The Next Steps

The facilitative actions that follow are suggested as first steps in the implementation of an international recommitment. A tentative timeline follows in Table 2. All such actions should be undertaken in a way that builds local capacities and institutionalizes the processes for sustainability.

1. IGADD and professional and private regional associations could be strengthened to perform stronger coordination roles for regional food security. IGADD also could support and facilitate improved policy analysis. IGADD could assist the coordination and monitoring of food insecurity across the region by providing a clearinghouse for information and comparative experiences, developing methods for regional solutions and providing training in these methods. The current United Nations Development Program institutional assessment of IGADD will help donors assess what assistance is required to strengthen the institution.

2. The options for a donors forum could be explored. Integrated approaches through a donors forum would promote complementary work plans, support cross-border solutions and promote transparency as a modus operandi for all efforts. A forum could serve to mobilize long-term commitments to address root causes of food insecurity in the Greater Horn of Africa. Options include a new forum, a sub-group under the Club du Sahel or a donors counterpart to IGADD, etc.

3. Regional and national early warning systems could be expanded to cover the region with access to findings by all parties. The system could include political, security and social factors and be connected to national, regional and international decision-making and response mechanisms.

4. An international, interdisciplinary team composed of African and donor members (including crisis prevention, relief, recovery, food security and economic development practitioners) might be asked to detail the principles that could guide the "continuum" approach for integrating prevention and relief-recovery-development. If this research and analysis phase is successful, the donors could support training for African and donor practitioners in regional and national food security organizations so that these principles will guide their operations.

5. Joint analysis by donors and Africans could be undertaken to: (a) analyze strategies for agriculture and economic growth; (b) collect knowledge on and model the necessary conditions to achieve food security; and (c) determine the relative importance of causes and optional interventions to achieve food security.

6. Joint donor/recipient portfolio reviews, based on the above analysis, could be conducted to determine how the present efforts serve to reduce national and regional food insecurity. The reviews also would show the degree to which current operations accord with continuum principles and contribute to a food security objective.
   If Africans expand their efforts to address root causes of food insecurity, donors could recommit to not only help meet immediate and short-term food needs (two to four years), but to address medium (five to 10 years) and long-term (10-20 years) root causes as well. Clear specification of mutual commitment would be required. Under the concept of "variable geometry" (where each country moves as fast as it can in the agreed direction), this commitment will vary by country. All donors and host countries could work together to identify gaps in assistance, which would be filled on the basis of comparative advantage.

The six suggested actions described above could be jointly accomplished with modest funding at a Facilitative Level, ($7 million-$10 million each). If donors and recipients went no further than these actions, the resulting changes in integrated processes should produce important efficiencies. If all parties decided to move forward, a start-up level of funding ($25 million -$75 million each) would be needed to begin priority programming. As soon as new processes have been institutionalized and action integrated, the credibility will exist to allow the international community to seek additional resources necessary ($100 million per donor per year) to cut in half food insecurity in the region within 15 years.

From mid-November to mid-December, we suggest that bilateral discussions for re-commitment to the Greater Horn of Africa take place in donor headquarters and African field offices. The Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is considering a meeting on the Horn of Africa in mid-December. This will be the first opportunity for donors to discuss together these concepts and possible next steps. It is anticipated that the DAC Informal Meeting will result in the scheduling of a Roundtable on the Greater Horn of Africa in late 1995.

Simultaneously with donor discussions, joint donor meetings with African governments and IGADD's secretariat will be conducted. African leaders could be asked to work with each other and donors in a new, integrated relationship and be willing to commit the staff, time and resources necessary for implementation. IGADD is proposing a first multidonor, multirecipient meeting to coincide with the ministerial meeting in Nairobi to be held January 10-15, 1995. This joint meeting would focus on reaching agreement on the regional and bilateral objectives of an international recommitment to the Greater Horn, with discussion of potential sectoral and geographic participation. Although all participants will have considered the framework, this opportunity to discuss details will be important.

If agreement is reached on sectoral and geographic coverage, joint donor-recipient working groups could be formed around the proposed objectives, or other objectives which are suggested during consultations. These working groups would focus on the analytical work needed to conduct joint portfolio reviews using an integrated regional framework. Working groups would submit Plans of Action to National Action Committees and to plenary sessions of IGADD members. We suggest that donors provide the necessary financial support for these analyses to be undertaken by recipients.

A Greater Horn of Africa recommitment should be given a high-profile official launching. The exact venue should emerge from joint consultations. The launching could be built around IGADD's annual Ministerial Meeting in January. Alternatively, the launching could occur in late January to coincide with the 10th anniversary activities commemorating work on the 1984-86 drought. Or a separate meeting could be organized in February-April 1995. We anticipate that the launching would be led by the African heads of government and donor ministers of development.

Open discussion, comments and alternatives, and ultimately decisions on the proposed concepts and framework are seriously solicited. The magnitude of human suffering and the hope for a better future demand urgent attention by the international community.

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