Events

AFRICAN UNION INVITES MAURITANIA’S CIVIL SOCIETY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ECOSOCC GENERAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
Nouakchott, Mauritania: 17 October 2014 – After the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), it was the turn of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania to welcome, from 14 to 17 October 2014, the sensitization and motivation campaign for the election of the 2nd General Assembly of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC). A meeting grouping the civil society organizations of Mauritania was organized to that effect on 17 October 2014 in the Wissal Hotel conference to brief and exchange views and informations on the practical modalities and criteria for participation in the elections billed for the fourth quarters of the year 2014. Around fifty CSOs including CSOs plateforme attended the meeting following the advertisement of the event on local media and specialized local websites.
Addressing participants at the opening ceremony, the representatives of the Minister of Communication and Relations with the Parliament, the Director of Relations with Civil Society Mr. Mohammedan Ould Hurma Baba, lauded the initiative of the African Union for launching this sensitization campaign which will not only motivate the population but will also close the gap between the AU as an organization and the people of Mauritania. He reiterated the commitment of H.E.M Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania to promote a more active Mauritanian civil society in the development agenda of the Union. The Director of Relations with Civil Society who described the Mauritania’s civil society as the ‘elite of Mauritania society’, reiterated his government willingness to work hand in hand with the AU delegation to ensure the full participation of the civil society in the ECOSOCC election as well as to motivate the population to develop greater interest in the development agenda of the Union.
Speaking earlier, the Assistant Executive Secretary of NGOs Forum of Mauritania, Mr Izidbih Day welcomed the good initiative, which will help to consolidate the relationship between the African Union and the civil society. He added that this initiative would enlighten the population to know more about the activities of the Union and he underlined their full support for the initiative. He called local CSOs to seize this opportunity and to apply for ECOSOCC elections.
On his part, the Head of the AU delegation, Mr Jalel Chelba briefed the Mauritanian civil society community on the objectives of the sensitization campaign as mandated by the Malabo Summit and observed that this meeting will be the last one in this campaign. He highlighted the significance of concluding the campaign in Mauritania which is assuming the presidency of the African Union for this year and called CSOs to play their role in making ECOSOCC a useful organ for the interests of the African civil society and to contribute significantly to the development agenda of the continent. He also mentioned that the idea of organizing the ECOSOCC composite elections in Nouakchott was discussed with Mauritanian authorities and it is much welcomed.
During the discussion, the participants highlighted the main challenges that Mauritania CSOs would face within this process especially the eligibility requirements including the 50 percent of the funding and the audit and financial reports. They called the African Union to be more flexible with their candidatures giving the time constraints.

For further information please contact:
Mr. Jalel Chelba, Head of Civil Society Division, African Union Commission
Email: jalelc@africa-union.org
Mr. Gamal Ahmed A. Karrar, Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission, e-mail: gamalk@africa-union.org or gamal90@gmail.com , Mobile number: +213799470136
For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dinfo@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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ANNOUNCEMENT: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

ENGLISH

Call for applications from African Civil Society Organizations for membership in the Interim ECOSOCC General Assembly

The ECOSOCC application process is re-opened for a period of three (3) months to allow for greater representation of CSOs from the fifty-four (54) African Union Member States and ensure regional balance. The closing date for receiving applications is 15 October 2014.

FRENCH

Appel à candidature aux organisations de la société civile africaine pour l’adhésion à l’Assemblée générale intérimaire de l’ECOSOCC.

Le processus électoral de l’ECOSOCC est rouvert pour une période de trois (3) mois aux fins de permettre une meilleure représentation des organisations de la société civile des cinquante-quatre (54) Etats membres de l’Union africaine et pour garantir l’équilibre régional. La date limite de réception des candidatures est fixée au 15 octobre 2014.

PORTUGUÊS

ANÚNCIO : APELO ÀS CANDIDATURAS AO ECOSOCC (Conselho Sócio-Económico e Cultural da União Africana)

Apela-se às Organizações da Sociedade Civil (OSC) para se candidatar à Assembleia Geral Interina da ECOSOCC. O processo de candidatura ao ECOSOCC será reaberto por um período de três (3) meses para permitir maior representatividade das OSC de cinquenta e quatro (54) Estados Membros da União Africana (UA) e garantir a representatividade regional. O prazo para as candidaturas termina no dia 15 de outubro de 2014

ARABIC

إعلان :دعوة لتقديم الطلبات

دعوة لتقديم الطلبات من منظمات المجتمع المدني الأفريقية للعضوية في الجمعية العامة المؤقتة للاكوسوك ECOSOCC. يتم إعادة فتح اجراءات التقديم للاكوسوك ECOSOCC لمدة ثلاثة (3) أشهر للسماح بتمثيل أكبر لمنظمات المجتمع المدني من الدول الأفريقية الأربعة وخمسين (54) الأعضاء في الاتحاد وضمان التوازن الإقليمي. الموعد النهائي لتلقي الطلبات هو15 أكتوبر 2014.

PRESS RELEASE N. 252/2014
ECOSOCC: Delegation of the African Union Received by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Tunisia

Tunis, Tunisia - September 29, 2014 - Mr. Faisal Gouia, Tunisian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, received on 29 September 2014, at his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, members of the African Union delegation on official visit to Tunis within the framework of the ongoing sensitization and motivation campaign of the civil society organisationsto participate in the elections of the Second Assembly of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) of the African Union (AU) .

During the meeting, the Secretary of State stressed the importance of the fundamental role that of the ECOSOCC with regard to the wellbeing of the African citizens as well as the need to contribute effectively to the achievement of African integration. He indicated that Tunisia values the campaign led by the African Union in view to ensure a successful elections of the General Assembly of ECOSOCC.

