The African Union Commission, Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department (PAPS) through the African Governance Architecture (AGA) and the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) Secretariat as the Secretariat of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) Sub Committee on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance organized a Stakeholders’ Seminar on the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) on 26^th-27^th July 2022 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The two-day Seminar was organized as part of the implementation of the 2022 Action Plan of the Sub Committee on HRDG to expand the discussion on the African Shared Values particularly on issues of democracy, governance, and human rights as enshrined in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.

This important Seminar comes following the successful Summit in Malabo in May 2022, which resulted in a Declaration on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government (UCG) in Africa.   The Malabo Declaration called for a recommitment to the relevant principles, norms and shared values contained in the Constitutive Act, the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the PSC and the ACDEG as well as all other relevant AU instruments.

The Seminar was recognized as a timely discussion among Members of the PRC Sub-Committee, which addressed contemporary challenges to Democratic Governance issues including unconstitutional changes of governments (UCG) which has affected a number of AU Member States in the recent past. 

The discussions focused on mainly ACDEG in the context of AU Shared values, viewed the state of democratic governance in Africa with a specific focus on the UCG, discussed state’s obligations and mechanisms of application under ACDEG, sharing of lessons learned from ratifying Members of the Sub-Committee on the role of state institutions and structures in the ratification, domestication, implementation and reporting on ACDEG.

The key outcomes and recommendations of the meeting which focused on awareness raising, popularization and sensitization of the ACDEG recommended by Members of the Sub Committee; the need for Civic education on ACDEG for formal and non-formal sectors of education; the need to have an institutional anchor present in Member States that can lead and facilitate accession/ratification of instruments.

Finally, the Seminar welcomed the provision of Technical Assistance from the AUC and development partners on ratification and reporting, underscored reminders and nudges on ratification work; called for finding different means to inform Member States, increase engagement of Non-state actors in the process. The meeting also discussed the possibility of joint advocacy and popularisation missions to Member States of the PRC Sub Committee on HRDG to boost accession, domestication and reporting on ACDEG.

For further information please contact:

Ms. Makda Mikre Tessema: Senior Democracy and Governance Expert: African Governance Architecture MakdaM@africa-union.org

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