CONCEPT NOTE. Country Programme , Burkina Faso

Transcription

1 Ministry of Foreign Affairs Danida Danish Embassy Ouagadougou CONCEPT NOTE Country Programme , Burkina Faso 14 th May 2014

2 Contents I. Introduction... 1 II. Conclusions from Preparatory Analyses... 1 III. Strategic Considerations and Justification for the Country Programme... 3 IV. Thematic Programme Objectives and Summaries... 5 V. Preliminary Results Framework and Monitoring Mechanisms... 8 VI. Preliminary Assessment of Risk... 9 VII. Indicative Budget and Unallocated Funds ( )... 9 Annexes Process Action Plan Assessment according to the 5 budget principles HRBA / Gender Screening Note Climate Change and Green Growth Screening Note Results Framework Risk Management Matrix

3 1 I. Introduction Strategic questions to guide the discussion a) The current government development strategy (SCADD) stresses private sector led economic growth. Equity, poverty and environmental sustainability in the short term are also reflected in the strategy but do not have the same weight particularly in the implementation. The government has chosen this strategy because previous poverty reduction strategies had failed to generate sufficient growth. The Country Programme will support this overall growth priority but also apply a broader human rights based approach (HRBA), e.g. in the water and governance sectors but also more specifically by choosing value chain in the agricultural growth programme that targets vulnerable groups and by focusing on security concerns in marginal areas. However, some interventions, such as the support to formal sector agricultural entities and the Development Contract, address poverty issues only indirectly. b) Burkina Faso has chosen to engage strongly in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process of the United Nation Human Rights Council. However, despite ratification of both international and regional HR instruments, the challenge is the low level of implementation in practice. Danish support will thus initially focus on strengthening institutional structures within both government and civil society, especially targeting women s rights, access to justice, and peace and stability in order to arrive at some implementation of economic, social and cultural rights. c) Burkina Faso has introduced successful financial reforms in conformity with UEMOA fiscal management guidelines. Thus despite the fiduciary risks that still persist, the programme will utilize general budget support, sector budget support and various basket arrangements. Specific measures will also be taken to reduce the administrative burden, including outsourcing management and capacity building (but not the policy dialogue) for CSO support. d) The current agricultural programme runs until The intention is to review and extend the programme in allowing it to run until 2020 and thus to be time-wise aligned with the other thematic programmes. This extension will require additional financing of 100 million DKK, which has been included as unallocated. The programme committee is invited to comment on these issues. Summary of conclusions The Country Programme will be designed to support the Burkinabè people s right to a better life. Strengthening respect, protection and promotion of human rights are key elements in the governance theme. Equity in access to water and sanitation and a sustainable and concerted management of water resources, all based on identification of rights-holders and duty-bearers respectively, are emphasized in the water and sanitation theme. The theme for economic growth in the agricultural sector targets creation of jobs via non-financial services as well as loans and guarantees to entrepreneurship and the private agricultural sector operators. A development contract with general budget support combined with accompanying measures to support public finance management reforms, fight against corruption and enhanced budget transparency aims at ensuring sustainable and inclusive economic growth leading to increase of revenues and enhancement of livelihood. High-level policy dialogue takes place regularly between the Troika representing development partners and the Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance. II. Conclusions from Preparatory Analyses Despite experiencing from 2000 to 2010 an annual increase in GDP of approximately 5%, and even higher the last couple of years, Burkina Faso remains number 183 out of 187 in the

