EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY

1

• EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY
• HARMONISATIN OF SOCIAL PROTECTION POLICIES AND
  PROGRAMMES IN THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY
• by
• Mrs. Perpetue Miganda
• Principal Gender and Community Development
  Officer
• Nairobi, 10th March, 2011
• EAC Secretariat
• Po Box 1096
• Arusha-Tanzania

2
Introduction

• The East African Community is an Inter-
  governmental Organisation composed of the
  Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, the United
  Republic of Tanzania and Uganda.
• The Treaty for the Establishment of the East
  African Community was signed in November 1999 by
  the Heads of State of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
  Burundi and Rwanda joined the Community in July
  2007.

3
Key Pillars of regional integration

• Customs Union - Joint administration of a Common
  External Tariff (CET) and elimination of all
  non-tariff barriers to cross-border trade
  (commenced on 1st January 2005 and currently
  fully fledged).
• Common Market - Free movement of goods and
  services and all factors of production. The
  Common Market Protocol was signed by EAC Heads of
  State in November 2009).
• Monetary Union - Establishment of a single
  currency area the Task Force in charge of
  Monetary Union negotiations has started its
  meetings.
• Political Federation - This is the last stage of
  the regional integration process.

4
Legal Framework for Social Protection in EAC

• Art. 7 of the EAC Treaty spells out principles
  that shall govern the practical achievement of
  the objectives of the Community which include
  people-centered and market-driven co-operation.
• The Partner States undertake to abide by the
  principles of good governance, including
  adherence to the principles of democracy, the
  rule of law, social justice and the maintenance
  of universally accepted standards of human rights

5

• Article 120 related to Social Welfare provides
  for the development and adoption of a common
  approach towards the disadvantaged and
  marginalized groups, including children, the
  youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities
  through education and training.

6

• The Common Market Protocol signed in November
  2009, in its Article 39, outlines the
  harmonization of Social Policies where the
  Partner States undertake to coordinate and
  harmonise their social policies to promote and
  protect decent work and improve the living
  conditions of the citizens of the Partner States
  for the development of the Common Market.

7

• The Partner States shall coordinate and harmonise
  their social policies relating to
• good governance, the rule of law and social
  justice
• promotion and protection of human and peoples
  rights
• promotion of equal opportunities and gender
  equality

8

• promotion and protection of the rights of
  marginalised and vulnerable groups
• promotion of African moral values, social values
  and ethics and
• promotion of unity and cohesion among the people
  in the Community.

9
Social Protection in the Context of the Common
Market

• The Common Market allows
• Free movement of goods
• Free movement of persons
• Free movement of labour
• Right of establishment
• Right of residence and
• Free movement of services

10

• The right of establishment and the right of
  residence for nationals of the Partner States
  therefore require measures to avoid any
  disadvantages in relation to social security
  which might otherwise arise from moving from one
  Partner State to another

11

• In this regard, there is an annex on Social
  Security which is still being negotiated in order
  to harmonise the social security systems in
  Partner States and fully realize the free
  movement of persons and workers.

12

• The following branches of social security are
  considered
• medical care
• sickness benefits
• maternity benefits
• invalidity benefits
• old-age benefits
• survivors benefits
• benefits in respect of occupational injuries and
  diseases or
• any other benefits.

13

• EAC Gender and Community Development
  Framework
• The EAC Gender and Community Development was
  adopted by EAC in November 2006. It lays on the
  BPFA, the Convention on the Elimination of All
  Forms of Discrimination (CEDAW) which was adopted
  in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, often
  described as an international bill of rights for
  Women, commits member states to undertake a
  series of measures to end discrimination against
  women in all forms.
• - In the area of community development, the
  international guiding instrument is the
  Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development
  which recognizes the significance of social
  development and human well-being for all. This
  Declaration commits Governments and States to
  undertake interventions that focus on poverty
  eradication, employment creation and social
  integration.

14
Forum of Ministers responsible for Social
Development

• The Council of Ministers established in 2007 a
  Forum of Ministers responsible for Social
  Development in order to provide a platform for
  East African Ministers of Social Development to
  share experience and to harmonize policies and
  approaches in management of cross-cutting social
  concerns, such as poverty eradication and overall
  management of Millennium Development Goals
  (MDGs).

15

• The concept of Social Protection was first
  Clearly defined during the Forum of Ministers
  during its meeting held in Kigali in September
  2008 and became one of the key priority areas of
  cooperation in Social Development, alongside
  Gender, youth, children and community
  development, the other priority areas being
  Health and Social Services, Education, Science
  and Technology, Culture and Sports and,
  Environment and Natural Resources.
• .

16

• The Ministers agreed, among others, on the
  promotion of social protection interventions
  targeting the poor and vulnerable groups
  development of appropriate structures, policies
  and laws to improve youth participation
  increased opportunities for vocational education
  and training establishment of vulnerability
  indices and capacity building for communities.

17

• The Forum of Ministers recommended to Council,
  through the relevant Sectoral Councils, to
• approve the establishment of a Sectoral
  Council on Gender, Youth, Children, Social
  Protection and Community Development, considering
  that under the existing arrangement these
  important areas are not individually being
  adequately addressed
• require that social protection be fully
  harmonised and mainstreamed in all social
  development programmes of the EAC and Partner
  States
• require that social protection for the older
  persons and people with disabilities be included
  as part of the social development programmes of
  the EAC and Partner States.

18
PROPOSED EAC SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

• During their second meeting held in Bujumbura
  from 2th to 7th October 2009, the Ministers
  responsible for Social Development agreed on key
  priority areas to compose the EAC Social
  Development Framework.
• A Draft was developed in August 2010 which will
  be presented to the 3rd Meeting of the FMSD.

19
Current achievements

• Establishment of a Sectoral Council on Gender,
  Youth, Children, Social protection and Community
  Development
• Comprehensive Policy and Plan of Action on Food
  Security
• Comprehensive Climate Change Policy (the two
  policies are under the auspices of Heads of
  States)
• Comprehensive Regional Strategic Plan on HIV and
  Aids

20

• Comprehensive Draft Strategic Plan on Social
  Protection with the following targets
• An appropriate Social protection Policy and
  legal framework by 2012
• Socio- Economic transformation by 2015
• Social Protection mainstreamed into Macro sector
  policies and programmes by 2012
• Data and Information available by 2012

21

• Challenges
• Tendency to limit Social Protection in the
  context of the Common Market Protocol
• Sustainability of the EAC Forum for Ministers
  responsible for Social Development
• Many policies waiting for approval e.g. Draft
  EAC Social Development Framework

22

• Draft Youth Policy
• Draft Policy on Persons with Disability and
• Draft Strategic Plan with 5 Components
• - Gender
• Youth
• Children
• Social Protection
• and Community Development

23

• Thank you