Meeting of CCAA Advisory Board, London, June 2008

 

From its launch in 2006, the CCAA program has been guided by an Advisory Board comprised of African regional experts and representatives of the program’s donors, IDRC and DFID.

 

At its most recent meeting, the Advisory Board selected Mbareck Diop to replace University of Nairobi Professor Shem Wandiga, who this spring completed a two-year term as Chair. Staff and Advisors expressed their warm appreciation to Prof Wandiga for his contributions to the program. A staggered process for replacing those who complete their terms was proposed by board members to ensure continuity.

 

In stepping down, Prof Wandiga thanked members for the opportunity to chair the group and to learn through interaction and collaboration. He emphasized the benefits of change, noting that the rotation of roles would bring new life to the Board. Fellow Board members expressed their deep gratitude for Wandiga’s commitment and graceful leadership. Program Leader Fatima Denton noted that CCAA’s work has been made easier through Wandiga’s guidance.

 

Based in Senegal, the new Chair, Mbareck Diop, has been a committed Board member since the program’s beginning in 2006. He has served also as an advisor to IDRC’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa on environmental issues, including climate change. Since 2003, Mr Diop has been the country director of the Institute for Transportation Policy (ITDP) a New York-based NGO that promotes sustainable, non-polluting transportation within the United Nations climate change framework. 

 

Mr Diop will assume the role of Chair for the Advisory Board’s November 2008 meeting. He will be supported by Balgis Osman Elasha, from Sudan, who was re-elected as Vice-Chair for a second two-year term.

 

DFID’s representation on the Board has also been renewed. Izabella Koziell, Environment Advisor with DFID’s Central Research Department, will replace Anna Ballance.

 

Finally, the Board decided to coordinate a staggered turnover of membership, whereby half of the Advisors would step down at the end of their three-year term in May 2009 to make space for new members.