Events

AU Campaign Mission for ECOSOCC Elections Proceeds to Zimbabwe

Harare, Zimbabwe, 14 August 2014 – The African Union sensitization and Motivation Campaign Mission for elections into the 2nd General Assembly of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) arrived in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Thursday, 14 August 2014, after concluding the 1st leg of its mission in Lusaka, Zambia.

The composition of the mission includes Amb. Lazarous Kapambwe, the Special Advisor to the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Dr. Jinmi Adisa, Director, Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (CIDO), and experts from other relevant departments of the AU Commission. Its mandate is to invite, encourage and mobilize the African civil society community in Zimbabwe to enlist and participate actively in ECOSOCC elections and subsequent activities of the Organ.

As part of this process, a sensitization meeting with Zimbabwe CSOs will be held on 15 August 2014 in the Conference Room of the Holiday Inn, Samora Avenue, Harare. Moreover, the mission will meet with several civil society groups, government officials and others to brief them on the history, role, functions and activities of ECOSOCC and the African Union in general.

The mission will then proceed to Namibia and Lesotho. It is pertinent to note that the Sensitization and Motivation campaign is being conducted throughout the five regions of the continent in Member States that do not have sufficient eligible candidates for ECOSOCC Elections.

The sensitization program has two components. First, AU Regional Office where available will conduct the exercise in their country of location. Field missions directed from AU Headquarters will cover the other countries. Field missions will be carried out in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Togo, Senegal, Cape Verde, Benin, Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Eritrea, Seychelles, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Mauritania, Tunisia, and Sierra Leone.

The deployment of these campaign missions comes in compliance with Decisions EX.CL/Dec.849 (XXV), adopted by the 23rd Ordinary Session the AU Assembly, held in Malabo, Equatorial, Equatorial Guinea, regarding the process of ECOSOCC Elections.

The Decision directed the AU Commission to conduct sensitization and mobilization campaign to encourage greater participation so as to obtain a sufficient number of candidates for the elections. It also requested the Commission to ensure that elections into the 2nd General Assembly of ECOSOCC was finalized before the end of the year 2014.

For any further information please contact :

Ms. Afrah Thabit, Directorate of Information and Communication, E mail : Thabitma@africa-union.org, afraht@hotmail.com

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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2ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF ECOSOCC: TOGOLESE CIVIL SOCIETY RESPONDS TO THE APPEAL BY THE AFRICAN UNION

Lome, (Togo) - 14 August 2014 : The history, role and the functions of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) of the African Union (AU), its activities and procedures, especially the eligibility criteria for election to the Second General Assembly, aroused keen interest from a large number of Togolese civil society organizations at a meeting organized on the initiative of the African Union Commission (AUC) on 14 August, 2014 at the Agora Senghor centre in Lome, Togo.

Representatives of eighty civil society organizations (CSO) from all spheres of activity responded to the invitation by the African Union Commission to participate actively in the sensitization and motivation campaign being organized for CSOs of the continent in preparation towards the 2nd ECOSOCC General Assembly elections.

The sensitization campaign, initiated by the Directorate of Citizens and Diaspora Organizations (CIDO) in pursuance of Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec.849(XXV) adopted by the 23rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, kicked off in Lusaka, Zambia on 12 August 2014. The sensitization campaign will continue till September at the end of which all the five regions of Africa will have been covered

At the opening session Mr Jalel Chelba, Head of Civil Society Division of CIDO/AUC, explained that ECOSOCC had a total membership of 150 comprising two representatives from each of the 54 Member States, 8 continental representatives, 10 sub-regional representatives, 20 members of the Diaspora and 6 representatives chosen by the African Union Commission in consultation with Member States and based on specific criteria. He added that ECOSOCC was an organ whose membership was elected by civil society and which represented civil society. ECOSOCC was an embodiment of the principle of democracy at its highest level since it was tasked with leading grassroot civil society organizations to the corridors where decisions were taken, thus enabling them to contribute their quota to the integration and sustainable development efforts of the continent.

Mr Chelba also stated that the AUC was expediting action with a view to finalizing the elections before the end of this year so as to inaugurate the ECOSOCC Assmbly by December 2014, at the latest. The organization was therefore focusing its campaign on the States that did not have sufficient number of eligible candidates for election (read the full speech on the African Union website: www.au.int .)

Officially opening the session, the Representative of the Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and Director of International Organizations, Mr Sébadé Toba, stated that organized civil society was very critical to ensuring good economic and political governance. He expressed his happiness with the initiative taken by the African Union to organize the sentization and mobilization tour which would not only lead to the enhancement of the prominence of ECOSOCC, but also give a fillip to the activities of civil society organizations in the interest of the population and the common organization that is the African Union. He urged Togolese civil society organizations to show keen interest in the discussions engaged and to participate in the ECOSOCC electoral process so as to ensure the quality representation of Togo on the important body.

The meeting was characterized by extensive and frank discussions which was widely covered by the media. The discussions focused primarily on the practical modalities for developing partnership with ECOSOCC as well as the procedures for the submission of applications. The participants enquired extensively about the relevance of the eligibility criteria. All were unanimous on the need to mobilize and join ECOSOCC but at issue was how many of them could meet the criteria, especially those relating to funding. That was the main question that had and continues to agitate the minds of most of them.

