Africa: Insights From the African Union Ecosocc Citizens Forum 2024

22 July 2024
Democracy Works (Johannesburg)
analysis By Lerato Maloka

The 2024 ECOSOCC Citizens Forum on Democracy and Institutional Resilience was a landmark event celebrating 20 years of the Economic, Social, and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), an organ of the African Union. Held in the vibrant city of Accra, Ghana, the forum brought together diverse stakeholders, including civil society representatives to discuss and strategise on the future of democracy and institutional resilience in Africa. Democracy Works Foundation delegation attended as part of the Charter Project Africa consortium, led by European Partnership for Democracy (EPD)

Opening Ceremony

Opening the discourse, Ms. Souad Aden-Osman, Executive Director for the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA) pertinently probed the audience on why, "We keep talking about African solutions to African problems. But how will we forge that?"

The emotive opening ceremony featured thought provoking and inspiring speeches from key figures, including H. E Prime Minister Moussa Mara, in his capacity as a Member of Club de Madrid. In his keynote keynote statement The Prime Minister provided a powerful narrative on the strides Africa has made in democratic governance and the challenges that we face today and those that lie ahead. He Praising civil society organisations, he said, "There is no democracy without a strong civil society and vibrant civic spaces that foster active citizen participation, which ensures that governments are held accountable."

Plenary Session 1: Comprehensive Overview of the Forum's Objectives

Moderated by Sir Patson Malisa of ECOSOCC, the first plenary session provided a comprehensive overview of the forum's objectives. Panelists, including Mr. Andrew Songa, Regional AU Engagement Lead at EPD shared insights on creating a shared understanding of the forum's goals. Mr Songa also delved into the Charter Project Africa and the work we've engaged in with civil society organisations in the eleven African Union member states - Botswana, Benin, Cabo Verde, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia since 2022.

These discussions were deeply rooted in the broader context of Africa's democratic and institutional development, aligned to the forum's mission.

Dr Amany Asfour, CoDA's Board Member and Chair, African Business Council and ECOSOCC Founding Member, remarked that real democracy is about education and financial independence, rooted in three pillars:

  • Private sector strengthening
  • Policy advocacy
  • Managing our resources, championing "made in Africa".

This plenary set the tone for the upcoming activities, including group break out session with an aim of capturing the key discussion insights and then crafting an outcomes and action points living document.

Plenary Session 2: State of Democracy on the Continent

So, where are we in terms of democracy and resilience in Africa? The second plenary offered an in-depth analysis of the state of democracy across Africa, highlighting both the progress made and the persistent challenges faced by various nations in achieving true democratic governance. Dr. Solomon Dersso, led the discussion, examining what he termed the symptoms that define our current state of democracy, which he said is marred by state capture, military interference, citizen resistance to government decisions and the extent of the insecurity in the continent. The plenary discussions turned to the recent civic developments in Kenya and the role of Gen Z in their use of civic technology. Most of the plenary and delegates agreed that more has to be done to include young people in such spaces. Dr Dersso commented on Gen Z, " We need to celebrate the young people who have injected an energy of change in their countries. They must be celebrated for being the ultimate defenders and purveyors of democracy."

Plenary Session 3: Role of Civil Society in Enhancing Institutional Resilience

The third plenary session focused on the pivotal role of civil society in enhancing institutional resilience. Panelists discussed the critical contributions of civil society organisations, especially the youth in supporting democratic institutions and ensuring their robustness against various challenges. "We are not being intentional about building our own social capital. We are speaking of Genz's, yet they are not aptly represented in this room!" said Ms. Margaret Mengo, Director of Programs Operations, Africa, Habitat for Humanity International. Most of the participants echoed these sentiments and conceded the need for more support for our continent's large youth population, deliberating on ways this inclusive approach can be achieved.

The session underscored the need for continued engagement and support for civil society actors, with Mr. Louis Cheick, Chair Political Affairs Cluster Committee, ECOSSOC, urging CSOs to remain independent, neutral, and courageous in the pursuit of resilient democracies.

Conclusion

The 2024 ECOSOCC Citizens Forum provided a much-needed platform for not only dialogue but strategic planning on how the insights unpacked here will be consolidated into comprehensive action points. With our lived experience in this continent, most can attest that the time for rhetoric is over - we need implementation, and decisive political will!

About Charter Project Africa

The Charter Project Africa is a pan-African project that focuses on the commitments in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) - the African Union's principal policy document for advancing democratic governance in African Union member states. The project promotes the use of civic technology to amplify citizens' voices. It does this by providing financial resources through grants, technical resources, and expertise to implement civic initiatives aimed at promoting democracy, particularly those led by under-represented groups.

This support is provided in eleven African Union member states - Botswana, Benin, Cabo Verde, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia - and at regional and continental levels. The project also opens spaces for collaboration between citizens, civic initiatives, and African Union decision-makers at national, regional and continental levels, focusing on digital formats. Particular attention is given to the role and mandate of the African Governance Architecture (AGA). The project is implemented by a consortium of six African and European organisations: AfricTivistes, Code for Africa (CfA), Gorée Institute, European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) and European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) and Democracy Works Foundation (DWF).

DWF has since 2022 supported ten civil society organisations from Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia to implement their civic initiatives to amplify citizens' voices in promoting democracy and good governance.

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