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AU Summit side event 2019

Pre-summit side event in Addis Ababa to bridge the gap between policy makers and CSO's

On February 6-7, CSOs working within the Africa We Want project will hold a CSO Pre-Summit Event in Addis Ababa. The event aims at reaching a common understanding between policy makers and CSOs of the low level of implementation of the ACDEG on the continent.

The vision of the African Union is “A peaceful Africa, prosperous, integrated and driven by the people”. However, abuses of democratic rights of citizens and governance principles continue to be a reality on the continent, thus hindering the attainment of the vision of the African Union. This reality is a flagrant contradiction with the ideals promoted in the African Charter for Democracy, Election and Governance (ACDEG).

Project organizations

The Civil Society Organisations collaborating in the project “Mobilising Civil Society Support for Implementation of the African Governance Architecture” include:

ActionAid in Denmark, Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe

West African Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (WACSOF), Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), East African Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (EACSOF), SADC Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (SADC-CNGO) and Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI).

The Charter, functioning as a road map for the promotion of good governance on the African continent, requires State Parties to institutionalize good social, political, economic and corporate governance. To date, only 34 countries have ratified the Charter. With the CSO Pre-Summit Side Event, partners of the Africa We Want project gather to develop key messages and recommendations for the Heads of State and Governments and other stakeholders on how to fast track the implementation process of the ACDEG.

Silencing the Guns

The AU theme for 2020 is "Silencing the Guns by 2020”, and the CSO Pre-Summit Side Event will therefore also include discussions on the nexus between armed conflict and governance failures on the African continent. The event will also host discussions on how the ACDEG can be used effectively to limit armed conflict and support the AU agenda of silencing the guns.     

Shrinking space for civil society

Space for effective citizen participation in building strong democracies continues to shrink, with increasing levels of persecutions and prosecutions of Human Rights Defenders and the general citizenry. The CSO Pre-Summit Side Event therefore also serves as a platform for developing strategies on how to counter the challenges of shrinking political space for civil society.