Communique

Following extensive discussions on progress made and obstacles to the implementation of the Arusha Convention, the Africa Regional Committee on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees, unanimously adopted the following decisions and recommendations:

The Committee:

Takes cognisance of the potential impact of the Arusha Convention on the mobility of persons into the educational systems of African countries and hence in promoting African unity and the development of human resource in the region.

Appreciates the efforts of UNESCO-BREDA as a virile Secretariat of the Committee in following up the implementation of the Convention in contracting States in spite of very limited budget.

Appreciates in particular the efforts of the Secretariat at BREDA in publishing three editions of highly informative Newsletter on the Convention.

Appreciates the efforts of States Parties that have ratified the Convention in faithfully implementing the covenants contained therein.

Notes that States Parties present at the meeting (except Zambia) have set up specialised bodies in their countries for evaluating foreign certificates in line with Article 6 of the Convention.

Notes with regret that most countries in Africa were yet to sign and ratify the Convention.

Recognises the urgent need to get all African countries to be signatories to the Convention and ratify same.

Agrees that there is a need to amend aspects of the Convention with a view to updating it in line with recent developments especially in the areas of open and distance learning.

Notes the difficulties in the implementation of the Convention brought about by certificate forgery, lack of capacity for evaluation of foreign certificates, diplomas and degrees, and absence of documentation to guide the evaluation of studies and certificates.

Observes that not all certificates, diplomas and degrees can be recognised on account of lack of correspondence or equivalence with existing certificates, diplomas and degrees in the evaluating country.

Endorses the Action Plan of the UNESCO Experts Meeting on Globalisation, Quality Assurance and Recognition of Certificates held in Paris in September 2001 and adopts same as part of the Africa Regional Work Plan for 2002-2003;

Urges UNESCO-BREDA to put its web site at the disposal of the Committee to provide clearinghouse functions for accreditation and quality assurance agencies in the region.

Urges Contracting States to promote and codify good practices on the recognition of studies, certificates, diplomas and degrees by way of national case studies.

Directs the Secretariat to forward the Convention to States that have not signed or ratified it to encourage the interest of non-signatories to be achieved on or before the MINEDAF meeting of December 2002.

Further urges UNESCO-BREDA to establish an electronic network of national information centres to facilitate exchange of information on education systems and qualifications to be resident in the BREDA web site.

Recommends on the basis of the foregoing that the following activities be carried out during the 2002-2003 biennium.

Activity 1 : Revision of the African regional convention on
recognition of studies and diplomas

Activity 2 : Case study on the African experience in the area
of quality assurance, accreditation and recognition
of studies and diplomas

Activity 3 : Establishment of sub-regional mechanisms on
quality assurance

Activity 4 : Publication of guides on recognition of degrees
between Africa and Europe/North America

Activity 5 : Wide dissemination of existing and future Newsletters on the Arusha convention

Activity 6 : Organisation of the 8th Session of the regional
Committee on a thematic basis

Activity 7 : Establishment of a network of national agencies
on recognition of studies and degrees

Activity 8 : Organisation of a training workshop of the staff
of the national agencies in charge of recognition
of studies and degrees

Activity 9 : Case study on the TOKTEN/TALMALI project
at the university of Mali

approved by all participants and signed this day the 27th of November, 2001 for and on behalf of all participants at the Seventh Session

Professor A. Doh, Chairman