JOINT COMMUNIQUÉ

 

The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) and the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) convened their 1st Joint Consultative Meeting, virtually, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 14 September 2022. The meeting was held within the framework of Articles 5 and 22 of the AU Constitutive Act, on the establishment of Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC); and Article 20 of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union  and the Conclusions of  the Retreat of the PSC, held in Livingstone, Zambia, on 4 and 5 December 2008 (Livingstone Formula), which called for increased interaction between the PSC and CSOs in the promotion of peace, security, and stability in Africa.

The Meeting provided a renewed platform for regularizing interaction between the PSC and CSOs to reflect on a number of issues related to the contribution of CSOs in the promotion of peace, security and stability on the Continent.

The Welcome and Opening remarks were delivered by H.E. Ambassador Amma Twum-Amoah, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Ghana to the AU and PSC Chairperson for the month of September 2022; and H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS).

Other speakers included representatives from  ECOSOCC, Mr. Osei Kyeretwie, Head of Programmes of ECOSOCC and  CSOs from the five regions of Africa, namely: Mr. Donald Deya, Chief Executive Officer of Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) (Eastern Africa Region); Mr. Nqobile Moyo, Executive Director, Southern Africa Partnerships for Prevention of Conflict–SAPPC (Southern Africa Region); Ms. Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, West Africa Civil Society Institute (WASCI) (Western Africa region); Mr. Eugene Ngalim Nyuydine, Executive Director, Cameroon Youths and Students Forum for Peace (CAMYOSFOP) and former Chairperson of ECOSOCC Peace and Security Cluster (Central Africa Region); Ms. Meriam El Bedad, Head of Peace and Security Working Group, Association Internationale Cle de la Paix pour le developpement et la solidarite (Northern Africa Region); Furthermore,  representatives of the  Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and AMANI Africa made presentations.

The meeting recalled previous decisions and pronouncements on the engagement between the PSC and CSOs, in particular Communiqué [PSC/PR/Comm(CLXI)] of the 161st meeting, held on 16 December 2008, adopting the Conclusions of the Retreat of the PSC which was held in Livingstone, Zambia, on 4 and 5 December 2008 (Livingstone Formula); and the Conclusions of the PSC Retreat held in Maseru, Lesotho, on Enhancing the Implementation of the Livingstone Formula for Interaction between the PSC and CSOs in the promotion of peace, security, and stability in Africa held in 2014.

The meeting reaffirmed towards the implementation of Assembly Decision [Ext/Assembly/AU/Decl.(XVI)], adopted at the 16th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa, held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in May 2022; as well as the Declaration of the Reflection Forum on Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa (Accra Declaration) held in March 2022, in Accra, Ghana and adopted by the PSC at its 1077th meeting, held on 14 April 2022.

 

Acting under relevant provisions of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the AU, participants:

 

1. Welcome progress made by ECOSOCC with the support of other AU Organs on the development of a comprehensive CSOs data base, which is expected to enhance the active participation of CSOs in the implementation of the AU agenda 2063 including the PSC activities, as well as mobilizing CSOs towards implementing  AU instruments and frameworks on democracy, governance and peace and security on the Continent; within this context, request the ECOSOCC Secretariat to expedite the finalization of the  data base with the view to ensuring an enhanced level of collaboration, interaction and regular engagement between the AU PSC,  and accredited and vetted CSOs;

2. Commend the role of CSOs in establishing the bridge between policymakers in their constituencies, particularly in undertaking conflict prevention activities, and their efforts in complementing AU PSC authorised and mandated Missions on Stabilization and Peace Support Operations ( PSOs) in the fight against terrorism, violent extremism and terrorist financing; on early warning and the fight against the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons, violent extremism and terrorism, on peacebuilding mediation, and negotiation in conflicts across the Continent;

3. Applaud the contributions of the CSOs in advancing the AU agenda such as silencing the guns, democratic governance and electoral processes in Africa and emphasise the need for CSO participation in AU election observer missions; request the AU Commission to  adhere to gender equity principles, and take into consideration the participation of women and youth in electoral processes, in the deployment of AU Election Observer Missions;

4. Welcome the various ways through which research organizations and CSOs have thus far been engaging in the peace and security and governance work of the AU in line with the Livingstone and Maseru PSC Retreat Conclusions within the framework of Article 20 of the PSC Protocol, and reiterate the right and duty of the State to regulate the activities of these organizations in accordance with the existing national legislation;

5. Stress the need to enhance the participation of youth and women’s networks in peace processes, including in the promotion of transitional justice and reconciliation, enhance local ownership of peacebuilding and community resilience building and social cohesion initiatives, and contribute towards democratization processes, at local, regional and continental levels;

6. Urge the CSOs to heighten the level of coordination and cooperation efforts through ECOSOCC mechanisms to effectively contribute in a coherent manner to AU’s decision-making organs, including their engagements with Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs);

7. Underscore the need to harness the potential of CSOs to address peace and security challenges facing the Continent, particularly, through evidenced-based research, information gathering, knowledge generation and transfer on the ground in support of the  implementation of the AU’s normative frameworks which seek to promote good governance, democracy, rule of law and constitutionalism; emphasise the role of CSOs in tackling the emerging menace of unconstitutional changes of government and terrorism; in this regard, call for regular engagements between the CSOs and AU and RECs/RM to scale-up  terrorism awareness and response initiatives, and de-radicalization campaigns,  within the various Member States, so as to further strengthen more citizen-centred and timely response mechanisms;

8. Highlight the relevance of the Livingstone Formula and the Maseru Conclusions on the role of the CSOs to peace and security matters in Africa and call for its full implementation; in this regard, request ECOSOCC to take stock of the Livingstone Formula and Maseru Conclusions in order to assess progress, identify lessons learned and challenges, as well as make recommendations on how to further enhance the implementation of these decisions;

9. Recalling the Declaration of the Accra Forum Declaration and the decision of the Malabo AU Extraordinary Summit held in May 2022 on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government for  and take note of the critical role that  CSOs and African think tanks can play in meaningfully contributing towards strengthening the institutional and policy instruments for prevention and resolving conditions that create the context for unconstitutional changes of government and terrorism in Africa; decide to institutionalize the Accra Forum as a yearly event of the AU Commission with the participation of the PSC and CSOs, which will serve as a platform for further engagements between the PSC and CSOs;

10. In this regard, underscore the need to ensure ECOSOCC is well capacitated to better coordinate and support the activities of the CSOs on advancing democratic governance, peace, security and stability on the Continent;

11. Look forward to the official launch of the Network of Think Tanks, Research Centers and the report of the mapping exercise of CSOs working on governance, peace and security matters, by the AU Commission; 

12. Agree to convene future interactive and consultative meetings on a yearly basis; In this regard, agree to hold the next joint consultative meeting in 2023; and

13. Decide to remain actively seized of the matter. 

COMMENTS