South-South Cooperation Programme Among Saharan Countries For CCD Implementation Rome, 10 April 2006

Summary I.Presentation of SolArid 1.Rationale of the South-South Cooperation for the Global Mechanism 2.SolArid objectives 3.Expected results 4.Target groups 5.Potential SolArid partners II.The results of Marrakech’s Workshop

1. Rationale of the South-South Cooperation for the Global Mechanism  The CCD and its Annex for Africa refer to South-South cooperation: Annex for Africa, Art.4(b): [African Country Parties] promote regional cooperation and integration, in a spirit of solidarity and partnership based on mutual interest, in programmes and activities to combat desertification and/or mitigate the effects of drought;]  For the GM the promotion of South-South Cooperation is as an additional opportunity to realize its mandate by investing new resource mobilization approaches. Presentation of SolArid

2.SolArid objectives  Contribute to a more efficient resource mobilization for SLM in the most affected Saharan countries General objective Specific objectives  Establishment of a permanent network for exchange of experiences,  Contribution to the development and implementation of financing strategies and partnerships,  Contribution to the promotion of the specific profile of the Sahel countries.

3.Expected results  A permanent platform for exchange of experiences and building of partnerships aiming at reinforcing cooperation with regard to SLM/NRM in Arid Zones;  A strengthened command over budget and financial processes as well as over processes of the CCD implementation;  Creating better knowledge on specific governance issue with regard to the specific profile of the Sahel countries in respect to their fight against drought, desertification and poverty;  An increased vision of the specific needs for the Sahel countries to fight poverty through SLM/NRM

4. First targeted countries North Africa and Sahel countries:  Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia,  Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Chad 5. Target groups within the countries SolArid aims at encouraging interrelationships between actors from different backgrounds but all focusing on a common problematic:  Decision-makers,  Civil society and NGOs,  Private sector,  Scientific community …

6.Potential SolArid’s partners  Bilateral Cooperation Agencies acting in the region;  International organisations: IFAD, FAO, UNESCO, UICN, WWF, IIED, Club du Sahel, Agence intergouvernementale de la francophonie, United Cities and Local Governments, World Bank, NEPAD, AfDB, CILSS, UMA, OSS

The 1 st SolArid’s Workshop Decentralisation and Local Development in Arid Zones Marrakech, April 2006 Objectives Participants: 80  Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Chad, Tunisia,  NEPAD, CILSS, UMA, OSS,  AREA-ED/RM-LCD, RIOD West Africa, CARI,  UNCCD Secretariat, UNDP/DDC, IUCN, GTZ  Exchange of information, experiences and knowledge on decentralisation;  Determination of ways and means to set up a platform of knowledge management on the various issues related to resources mobilization for combating desertification

The thematic issues discussed 1.The reality of local communities and decision making 2.Local communities’ access to financial resources for natural resources management 3.Local actors’ capacity building

Final recommendations of the Workshop 1.Organisation of a Maghreb/Sahel workshop on « Poverty, local development in arid zones and migration ». 2.Capacity building programme of local actors with regard to resource mobilisation within the framework of decentralisation; 3.Set of priority studies to be undertaken by scientists from the Maghreb and the Sahel regions: –Relationship between poverty, desertification and migration; –Analysis of the existent and current consistency of local fiscal resources; –Contribution of natural resources to the local economies in arid zones; –Economic evaluation of goods and services in arid zones (environmental accountancy).

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