Globe

“A new partnership”

Seble Demeke

The Africa Humanitarian Action (AHA)* in collaboration with the African Union (AU) organized a high profile International Symposium, on “Building the Capacity and Resources of African NGOs”, 5-7 December 2004 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The participants included the President of the Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E. Girma Wolde Georgis, H.E. Dr. Salim A. Salim, former three terms Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), Mr. K.Y. Amoako, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), members of Parlaments from Europe, representatives of UN organizations, Intergovernmental Organizations which included the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), NGOs and academicians.
The purpose of the Symposium, which is the first of its kind, was “to strengthen the role of African NGOs in initiating, planning and implementing humanitarian and development action on the continent; to develop strategies for servicing longer-term financial resources for them, and to set up an effective and efficient mechanism for partnership and co-operation among themselves”. It has successfully assembled over 250 participants.
The Symposium discussed issues such as the increasing role of African NGOs on how to resolve the crises afflicting Africa; how best to cooperate among African and other international NGOs; UN organizations; Intergovernmental bodies and Civil Societies including the Private Sector.
During the discussion, participants acknowledged the principle of African ownership, leadership and mutual accountability. Most of all they emphasized the need for a platform for dialogue on humanitarian issues and actions in Africa and endorsed the proposal by AHA to create “A Center for Humanitarian Action”. The function of the Center would be to provide services in reflection and dialogue; organizational/ institutional development; resources mobilization; information and knowledge generation and applied research. It will also analyze potential crises situations and carry
out assessment and survey missions of such situations. The proposed Center is also expected to help find African solutions to African problems.
This was my first encounter of realities whereby concrete issues were discussed by Africans concerning Africa’s problem in an African environment. During my UN days, I participated in the preparation of reports on the functioning of UN system organizations, addressed to Member States, requesting the organizations to take action on all spectrums of development and humanitarian issues. I would like to take this opportunity to give credit to several of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) reports dealing with cooperation of UN system organizations with NGOs involved in development and humanitarian issues. These reports emphasized the need for a well-planned mechanism for cooperation and exchange of working methods and best practices among the UN organizations and NGOs and most of all among the NGO communities themselves. The
Unit had made several recommendations also on capacity building of local NGOs. If and when the JIU recommendations are implemented by Member States, it will be an enormous support towards the effort being made by African NGOs to meet the ever-increasing challenges of the continent.
At this Symposium I have witnessed the extent of commitments, devotion and determination of the participants to bring about a concrete and positive change in responding to humanitarian crises throughout the continent.

*Africa Humanitarian Action (AHA) is a nongovernmental organization established as an African response to the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Presently it has offices in 15 African countries and is always in the front line serving the Continent whenever and wherever there is a need for timely response to humanitarian crises. In 2004, AHA celebrated its 10 years of service and existence.

The author is our UN Special
Correspondent in Africa.