable There was a general consensus among respondents that empowerment of the vulnerable was the most effective strategy for building long-term solutions to food insecurity. Respondents recognized that the most vulnerable and the food insecure have little voice in the design of programmes and national policies that directly concern them. In general NGOs/CSOs stated that they worked closely with local communities and in most cases directly with vulnerable members. Some had extensive grassroots institutional structures (for example church groups such as the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has over 40,000 parish churches and more than 400,000 clergy). Some NGOs/CSOs have worked at the grassroots from the beginning of the crises in the region in the 1970s and felt that the knowledge and experiences they have accumulated are helping them to develop new approaches to empowerment. Many NGOs/CSOs have embraced the practice of "participatory ownership" by involving communities in the planning process, needs assessment, project implementation, monitoring and resource sharing. They saw this as a way to help them manage their own resources and solutions to their problems. Bridging the gap between relief and development is also something that NGOs/CSOs can do to empower communities. As the Sudanese Council of Voluntary Agencies said, "We are working on rehabilitation programmes in the areas affected by war. When the people have enough food to eat, they can think and plan for other developmental projects. In this way, formal and informal organizations can be developed and strengthened." *************************************************************************** "Involving NGOs/CSOs in policy making--thereby allowing them to make their input--may help facilitate the attainment of food security objectives." --Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Ethiopia *************************************************************************** Improving NGO/Government Dialogue and Cooperation Respondents recommended the promulgation of legal frameworks for NGOs/CSOs and the creation of institutional mechanisms promoting fora for government/NGO information sharing, dialogue and negotiation at all levels. Likewise at the regional level, it was suggested that IGAD and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) also needed such formal mechanisms for dialogue, at least with umbrella NGOs. However, some noted that several umbrella groups could be too diverse for effective dialogue on food security. Ethiopian NGOs/CSOs said they had recently submitted to the government detailed suggestions on how to enhance dialogue and working relations. Kenyan respondents saw a strong need for more work on information sharing and developing a common NGO/CSO agenda as a basis for advocacy and dialogue with government and the private sector. Eritrean respondents suggested that cooperation could be improved by allowing NGOs to be more involved in activities at the local/grassroot levels with clearly-defined roles, particularly where government does not have the capacity or resources to play a significant role. Sudanese respondents suggested a coordination mechanism, particularly at the state level. The Ugandan NGO respondent also suggested that linkages with government should be institutionalized. An international NGO said dialogue and cooperation could be improved through the creation of a forum that would allow NGOs and the government to discuss development policy issues. ****************************************************************************** "We work very closely with the community and have a very good reputation. Our projects are done on a phase out' strategy. We have different committees for water, health and other issues at the grassroots level headed by influential community leaders such as religious leaders." --Ogaden Welfare Society, Ethiopia ****************************************************************************** Improving Cooperation with the UN Ethiopian NGOs suggested that local NGOs should be given access to UN funding for projects aimed at finding viable solutions to the problems of food security and poverty. They highlighted the need to institutionalize cooperation, regularize contacts and share ideas and experiences. They also said NGOs should participate in the formulation and implementation of programmes; measurable objectives and timeframes of commitment should be set in UN/NGO collaborative development; the UN needed to develop ongoing contact with NGO networks; regional programme planning should be coordinated; and grassroots projects and early warning systems should be implemented using existing structures. Kenyan NGOs suggested that cooperation with the UN would improve if the various UN programmes themselves avoided duplication through more effective information sharing and better focusing of interventions under a coordinated framework. UN agencies should pay more attention to collaborating with national or local NGOs in carrying out activities, they said, and cooperation should be enhanced through intensified consultations especially in policy and programme formulation. Sudanese respondents recommended UN support for national NGO programmes through funding and capacity building. The Ugandan respondent suggested that they should be given an opportunity to implement some FAO programmes such as seed distribution to farmers. International NGOs felt liaison with UN agencies should be strengthened in policy-level discussion and elaboration through ad hoc national workshops and the establishment of a committee or forum at the regional and country levels. It was also felt that cooperation with the UN will improve as a common understanding of food security analysis and issues is built. Views on the Horn of Africa Initiative Respondents were asked to express their views on how the Horn of Africa Initiative could complement and reinforce their existing activities. Overall, respondents were positive about the Initiative and said they looked forward to participating in it. They said the Initiative could: -- promote networking among organizations working with pastoralists and resource-poor farmers; -- establish a framework to focus on livelihoods and food security in pastoral and drought-prone areas; -- develop a system for community-level planning, building on the experience of some NGOs, and channel funds through community organizations while encouraging stock-taking and use of local resources in order to promote community self-reliance and reduce dependency; -- establish a system promoting donor coordination and ensuring flexible and easy access to UN funding; and -- provide support for ongoing CSO/government dialogue at the regional level. CONTACT Michael Wales Core Team Leader Task Force on Long Term Strategy for the Horn of Africa FAO Viale delle Terme di Caracalla I-00100 Rome, Italy telephone +39-06/5705 5432 e-mail website (www.accnetwork.net/hornofafrica) This edition of NGLS Roundup was contributed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS). The NGLS Roundup is produced for NGOs and others interested in the institutions, policies and activities of the UN system and is not an official record.