Regional Coordination for West and Central Africa.

October 31, 2004 marked the end of the Financing Agreement of the Pan-African Programme for the Control of Epizootics (PACE) signed in August between the European Union and the Organisation of African Unity (which is now the African Union since September 1999) but an extension of the programme until February 2007 was approved on October 5, 2004. The month of October 2004 can be considered as the end of a first phase of the PACE programme which began in November 1999 with the Financing Agreement becoming effective. This period lasted five years and was marked by the launch of PACE at regional and national levels, the progressive implementation of planned activities to reach a certain number of results. This period is full of teachings and it is interesting to make an initial assessment. This is the aim of this report which assesses the implementation of the PACE programme from the standpoint of those actors who participated in programme coordination at the regional level for West and Central African countries. The report provides background information on the PACE programme (objectives, organization) and analysis of the main results achieved at the regional and national levels.