I. Current context relating to stock-rearing legislation in West Africa;

II. Analysis of national and regional legislation;

III. Challenges and perspectives.

1.1. A legal arsenal at a national level:A legal arsenal of national legislative systems (Mali, Burkina Faso,

Niger, Mauritania), under development (Chad, Benin);

1.2. Sub-regional regulatory provisions:

BackgroundDecision A/DEC.5/10/98: Sub-regional regulation associated with

regional stock-droving regulations: adopted at the 21st Summit in October 1998 in Abuja.

This decision was backed by a regulation passed during the 49th Session of Ministers from January 26 to 29 2003.

Content of the decisionFor the departure countries: To seek an international transhumance [regional stock-droving]

certificate; To respect the essential movement of stock via the droving routes; To respect the obligation to cross national borders during daylight hours; To respect the obligation to have at least two drovers/shepherds in charge

of the animals.For the destination countries:The duties of the destination country include communicating the arrival

dates, defining withdrawal zones and the establishment of a dispute settlement committee, the members of which must include a representative of the stock-farmers.

1.3. Information on the ECOWAS stock rearing action plan

The implementation of the ECOWAP the details of which enable the adoption of the ECOWAS stock-rearing action plan adopted in 2011 in Bamako by the ministers responsible for stock farming and including a sub-section entitled “Protecting and facilitating cross-border stock movements and dispute minimisation/prevention”;

The existence of the ECOWAS taskforce on stock-rearing which enabled the development of the stock-rearing action plan in which the Billital Maroobe Network is involved and which incorporates the essential recommendations of the Gogounou forum: (i) the establishment of a transhumance observatory designed to boost the distribution of information relating to stock movement and to regulate cross-border stock movements; (ii) a sub-regional droving routes management charter; (iii) an exercise in capitalising, updating, translating and popularising the texts of the regulations governing transhumance.

2.1. Significant advances A recognition of stock droving as a reasonable and sustainable system

of managing grazing resources; an acknowledgement of the right to move stock from one region to

another for grazing purposes throughout the whole of the territory; the protection of stock access routes to surface water either in the

public or private domain where farming is carried out.

2.2. Areas of inadequacy The inclusion of agriculture in development strategies and

legislation legislative systems unsuited to the realities of grazing and a

fragmentary application; a political perspective unsuited to the realities of stock grazing,

one which is oriented towards technical and economic simplification;

over-simplified perceptions of cultures and ethnicities; a sub-regional political will which is out of step with national

realities; the persistence of paradigms of pastoral systems (prejudices,

unfavourable perceptions); a low level of involvement of the stock farmers in policy

development and implementation procedures; CIT [Technical Innovation Centre] tool essentially directed towards

health and safety issues, neglecting the social dimension and the pressing need for resources which underpin mobility.

The popularisation and appropriation of the texts by the grazing communities;

An assessment of Decision A/DEC.5/10/98 relating to transhumance;

Reversing the political position which goes against stock rearing; Designing political instruments which include references to stock-

rearing factors; Investment in a hands-on approach to transhumance management

via inter-community cross-border relations; Meeting the new challenges which undermine stock rearing

activities (lack of security in the Sahel, the monopolisation of land); The development of strategies to respond to crises and climate

change based on the resilience of the stock farmers; Buttressing the powers of civil society to play a greater part in

political dialogue and in policy development procedures.

Faced with these challenges and perspectives, the RBM stands as a frame of reference for stock farmers with regard to actions to be undertaken and/or lobbied for and which would be better constructed and better defined and organised.

The major issue remains, however, the preservation of the social aspect of stock rearing, particularly in the Sahel, in a context characterised by a recurrence of crises and the inadequacy of public prevention and management systems in supplying the graziers with relevant and appropriate responses.

The fact is that every year thousands of graziers are driven away from the pastoral system due to a lack of the cultural and productive expertise in dealing with ever-growing demand in a hard and competitive environment.

THE AFRICAN GRAZIERS AND STOCK RAISERS ORGANISATIONTHE AFRICAN GRAZIERS AND STOCK RAISERS ORGANISATION

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!!