Over 100 African Citizens CSOs and Coalitions Converged on Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt to engage the 11th African Union Summit.

by CCP-AU

Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt - 23 June 2008

Over 100 African Citizens, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Coalitions from the 5 geographical regions and the Diaspora participated in the Third Citizens Continental Conference on the AU Summit organized by the Centre for Citizens Participation in the African Union (CCP-AU) at the Pyramisa Hotel in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the conference H.E. Ambassador Shamel Naser, Egyptian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for African Affairs praised the initiative of the CCP-AU for organizing an independent forum of African Citizens to constructively contribute to the upcoming African Union Summit. ”It is important for us to allow various voices of African Citizens within the decision making process of the AU” said Dr. Amany Asfour, President of the Egyptian Business Women Association, the host organization of the conference.

Ms. Yemisrach Kebede, Director of the CCP-AU said: ‘’Many African citizens and CSOs are active in engaging the continental body. Our Centre plays catalytic role in coordinating those actions and efforts around the AU decision making bodies’’.

The participatory sessions of the conference focused on various issues on the Summit agenda such as the audit of the AU; the Union Government of Africa; Peace and Security situation Darfur, Chad, Somalia, Zimbabwe and South Africa; Social and Economic justice in Africa; Water and Sanitation; the Millennium Development Goals and International Justice to name a few.

The Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Mrs. Sanji Mmasenono Monageng; the African Union’s Special Rapporteur on Women’s Rights in Africa, Mrs Soyata Maiga; as well as representatives from some African embassies based in Egypt, participated in the Continental Conference along with civil society organizations.

A Sharm-El Sheikh Declaration including various policy recommendations addressed to the 11th African Union summit was adopted at the end of the conference. This declaration will be released on 27 June during the meeting of the Executive Counsel (African Ministers of Foreign Affairs) at the AU Summit.

[The Center for Citizens participation in the African Union (CCP-AU) is a platform of CSOs/NGOs aiming to encourage African citizens’ engagement and participation in the African Union.]