Joint CSO Statement

The following statement, endorsed by the undersigned organisations, was delivered to the High-Level Panel to Review the African Union on October 24th in Addis Ababa by a delegation of civil society representatives: Ms. Hakima Abbas of Fahamu’s AU Monitor Initiative, Mr. Eyob Balcha of Afroflag Youth Vision, Ms. Faiza Mohamed of Equality Now and Mr. Alioune Tine of RADDHO.

On behalf of the undersigned continental, national and international civil society organizations who remain abreast of and engaged in advocacy before the African Union, we would like to present this preliminary submission to the High Level Panel to Review the African Union in order to iterate our strong commitment to engagement with the process and to provide initial recommendations which we hope will inform the drafting process.

We recognize and applaud that in issuing an invitation to citizens of Africa to participate in the review of the African Union, the High-Level Panel has taken steps to correct the lack of reference in the Terms of Reference of the Audit Review to the need for formal consultation and input from African civil society and citizenry. It is essential for the credibility of the process that the debate on the state of the Union and issuing recommendations from the Audit Review panel be informed not only by government and organs of the African Union but also by civil society and the people of Africa.

Given the limited time and information available to us to delve into a substantive evaluation of the African Union and to develop a common position among a broad section of civil society, we have focused this preliminary submission on African Union engagement with civil society and citizenry. At this stage, we recommend that the Panel review current policies, procedures and practices that impede the realisation of a people-driven African Union, gender equality within the African Union and provide a framework for the development of clear benchmarks for assessing future performance of the AU and its organs. Moreover, we urge the High-Level Panel to address both issues of results and impact as well as institutional reform. It is our hope that the review will provide an evaluation and assessment of the extent to which current processes and institutional arrangements are giving life and meaning to the stated values of the African Union.

Civil Society Engagement

African Union has insufficiently engaged civil society and citizenry over the 2004-2007 period and concrete measures for improvement in this regard must be institutionalized. Currently, the interim continental and national Economic Cultural and Social Council (ECOSOCC) chapters, which are the only official mechanisms through which CSOs have consultative power, have weak legitimacy and lack visibility and policy influence. This was confirmed at the July 2007 Heads of States and Governments Summit in Accra, Ghana, where the Interim Presiding Officer was not provided a platform in the official deliberations for delivery of the ECOSOCC report.

Access to information regarding the African Union deliberations and decisions remains limited for most African citizens and civil society. Pre-summit access to information and consultation will enable the people of Africa not only to hold Heads of States and Governments accountable to the decisions of the African Union and ensure greater implementation of these decisions, but, also to provide input and guide the policy agenda thus ensuring a ‘people-driven’ African Union. If the African Union and eventual Union Government is to be guided by democratic principles, it must reflect the full range of diverse interests of our societies.

1. We call on the High-Level Panel to review and make recommendations to existing policies, procedures and practices that may impede the realisation of “a partnership between Government and all segments of civil society, to strengthen and add cohesion amongst our peoples”. Such practices include the difficulties encountered by civil society in obtaining visas for travel to host countries, and an un-transparent accreditation process during AU summits and other meetings.

Recommendations for the Panel to consider adopting:
2. The High-Level Panel recommends that the AU Commission and Member States of the African Union take concrete measures to provide accessible and timely information, resources and platforms for consultation and dialogue on the legal frameworks, procedures, institutional arrangements, policies and decisions of the African Union and its organs.
3. The High-Level Panel recommends that the AU Commission formulate a framework for best practices at the national level on access to information and civil society engagement.

Performance of the African Union in setting progressive policy standards

Having reviewed the methodology and objectives of the review panel, we note that it is essential for the Audit Review to address both institutional reform as well as strategic issues facing the African Union and the Union Government process.

4. We urge the panel to consider whether the AU is setting the standard for new policy norms for good governance, responsive public services, human rights, gender equality, peace and poverty eradication in Africa, negotiating globally for better trade, aid and debt terms for Africa, among other issues. For instance close investigation of the African Union’s role in the current Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations with the European Union may serve as a case study.

5. We urge the panel to consider a gender equality review of the African Union that would analyze both the institutional policies, practices and mechanisms within the African Union Commission as well as the national implementation of African gender equality commitments and obligations.

6. In broad terms, we hope that the Audit Review will provide a framework for the development of clear benchmarks for assessing the future performance of the AU and its organs.

Though constrained by the short time-frames of this Audit, we have widely circulated a call for contributions to a people’s review and plan to hold national and regional public consultations. These processes will inform a wider common civil society and citizen position which will be published and distributed before the next African Union Summit. We will invite the High-Level Panel and the African Union to participate in these planned consultations.

In conclusion, we would like to reiterate a firm commitment to engaging in the review process and our intention to provide the panel with a substantive and widely endorsed civil society submission for review and adoption.

7. We would ask that the High-Level Panel enable those who have participated in informing the initial draft of the review further opportunity to provide input and feedback that may strengthen the process and subsequent drafts.

Please note that our individual organizations will be submitting policy briefs and reports to the High-Level Panel in the course of your deliberations. In the interim, we strongly urge the High-Level Panel to consider the Executive Summary of the Report entitled “Towards a People-Driven African Union: Current Obstacles and New Opportunities” as well as the “Civil Society Communiqué to the Assembly of the Heads of States Meeting during the 9th Ordinary Summit” among its reference material. Please find both documents attached. We sincerely hope that these recommendations will be duly incorporated into the report of the High-Level Panel.

We thank you for the opportunity to address the esteemed panel and look forward to further engagement in the coming months.

Signed,

African Development Institute
Africa Humanitarian Action
Africa Internally Displaced Persons Voice
African Forum and Network on Debt and Development
AfriMap
Afroflag Youth Vision
Alliances for Africa
Centre for Democracy and Development
Coalition for the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Eastern African Sub Regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women
Equality Now
Fahamu
FEMNET - African Women’s Development and Communication Network
Global Pan African Movement
Gulf of Guinea Citizens Network
Institute for Democratic Governance
Interights
International Refugee Rights Initiative
Justice Africa
Justice Initiative, Open Society Initiative
Pan African Development Education and Advocacy Programme
Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme
Southern Africa Trust
TrustAfrica

<< Back to main