Nairobi, Kenya, 31 May 2024 — The African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) held its 44th Management Board and 15th Governing Council meetings on 26 and 27 May 2024 respectively, on the margins of the 2024 African Development Bank Annual Meetings in Nairobi, Kenya. The members reviewed the 2023 activities of the ALSF and discussed the future of the organization.
The Management Board and the Governing Council welcomed the ALSF’s very first Goodwill Ambassador, Mr. Akere Muna, an eminent African lawyer and good governance campaigner. The members expressed confidence in the capacity of Mr. Muna to enhance the profile of the Facility and marshal the resources required to expand the crucial work of the Facility.
The Management Board and the Governing Council respectively approved the 2023 Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements of the Facility. It was noted that despite the challenging global geopolitical and financial landscape, the Facility managed to approve 45 new projects in 2023 culminating in allocation of USD 13 million for advisory, litigation, capacity building and knowledge management projects in 19 countries.
The members of the Management Board and the Governing Council also reviewed the progress on projects being implemented by Management in 2024 and expressed satisfaction with the strong performance of the Facility. The members of the Board and the Council acknowledged the ALSF team’s timely, appropriate, and efficient response to the needs of African countries, especially in relation to debt distress in many countries, and noted the timeliness of the publication of the second edition of the ALSF Sovereign Debt handbook: Understanding Sovereign Debt: Options and Opportunities for Africa – and the excellent reception it has received so far.
The Board and the Council expect the Facility to continue supporting the economic recovery and sustainable development efforts of its regional member countries, especially in addressing climate change and debt management, and integrating the cross-cutting issues of environmental protection, social protection, gender equality, and good governance across all projects, in accordance with the Facility’s Medium-Term Strategy.
The Director and CEO of the Facility, Mr. Olivier Pognon, noted the dedication and accessibility of the Members of the Board and the Council over the years. He thanked the Members for the confidence reposed in the ALSF team to continue its vital work and assured them of the commitment and zeal of the team to intensify its efforts to realize the objectives of the ALSF.
The ALSF team took the opportunity to engage in several bilateral meetings with ministerial delegations from regional member countries, non-regional member countries, donors and partner institutions during the week.
The ALSF Management Board [ca1] is responsible for the efficient and effective conduct of the operations of the Facility, as well as the approval of its Budget and the appointment of its director. The Board comprises five members of high integrity and competence, acting in their individual capacity, and are appointed by the Governing Council for a three-year, non-renewable term. The current members of the Board are Ms. Manisha Dookhony (Chairperson), Mr. Jacob Diko Mukete, Ms. Pippa Armerding, Dr. Roland Amoussou-Guenou, and Dr. Felister Kivisi.
The Governing Council [ca2] is the supreme body of the ALSF. It is composed of twelve members representing both regional member countries and international organizations. The current Governing Council is composed of representatives from Chad, Nigeria, Mauritania, Djibouti, Mauritius, the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, the African Development Bank, Belgium, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Brazil.
About the ALSF
Established by the African Development Bank in 2008, the ALSF assists African governments in negotiating complex commercial transactions and providing legal and technical assistance and developing capacity building tools in the key sectors of infrastructure and public-private partnerships, energy, natural resources and extractive industries, as well as in sovereign debt and creditor disputes.
Contact us
Eve Ehoura, Communication Officer: e.ehoura@afdb.org
ALSF Website: https://www.alsf.int
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