A Case Study on Implementation of the UNCCD in Uganda

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• A Case Study on Implementation of the UNCCD in
  Uganda
• A Process towards partnership building for
  resource mobilization for implementation of the
  NAP in Uganda
• A Presentation at the First Session of the
  Committee on the Review of Implementation of the
  Convention(CRIC) Rome ITALY
• 11-22 Nov 2002

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Uganda
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• National Development Focus
• Uganda Government's overall development strategy
  places priority on
• - Macro-economic stability
• - Poverty eradication
• - Agriculture modernization
• - Universal primary education
• - Decentralization of government
• - Environmental protection
• - Infrastructure (especially roads)
• - Good governance.

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The NAP process

• Case study on the magnitude caused and effects of
  desertification
• Establishment of National and District NAP
  steering committees
• Establishment of a National NGO Networking
  co-ordination mechanism
• Awareness raising of the public, the academic
  community and parliamentarians
• National, district and Sub-county level
  stakeholders consultations on NAP
• Preparations for Establishment of a National
  Desertification Fund
• National consultations on main streaming gender
  into the NAP
• The National Forum on NAP

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NAP priority program areas

• Information generation, exchange and
  dissemination
• Awareness raising and training
• Water development, management and conservation
• Land management
• Afforestation and agroforestry
• Development and use of alternative energy sources
• Capacity building for NAP implementation
• Marketing systems and infrastructure
• Community initiatives and alternative livelihood
  systems
• Laws and policies
• Appropriate technology

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COP Recommendations on Funding of NAPs

• UNCCD-NAP implementation must be listed as
  priority area by the affected country parties.
• The UNCCD-NAP process must be integrated into
  major global strategic frameworks for
  cooperation, such as poverty reduction
  strategies.
• Commitment of Affected country parties, to
  address desertification should be reflected in
  priority setting and budgetary allocation. 

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Focus of efforts to Mobilize Resources for NAP

• Involvement of Ministry of Finance in the NAP
  Process
• Increase budget allocation to Environment and
  Natural Resource Management.
• Road Map for Resource Mobilization for NAP.
• Mainstreaming NAP issues into National
  Development Frameworks.
• Promoting collaboration and synergies with
  related environmental conventions and their
  integration into National Planning processes
• Initiate dialogue on a partnership framework for
  NAP
• implementation.

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Some of the thematic donor sub-groups in Uganda
include

• Ø      PMA led by the European Union,
• Ø      Environment and natural resources led
  by USAID
• Ø      The private sector led by USAID
• Ø      PEAP revision led by DFID.
•  

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A Road Map for Resource Mobilization for NAP
Implementation

• Demonstrated the linkages between poverty and
  land degradation from a variety of perspectives
  including both macro-economic and socio-cultural
  ones
• High lighted the consistency of the NAP process
  with relevant national and sector plans and the
  extent to which some of the NAP objectives could
  be met through funds provided in pursuit of the
  objectives of these plans
• identified critical resource gaps to be filled by
  additional contributions from Government,donors,
  NGOs and the private sector
• Outlined a sequence of activities with a time
  frame leading to a partnership framework for
  mobilization of resources for NAP.

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Objectives of the Road Map

• To act as an iterative planning tool
• To serve as the basis for mobilization and
  allocation of financial resources for NAP
  implementation.
• To enhance partnerships and synergy building
  among government agencies, development partners,
  NGOs, private sector and special groups in
  fulfillment of UNCCD objectives.

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Users of the Road Map

• Ministries and agencies with a planning function.
• Ministries and agencies with responsibility for
  budgeting and allocating financial resources.
• Ministries, agencies, NGOs, and communities, with
  implementation roles (iv)Ministries, agencies,
  NGOs, research institutions with training,
  research, capacity building roles, including ro
  es for public awareness creation.
• Ministries, agencies, multi-sectoral programs
  that have a co-ordinating role.
• Agencies with a reporting function on the
  implementation of UNCCD.

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Road Map has received in put from the following
fora

• National workshop on synergies among Conventions
• Sub-regional workshop on capacity building for
  UNCCD
• Presentation to donor sub group on agriculture
• Presentation to PMA sub group on environment and
  natural resources
• Presentation to senior management of MAAIF
• Presentation to technical workshop on UNCCD

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Opportunities for Mainstreaming

• Enabling macro-planning framework (PEAP PMA)
• Supportive policy and legal framework
• (decentralization, privatization, Land act 1998
  etc)
• Supportive local level planning process
• (DDP,DEAPs)
• GEF (Land degradation as potential focal area)
• Synergies with other conventions
• Participatory Approach in planning processes
• Periodic review of plans and annual budgetary
  cycle.

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Key instruments in which to mainstream NAP

• The Poverty Eradication Action Plan
• Plan for Modernization of Agriculture
• Sector Plans/programmes
• National Environment Action Plan
• NARO Medium Term-Plan for Agricultural Research
• District Development Plan
• District Environment Action Plans
• Sub-county plans
• Local Environment Action Plans
• Cooperation frameworks of bilateral and
  multilateral partners

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Mainstreaming Priority Program Areas of the NAP
into PEAP/PRSP
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The Plan for Modernization of Agriculture

• Intervention areas
•       Research and technology development
•       Agricultural advisory services
•       Agricultural education
•       Access to rural financing
•       Agro-processing and marketing
•    Natural resources utilization and
• management
• .      supportive infrastructure.
• Action- work with PMA Secretariat to ensure the
  integration of NAP in the PMA intervention area

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National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS)

• Vision
• To create a
• decentralized, farmer owned and private sector
  serviced extension system contributing to the
  realization of the agricultural sector
  objectives
• The principles are
• - farmer empowerment,
• - poverty focus,
• - gender mainstreaming, and
• - deepening decentralization.
• Action - to influence the trailblazing districts
  to mainstream NAP, and to develop models for
  future replication.

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Funds of Use to support NAP implementation

• Poverty Action Fund
• Non-sectoral conditional grants
• Local government development programme
• Dutch District Development Grants
• Plan for the Modernization of Agriculture
• NAADS
• Road sector
• Northern Uganda Social Action Fund
• Land Fund
• GEF
• Rural Electricity Fund

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Challenges

• To develop a cadre of people well placed to lobby
  and advocate for the UNCCD/NAP issues
• To get the central and local government and
  communities to allocate more financial resources
  to land degradation and drought concerns
• To put in place an information system that
  captures the contribution of all sectors and
  development partners to NAP implementation
• To put in place a partnership framework as a
  basis for increased partricipation and
  contribution of stakeholders to Nap
  implementation.

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Threats

• A Weak capacity of the UNCCD Focal Point Unit
• Weak institutional collaboration in planning and
  implementation of plans, policies.
• The short planning cycles not conducive for
  addressing long term concerns such as
  desertification.

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Way Forward

• Put in place an inter Institutional Task team
  Headed by the MFPED to upgrade the road map
  document into a draft Partnership paper.
• To undertake participatory consultations with key
  decision-making centres and external partners on
  a Partnership Framework for NAP implementation.
• Develop an integrated Dry land Development
  Programme.
• To hold a Partnership Forum to adopt a
  Partnership Framework.
• To strengthen linkages with on going planning
  processes linked to land degradation.

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Way Forward Continued

• To follow up and conclude partnership agreements
  for NAP implementation.
• Up scale successful initiatives e.g the PFI,
  ULAMP.
• Pilot initiatives to address disincentives
  inherent in common property regimes.
• Continue to pursue the legal establishment of the
  UNFCD
• Carry out Institutional reforms and build
  partnerships with national institutions and local
  governments.
•