Statement by Mr Amara Essy, OAU Secretary-General at the Opening of the Second OAU-Civil Society Conference on Developing Partnership between the OAU and African Civil Society Organization, Addis Ababa, 11 June 2002

Your Excellency, Mr. President,
The Deputy Executive Secretary of the ECA,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to Addis Ababa on the occasion of the convening of the Second OAU-Civil Society Conference on developing partnership between the OAU and African Civil Society Organizations. I wish in particular to welcome the representatives of the various civil society organizations from within the continent and the rest of the world, distinguished African personalities and media representatives that have come to Addis Ababa to participate in this conference.

The convening of this conference marks a crucial milestone in the history of this organization in particular and the continent in general. Last year, at about the same time, the OAU convened the first ever OAU –Civil Society Conference. The Conference produced a framework for OAU-Civil Society Cooperation, which was adopted by the 74th Ordinary Session of the OAU Council of Ministers, held in Lusaka, Zambia, from 5-8 July 2001. Council welcomed the adoption of the proposed framework of Cooperation between the OAU and African Civil Society Organizations on that occasion, and encouraged the Secretary-General to pursue efforts aimed at engaging African Civil Society Organizations on the basis of the proposed framework for cooperation.

The purpose of this Conference will be to serve as a follow-up to the first Conference held in June 2001. Its main objective is to establish a mechanism that would facilitate an interface between African Civil Society and the African Union, as well as to provide inputs and explore modalities for effective engagement of Civil Society Organizations within the framework of the initiative for a Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa (CSSDCA). The Conference will also seek ways of enlisting the support of and inputs from the African Civil Society for the establishment of New Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the African Union.

The OAU has been engaged with African Civil Society Organizations for many years and it attaches great importance to the role of African Civil Society organizations in its efforts to promote development and foster democratic renewal on the continent. The rule of law, governmental accountability, peace and security are key to the social, economic and political development of Africa. All of these require, as a necessary condition for their success, a strong and autonomous civil society. The importance of civil society in making Africa a more humane continent is everywhere apparent, and its growth over the last decade has been an important part of advances on the continent.

Despite the advances made in the last decade, there are still many challenges that we face before Civil Society is universally accepted as a full partner in all areas of public life. The role of civil society organizations as grassroots agents of mobilization for the processes of economic development is widely acknowledged but their role in the areas of peace, security and stability are, however, still highly contested. However, civil society organizations have played critical roles in the search for peace in conflict-ridden areas such as Angola, the Sudan and the Mano River Union. It is also very clear that civil society organizations have a critical role to play in the process of post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation in African societies that have experienced the trauma of war.

I would like, in particular, at this stage to commend the role that African women in general are playing in this regard. Their role has been very significant in the search for peace in the Mano River Union but no less important in other areas of the continent in the processes of economic and social development and in fostering peace, security and stability on the continent. It is as a mark of the recognition of this positive and important contribution that we are sustaining the tradition of having at least one woman representative from each country at this gathering of civil society organizations.

Having made these brief introductory remarks, I want now to dwell on the role of this conference in the evolving debate in Africa. That this conference is being held on the eve of the inauguration of the AU is no coincidence. It merely emphasizes the OAU/AU’s responsiveness to the changing global environment and the growing role and legitimacy of civil society therein. This conference is an opportunity for civil society to make inputs into the debate on the continental organization’s transformation, including the role it sees for itself in the search for security, stability and development on the continent. The inputs made here will be submitted to the Summit of Heads of State and Government in Durban in July 2002. The July 2001 OAU-Civil Society conference reached agreement on the need for wider and more systematic Civil Society access to the OAU’s decision-making processes, as well as for more formalized structures for Civil Society-AU interaction. The OAU will submit proposals on how this is to be done for consideration by Heads of State and Government in Durban. Our expectation therefore, is that this Conference would come out with substantive inputs that will enable the OAU to make appropriate recommendations to the Summit.

Such recommendations could include the establishment of a mechanism such as a provisional Steering Committee for AU-Civil Society interaction. Should, for example, the AU adopt processes modeled on those of the UN, i.e. of formal accreditation of African NGOs through the AU’s own newly-established ECOSOCC, that would have responsibility for the functions of official liaison between civil society and intergovernmental level? In what precise manner would civil society inputs into the monitoring and evaluating mechanism of the CSSDCA be structured? It is important here to remember that the CSSDCA process was itself an initiative that arose from within civil society and has now been adopted by the Heads of State and Government as a standing process within the OAU and formalized as a permanent unit within the OAU Secretariat. What are the primary needs of civil society and how can the OAU and its Member States assist in meeting them and helping them to improve the living standard of all Africans, to enhance security and foster economic development? These are some of the issues that delegates will have to address in the subsequent deliberations. The task ahead of you is enormous but exalting at the same time. We are standing at the dawn on the new era with great possibilities and responsibilities for Africa. But I am confident that you will embrace the challenge with a sense of deep commitment and responsibility and come out with very good recommendations.

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I started this speech by referring to the long-standing engagement of the OAU with civil society. I hope that, in outlining the tasks ahead of you in the next four days, I have shown just how importantly the OAU regards this engagement, and the importance we attach to your contribution. I look forward to submitting your inputs to our Heads of State and Government at the inaugural AU Summit in Durban next month.