4 2 Human Development Index. Prospects for achieving the MDGs are only realistic for urban water supply. Up to date poverty figures are not available but in 2009, 46.7 pct. of the population lived below the national poverty level of 935 DKK/year. A Gini coefficient of (2009) is reflecting inequality below African average and is among the lowest in West Africa. However, there is little evidence that the economic growth experienced during the last decade has reduced poverty and inequality significantly. Burkina Faso s post-colonial history has been dominated by military coups. However, in 1978 one president gained power via the democratic election. Over the last 27 years the regime of Blaise Compaore has held several elections deemed to be largely free and fair, democratic institutions have been strengthened and respect for human and democratic rights has improved. Burkina Faso has developed into a bastion of peace, stability and relative freedom in a region otherwise marked by conflict. It has undertaken several mediation efforts reflecting a clear appreciation that the country can only thrive if regional stability is enhanced. It has not always been easy to maintain peace and stability and to insure continued progress. Serious challenges remain: The pressure for a peaceful and constitutional transition is steadily increasing, the urbanisation rate is growing rapidly, youth unemployment remains high and rising living costs increase social tension. Conflict, insurgency and radicalisation in neighbouring countries threaten to spill over the border. Burkina Faso has signed and ratified most international and regional human rights conventions including the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights as one of the first countries in Africa. However, the mechanisms to oversee and guarantee protection and respect for those rights in accordance with international principles still remain very weak. The weaknesses can be seen in the lack of independence of the judiciary, in the national human rights commission, the Ombudsman, the constitutional court, and the auditor general. In June 2011, the MEF issued guidelines aiming at integrating human rights into the sector policies, but these guidelines have not been implemented so far. The population of Burkina Faso counted 17.5 million in 2012 and is projected to increase to 29.1 million in The urban population growth far exceeds the rural one due to migration from the rural areas towards the cities. 66% of the population is under 25 years, and 51% of the population aged between 15 and 29 years are without any employment. The SCADD (Stratégie de Croissance Accélérée de Développement Durable) , which has replaced the former poverty reduction strategy, emphasizes economic growth, social protection and governance. The strategy reflects the determination of the government to pursue higher growth rates through investments in the private sector. Financial policies, a conducive business environment, good governance and infrastructure investments are seen as key instruments. Two decades of cooperation between Burkina Faso and Denmark were formalised in 1993 when Burkina Faso became partner country to Denmark. Even though Burkina Faso is still a poor country, millions of people have gained access to energy, water, sanitation, education, and infrastructure, as well as a share of an increased agricultural production, among others thanks to Danish development cooperation. Public institutions and civil society organisations have been strengthened in all areas, including human rights, decentralisation and gender equality. Within the framework of the SCADD, ministries have established sector-based policies, which combine strategies and budgeted action plans. The Economy and Finance Sector Policy (POSEF), adopted by the Government in June 2011, is the reference framework for implementing the reforms as regards economy and finance. Public access to budget information is mixed. Whilst public access to information on public contracts is very good,

5 3 direct access to basic information on the budget is either too limited or too late. The draft budget submitted to Parliament in October is put online as well as the budget execution, but the information is not available on time. Burkina Faso is 83 rd in Transparency International s ranking and thus one of the least corrupt countries on the continent (10 th in Africa). However, corruption and impunity continue to affect all sectors of the society and though there are several revelations of cases of corruption, these cases often go unpunished without further explanation. Experience gained from several years of cooperation provides important lessons for the new programme. In the previous phase of the Danish support to the agricultural sector, it was found that the programme, although benefiting a large number of individual small-scale farmers, would not have any significant impact in terms of economic growth, job creation and development of the selected value chains. Projects were too small and too targeted at subsistence farmers with limited growth potential. It was also found that transaction costs related to the micro-projects were extremely high. Denmark has supported the national programmes for integrated water resources management (IWRM) and water supply and sanitation (WSS) since their start in 2003 and 2007 respectively. During the last two decades, good progress has been achieved, among others with support from Denmark, in developing the legal, regulatory and institutional framework for water management, since Since 2008, Danish support to the governance sector has focused on political governance and the country s democratisation process through support to decentralisation and general institutional support to human rights and gender equality promotion partnering with both state and civil society organisations. Significant results have been achieved in terms of promoting respect for human rights and developing the legal and regulatory framework, and good relations have been established with decision makers. In some cases it has been difficult to turn policies into action. The overall decentralisation reform has not moved very far (due to resistance in the bureaucracy) and the ministry of gender has failed to move beyond its advocacy functions. III. Strategic Considerations and Justification for the Country Programme Burkina Faso is experiencing a significant economic growth, has managed to remain a bastion of peace and stability and avoided becoming a fragile state as most of its neighbours. Nevertheless, the country will still not achieve most the MDGs by 2015 and is still far from moving towards a middle-income country level. A broad based development partnership with a long term perspective is required to secure that Burkina Faso continues and accelerates its development efforts. Danish development assistance to Burkina Faso will support the objectives established in the Country Policy Paper i.e. i) poverty reduction; ii) a stronger rights-based and inclusive governance framework; and iii) economic growth and employment in particular for youth and women. The government s development strategy (SCADD) has a clear focus on an accelerated private sector led economic growth. This strategic choice is based on a desire to achieve significant higher growth rates that could lift Burkina Faso out of it status as one of the world s poorest countries. The country programme will support this objective. The majority of the population derive their livelihood from agriculture. The growth potential is primarily found in this sector, which is also contributing to food security. Service and construction sectors are still weakly developed. Though the SCADD also mentions poverty alleviation, reduction of inequalities and sustainable development, it is clear that these aspects have a lower priority in

