EACSOF to popularise AU Charter in EA region

A PROJECT aims to popularise African charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) in Tanzania and Uganda has been launched in Arusha.

Being implemented by the East African Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (EACSOF) with financial support from the ActionAid’s Global Platform the project, among others, will mobilise the East African Civil Societies (CSOS) to support African Governance Architecture (AGA) through advocating for implementation of ACDEG within the region.

This project presents an ambitious and innovative task with extensive geographic coverage to facilitate national, regional and continent-wide CSO interaction with AU institutions and to promote the operationalisation of the AGA.

It unites the strengths of a consortium of 13 CSOs partners led by ActionAid Denmark (AADK), working in eight focus countries, with a strong regional dimension delivered by civil society platforms such as WACSOF, EACSOF and SADCCNGO and continental impact based on ActionAid’s well-established international advocacy networks.

The African Union (AU) adopted ACDEG in January 2007 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to promote democracy, rule of law and basic human rights, ensure democratic rule and constitutional changes of power through free, fair and transparent elections.

The EACSOF acting chief executive officer, Ms Martha Makenge, said the forum is, in collaboration with ActionAid’s Global Platform, will advocate ACDEG in Tanzania and Uganda for the next three years.

The ACDEG calls for all AU member countries to promote good governance for the benefit of all citizens by ensuring the rule of law and the human rights are dully respected. It entails governments managing their countries transparently and fairly, and respecting their constitutions without denying eligible persons the right to vote.

Governments observing peaceful transfer of power to parties that legitimately win elections and ensuring their citizens are secure. Ensuring constitutions become supreme laws of states with all stakeholders having equal rights to contribute to their reviews when needs arise.

Ms Makenge said that the charter was adopted with the hope that its ratification and implementation will signal a new era in Africa with regards to free and fair elections, good governance and promotion of the rule of law.

“In a continent that was for so long renowned for its military coups and civilian dictators, the coming into force of the ACDEG a step towards Africa leaving its turbulent and un-democratic past behind” EACSOF boss noted. Indeed, the Charter is remarkable in a lot of aspects; in fact it proclaims a new dawn of democracy rooted in the rule of law and reaffirms Africa’s commitment to democracy and the rule of law.

It clearly abhors unconstitutional change of government and provides in article 25(5) a possible framework for international prosecution of people who forcefully take over government, she explained

. “It furthers restates the principle of transparency and accountability in government and provides for the independence of the judiciary” said Ms Makenge who is a lawyer by profession, adding that it also reaffirms the primacy of the rule of law and calls on state parties to initiate appropriate measures, including legislative, executive and administrative actions to bring State Parties’ national laws and regulations in conformity with the Charter.

Out of 55 Countries in Africa, the Charter has been signed by 45 countries and ratified by only 30 states. Ms Makenge reveals “The charter calls on all African nations to ratify, domesticate, implement and to amend their constitutions, laws, policies, strategies, action plans and budgets in a bid to tally with the AU values.

The AU charter also calls on the nations to engage their parliaments, courts, national electoral bodies, human rights institutions and anti-corruption watchdogs in the process. Why Youth Youth are key stakeholders in the attainment of the goal and aspirations of Agenda 2063.

This is premised on the youth bulge currently experienced on the continent, with over 60 percent of the population under 30 years, and the promise of a demographic dividend it holds if adequate investments are made in their social, economic and political agency.

Cognizant of the value young people bring to Africa’s development and democratisation process, Ms Makenge said, EAC - AU recognizes young people as partners, leaders, and beneficiaries in building a democratic culture on the continent and the regional level.

“The adoption of several normative frameworks has reinforced this recognition and further commits AU Member States to engage young people in all spheres of life meaningfully” EACSOF boss emphasised. These include the African Youth Charter (2006); the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) (2007), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981); the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990); and the Constitutive Act of the AU (2002).

Indeed, these frameworks spell out rights, freedoms, and duties that accrue to young people and provide guidance on how to effectively and meaningfully explore their potential at all levels. Specifically, Ms Makenge noted, these among other AU normative frameworks collectively call for young people’s participation and meaningful engagement in decision-making at sub-national, national, regional and continental levels of governance.

Following these normative constructs, AU Member States have made significant strides towards enhancing young people’s participation in decisionmaking processes and engagement in governance processes, adopting national youth policies and establishing national structures like national youth councils and ministries/agencies dedicated to youth issues.

“Also, several countries and political parties have established special youth quotas to deliberately guarantee youth participation in political processes for instance in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda” EACSOF boss explained. Despite these success stories, several critics of the youth participation discourse continue to note that these initiatives have not adequately enhanced young people’s participation in political and governance processes.

For instance, young people are under-represented in formal public offices and political spaces, often leading to sidelining of their concerns and realities. Invariably, they are more involved in ad-hoc engagements or mobilisation, which are often the informal avenues for them to express their displeasure about politics and governance.

These include through demonstrations and strikes, initiating or signing a petition, joining pressure groups, volunteering time and donating to a cause or charity, boycotting a product, spreading and voting in social media surveys, etc.

As such, young people continue to be excluded or at best, remain on the margins of policy development, leaving many disenfranchised. In addition, young people are not adequately represented in political institutions, including parliaments, political parties as well as engagement in electoral processes.

This situation limits the effective participation of young people; the notion that young men and women have an adequate and equal opportunity to express their preferences, place questions on the agenda, and articulate reasons for endorsing one outcome over another

. Of equal importance is the need to interrogate the challenge of youth mobilisation and organising skills, which continue to impact the on boarding of a critical mass of young people into political and governance processes.

Why EACSOF EACSOF is an all-inclusive platform for Civil Society Organisations in East Africa, a space for shared learning and collective action. Under the EAC Consultative Dialogue Framework, EACSOF is mandated as the CSO focal point for engagement and active participation in the integration processes in pursuit of Article 127 of the Treaty for establishment of the East Africa Community (EAC).

EACSOF is the voice of civil society in East Africa which Visualise a “a community in which citizens are fully engaged in all affairs affecting their lives” and its Mission is” to make EAC integration work for the citizen”.

The EACSOF primary objective is to build a critical mass of well-informed and knowledgeable citizens, equipped to participate effectively in democracy, human rights and rule of law to enhance human security through policy engagement.

It works around areas of enhancing democracy and good governance, promoting peace and security in EAC, social and economic justice, promoting environment, natural resources and climate change, mainstreaming science and technology, education and youth engagement in good governance.

It is within commitments of EACSOF in promoting good governance and involvement of citizens (especially women and youth) in governance and democratic processes that positioned it to be implementing an EC funded Pana African project