The Post-2015 Development Agenda:
An Assessment of the EAC Position and
Preparedness for the Post-2015
Development Agenda
Charles Lwanga-Ntale & Jason Braganza
Development Initiatives
Entebbe, Uganda, September 2014
15 years ago...
We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women
and children from the abject and dehumanizing
conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a
billion of them are currently subjected. We are
committed to making the right to development a reality
for everyone and to freeing the entire human race from
want.
United Nations Millennium Declaration, New York, 6 to 8
September 2000
What problem is the EAC
seeking to address in the first
place?
Five specific issues on EAC
preparedness for post-2015
(1) Understanding the nature & magnitude of the
challenge ahead (2015 – 2030);
(2) Adequacy of financial and other resources
for implementing the SDGs in EAC
(3) Integration of existing and future visions and
strategies;
(4) Developing mechanisms for tracking change
and monitoring progress;
(5) Participation & building a citizen-EAC compact
What the 2013 MDG Report says (about Africa)
Arica’s Traffic light progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (2014)
MDG 1 –
MDG 2 –
MDG 3 –
MDG 4 –
MDG 5 – MDG 6 –
MDG 7 –
MDG 8 –
Eradicate
Achieve universal Promote gender Reduce child Improve
Combat
Ensure
Global
extreme
primary
equality and
mortality
maternal HIV/AIDS, TB, environmenta partnership
poverty and education
empower
health
malaria and
l sustainability for
hunger
women
other diseases
development.








Poverty reduction lags behind growth
Inequality is undermining efforts to reduce poverty
Attending primary school a norm, but the quality of education is poor
Progress toward gender parity is encouraging
Child & maternal deaths very high
Some progress on HIV/AIDS & TB but more needed
Mixed progress on environmental sustainability
Food insecurity is a recurring challenge
The EAC picture in 2014...
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Poverty headcount at US$1.25
(% of population)
Burundi
(2006)
Kenya
(2005)
Rwanda
(2011)
Tanzania
(2007)
Uganda
(2009)
Initial questions
 Does the EAC have a position on the post2015 agenda?
 Is the regional body prepared to engage with
the (post-2015) agenda?
Enhancing understanding, ownership and
uptake of the SDG agenda
 Many constituencies at national and regional level in
the EAC are still not familiar with the SDGs, hence
they are yet to fully own them.
 Not all goals are communicated in simple, accessible
and easily understandable language
 SDGs not incorporated in EAC treaty, strategies or
plans.
 Limited understanding & capacities in new areas e.g.
climate change and environment
Financing the post-2015 EAC development
agenda
 Little is known about the most suitable mix of
financing modalities & instruments – and likely
changes over time.
 Efforts still limited to increasing domestic & external
resources  not focusing on understanding,
identifying and applying different financial resources
for maximum efficiency, effectiveness & sustainability.
Integrating and harmonising visions, goals
and strategies
 EAC has no sub-regional vision or strategy on SDGs;
but EAC member countries are at various stages of
defining future visions – which still do not “speak to
each other”
 The visions/strategies are an opportunity for the EAC
to integrate development perspectives
 Needed: responsive strategies & institutional
structures
 Also needed: legal mechanism to provide a
framework for better coordination of national and
regional entities  better alignment of planning and
implementation
Mechanisms for tracking progress
 Tracking progress key part for EAC post-2015
agenda
 Good data & capacity to analyse are essential
 But EAC countries are not using similar
standards, approaches or data collection
frameworks.
 Sub-regional mechanisms and capacities are
needed
Building a citizen-EAC compact
 EAC citizens have low level of confidence in governments
 Deeper integration of EAC region and cooperation have produced some
positive macro-economic effects  e.g. growth in internal trade, but the
changes are not impacting well on the poorer sections of the
population
 The citizen-EAC compact will to ensures citizens are:
– are able to influence the region-wide political process;
– have their voices, especially those of the very poorest, effectively
represented;
– are engaged in activities and processes that shape and emanate
from the EAC (so that they do not see such processes as being
“just a government thing”);
– influence the content of what is being developed in the EAC; and,
– have stronger connection with those who represent them in
national, sub-regional and global development processes
Conclusions (1)
 SDGs are an essential tool for shaping the post-2015 development agenda – a major
achievement for the world development community.
 However, the key test will be in how individual countries and the EAC translate the
goals to real actions.
 By participating in the discussions leading to the outcome document the EAC already
has already “supported” the SDGs.
 However, the readiness of the regional body for the post-2015 development agenda is
still questionable
 In the meantime more is needed for the EAC and member states to demonstrate how
in the regional context the proposed SDGs would:
– Help to focus actions on an integrated local-to-global development agenda;
– Serve as a key driver for sustainably addressing poverty in the region;
– Contribute to developing a clear set of priorities, actions and tools for monitoring
progress;
– Innovatively contribute to directly tackling poverty, sustaining positive change
and prevent future impoverishment; and,
– Help work towards realisation of a transformative agenda for the region
Finally .....
 To achieve these objectives the EAC needs to develop means of
implementation, and the process for achieving this must recognise the
importance of openness and adopting a participatory approach.
 Also, as the SDGs begin to take shape, they should continue to be
viewed as a foundation for future actions not as the end point  greater
ambition is required.
 Further, East Africa’s impressive economic performance should ensure
the gains from growth leverage progress on the SDGs
 In conclusion ... moving this agenda forward will require more than just
increased awareness and domesticating the global agenda  to
revolutionising data, establishing monitoring mechanisms, and linking
economic, social and physical development goals (a political question
which EAC policy makers and technocrats will have to confront.