What: Joint African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOCC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) consultations to enhance the role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in peace and security matters.
When: 16th – 21st November 2020
Where: Fringilla Lodge, Chisamba
Who: ECOSOCC, COMESA and Zambian CSOs
Why: To strengthen their collaboration with CSOs in the framework of the AU theme for the year 2020: Silencing the Guns, ECOSOCC and COMESA will from November 16-21, 2020 hold consultations with CSOs in Zambia to enhance partnerships and collaboration in peace and security initiatives. The consultation is also an opportunity for COMESA to review its CSOs accreditation process and ECOSOCC to support the engagement of CSOs networks in structural vulnerability assessment processes.
Objectives of the consultations:
- Enhance the capacity of Zambian CSOs for better engagement in matters of peace and security in line with the AU 2020 theme ‘Silencing the Guns’ as well as on their engagement with the Zambian Bureau on Zambia’s implementation of the COMESA Early Warning System (COMWARN);
- Review accreditation of Zambian CSOs to the COMESA Program on Peace and Security;
- Sensitize CSOs on the accreditation procedure for the ECOSOCC Zambian Chapter.
Expected outcomes
- Roadmap for the Implementation of the AU Country Structural Vulnerability and Resilience Assessments (CSVRAs), and COMWARN SVA processes;
- Zambian CSOs sensitized on ECOSOCC activities and accredited to its national chapter.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Ms. Carol Jilombo | Senior Communications Officer | AU ECOSOCC Secretariat, Lusaka, Zambia. E-mail : Jilomboc@africa-union.org
Mr Mwangi Gakunga | Head, Corporate Communications | COMESA Secretariat, Lusaka, Zambia. E-mail : mgakunga@comesa.int
About ECOSOCC
The Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) was established in July 2004 as an Advisory Organ composed of different social and professional groups of AU Member States. The mandate of ECOSOCC is to contribute, through advice, to the effective translation of the objectives, principles and policies of the Union into concrete programmes, as well as the evaluation of these programmes.
Learn more at: https://au.int/en/about/ecosocc; https://www.auecosocc.org;
About COMESA
COMESA is a Regional Economic Community established in 1994. It brings together 21 African Member States with a population of 583 million in a cooperative framework for sustainable economic growth and prosperity through regional integration.