Committee 2006 Annual Report & 2007 Programme

JOINT MONITORING COMMITTEE ON IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND STATUS OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND DISABLED PERSONS
9 March 2007
COMMITTEE 2006 ANNUAL REPORT & 2007 PROGRAMME

Chairperson: Ms W Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Committee Annual Report for Financial Year
Committee Programme (January – March 2007)

SUMMARY
The Committee considered its 2006 Annual Report. Adoption was postponed until certain technical amendments could be effected. Committee minutes of meetings held on 23 February and 2 March 2007 were adopted. The Committee Programme for the first term of 2007 was adopted.

MINUTES
Committee Annual Report 2006
The Chair asked Members to go through the document because the Committee Section had had problems in drafting it. The former Committee Secretary drafted the report but was since absent from office, and the version currently before Members was drafted by the current Committee Secretary. Some adjustments would thus have to be made.

The Committee went through the report in detail, amending it where necessary.

The Committee requested that the following challenges be included in the Annual Report:
- The Committee did not have a dedicated Committee Assistant. There was a need for a specialised assistant assigned only to this committee.
-The Committee did not have a researcher. A full time researcher was requested. This was advertised last year but how far they were in that process was not known.
- It was also mentioned in the strategic planning workshop held in  2004 that a full-time specialist was needed.
-The rooms in which Committee meetings took place were not accessible to Members with disabilities; there was a need for a permanent room to be booked for the Committee throughout the year.

It was decided that those recommendations must be put in the final report so that they can start implementing. The Committee Secretary would assist with this report and make it available as soon as possible for adoption.

Mr A Madella (ANC) commented that the conference in Bulgaria was cancelled due to lack of funds.

Ms Newhoudt-Druchen apologised and clarified that Bulgaria was cancelled, but not the trip to Geneva.

The Report was to be cleaned up and then put to the committee for final adoption at a later date.

Committee Programme
The Committee Programme for the First Term of 2007 was accepted and adopted.

Provincial visits
The Chairperson announced that provincial study tours to the Northern Cape, Free State and North West were scheduled for 2 to 11 May. The Committee Section would follow up with exact dates and details.

Adoption of minutes
Minutes of meetings held on 23 February 2007 and 2 March 2007 were approved and adopted, with amendments.

The meeting was adjourned.