Mr. Faisal Gouia congratulated the AU Commission for its commendable efforts to bring the Union closer to its citizens and to ensure their participation in a democratic and transparent manner to the elections of the 2nd Assembly General ECOSOCC.

The delegation of the African Union was composed of Mr. Jalel Chelba, Head of the Division of Civil Society in the Department of Civil Society and Diaspora (CIDO) and Ms. Habiba El Mejri Sheikh, Director of Information and Communication (DIC).

The sensitization meeting at which all Tunisian civil society organizations were invited, will be held on Wednesday, October 1, 2014, from 09.30 in the meeting room of the Centre for Information, Training, Studies and Documentation Associations (IFEDA).

Media representatives are invited to attend the proceedings of the meeting and to cover the awareness and motivation campaign to be held in the meeting room of the Centre for Information, Training, Studies and Documentation Associations (IFEDA) 66 Avenue Muawiya ibn Abi Sofiane El Menzeh 7.

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Jalel Chelba I Division Chief of Civil Society | Department of Citizenship and Diaspora AUC | E-mail: mailto:Jalelc@africa-union.org

Mrs. Habiba Mejri Sheikh | Director of Information and Communication | Department of Information and Communication AUC | E-mail: habibaM@africa-union.org

Contact us:
Directorate of Information and Communication | Commission of the African Union |
E-mail: dinfo@africa-union.org
Website: www.au.int | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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African Union Invites Sao Tome and Principe Civil Society to Take Part in the Ecosocc General Assembly Elections

Sao Tome, 23 September 2014 –After Congo Brazzaville, Malabo and Libreville, it was the turn of Sao Tome and Principe from 20 – 24 September 2014, to welcome the sensitization and motivation campaign delegation for the election of the 2nd General Assembly of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC). A meeting grouping the civil society organization of Sao Tome and Principe was organized to that effect on 23 September 2014 in the conference room of the Sao Tome cultural center to exchange view on the practical modalities and criteria for participation in the elections billed for the fourth quarters of the year 2014.

Addressing participants at the opening ceremony, the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, and Secretary General Mr. Francisco Fernandez, lauded the initiative of the African Union for launching this sensitization campaign which will not only motivate the population but will also close the gap between the AU organization and the people of the country. He reiterated his government willingness to work hand in hand with the AU delegation to ensure the full participation of the civil society in the ECOSOCC election as well as motivate the population to develop greater interest in the development agenda of the Union.

Speaking earlier, the president of the Federation of NGOs of Sao Tome, Mr Manuel Jorge de Carvallio do Rio welcomed the good initiative, which will help to consolidate the relationship between the African Union and the civil society. He added that this would enlighten the population to know more about the activities of the Union.

Mr. Jalel Chelba, Head of the AU delegation expressed satisfaction to the interest showed by the civil society during the interactive session and he encouraged them to apply massively for the election of 2nd General Assembly of the ECOSOCC. Mr. Chelba called on the journalists who were present at the meeting to help in the sensitization process by popularizing the message calling on all the civil society organizations to mobilize ahead of the ECOSOCC elections.

Mrs. Fatima Karadja, Vice president of ECOSOCC presented the objective of the organ while Mr. Baba Sogodogo, from the office of the Chairperson of the AU Commission briefed the participants on the structures of the AU.

AU Delegation meets Sao Tome and Principe Authorities

Upon their arrival, the AU delegation held a working session on 22 September 2014 with the Director of Political Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affair of Sao Tome and Principe, Mr. Urbino Botelho to discuss on the need to involve the civil society as much as possible into the activities of the ECOSOCC through the sensitization campaign of the AU.

On the same day, the AU Delegation was received in audience by H.E Oscar Aguisa E Sousa, Minister of Interior and Defense of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe who, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed
gratitude to the AU leadership for sending a team to interact and exchange views with to the Sao Tome and Principe population on important issues concerning the wellbeing of their citizens.

After the audience, the Head of the AU Delegation granted an interview to the national television to explain the objective of the mission and invite the civil society to develop more interest in the ECOSOCC saying that this platform will enable them contribute significantly in the decision making processes of the continent.

Worth recalling that, the AU sensitization campaign has been launched to ensure the implementation of the decision EX.CL/Dec.849 (XXV), adopted by the 23st Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, held in Malabo in June 2014. It is aimed at encouraging greater participation the African CSOs; particularly the least represented countries to take part in the elections of the ECOSOCC General Assembly.

Established under the provisions of Articles 5 and 22 of the African Union’s Constitutive Act, ECOSOCC is the vehicle for building a strong partnership between governments and all segments of African civil society. The Statute of ECOSOCC, adopted by the Heads of State and Government at the Third Ordinary Session of the Assembly in July 2004 defines it as an advisory organ of the African Union composed of different social and professional groups of the Member States of the African Union [Assembly/AU/Dec.42 (III)].

These CSOs include but are not limited to the following: a) Social groups such as those representing women, children, the youth, the elderly and people with disability and special needs; b) Professional groups such as associations of artists, engineers, health practitioners, social workers, media, teachers, sport associations, legal professionals, social scientists, academia, business organizations, national chambers of commerce, workers, employers, industry and agriculture as well as other private sector interest groups; c)Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs) and voluntary organizations; d) Cultural organizations and e) social and professional groups in the African Diaspora in accordance with the definition approved by the Executive Council.

Interview requests should be addressed to Mrs. Esther Tankou, Head if Information Division, Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission (AUC), E-mail: Yamboue@africa-union.org / esthertankou@yahoo.com

For further information please contact:
Mr. Jalel Chelba, Head of Civil Society Division, African Union Commission
Email: jalelc@africa-union.org

For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dinfo@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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Seychelles takes up the gauntlet on ECOSOCC.