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
Follow us
Face book: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AfricanUnion
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/AUCommission
Learn more at:
http://www.au.int