The city of Ahmedabad, India, is set to host the 2017 Annual General Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) next month.
AfDB’s Management Board of the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) met to review the progress made in 2017 and to assess the challenges ahead in the implementation of its projects.
ALSF is a public international institution hosted by the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.
The Board discussed key issues and events which will be reviewed on the margins of the 2017 Annual General Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in May 2017 in Ahmedabad, India.
In his openings remarks, Seward Cooper, Chairman of the Board, explained: “This is an opportunity for us to reflect on the Mandate of the Facility in delivering sound legal advice for better decisions in order to achieve sustainable development in our Regional Member Countries.”
For his part, Stephen Karangizi, Director of the ALSF, welcomed and thanked the Management Board members for sparing their time in order to share their expertise in assessing ALSF interventions.
The Board considered the Financial Statements, as of December 2016, before subsequently transmitting it to the Governing Council.
The Board also noted the report on the Review of the Medium Term Strategy (2013-2017). Board Members stressed that major recommendations of the report should be addressed in the new Medium Term Strategy (2018-2022), which is currently under preparation.
Regarding the implementation of ALSF projects, the Board took note of the increased volume and effectiveness of the Facility’s work. In 2016 alone, the Facility launched 28 new projects, with a total estimated value of US$11.3 million.
Karangiz, briefed the Board on the Resource Mobilization efforts of the ALSF, whose success was reflected in the recent and significant increase of strategic partnerships established between the Facility and several countries and institutions.
The Board recognized the importance of ensuring that the ALSF is provided with adequate support, so as to enable it to effectively discharge its mandate, according to the press statement of AfDB. The Director further informed the Board that the Facility would hold its first Constituency Meetings on the margins of the 2017 Annual General Meetings.
The Board also took the opportunity to discuss a planned side event, entitled “Land Investment Deals in Africa: Negotiating Good Contracts for Sustainable Development,” which will be held on May 24, 2017.
Board members expressed their enthusiasm for the upcoming event, which aims to incorporate the experiences of African countries which have negotiated large-scale land deals.
The Management Board is responsible for the efficient and effective implementation of all ALSF’s operations. It comprises five members of high integrity and competence, who act in their individual capacity, and are appointed by the Governing Council.
The five members are Seward Cooper, Chairman (Liberia), Dorca Achapa (Kenya), Dandi Gnamou (Benin), Pim de Keizer (Netherlands) and Amadou Dieng (Senegal). They work with the Director who is an ex-officio member.