Events

6th ANNUAL AU-ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN TRADE UNION UNITY (OATUU) PARTNERSHIP FORUM

Invitation to the Media Representatives

What: 6th Annual AU-Organization of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) Partnership Forum.
When: 10-12 September 2015
Where: Accra, Ghana
Who: The Department of Citizens and Diaspora Organizations Directorate (CIDO) of the African Union Commission (AUC), and Organization of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU).
Objectives: The key objective of the meeting is to provide an opportunity for workers leaders and Trade Union representatives to discuss, among other, the following:

1. Role of Trade Unions in the Implementation and Monitoring of the AU Agenda 2063 Framework.
2. Trade Unions, Gender and Development under Agenda 2063.
3. Role of Organized Labor Unions in the Institutionalization of AU-ECOSOCC.

Participants: Leaders and representatives of Trade Union Organizations and the labor movement across the five regions as well as staff of the AU Commission.
Background:
As part of the process of implementing the Strategic Pillar on Shared Values, the Commission, through CIDO, established the AU-OATUU Partnership Forum. The main objective of the Forum, which meet annually, was to create a structured platform for cooperation that would harness the support of organized labor to the integration and development efforts of the African Union. The Forum also enabled organized labor to contribute effectively to AU activities, policies and programs and foster partnership with Member States, the AU Commission and all segments of the African Civil Society.
Media representatives are invited to cover the meeting.
Media Contact

Ms. Afrah Thabit
African Union Commission
Thabitma@africa-union.org
afraht@hotmail.com

For further information, please 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

Paving the way towards a CIDO and League of Arab States (LAS) engagement strategy

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 28 August 2015 – The Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (CIDO) of the African Union Commission conducted a working session with the League of Arab States and the African Union Permanent Delegation (AUPD) in Cairo.
The working session was convened in the headquarters of Las in Cairo, Egypt. The session was led by Mr. Ahmed Al Basheer, Head of Diaspora Division, CIDO and comprised of the Deputy Head of Mission of the AUPD and a team from the Population policies, Expatriates and Migration Department in LAS. The working session is part of the ongoing operationalization of CIDO’s strategic vision aimed at engaging the Diaspora communities in the Middle East and Gulf regions to support the integration and development agenda of the African Union. This strategic vision is also in line with the Africa-Arab partnership strategy.
The working session discussed various elements necessary for creating a joint Diaspora for Development (D4D) engagement framework between LAS and CIDO; preparing for the Gulf Regional Consultative Conference (RCC) scheduled in 2016 and establishing an understanding of the various modalities of cooperation based on the regional specificities.
In addition the CIDO team held meetings with the Director of Civil Society Organizations Department in LAS. The purpose of the meeting was to provide general overview of the activities of CIDO and particularly the civil society division while understanding the different activities carried out by LAS in their Civil Society department. The goal of the meeting was to establish a relationship that leads towards developing a framework for cooperation between the civil society divisions of CIDO and LAS.
The initiatives of CIDO were welcomed by the LAS as they stressed their readiness to engage with CIDO on an ongoing basis in order to ensure mutual support in matters of the diaspora and civil society engagement.
Photos:

CIDO, AUPD and LAS Population policies, Expatriates and Migration Department

CIDO, AUPD and LAS Director of Civil society Organizations department.

1st Extraordinary Session of the Standing Committee of the 2nd Permanent ECOSOCC General Assembly,
11-14 August 2015, Nairobi, Kenya

The 1st Extraordinary Session of the Standing Committee of the 2nd Permanent General Assembly of ECOSOCC was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 11-14 August 2015. The Standing Committee serves as the Executive Organ of ECOSOCC and Article 10 of the ECOSOCC Statute authorizes that the Standing Committee “Coordinates the work of ECOSOCC and prepare and submits annual reports of ECOSOCC to the Assembly of the Union”.

The official opening ceremony was attended by the Policy Adviser, and Director of Trade of the Ministry Foreign Affairs of the Kenya, H.E Ambassador Zaddock Syongoh.
Some of ECOSOCC’s special advisers also attended the meetings as observers. Those included Prof. Dipo Kolawale-ECOSOCC adviser on regional and international partnerships, Ambassador Mussie Hailu- Adviser on Interfaith and members of the Secretariat in CIDO.