6 4 the implementation of the strategy. Economic growth without equity, without social inclusion and without an equitable redistribution of resources will not reduce poverty. In order to strengthen these aspects, the Country Programme will apply a Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) in all thematic programmes. The development engagements in the Water & Sanitation theme are now emphasising equity in access to services and transparency and accountability on the part of the duty bearers. The HRBA approach will reintroduce the implication of the rights holders an aspect which had been neglected by the Ministry of Water since In the Governance theme, the Development Engagements are formulated in accordance with the HRBA. As to the theme Economic Growth in Agriculture, indicators with gender disaggregated data are being introduced, and to a high degree, the choice of value chains has been guided by a view to reach vulnerable groups. The possibility of pursuing a more consistent integration of the HRBA into this theme will only be considered during a later reformulation. In 2013, Burkina Faso accepted 135 of the 169 recommendations from the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), most of them concerning women s rights, ensuring independence of the judiciary, efforts to eliminate regional disparities in access to safe drinking water, and realization of the right to water and sanitation 1. In the present Country Programme the governance theme in particular will strengthen human rights in Burkina Faso based on the UPR process. Despite the Government commitment to follow up on most of the recommendations, ineffective implementation of economic, social and cultural rights is the main obstacle for reaching acceptable living standards for the poor and the vulnerable. The overall aim of the governance theme will thus be to assist Burkina Faso in overcoming the gap between principles and practice. Given Burkina Faso s geographical location, it is obvious that security constitutes a major threat to a peaceful and successful development of the country. The Country Programme will thus seek to help securing continued peace and stability. Based on the comparative strength of the Danish resource base, emphasis will be on preventing the development of violent extremism through support for inter alia community policing and civil society but also through provision of economic opportunities and basic services in marginal areas. These activities will be coordinated with the regional implementation of the Danish Sahel programme and other activities in the region. Situated at the southern edge of the Sahara with low and highly fluctuating precipitation, Burkina Faso is environmentally extremely vulnerable and susceptible to frequent natural calamities. The main source of livelihood, agriculture, is dependent on sufficient water resources. Presently all agricultural stakeholders can extract any amount of water and pollute with pesticides and fertilizers, without paying extraction and pollution fees. The water resources are further destroyed by the mining industry. Proper management of water resources is the foundation for life in this arid/semi-arid region. For reasons of effectiveness and efficiency, the Country Programme will continue to channel funds to general budget support, sector budget support (water sector and possibly others) and various basket funds. For sustainability and impact reasons, equity to services for the rights-holders and transparency and accountability on the part of the duty bearers will be emphasized. In line with the HRBA approach, better results will be achieved in providing sanitation by using Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). Another important consideration guiding the design of the Country Programme has been the Embassy s capacity to manage two country programmes (Burkina Faso and Niger) at the same time without further staff resources. 1 United Nations General Assembly: Human Rights Council, Draft report of the Working Group on the UPR, Burkina Faso, May 2013.

7 5 General budget support will remain a key feature of the Country Programme. This is in accordance with the decision of the EU that after lengthy deliberations found that a governance contract including such support would make sense for Burkina Faso because the country was sufficiently open and responsive to reform needs. Denmark will enter into a development contract supported by accompanying measures aiming at fighting corruption and ensuring transparency in public finances. Denmark has been engaged in the chosen sectors for a long period. The formulation of new Danish policies, such as the The Right to a Better Life and new approaches such as the HRBA, has led to strategic shifts in each programme. IV. Thematic Programme Objectives and Summaries Governance The Governance thematic programme will aim at strengthening respect, protection and promotion of human rights. The main human rights analyses of Burkina Faso have shown that despite Burkina Faso s overwhelming ratification of international and regional instruments, implementation of human rights is persistently weak. This leads to inadequate protection of the Bukinabè s civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights - in particular, for marginalised groups. Since its creation in 2002, the Ministry of Human Rights and Civil Protection, as a key dutybearer, has had a long-standing cooperation with Danida. Presently, this ministry is overseeing and coordinating the implementation of Burkina Faso s 2nd and 3rd Cycle UPR recommendations. The Danish support to this ministry will focus on facilitating the implementation of human rights commitments based on the ministry s programmebudget and its mandate to oversee implementation of the recommendations across government institutions. Whilst the Danish support will cover all UPR recommendations, special attention will be given to the recommendations related to the principles of non-discrimination and participation and inclusion that are of particular relevance to the other thematic programmes. Most relevant for the governance thematic programme are of course the UPR recommendations related to women s rights, but also those related to the independence of the judiciary and the trust between the judiciary, the police force and the citizens. Finally, UPR recommendations related to rights-holders access to justice, as well as those related to dutybearers obligations with regard to transparency and accountability will be considered during the formulation process. The Ministry of Justice is a new partner to Danida, though an essential and strategic dutybearer within a HRBA framework. The support is expected to focus on strengthening the independence of the judiciary and access to justice based on the Ministry s triennial action plan ( ). These are two strategic and essential areas of intervention for an effective implementation of a HRBA. For citizens, especially women, the youth and marginalised groups to access justice, trust in the independence of the judiciary is essential. The latest cases (e.g. the non-lieu in the Norbert Zongo case) have done much damage to the public s trust in the judiciary. The support to the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Security, another strategic dutybearer, will build on previous policy initiatives and support within countering violent extremism (CVE), and is expected to focus on reinforcing the capacity of the police to protect all citizens without discrimination based on the Ministry s Programme to implement the National Security Strategy (PASSI). Focus is on local police stations capacity to deliver human rights protection services, to adequately respond and attend to human rights complaints presented to them. During the Transition Phase activities will start in three

