FY15 Quarterly Report 3: Programme Gouvernance et Paix (PGP)

The program's overall objective is to promote transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in governance. The PGP is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is implemented by FHI 360. The program's three areas of intervention are: 1) Transparency in Extractive Industries (EITI), 2) Human Rights and Governance (DRG Integration), and 3) Capitalization of the program's four-and-a-half years of implementation. The PGP's third quarterly report covers the period from April 1 to June 30, 2015. Under the EITI intervention area, the PGP held four workshops to build the capacity of local elected officials from mining regions on mining sector legislation, mining sector tax policy, and the EITI. The PGP also organized an EITI press caravan in the Kedougou region to gather and report stories on the challenges and problems facing communities in mineral extraction regions. Additionally, the PGP supported the CN-EITI to hold a training and awareness-raising workshop with regional and local level authorities and local community leaders on the EITI and mining sector governance. Under the DRG Integration intervention area, the PGP supported the four partner Collectivités Locales (CLs) in Casamance to complete their action plans to improve governance performance across multiple sectors. The action plans included training and capacity building for local stakeholders on civil records policy and management, and public information and awareness-raising campaigns on the importance of and procedures for obtaining and maintaining civil status. The PGP also worked with key actors in education, health, and administration sectors in the four CLs to identify all children up to age 14 without birth certificates and to coordinate with the local judiciary and the Civil Records Center to regularize their civil status. Under the Capitalization intervention area, the PGP developed scopes of work and started work on Capitalization studies for Components 2, 3, and 4. The PGP completed a study in conjunction with the Ministry for the Promotion of Good Governance on PGP-supported actions completed with the Ministry to advance good governance, transparency, and accountability. The PGP also continued working with the PNDL to harmonize existing tools for citizen participation and local governance assessment. The PGP achieved several key milestones during the quarter, including the organization of four workshops to train local elected officials on EITI, the launch of an EITI press caravan, and the completion of a study on tools for transparency and accountability in the management of public affairs. The PGP also recruited consultants for the capitalization report on Component 3, Citizen Participation in the Electoral Process, and launched the procurement for the capitalization report on Component 4, Dialogue for Social Stability in Casamance. The draft of the new mining code developed by the Code Revision Commission includes several innovative proposals, including the simplification of systems for managing quarries and mineral extraction, the introduction of land leasing rights for CLs, and a mechanism for making functional the revenue sharing agreements already written into the law. The Government of Senegal plans to increase mining industry fees depending on the type of mining activity and the complexity/riskiness of exploitation, and to begin exploitation at mines in Falémé and to triple the production of gold in the country.