AU WATCH

Madagascar

Brief Overview

Madagascar, a country in southern Africa located in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique, is the fifth largest island in the world, with a land mass of 587,000 km2 and 25.6 million inhabitants. Despite having considerable natural resources, Madagascar has among the highest poverty rates in the world.

Political Context

The presidential elections were held peacefully in January 2019 and marked the first political alternation of power in Madagascar. President Rajoelina won 55.6% of the votes and leads the country alongside his Prime Minister, Christian Ntsay, and 22 ministers.
Some ministries were merged to improve public administration efficiency. The Malagasy Government is preparing its new 2019-2023 Emergency Plan based on the 13 objectives aimed at stimulating the economy and reducing poverty. The legislative elections held on May 27, 2019 delivered a massive victory to President Andry Rajoelina’s support platform, with 84 of the National Assembly’s 151 seats. Commune-level elections to elect 1,695 mayors are slated for November 27, 2019.

Economic Situation

  • The economy remains dynamic, but showed signs of weakness in 2019. After having achieved growth of 5.1% in 2018, driven by the export, transportation, finance, and construction sectors, economic activity slowed in the first half of 2019 under the combined impact of weakening external demand and a slowdown in public expenditure when the new government took office. Nevertheless, growth is projected to reach approximately 4.7% in 2019, which should result in a 2% increase in per capita income this year, far surpassing the Sub-Saharan average of 0.3%.
  • Ambitious public investment plans and a resurgence of confidence following the elections are projected to trigger robust growth of up to 5.3% in 2020, before it stabilizes at around 5% in 2021. However, these investments are also expected to result in considerable widening of the budget deficit, while the proliferation of public-private partnership (PPP) projects within a sometimes opaque legal and institutional framework could generate significant contingent liabilities.
  • These trends highlight the importance of strengthening the PPP institutional framework and of creating the fiscal space needed to support priority government expenditure. This requires an increased focus on mobilizing tax and quasi-tax- revenue, which remains among the weakest in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Republic of Madagascar
Capital: Antananarivo
Population: 25 million

Area: 587,041 sq km (226,658 sq miles)

Major languages: Malagasy (official), French

Major religions: Indigenous beliefs, Christianity

Life expectancy: 64 years (men), 67 years (women)

Currency: Ariary

UN, World Bank

President: Andry Rajoelina

Development Challenges

  • Despite the economy’s sustained growth in recent years, poverty appears to have only slightly decreased, from 77.6% in 2012 (last official statistic) to an estimated 74.1% in 2019, which far exceeds the regional average of 41%. The agricultural sector, the country’s leading employer, plays a key role in making progress with poverty in Madagascar. However, agricultural output growth has been too low and volatile in recent years, generally trending at less than demographic growth.
  • Madagascar is among the poorest countries in the world with 75% of the population living on less than $1.90 per day (in purchasing power parity). The country’s human capital index ranking is among the lowest worldwide and Madagascar has the world’s fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition, with almost one child in two under five years of age suffering from stunting. An estimated 1.4 million children dropped out of primary school in 2012.
  • Living conditions remain difficult for the vast majority of the population, with a low rate of access to electricity (13%) in particular.
  • Madagascar is one of the African countries most severely affected by climate change impacts and experiences an average of 3 cyclones per year.

Important Addresses and Contacts

Physical Contacts of the Presidency

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Physical Contacts of the Prime Minister’s Office

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Physical Contacts of the National Assembly

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Physical Contacts of the Chief Of State and Cabinet Ministers

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Physical Contacts of the Ministry of Interior

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Physical Contacts of the Ministry of Justice

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Physical Contacts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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Physical Contacts of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs

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Physical Contacts of the National Human Rights Commission

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Physical Contacts of the Police

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Physical Contacts of the Military

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Important Information of Key Human Rights Issues in Madagascar

Number Prisons in Madagascar
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Police Stations in Madagascar

Corruption in Madagascar

 

What are the current and ongoing human rights issues in Madagascar?

 

(1) Freedom of the Press

 

(2) Human Rights Defenders Issues

 

(3) Impunity

Membership of African Regional Organisations

 

African Union (AU)

Joined the OAU in 1987

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Key Regional Human Rights & Governance InstrumentsSigned and Ratified

 

  1. African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights

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2.Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights

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  1. Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights

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4.Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights

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  1. Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa

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  1. African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption

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  1. African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance

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  1. Statute of the African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL)

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  1. OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa

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  1. African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention)

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  1. Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment

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  1. African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

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  1. Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Older Persons

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  1. Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa

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