8 6 marginal regions with high poverty incidence rates, which have been affected by (violent) conflicts and experienced the lowest rates on trust citizen-police. The Country Programme will continue efforts to restore trust between the citizens and the police force. The selected Civil Society Organisations, representing rights-holders interests, have been long-standing partners to Danida and are hailed amongst the key drivers of changes in the field of governance and human rights in Burkina Faso. Other CSOs will also be selected through a gender-based basket fund focusing on women s human rights. The focus of this support will be to promote respect for Human Rights through strong, vocal and independent civil society organisations based on their respective action plans 2014/ /20. The focus will be on strengthening the capacity of CSOs to become increasingly autonomous, financially diversified, and able to promote human rights, women s rights in particular and civilian engagement. Further, and in line with recommendations from Countering Violent Extremism and Promoting Community Engagement in West Africa and the Sahel - An Action Agenda, July 2013, the capacities of CSOs to develop activities that will counter violent extremism (CVE) will also be reinforced. In this way, the support to CSOs will be expected to reinforce organizations that represent rights-holders interests whilst also holding duty-bearers accountable, both within the Governance thematic programme and across the Country Programme. Support for the decentralisation process will not be part of the new thematic programme. Other larger donors primarily World Bank, EU, and UNDP will support the process while Denmark will continue its ongoing work at sector level with various local institutions in the water and agricultural sectors. Water and Sanitation The objective of the support to the water and sanitation sector is to ensure a sustainable management of water resources and an equitable access to water and sanitation. Although a new water policy and national programmes for integrated water resources management (IWRM) and drinking water and sanitation (WSS) for the period beyond 2015 are currently under preparation, discussions with government indicate that the overall strategic orientation of the new Danish programme is in line with government priorities. The new programme will have an increased focus on and provide more funding for the full-scale implementation of basin-based water resources management. There is a growing concern about the increased pressure on both water quantities and quality mainly as a result of the boom in mining activities and intensive farming combined with a significant population growth It is recognised that there is a need for responses to solving local water conflicts and to ensuring an equitable distribution of water resources for both human consumption and productive purposes. It is also recognised that IWRM constitutes an appropriate tool to address consequences of climate change. Denmark has been supporting the water and sanitation sector for many years but the new programme represents a paradigm shift in Danish support in several respects, however without compromising the substantial results achieved in terms of alignment in the sector. Although substantial progress has been achieved in terms of ensuring enhanced water supply, equity (being one of the performance indicators in the national programme) has only increased marginally and very low water supply coverage levels are observed in a large number of communes. Therefore Danish support to water supply and sanitation delivery will aim at enhancing equity in access, thus specifically targeting underserved areas with endemic poverty. With a view to ensuring both sustainability of investments and enhanced effectiveness in service delivery, only piped water technology will be considered, e.g. multi-village systems based on high yielding boreholes or connected to existing water pipelines. This offers opportunities for large-scale operation and job creation through Public Private Partnerships.

9 7 Access to sanitation, being an important factor in enhancing health conditions, has not increased substantially during many years and it is obvious that government strategies for promotion of sanitation have fallen short. The sector ministry is currently in a process of reconsidering its policy and strategies in this respect. The Danish support to sanitation will thus be channelled through local NGOs following a model utilised successfully by the EU since Water supply services has so far been provided on a demand-driven basis, thereby not consistently taking into consideration poor and otherwise marginalised segments of the population. The introduction of a human rights based approach thus requires the development of new operational approaches and training and sensitisation of both main duty bearers (Ministry of Water and Sanitation, the urban water & sanitation provider ONEA, communes) and rights holders. The programme will consist of four development engagements: a. Support to IWRM (Ministry of Water and Sanitation) through a basket fund; b. Support to enhancement of equity in water supply coverage through sector budget support within the national WSS programme targeted at the semi-public institution ONEA); c. Support to sanitation though a national or regional NGO, and d. Development and application of new approaches to water supply delivery based on HRBA through an international or regional NGO collaborating with national CSOs and NGOs and with main duty bearers. Technical assistance to IWRM and to water supply implementation will be foreseen. Economic Growth in the Agricultural Sector The objective of the support to Economic Growth in the Agricultural Sector is to contribute to growth in agricultural productivity, in added value and income with a view to achieving an increase in national economic growth and reduction of poverty. This programme ( ) was appraised in 2012 (thus long before the HRBA guidelines), and started in July Though efforts were made to include value chains relevant to marginal groups (especially in the shea nut, the Gum Arabic and the cow pea value chains) and security challenged areas, this led to a stronger focus on the formal sector and less direct interventions for the very poorest. This was specifically endorsed by the Danida Board. The possibility for strengthening the HRBA will be considered in connection with a review foreseen in In accordance with the SCADD, the programme primarily targets small- and medium-scale private enterprises and farmers associations in five value chains with an economic and employment potential in general terms and with a potential for economic empowerment of women more specifically. The programme also comprises support to public institutions (central government and local governments) responsible for creating an enabling environment for private sector operators in areas such as standards/norms, sub-sector strategies, access to markets and establishment of public facilities (butcheries, vaccination parks, access roads etc.). Access for private small-scale enterprises to advice and expertise with a view to developing their enterprises remains very limited. Therefore the programme supports the establishment of a facility in five regions that provides on-demand consultancy services (business plans, market analyses, feasibility studies, etc.) for enterprises within the selected value chains. National policies and strategies do not address green growth in particular. However, attention is given in the programme to provide assistance for the identification of green investments. In addition, a facility has also been established to provide funding of green investments on a grant basis. Small- and medium scale enterprises face difficulties in accessing medium/long term credits thus limiting their opportunities to make larger investments. Through collaboration with two commercial banks and a guarantee institution, the programme aims at enhancing access to medium/long term credit. Women have limited access to financial services due to, among others, low education levels and a land tenure system excluding women. Therefore, a particular focus area for the programme is the promotion of women s access to medium-/long