For more information contact:
Mr. Jalel Chelba, Head of Civil Society Division, AUC| Citizens and Diaspora Organizations Directorate|E-mail: Jalelc@africa-union.org
Mrs Habiba Mejri Scheikh| Director of Information and Communication| Directorate of Information and Communication AUC| E-mail: habibaM@africa-union.org

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The African Union is spearheading the development and integration of Africa in close collaboration with the Member States of the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens. The vision of the African Union is to accelerate progress towards an integrated, prosperous and united Africa that is at peace with itself and which plays a dynamic role at the continental and global level, and led by a responsible, effective and proactive Commission.

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CIVIL SOCIETY IN ZAMBIA CALLED UPON TO PLAY GREATER ROLE IN THE AFRICAN UNION THROUGH THE ECOSOCC

Lusaka, Zambia, 12th August 2014: Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) of Zambia called upon to participate in the election of the 2nd General Assembly of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) of the African Union. This comes during a sensitization and motivation Campaign kicked off today by the African Union Commission (AUC), at the COMESA Conference Center, Lusaka, Zambia.

Opening the event, Ambassador Lazarous Kapambwe, Advisor to AU Chairperson, highlighted the importance of African CSOs participation in the ECOSOCC. He noted that this campaign on the AU brings the partnership of governments and civil society to new heights, as the governments of the African Union through its highest policy organs, the Executive is mobilizing the civil society to organize itself for leadership of the continent and to share power and responsibility with governments.

Speaking earlier, Amb. Dr. Kipyego Cheluget, Assistant Secretary General (Programs) of the COMESA, underlined the importance of collaboration with civil societies and other Non state actors such members of parliament, private sector organizations and other relevant groups for effective regional integration. “COMESA has been working closely with CSOs and Non state actors in Climate change, CADDP, ACTESA and Governance and Peace and Security programme” he added.

Welcoming the delegations, H.E. Amb. E.Kabanshi MP, Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health, Republic of Zambia, noted that it is important that Zambian civil society should take up the challenge of effective representation in ECOSOCC as a mark of patriotism, duty and continental obligation. He stressed the need for Zambia CSOs to participate in the ECOSOCC election process with enthusiasm in a manner that will surpass all expectations.

The Campaign featured presentations on the history, role, functions and importance of ECOSOCC by a former member of the ECOSOCC Assembly, Mr Chilengi , and the Malabo Summit Decision on ECOSOCC , the purpose of the sensitization and motivation program and details of the application procedure and process by Dr Adisa, the Director of CIDO. This was followed by a very active and lively interactive question and answer session.

Organized by the Citizenship and Diaspora Organizations Directorate of the AU Commission, the Campaign comes in compliance with the Decision EX.CL/Dec.849(XXV), adopted by the 23st Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, 20-27 June 2014, which called AU to conduct a sensitization and mobilization campaign with the aim of encouraging greater participation and gathering a sufficient candidatures from the African CSOs in the Member States for the election for the ECOSOCC 2nd General Assembly.

Zambia field mission is first of similar missions the Commission will conduct in the AU five regions during August and September 2014.

For any further information please contact :

Ms. Afrah Thabit, Directorate of Information and Communication, E mail : Thabitma@africa-union.org, afraht@hotmail.com Cell: +26097395740

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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MEDIA ADVISORY

AU TO EMBARK ON SENSITIZATION AND MOTIVATION CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN THE ELECTIONS FOR THE ECOSOCC 2ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

What: Sensitization and Motivation Campaign to encourage African civil society organizations to participate in the election for the 2nd General Assembly of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) of the African Union.

Who: African Union Commission

When: August – September 2014

Where: The Sensitization and Motivation Campaign will be conducting through field missions to the AU regions. It will include the following AU Member States: Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Togo, Senegal, Cape Verde, Benin, Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Seychelles, Gabon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe , Mauritania , Tunisia, and Sierra Leone.

Objectives:

The Campaign aims, among other things, to encourage the African civil society to participate in the election for ECOSOCC 2nd General Assembly. It seeks to gather sufficient pool of candidatures for the election from the AU Member states, in particular the least represented countries. The campaign will; explain ECOSOCC history, role and functions, as well as challenges of the current electoral process, options presented to Council at Summit, Council Decision and its direct implications for the Host State and region, the application process and eligibility criteria- OLC/ Interdepartmental Committee, Interactive Question and Answer sessions with CSOs on the role of ECOSOCC, what needs to be done and the way forward.

Background:

The ECOSOCC is an advisory organ of the African Union composed of different social and professional groups of the AU Member States. Established under the AU Constitutive Act, the Council is a channel for the African civil society to play an active role in charting the future of the Continent, organizing itself in partnership with African governments to contribute to the principles, policies and programmes of the Union. The Council is also responsible for forging strong partnerships between governments and all segments of the civil society, in particular women, the youth, children, the Diaspora, organized labor, the private sector and professional groups.

ECOSOCC will elect its 150-members of 2nd General Assembly, from the African civil society organizations in the continent and Diaspora.

In compliance with the Decision EX.CL/Dec.849(XXV), adopted by the 23st Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, 20-27 June 2014, on the election into the ECOSOCC, the AU Commission will be conducting sensitization and mobilization campaign in August and September 2014, to encourage greater participation and gathering a sufficient candidatures from the African CSOs.

The Campaign has two main components. The first is an outreach component involving the use of the AU Regional and Liaison offices as instruments for the sensitization campaign in places where the AU has a physical presence or office. The second involves the deployment of on-ground mobilization campaign undertaken through field missions directed from the AU Commission headquarters in Addis Ababa.

Media representatives in the stated AU Member States are invited to take part and cover the Sensitization and Motivation Campaign.

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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Plans and preparations for the inaugural meeting of the Technical Committee on Legacy Projects between 25-31 July 2014.