SWAC Members discuss work programme priorities

OECD headquarters, Paris, 16 June 2017

The Strategy and Policy Group (SPG) of the Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC) convened at OECD headquarters to discuss work programme priorities. SWAC Members and regular observers were represented (Austria, Belgium, Canada, CILSS, ECOWAS, the European Union, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, UEMOA, the United States, ROPPA). The World Bank, the United Kingdom and the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) – Africa were also in attendance. The meeting was opened by SWAC President François-Xavier de Donnea, UEMOA Commission President H.E. Abdallah Boureima and OECD Deputy Secretary-General Douglas Frantz.

The SPG approved the 2016 financial report and the modifications to the SWAC mandate that were discussed last December in Abuja. It decided to limit its meetings to one regular session in June of each year. This will allow for more space within the framework of the Sahel and West Africa Week held every December to be dedicated to dialogue and co-ordination relating to food and nutrition security, resilience and the food economy.

The SPG thanked the European Union for its continued commitment to the region and to SWAC with regards to the regional governance of food and nutrition security and it approved, in principle, additional financial support from the EU to support this area of work as well as the reforms of the Food Crisis Prevention Network (RPCA) as from 2018.

Members welcomed the prospect of the World Bank playing an active role in both SWAC and the RPCA. They also welcomed the presence of the French Development Agency (AFD) alongside the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Opening statements

Presentations

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