10 8 term credit and loan guarantees, and gender disaggregated indicators are being introduced in order to apply part of the HRBA. The programme consists of three development engagements of which one is managed by a private institution and the two others by the Ministry of Economy & Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture, respectively. Due to the number of partners involved a steering committee has been established for the overall management of the programme. To bring the programme time-wise in phase with the other thematic programmes, a programme extension up to 2020 is foreseen. An amount of DKK 100 million has been earmarked as unallocated for this purpose. Formulation of the extension phase will start in Appraisal of the extension is scheduled for This formulation constitutes an opportunity to review key elements such the HRBA and the possible introduction of sector budget support. Development Contract Strategically the development contract will target poverty reduction, equality in access to social services and enhanced effectiveness and transparency of public policies and PFM. In conformity with the CGAB (Cadre Général d organisation des Appuis Budgétaires), being the joint framework for all development partners (DPs) providing GBS, releases of the 80% fixed tranche will be linked to the fulfilment of three conditions as follows: a. The implementation of a stable macro-economic policy positively confirmed by the IMF; b. A positive assessment by development partners of the annual implementation of the SCADD; and c. A positive assessment by DPs of the quality of PFM based on the annual review of the implementation of the POSEF (Politique Sectorielle du Ministère de l Economie et des Finances). The variable 20% tranche will be linked to progress in PFM with a special focus on poverty and equity issues in order to promote HRBA. The general budget support will be accompanied by measures aiming at enhancing public financial management, reduction of fiduciary risks and support to institutional development. These measures will be identified during the formulation of the development contract. Furthermore, the support to strengthening of CSOs acting as watchdogs on budget transparency and on corruption will be continued. Encouraging results have been achieved so far by REN-LAC and CIFOEB. For administrative reasons, the support to these two CSOs (totalling 8 million DKK) will be channelled through the Governance thematic programme. V. Preliminary Results Framework and Monitoring Mechanisms The objectives included in the Results Framework are in line with Danish policy as expressed in the Policy Paper for Burkina Faso and have been discussed with the relevant partner ministries and CSOs. To the extent possible, the indicators selected in the three themes plus the development contract are taken from the partner ministries own plans and the SCADD. Especially the rolling 5-year SCADD matrix is used for output indicators, as Government is already monitoring these. The challenge has been the baseline data. As to the governance theme, the Transition Programme scheduled to start in July 2014 will undertake some studies, which will provide baseline data to be used in the Country Programme. The HRBA as basis for all sector activities will be given special attention in e.g. the Water & Sanitation theme, where a separate monitoring and reporting system must be established by the NGO to be in charge of one of the development engagements. The monitoring related to Economic Growth in Agriculture is primarily built on mechanisms currently being developed by the banks and the institution providing advice to SMEs. Monitoring at outcome level will be based on national annual surveys.

