1. STRENGTHENING PARLIAMENTARIANS’ CAPACITY FOR REFORMING NATURAL RESOURCES AND AGRICULTURAL POLICIES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA A Proposal Under Development Hon. V. G. Dzoole Mwale MP, Malawi and Chair, Malawi Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources FANRPAN Stakeholder Dialogue Lusaka, 4 September 2007

2. Proposed objectives 1. Create active network of Parliamentarians to share experiences and lessons learned 2. Organize study tours, workshops and training for regional Parliamentarians 3. Disseminate policy briefs and other information to Parliamentarians Thereby, strengthening regional integration and capacity for regional approaches to respond to shared opportunities

3. Reasons for this initiative  Region is characterized by shared resources, problems and opportunities River basins; transboundary wildlife parks; livestock health issues; intra-regional trade; international agricultural trade; bio-safety All require legislation and legislative oversight for which many MPs are not well-prepared.  Countries are pilot testing new approaches and implementing new programs—but there is no mechanism for Parliamentarians to learn from these experiences  Role of Parliament increasingly critical as democratization gets stronger

4. Proposed steps 1. Enlist broad support from regional MPs and SADC Parliamentary Forum 2. SADC, COMESA and Parliamentary Forum will be key partners 3. Obtain resources for Phase 1: short consultancies, consultations, study tour, and preparation of longer term program 4. Launch full program as Phase 2  To be effective this must be a long-term program, as over time new MPs are elected

5. Role of FANRPAN  FANRPAN will facilitate, but MPs will lead the Programme through a Steering Committee FANRPAN National Nodes will facilitate and support at national level FANRPAN Regional Secretariat will manage the overall project and facilitate implementation of Phase 1 Implementation arrangements for Phase 2 are subject to further consultant and agreement

6. We invite your comments, suggestions and support for this innovative proposed program!