ECOSOCC SENSITIZATION AND MOTIVATION CAMPAIGN: GABONESE PRIME MINISTER DANIEL ONA ONDO RECEIVES THE AFRICAN UNION DELEGATION

Libreville, 18 September 2014 – The Prime Minister of the Republic of Gabon, H.E. Pr Daniel Ona Ondo has received in audience today, Thursday 18 September 2014, the African Union delegation who arrived in Libreville within the framework of the ongoing sensitization and motivation campaign for the election of the 2nd General Assembly of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC).

The team led by Mr. Jalel Chelba, from the Civil Society Division of the African Union, briefed the Gabonese Prime Minister on the objectives of the sensitization campaign as mandated by the Malabo Summit of Heads of State and Government in June 2014. He said the aim is to encourage the Gabonese civil society to take active part in the upcoming election of the 2nd General Assembly of the ECOSOCC scheduled to take place at the end of the year 2014.

The other members of the AU delegation are: Mrs. Hortense Nguema Okome, Head of the African Union Liaison Office to the Economic Community of the Central African States (ECCAS), Mrs. Fatima Karadja, vice president of the 2nd ECOSOCC General Assembly, Mr. Baba Sogodogo from the Office of the Chairperson of the AUC and member of the Interdepartemental Committee of the AUC and Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou, Head of Information Division in the Directorate of Information and Communication of the African Union.
Mr. Chelba who is also Head of Civil Society Division at the Directorate of Civil Society and Diaspora (CIDO) of the AU Commission, informed the Gabonese Prime Minister that the AU has embarked on this continental sensitization campaign so as to give equal opportunity to all African civil society organizations to submit their candidatures as members of the ECOSOCC so that they can contribute significantly to the development agenda of the continent.

To that effect, Prime Minister Pr Ona Ondo lauded the initiative of the Chairperson of African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, for deploying a team to sensitize the Gabonese civil society organizations. He said his Government will facilitate the process and ensure a greater involvement of the CSOs to the election of the ECOSOCC.

The Prime Minister reiterated the commitment of H.E.M Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Republic of Gabon to promote a more active Gabonese civil society in the development agenda of the Union.

Meanwhile the AU delegation is expected to meet the Gabonese civil society tomorrow Friday 19 September 2014 at the headquarters of the Social and Economic Council of the Republic of Gabon.

For further information please contact:

Mr. Jalel CHELBA, Head of Civil Society Division, African Union Commission
Email: jalelc@africa-union.org

Mrs. Esther Tankou, Head of Information Division, Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission (AUC), E-mail : Yamboue@africa-union.org / esthertankou@yahoo.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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