Transboundary issues are playing an increasingly important role in development cooperation with Africa. For this reason, the German Federal Government is increasingly supplementing its cooperation with individual countries with cross-border cooperation. As a result, German development cooperation has selected the following areas of activity as priority areas of transnational cooperation:

Regional governance reform processes

Germany has committed itself internationally to reaching the Millennium Development Goals – MDGs. These can only be implemented if the governance processes in Sub-Saharan Africa are considerably improved.

Much is expected of the African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in this connection. They are to overcome blockades in governance reform processes at country level. The Africa-wide programme of the African Union (AU), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), is to do likewise. It is hoped that NEPAD and its operative instrument, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), will set in motion continental dynamics that will have a positive influence at country level.

GTZ supports regional governance reform processes through the following approaches:

• strengthening the institutional capacities of regional players: these are supported through capacity development to improve their ability to work and thus their effectiveness
• strengthening the economic competence of the Regional Economic Communities to improve economic integration 
• supporting regional good governance initiatives as a catalyst for national governance reform processes

Peace and security

Armed conflicts impede political, economic and social development in many African countries. These conflicts are often characterised by “spill-over” across country borders. The resulting large regional flashpoints can no longer be controlled by national governments alone.

The African countries are aware of these problems. They are willing to take on an important and responsible role in building peace and security. The reorganisation of the OAU into the AU in 2002 did justice to this concern:

• The AU’s mandate for peace missions now allows intervention even against the will of the government concerned in cases of genocide and serious human rights violations. This means that pro-actively taking over responsibility for securing peace and human rights replaces the former attitude of non-intervention.  
• It was decided to build up an African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) within the AU framework.

At regional level, too, the Regional Economic Communities’ member states have transferred tasks in the field of peace and security to differing extents. German development policy supports this through the following approaches:

• crisis prevention and crisis management  
• control of the small-arms trade 
• development of African peacekeeping capacities.

Transboundary water management

Water knows no political borders. In Africa, 59 water catchment areas are shared by more than two countries. That holds potential for conflict and has already led to inter-state conflicts in the past. This situation is additionally exacerbated by the increasing scarcity of water resources. Moreover, competition for access to and the use of transboundary water resources is increasing in many parts of Africa on account of the high population growth and climate change.

At the same time, the riparians’ strong mutual dependence also holds opportunities for cooperation. Framework agreements under international law for the use of joint water resources and projects for their sustainable management create trust. In addition, they can be the starting point for larger regional community projects, for example in the fields of agriculture, trade and energy supplies.

This regional and supraregional cooperation requires suitable organisational forms, communication strategies and efficient knowledge management. GTZ’s tasks here are as follows:

• institutional advisory services for the organisations
• knowledge management, networking and cooperation 
• water policy harmonisation

More on the subject:

• Transwater