AMDIN - AMDIN Update Report to the Conference of African Ministers of Public and Civil Service

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AMDIN Update Report to the Conference of African Ministers of Public and Civil Service

26 February 2007

Johannesburg, South Africa

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Introduction

This update report covers the activities undertaken by AMDIN in the period November 2006 - early February 2007, following the second AMDIN Update Report made to the second Ministerial Bureau meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 10 December 2006.

The AMDIN Executive Committee met on 3 February 2007 in Johannesburg, and much of this report has been informed by decisions taken and reports tabled at that meeting.

Progress update

AMDIN presents the following progress report to the Conference of African Ministers of Public and Civil Service:

Organisational Matters

Executive Council

During the report to the 2nd Ministerial Bureau meeting the issue of incomplete representation on the Executive Council of AMDIN was highlighted as an outstanding organisation matter that poses certain challenges with respect to fully operationalising the organisation. The Ministerial Bureau suggested that Algeria should facilitate a process to identify the two representatives from North Africa, while the AU and NEPAD were urged to identify their representatives as a matter of urgency. After not having received any feedback after mid-January, the AMDIN Secretariat communicated in writing with the three parties. At the time of writing, NEPAD has appointed its representative in the person of their CEO, Prof. F Mucavele. Unfortunately we have to report that the status with respect to North African and AU representation has not changed.

Registration of AMDIN as a voluntary organisation in terms of the Non Profit Organisation Act of South Africa and S21 Public Purpose Company Not for Gain

It is with much relief and a sense of achievement we can report to this meeting that AMDIN is now formally registered with the South African Department of Social Development under the Non-Profit Organisation Act. This registration opens the door to the organisation to operate a bank account at one of the recognised financial institutions, which in turn allows us to start inviting member organisations to formally join and pay their membership fees. Having been able to complete this process also facilitates engagement with the donor community in terms of a larger programmatic funding strategy, since the NPO Act serves as an assurance mechanism to the donor community regarding a minimum standard of organisational governance.

Having completed the NPO registration process, the way has also been clear to pursue registration as a Section 21 Company (public purpose company not for gain). This is a more appropriate organisational form than the voluntary association we currently are. This organisation form with its more stringent governance requirements than what the NPO Act requires from voluntary associations is more appropriate for an organisation such as AMDIN, i.e. large, continent-wide membership based, with potentially a substantial financial through-flow. Legal advice we obtained is that the donor community prefer S21 company status when they enter into agreements with NPOs. The AMDIN Exec Committee has therefore approved that steps be set in motion to prepare the necessary documentation for this registration.

It needs to be stressed that working towards S21 registration will not deter us from operating under the current organisational form and supported by our NPO registration. It is a concurrent process for which the necessary administrative steps are now being set in motion.

Executive Council and Standing Committees of AMDIN

The Executive Council of AMDIN is scheduled to meet on 10 and 11 May 2007. This meeting is scheduled to facilitate processes that need completing before the first AGM and Annual Conference scheduled to take place between 29 and 31 August 2007.

It will be recalled that Article 7 of the AMDIN Constitution provides for the establishment of two standing committees The Committee on Finance and Administration and the Committee on Programmes. A draft schedule of meetings for these have been approved by the Executive Committee, the first and most important being a two-day working meeting of the Committee on Programmes scheduled to take place during the first week of March. The Committee will be expected to develop certain key, prioritised programmes to the level of fully fledged funding proposals and to finalise detail thinking around the programme and content of the upcoming annual conference.

The Secretariat

Since the last report the Secretariat's numbers of grown by one more part-time (temporary appointment), made possible through the generous financial support of SAMDI. Ms Angelita Kithato, a Kenyan national, resident in South Africa, has joined as programmes officer.

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