PRESS RELEASE

The Credentials Committee of the Interim Economic Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) of the African Union met in Accra, Ghana, from 17-20 June 2007, to shortlist eligible candidates for the forthcoming elections to the post-interim ECOSOCC Assembly. A total of two hundred and eighteen (218) applications from African Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in thirty-five (35) countries were received and examined.

At the end of the exercise, twenty (20) African countries and two (2) regions (West and East Africa) were adjudged ready for national and regional elections, while thirty-three (33) countries, as well as the Southern, Northern and Central African Regions were adjudged not ready for elections since no applications or eligible applications were received from these areas. As for continental elections, the Committee found that there were sufficient eligible candidates for elections.

To allow for the representation of CSOs from all the fifty three (53) Member States of the Union, as well as the 5 regions of the continent as stipulated in Article 4 of the ECOSOCC Statutes, the Credentials Committee decided to extend the deadline for submission of applications for the affected thirty three countries and three (3) regions to 31st July 2007.

To this end, the Committee wishes to call on civil society groupings in the affected countries and regions to take full advantage of the extension and submit their applications to the Credentials Committee, through the ECOSOCC Secretariat, CIDO, African Union Commission on or before 31 July 2007.

The eligibility criteria and the modalities for application remain the same and are available at the African Union and ECOSOCC websites (www.africa-union.org www.ecosocc.org)

Addis Ababa, 16th July 2007