The main agenda items of this technical session were to deliberate and come up with decisions on the following aspects:
1) ECOSOCC participation in National, Regional and International Forums
2) Report on the outcomes of the 27th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and 25th Ordinary Session of the Assembly held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 7-15 June 2015.
3) Assessment of Summit Outcomes on ECOSOCC Mandate and development of its work program and framework of action for the execution of related responsibilities and / or activities
4) Operationalization of Clusters and interaction with relevant AU Departments to facilitate an integrated perspective.
5) Consideration and/or approval of the Report of the 1st Ordinary Session of the Credentials Committee and its proposals for the effective Implementation of Executive Council Decision EX.CL 869(XXVI) of January 2015 on the continuation of by-elections into ECOSOCC General Assembly and EX.CL 924 (XXVII) of June 2015 on establishing a framework or harmonized criteria for CSO consultative and Observer Status in the AU in close consultation with the Commission and other AU Organs.
6) Consideration of the report of Africa-EU CSO Intercontinental Steering Committee of 6 July 2015 and planning for the AU-CSO Intercontinental CSO forum and framework for effective CSO participation in the Africa-EU Partnership.
7) Decision on Policy and Administrative issues requiring urgent attention

The meeting also invited departments to give presentations to support the operationalization of the ECOSOCC clusters such as DPA, OLC, PBFA, PMCD and PSD.

In embarking upon the way forward and to guide the implementation strategy of ECOSOCC the Committee deliberated on the various issues contained in the agenda for a period of four days and ended with twelve decisions encircled around the agenda points in addition to decisions regarding advancing the relationship with the relevant AU offices.

Sensitization and Motivation Campaign
.
On its final day the ECOSOCC had an ECOSOCC Sensitization and Motivation Campaign, Nairobi, Kenya, 14 August 2015. The campaign aimed to appraise the CSOs on the developments since the 2nd Permanent General Assembly, related summit decisions (June 2015), the Development of a National ECOSOCC Chapter in Kenya and the working towards a Harmonized Criteria for CSO observer and Consultative Status in AU and ended with an interactive session between the CSOs and the Presiding officer and the standing committee.

Photos

ECOSOCC Group Photo

AU ECOSOCC Sensitization Campaign:

Opening Ceremony with Ambassador Zaddok

PRESS RELEASE

AU ECOSOCC HOLDS PARTNERSHIP DISCUSSIONS WITH EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE (EESC)

The Presiding Officer of the African Union Economic Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) welcomed a delegation from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on Tuesday July 15, 2015 at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa.

The EESC delegation was led by Mr. Xavier Verboven, President of the ACP-EU Follow up Committee and also included Ms. Dilyana Slavova, President of the Specialized Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment; Ms. Brenda King Chair, IT Group and Rafael Bellon Gomez, Administrator of External Relations and EU ECOSOC Secretariat

The meeting, held on the margins of the Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa, aimed to strengthen the ties between the AU ECOSOCC and its counterpart organ within the EU.

Mr. Chilengi and Mr. Verboven exchanged information about the structure and programs of their respective committees and highlighted a number of issues and challenges common to civil society in both Africa and Europe.

The meeting further identified areas of potential cooperation and synergy between the two civil society organs and committed to a plan of action in the coming months to solidify an institutional partnership through a memorandum of understanding.

Ambassador Mussie Hailu Special Advisor to the AU ECOSOCC on Interfaith, inter-religious and inter-cultural issue; and Mr. Kyeretwie Osei from the ECOSOCC Secretariat, also participated in the meeting.

Concrete outcomes of the Meeting:

1. Solidify an institutional partnership through an MOU between AU ECOSOCC and EU ECOSOC
2. Agreed to have leadership of each organ address each other's policy organs. ECOSOCC Presiding Officer will address the EU ECOSOC twice a year and the EU ECOSOC President will do the same for Africa
3. Share experiences on how the EU ECOSOC generates its advisory opinions. They generate about 200 advisory opinions every year to the EU and about 2000 meetings per year
4. Agreed to start discussing the Post Cotonou Agreement and relign cooperation frameworks.
5. Agreed to have some members of AU ECOSOCC to undertake attachment for one month to two at their secretariat to share and learn generation of advisory opinions, declarations etc.
6. 6.Agreed to have AU ECOSOCC Staff attachment to EU ECOSOC Secretariat at External Services to share and learn how secretariat services EU ECOSOC , communication strategy, policy engagement etc. for up to 3 months depending on circumstances as they use 24 languages at the Secretariat
7. Agreed to work together in the evaluation of EPAS, on programme of food security and safety and on activities on international year of the soil

Standing Committee members should note the quantitative deliverables for the meeting enroute to Nairobi
Thank you

Joseph CHILENGI
Presiding Officer
African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council ( AU ECOSOCC )
ECOSOCC Secretariat
C/o African Union Commission, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mobile P: +260 979 867690
Tel: +251 11 5517 700
Fax: +251 11 5517 844