Madagascar: Common Country Assessment Process resumes activities (CCA/UNDAF)

The Common Country Assessment (CCA) reassumed its activities last February after the project came to a standstill following the political crisis in Madagascar.

Launched at the beginning of 2002, the CCA's steering committee is composed of United Nations agencies and their governmental partners. Based on the socio-economic situation of the country and of close review of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), seven topics were approved: Food security, Governance, Health and Nutrition, HIV/AIDS, Education, Environment environment/Water/ Natural disasters and infrastructure.

Seven thematic groups were established with the participation of government, civil society, the private sector and the United Nations agencies. A first document of common assessment was compiled for revision by the various partners.

The food security group identified the immediate, intermediate and major causes of food insecurity in Madagascar. It reviewed the various initiatives to be developed in the following areas:

• Sector- based Program Breeding (PSE)
• National Program of Agricultural Advisory service (PNVA) with the installation of Village Community Attics
• Programme Poverty Reduction and Promotion of Sustainable livelihoods
• Policy of irrigation sectors, marked by the installation of Water Users Associations (AUE)
• Project "Small Irrigation Perimeter" (PPI)
• Early Alert System and the Rural Observatories Network (RON)
• Declaration of the National Policy of Transport
• Transport in Rural Areas program (PTMR)
• Funds for Development interventions
• Letter of rural development policy
• National Strategy for the Risk and Disaster management
• "Food for Work" project.

During the working groups, reference was made to the Poverty Reduction Strategic Paper in the course of finalization by the government, with the declaration of the new millennium, as well as on commitments taken upon government within the framework of the international conferences and treaties.

Moreover, a Donor Group (World Bank, UNDP, IFAD, USAID, French Co-operation, Swiss Co-operation, KfW, WWF) was created in 1997 to support the environment actions. It was broadened in October 2000, to include the participation of the European Union and the French Development Agency under the rural development and food security issues, especially in the support of the implementation of the Action Plan for the Rural Development (PADR).

The Secretariat of the Donor Group has launched a web site www.smbmada.net to spread information related to food security, rural development and environment in Madagascar. This website has links to hundreds of documents and provides information on the projects and the various partners of the rural development in Madagascar. It also wants to be a platform for donor exchange between the Madagascar administration and civil society.

For further information, please contact: FAO-MAG@field.fao.org