11 9 VI. Preliminary Assessment of Risk Despite a steady increase of 5% in average in real GDP from 2000 to 2010, poverty has not decreased significantly over this period and creation of new jobs has moved slowly. It thus seems unrealistic that the poverty reduction objective set out in the SCADD for 2015 will be achieved (reduction from 46.7% in 2009 to 35% in 2015). Although traditionally known as a politically and socially stable country, Burkina Faso has experienced an increase in number of social demonstrations in recent years. Unrest might be further fuelled in years to come if the President attempts to revise the Constitution in order to remain in power after elections in Although Burkina Faso ranks as the tenth least corrupt country among African countries (Transparency International), corruption and impunity affect most sectors. Especially police agencies and the judiciary system are seen as corrupt. Parliament has rejected an anticorruption law presented by Government in A close dialogue will be maintained with Government on this issue and continued support to CSOs monitoring corruption will be provided. A number of programmatic and institutional risks have been identified at the thematic programme level. These include e.g. limited partner capacity to implement the governance support, equity in service delivery not sufficiently prioritised in the water and sanitation programme, activities not effectively enhancing livelihood of poorest rural population in the agricultural programme and certain areas of PFM, especially in terms of internal and external control will continue to experience inadequate priority and resources. VII. Indicative Budget and Unallocated Funds ( ) Country Programme Burkina Faso - Denmark Million DKK Total million DKK Thematic Programme: Good Governance and Human Rights 173 Development Engagement: Human Rights Commitments 17 Development Engagement: Enhancement of Human Rights 31 Development Engagement: Protection of Human Rights 31 Development Engagement: Promotion of Human Rights 84 Contingencies 3 Reviews, audits, etc. 7 Thematic Programme: Water and Sanitation 370 Development Engagement: Sustainable and concerted Management of Water Resources 90 Development Engagement: Enhancement of Equity in Access to drinking Water 200 Development Engagement: Promotion of enhanced Hygiene and Sanitation 45 Development Engagement: Mainstreaming of HRBA Principles into Sector Activities 11 Contingencies 12 Reviews, audits, etc. 12 Thematic Programme: Economic Growth in the Agricultural Sector 480 Development Engagement: Private Agricultural Sector Support - non financial Support 62 Development Engagement: Private Agricultural Sector Support - Investment Support 65,7 Development Engagement: Enhancement of Enabling Environment in Agriculture 161 Technical Assistance 54,6 Reviews, Audits, etc. 20 Contingencies 16,7 Unallocated Funds for new Development Engagements to be spent in 2019 and Thematic Programme: Development Contract 322 Development Engagement: General Budget Support and Support to PFM Reforms 322 Total amount of Country Programme 1345 of which 380 million DKK were committed in 2012 for the Agriculture Programme

12 Annexe 1 PROCESS ACTION PLAN Country programme Denmark-Burkina Faso Actions and activities Date Identification of programme November March 2014 Drafting by Embassy of Concept Note et annexes, elaboration of 1 April 8 May 2014 TOR for the formulation of the Development Engagements and Agreements within the framework of each theme, contracting of consultants etc. Deadline for programme officers to provide input to the Concept 25 April 2014 Note and Annexes Finalisation of the Concept Note et Annexes 28 April 12 May 2014 Submission of Concept Note + Annexes to Copenhagen 15 May 2014 Presentation of Concept Note to programme Committee 11 June 2014 Formulation of Development Engagements and their annexes, of 12 June Agreements, and of the Country Programme 14 November 2014 Elaboration of draft TOR for the appraisal team 1-14 November 2014 Draft Appraisal TOR plus all documentation submitted to 17 November 2014 TAS/Copenhagen Appraisal of Country Programme conducted by Mr. Torben January 2015 Nilsson/TAS (exact dates not yet available) End of appraisal process March 2015 Country Programme document and documentation submitted in May 2015 final version to KVA/Copenhagen Presentation of programme to External Danida Committee for June 2015 approval Approval by the Minister September 2015 Signature of the country programme agreement and of contracts/development engagement agreements October December 2015

13 Annex 2, page 1 1. General Budget Support Assessment according to the five budget support principles Indicators used Assessment of the 5 criteria Risk Assessment and Mitigation Measures and sources Preamble: Denmark currently provides general budget support (GBS) (Appui Budgétaire Général (ABG)) to Burkina Faso, covering the period , of an initial amount of DKK 230 million. Burkina Faso is one of the few countries benefitting from GBS, due to, on the one hand, significant budgetary and macroeconomic needs, and, on the other hand, satisfaction of the prerequisites to qualify for budget support. Denmark provides currently also sector budget support to the water and sanitation sector. Thus, Burkina Faso s experience as regards budget support is proven and the dialogue with the Government in the framework of the implementation of this aid modality is good. 1. Fundamental values Fundamental values, encompassing a minimum respect for human rights, pluralistic democracy and rule of law, including independence of the judiciary. Sources and Indicators: SCADD reviews SCADD matrix NIP document 11 th EDF POSEF AM/MCS 2014 Education Respect for democratic principles and the rule of law: Presidential and general elections are held regularly in Burkina Faso. In 2010, presidential elections were held within the time prescribed by the Constitution. There was a low rate of registration on the electoral roll and a high abstention rate. The president got more than 80% of the votes whereas the two opposition candidates got 6% and 8% respectively. Absence of opposition representatives was noted in some polling stations. During the general elections in 2002, President Blaise Compaoré s party, the CDP obtained a narrow majority of 57 deputies out of 111. The 54 opposition deputies belonged to 12 different parties. In 2006, the CDP was the winner of most of the local elections. Elections: The introduction of a new voting system (biometric) which is supposed to be more reliable to avoid fraud, may further reduce the number of voters as it requires that every citizen has an ID to get registered - which is not obvious for a majority of the population. To ascertain that people are actually more involved in elections and go to the polls, the government must facilitate access to the appropriate authorities as regards issuing identity documents, possibly by setting up mobile offices to get closer to citizens. Awareness campaigns on the right and duty to vote should accompany this action. It should also be ensured that polling

