Policy framework for Pastoralism in Africa

6. ConclusionSustainable pastoral resource management, equitable and secured access to pastoral resources,peace and security are the core issues underlining this pastoral policy framework. Thus, it is necessarythat these issues be addressed through a comprehensive pastoral policy, which confers fullpolitical, social, economic and environmental benefits to the pastoral communities. Althoughconsiderable efforts with some positive results are being made throughout Africa, a great deal morestill needs to be done. This calls for both commitments from individual countries and cooperationat the regional and continental levels. The Framework set out in this document seeks to provide aset of iterative processes requiring identification of the contextual challenges facing their specificnational pastoral and associated sectors and economies at the onset of the development and implementationof pastoral policies and programs. Gender issues and participatory mobilization andcontinuous engagement of all stakeholders in the pastoral and related sectors at all stages of policydevelopment implementation and review were treated as central elements of these processes.An important added value of the Policy Framework for Pastoralism in Africa is not simply theimprovement of living and working conditions of the pastoral communities in Africa, but thedeepening and consolidation of peace, security and democracy. The African Union expects thatits Member States which are in the course of or are contemplating the initiation, review, revisionor comprehensive development and implementation of all or part of policies designed to ensurethat their pastoral systems are fully integrated into national development processes, will find thisdocument a useful guide.Securing, Protecting and Improving the Lives, Livelihoods and Rights of Pastoralist Communities47