Abidjan, 19-20 November 2015
The meetings organized in Abidjan on the 19th and 20th of November 2015, in the premises of the African Development Bank, between the representatives of the Bank and CICA-EIC representatives and member companies launched the collaboration and partnership between these institutions with a view to meeting their respective objectives. More specifically, these meetings had a twofold objective:
- Firstly, these meetings allowed the Bank to share some relevant information with CICA, EIC and their partners about the Bank’s latest developments notably the new procurement policy framework for Bank-financed projects in Regional member countries (RMCs), and also information on the business opportunities related to the pipeline of Public Private Partnerships (PPP) projects to be developed in the ten years to come.
- Secondly, these meetings were an opportunity to discuss how the Bank can benefit from the International Centre of Excellence on PPP, “Policies, Laws and Institutions” (ICoE), promoted by CICA and the French Institute of International Legal Experts (IFEJI) and created under the aegis of the UNECE, with a view to strengthening capacity of the Bank’s staff and RMCs in the field of award and management of PPP contracts. The dialogue between the participants highlighted how the Bank can take advantage of the ICoE’s knowledge center and training center to cover some needs expressed for the training of the Bank’s staff as well as public services in RMCs.
The meetings should constitute a first step to set up a platform of partnerships between CICA-EIC and the Bank and further other Multilateral Development Banks, in order to contribute to the strengthening of the capacities at both levels inside the Bank and in RMCs with a view to facilitating the realization of an increased volume of public service infrastructure projects keeping in mind the United Nations post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals.
Agenda
During these 2 days, exchanges mainly focused on the following points:
- Reform of the Bank´s procurement policy. : The Bank presented its new procurement policy, including its vision, framework, structure, and the impact on country’s development objectives. The presentation also informed about the ongoing initiatives for ensuring continued harmonization with other MDB´s procurement frameworks. It was content-based but it also highlighted implementation challenges as well as the future framework´s foreseen impact on African Development Bank-financed projects. This will pave the way for collaborative actions between the Bank and ICoE for strengthening procurement capacity of the Bank’s staff and RMCs.
- Public Private Partnerships: Ways to strengthen the Bank´s internal capacity and countries of operation capacity were explored. To this end, the use of the UNECE International Center of Excellence in the light of the Bank´s PPP strategy and of the post-2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals was discussed in the presence of Geoffrey HAMILTON who came from Geneva to represent the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Furthermore, CICA and private sectors´ speakers provided useful experience-based inputs on how to best conceptualize international PPPs and identify institutional best practices.
- Building capacity of the National Private Sector (NPS): the aim of this session was to give participants an overview of the Bank´s envisaged strategy and resources mobilization approach in this area as well as to update them on current challenges faced by stakeholders in African countries. CICA-EIC presentations went from a broad approach on federations´ past experiences and strategies in building public procurement capacity for the NPS to a more specific focus on technical and managerial professional training and on performance-based road maintenance contracts.
- Development of Infrastructure in Africa: participants gained information on infrastructure contracts opportunities in Africa and there was a discussion on co-financing instruments and on the new banks and funds such as AIIB, BRICS Bank etc.
These meeting should pave the way for effective collaboration and long-term partnership between the Bank and the International Center of Excellence on Concessions and PPPs (ICoE) promoted by CICA and IFEJI and established under the aegis of the UNECE with a view to building fiduciary (procurement and financial management) capacity of the Bank’s staff and RMCs’ national institutions and private sector, and especially in the field of PPPs. They also gave an opportunity to members from CICA to develop long-term partnerships with African stakeholders for promoting the development of local content in Bank-financed contracts, notably thanks to targeted policy reforms and professional training.
Download the programme of the meetings
Download the Minutes of the meetings
AfDB Presentations
♦ AfDB Resource mobilization – Raising funds and building effective partnerships
♦ AfDB Bank Operational Approach 4 PCB Final
♦ Doing business with the AfDB
♦ The New Procurement Policy as an Enabler for Enhancing NPS Capacity
CICA – EIC Presentations
♦ CICA President Emre AYKAR, Introduction speech