14 Annex 2, page 2 At the general elections of 2007, the CDP won with an absolute majority of 73 deputies out of 111. Coupled elections (general and local) were held on December 9, 2012 and their preparation occasioned a substantial and positive collaboration between the majority party and one of the opposition parties. According to the Centre for Democratic Governance (Centre pour la Gouvernance Démocratique, CGD), all the procedures were followed correctly. Even when taking into account that voters voted for a candidate and not for a party, a deterioration of the majority party s position can be observed because of the rise of a new opposition party (UPC). Out of a total of 127 deputies at the National Assembly, the CDP - the party in power kept its 70 seats and obtained 12,340 local councillors out of 18,645. There was also a change of the leadership of the Opposition (UPC with its 19 members). Moreover, municipalities involvement in city management is increasing as they are receiving more financial resources. The crisis, triggered by successive riots and mutinies, between April and June 2011, was the starting point for a new wave of political and social reforms in Burkina Faso. All the institutions and mechanisms of a constitutional, pluralistic and liberal democracy are, in principle, in place now, but it should be noted that the institutions remain dominated by the coalition supporting the president who has been in power for 25 years, and which (the coalition) has 90% of seats at the National Assembly, whereas the opposition, although free to conduct its political action, appears rather weak and divided. However, in early 2014, influential leaders of the majority Party (CDP) resigned and joined the opposition, which could lead to a profound redefinition of Burkina Faso s political map. stations are supervised by representatives of the current Government and the Opposition in order to reduce any suspicion of fraud or abuse. Article 37: A decision on amending Article 37 or not would contribute to ease public opinion and minimize the risk of social unrest. However, recent history has shown that security measures and democratic control of crowds were not able to handle huge events. The State remains very weak in exceptional situations. Even if the Constitution does not prohibit the revision of Article 37, Development Partners agreed to urge the authorities to the fact that democratic changeover of political power is a guarantee of democratic pluralism. Justice: It is essential that the government s multiple commitments to make the legal system efficient are followed by effects. At first, the Department of Studies and Planning (Direction des Etudes et de la Planification, DEP) of the Ministry of Justice could be supported within the framework of a general strengthening of the DEPs decided by the Government in the framework of the Economy and Finance Sector Policy (Politique Sectorielle de l Economie et des Finances, POSEF). Support for activities planned for producing and

15 Annex 2, page 3 Article 37: Limitation of the number of presidential terms is a rule provided for by Article 37 of the Constitution of June 2, which prohibits a President who has already served two terms from running for president for a third consecutive term. Revising the Constitution of Burkina Faso, which could affect the amendment of Article 37, was examined. So far, speculations about this point have not yet been confirmed or invalidated. publishing statistics regarding the files in court would be a priority to increase the transparency of the legal system. It should be noted that since its adoption on June 2, 1991, Burkina Faso s Constitution has been revised three times, respectively in January 1997 for unlocking presidential term limitation, and in April 2000 for, not only reducing presidential term duration from 7 to 5 years, but also introducing anew its limitation to renewable once, and in January The debate concerning the amendment of Article 37 of the Constitution has occasioned a revival of tensions owing to the establishment of a Senate wanted by the presidential camp. This new Parliamentary Assembly, apart from the criticism raised as regards the establishment of the Senate itself, has also been perceived by many people as a stage of a strategy to amend the Constitution again. Today, the question of holding a referendum on whether or not to amend Article 37 is back on the agenda and is more and more at the center of the public debate. The analysis of the actual situation of human rights in Burkina Faso shows that the essential freedoms, notably personal and political freedoms and democratic principles, are currently not threatened in general; a few sporadic cases of violation were denounced by civil society and the opposition, but the most striking cases (such as Norbert Zongo, a journalist assassinated in 1998, where close relations of the president were suspected of the crime) seem rather to belong to the

