Institutional Arrangements

Most corridor initiatives have arisen from the efforts of local stakeholders. Several different models have been used. They are often designed to implement regional transport and facilitation improvement instruments and goals (top down) and to solve problems that evolve on the route (bottom up). They also disseminate information on the corridor for users and market the corridor to new users.

For Committees created by Agreements or MOUs among national governments there are two main models.

This model has been adopted by the Northern Corridor Transit Transport Coordination Authority. It has also been adopted by the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency, but their Executive Board includes not only the 5 Permanent Secretaries, but also a representative selected by the private sector in each member country. In this way the private sector has a decision-making role rather than an advisory one.

This model was adopted by the Trans Kalahari Corridor Management Committee. The co-Chairs represent the interest of the participating governments as the decision-making and oversight body. The full committee includes the participating public agencies, parastatal transport operators and associations that represent the private sector operators. The subcommittees and task teams that they create carry out much of the work of the CMC. The Secretariat provides coordination and keeps the various activities on track. The co-Chairs and agency members create the direct link back to national governments to foster actions needed to achieve action plan results.

This model is being implemented for the Dar es Salaam Corridor Committee. The critical difference is that individual agencies and private sector organizations sign the Constitution to become members. The rationale was that signing directly would give a stronger commitment to act and that it makes government agencies and private sector associations equal members. It also recognized the need for equal authority and responsibilities for the public and private sectors.

Model 4. Special Organ of the Regional Economic Community

This model is being considered by the West African Monetary Union, where the CMC is being initiated by the REC and a 3-way relationship is envisioned (see Rationale graphic). This institutional arrangement has three interlinked institutions. The membership of the CMC and REC Unit is composed of representatives of the National Facilitation Committees which are the most broad-based.

Model 5. Greater Mekong Subregional (GMS) Development Structure

The core structure provides the necessary buy-in at all levels and identification of technical programs/projects to foster development in all key infrastructure areas. The role of the Asian Development Bank is to promote and provide the forum for dialogue, to identify and prepare subregional projects, provide technical advice and to mobilize resources.