ICPALD Mission to Khartoum, Sudan

Reported by: Dr Osman Babikir, Caroline Agosa and Hassan Salaheldin

The 3rd Regional Integration Support Programme (RISP3) is a follow-up phase to RISP1 (2005-2010) and RISP2 (2010 – 2013). The RISP3 programme seeks to support well selected, high priority and complementary activities to accelerate domestication and implementation of regional commitments including targeted national consultations and consensus building, background analytical work, reviews to identify gaps between current national laws and regional commitments, drafting of new legislation to comply with regional decisions, and strengthening national and regional institutions involved in coordination and implementation of regional integration activities. The main instruments of the IGAD support to member states will be capacity development, information gathering and analysis, advocacy and promotion of issues, and promotion of appropriate policy and intervention development in member states.

This mission is an activity under result area one of this programme and it is intended to take place in preparation of the regional sectorial ministerial meeting for validation and approval of ICPALD protocol. It was based on the idea that since the establishment of ICPALD in 2012 and the crafting of its protocol in 2013, no substantial systematic and formal awareness, advocacy and dissemination of the document has been done in the member states and with key stakeholders. In addition to this idea, IGAD within its mandate and its support to its MS on policy harmonization has drafted and adopted some policy frameworks and protocols that need to be shared with various key stakeholders in the countries.

Objectives

The objectives of the mission were:

1 To share some important regional policies (livestock/dry land farming) developed and adopted by IGAD and think how to roll them out.
To share general background about ICPALD and its achievements since its establishment.
To share, with aim of awareness creation, ICPALD protocol and other key issues regarding its adoption in September 2015

Proceedings

The team for this mission was comprised of three ICPALD staff, namely:

Ms Caroline Agosa
Mr Hassan Salaheldin
Dr Osman Babikir

After arrival of the team to Khartoum on 4th of July, the following activities were undertaken during this four days mission in Khartoum, Sudan (itinerary attached):

The team held a meeting after arrival to prepare and set the scene for the mission main activities.
The first activity was a meeting with H.E Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Rangelands, Sudan, followed by another meeting with the undersecretary of the same ministry and the DGs for the various directorates forming the ministry.
The third day was devoted to two separate meetings one with IGAD focal person, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the other with the Director of the Directorate of International Treaties and Conventions together with him was the Legal Advisor for the Ministry of Livestock. The team later hosted the Ministry of Livestock team and the IGAD focal person to iftar at the Grand Holiday Villa Hotel in the evening
In the last day of this mission, the team held a wrap-up meeting to evaluate the mission and to prepare this back to office report and finalize financial transactions related to the mission

Meeting with Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Rangelands:

The meeting with H.E the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Rangelands was also attended by Undersecretary of the ministry, some officers from his office and media represented by Sudan TV. Those were namely Prof Musa Tibin, Dr Kamal Taj Elsir, Ms Maha and Mr Adil from Sudan TV. The team presented a brief including the following main points among others:

ICPALD was established through a decision of the 45^th Ordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers on 12^th July 2012 as a Specialized Technical Institution of IGAD mandated to “promote and facilitate sustainable and equitable drylands and livestock development in the IGAD region”.
To establish this institution the Council was relied on a) a recommendation by IGAD member state Parliamentarian in July 2009; b) a directive of the IGAD Ministers in charge of the Livestock on 10^th December 2009 to establish a centre to support and spearhead livestock development and c) a study of viability by experts from the region in 2011.
In 2013, in reference to article 17 of agreement establishing IGAD, ICPALD protocol was drafted and validated 18^th – 19^th December 2013, by technical experts from IGAD and its member states in Elementaita, Kenya
Drawing from its mandate, ICPALD with financial support from various development partners since its establishment has achieved a wide range of milestones concerning livestock, dryland farming and complementary livelihood resources.
ICPALD has approved structure, reporting lines and strategic plan by IGAD ES and IGAD MS
The draft protocol is actually a preamble plus six parts with 21 articles.
For ICPALD future development, your support is highly needed to get its protocol signed in September, 2015

At the end of the meeting, the Minister thanked the team for visiting the ministry and for selecting it as member of ICPALD Steering Committee. He has agreed to participate in the intended protocol meeting in September 2015 and the same for the Undersecretary.

A separate meeting was also attended by the undersecretary and the DGs of the Directorate at the Ministry. The same key messages were shared with the attendees in the attached attendance list. To create more awareness the soft of the presentation prepared by ICPALD team, the draft protocol were shared with them so that they can read critically and share their ideas with the ICPALD thorough the ministry.

Meeting with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IGAD Focal Person:

In attendance to this meeting, in addition to ICPALD team, IGAD Focal Person, Amb Abdalla Salim and from his office Amb Mohamed Sallam.

At the start of the meeting, ICPALD team gave a brief about ICPALD background, its establishment and the draft protocol. The briefing involved the same key messages and information about ICPALD issues shared with the ministry of livestock. Then discussion and some questions were received from the focal person and his assistant. They mainly centred on the protocol, how it has been drafted and who attended its validation by IGAD MS from the Government of Sudan.

Meeting with Ministry of Justice, Directorate of International Treaties and Conventions:

In addition to ICPALD team, the meeting was attended by Dr Osama Humeda Director of the Directorate of International Treaties and Conventions and Mr Adil Hussein the Legal Advisor for the Ministry of Livestock. The briefing done by the team was also discussed the regional policy frameworks, background about ICPALD, its achievements and its drafted protocol. The same key messages, of course the emphasis again was on the protocol even deeply compared to the previous meeting with IGAD Focal Person.Dr Osama Humeda raised many questions regarding the protocol, such as who crafted it, when, and who attended its validation from IGAD countries. The team clarified all raised points and they requested to be included in the upcoming adoption meeting planned in September 2015.

Dr. Humeda was overly concerned because he had no information on this protocol yet his office will be the one to advice the government on whether to sign it or not. For follow-u and continuity, the team promised to find out who attended the Elementaita meeting from Sudan and link the up

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The following were some of the key conclusive outputs from all three meetings:

All people we met from the three ministries appreciated the establishment of this important centre and to draft its protocol.
E the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Rangelands promised to support and attend the planned meeting for adoption of ICPALD protocol.
Undersecretary, Ministry of Livestock thanked ICPALD for appointing him with other colleagues from IGAD countries to be a member of ICPALD Steering Committee and promised to support and attend the planned adoption meeting.
They requested ICPALD to plan early enough for September meeting to be a successful one.
The representatives from both Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggested to be included in the discussions of the protocol during the planned adoption meeting.
All those who participated in those meetings promised to share with ICPALD team their comments on the protocol in due course.
Osman to follow up with the team that organised the protocol meeting in Elementaita in 2013 so as to establish who attended from Sudan. This is to allow follow-up and confidence in the justice ministry. This is critical!

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