16 Annex 2, page 4 past (which, of course, does not mean that tensions have eased). In general, Burkina Faso s civil society and media enjoy a good freedom of expression; with free and independent newspapers which can openly criticize the government. Freedom of the press is therefore of a high level, especially in comparison with the other countries of the sub-region. Religious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution and is real. In practice, there is a high degree of tolerance among religious groups, partly due to the Burkinabè society s historical roots in which the animistic, Muslim and Christian religions have always been present without discrimination or violent clashes (especially within families themselves). Access to credible and fair justice is, however, not yet a reality. The Constitution guarantees independence of the judiciary, but at the same time, places it under the Head of State s authority, who can appoint and dismiss senior judges. The executive s influence over the judiciary is obvious. The legal apparatus remains largely inefficient due to the low rate of judgment enforcement, the lack of monitoring their enforcement and endemic corruption. Access to Justice is also confronted with physical, cultural and financial barriers due to the country s conditions in terms of economy and infrastructure. Women s and children s status and respect for their rights: Burkina Faso has adopted several international conventions on women's rights. Many associations working for women s advancement have been supported at the local level. However, even if the criminal law punishes rape, Human Rights Associations report that women are frequently victims of it. It is a violation of human rights hard to fight for cultural

17 Annex 2, page 5 and social reasons. The provisions of the law on rape remain difficult to enforce. Moreover, maternal mortality (341 per 100,000) is high in Burkina Faso, and the practice of excision is common, even if it is gradually decreasing. In 2003, the National Assembly also passed a law which severely punishes child traffickers. The government is working with the Development Partners (DPs) to improve child protection. Children s situation in Burkina Faso remains critical, both for social or cultural and economic reasons (especially with the mining boom) and because of the extreme poverty in which many Burkinabè families live. One child out of eight dies before reaching the age of 5, partly because of malaria and malnutrition. The high maternal mortality also raises issues of child survival in infancy. The population s literacy rate remains low (29% according to the latest UNDP estimates), and is even lower for women (22%). Concerning schooling, there is (i) a 98.5% gross admission rate (taux brut d admission, TBA) against 47.4% in 2000/2001; (ii) a 87.8% gross school attendance (taux brut de scolarisation, TBS; 86.1% for girls); and (iii) a 61.1% primary school completion rate (58.1% for girls) against 41.7% in This shows significant improvements, but it also indicates that there is still a significant gap with universal schooling. Death penalty: Burkina Faso is a de facto abolitionist country. Even if death penalty has not been officially abolished, death sentences are still sometimes passed but no execution has taken place since Burkina Faso is also committed against death penalty in key international fora. 2. Solid national policies and plans for poverty reduction, good governance and sustainable development. Solid public policies to achieve poverty reduction, good governance and sustainable development, including assessment of relevance, progress and political will as well as public sector capacity to implement policy and reforms. Policy framework for

18 Annex 2, page 6 monitoring progress of public policies should also be assessed. The partnership between the development partners and the receiving country and experiences from cooperation up to date. Sources and Indicators: ADE Report, April 2012 Assessment of actors (State, TFP, OSC, CT) SCADD Document NIP Document 11 th EDF Indicator 1 of the Paris Declaration PTF s note, SCADD annual review, 2013 POSEF IMF Mission The Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Sustainable Development (Stratégie de Croissance Accélérée et de Développement Durable, SCADD) adopted in December 2010 with its monitoring and evaluation system adopted in October 2011, can be considered as a relevant strategy for poverty reduction. The current SCADD covers the period The Government has decided to review and update the current document in April 2014, with the aim to extend its duration up to The positive appreciation of the quality of the SCADD is shared by the different actors and expressed in the assessment documents of the Development Partners : - The strategy was developed after having performed an assessment of the implementation of the Strategic Framework for the Fight against Poverty (Cadre Stratégique de Lutte contre la Pauvreté, CSLP)) over the period through a series of studies and an independent assessment. - The main actors (State, local governments (Collectivités Territoriales)), civil society organisations, private sector) were associated through a series of national, regional and sectorbased consultations. SCADD has also been presented to the National Assembly. On the whole, they have a positive appreciation of the process and the strategy itself, even if some acknowledge that it can be improved. - SCADD s objectives were clearly defined and targets are aligned with those of the MDGs. The four strategic areas retained in the SCADD meet the country s real development challenges: accelerated economic growth, strengthening human resources and social protection, governance, and cross-cutting priorities (gender, population, environment, The current progress of the strategy presents some risk: a. The results of the EICVM survey indicate that poverty has declined slightly from 46.4% in 2003 to 43.9% in 2009, whereas SCADD s objective is to reach less than 35% in This objective appears all the less realistic as a thorough analysis of the links between growth and poverty has not been conducted, nor a detailed profile of poverty and an analysis of inequality issues, which do not seem to have declined since b. Certain confusion persists with the country s development policy reference documents. The coexistence of two documents is indeed noted: the SCADD and the government's action plan for emergence and sustainable development dated May 2011 (PAGEDD) over the period Policy dialogue in the framework of SCADD s monitoring should help to clarify the link between these two documents. c. Interventions under SCADD should be prioritized in order to achieve the ambitious objectives set for The government s levers up to 2015 are essentially the budgets of 2013, 2014 and The budget framework (CBMT and global CDMT) appears highly strategic in this regard, as it should reflect