Election into the ECOSOCC General Assembly

The Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) of the African Union (AU) hereby invites all African Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Social and Professional groups, including labour, organized private sector, women, youth and children organizations, to participate in the election of one hundred and thirty (130) CSO representatives to the ECOSOCC General Assembly scheduled to hold between June to December 2007. The mode of participation could be in either of two categories: a) as candidates for election or b) as members of the Electoral College. The criteria or qualification for both categories are the same.

Nature and Mandate of ECOSOCC:

The aim of the Constitutive Act of the AU is to create a people-driven and community-based partnership between governments and all segments of civil society, particularly women, youth and the private sector in order to strengthen cohesion and solidarity among African people. To this end, Article 22 of the Act places ECOSOCC, an advisory organ of the Union, composed of various social and professional groups of its Member States, at the centre of these efforts.
   
It will be recalled that ECOSOCC was launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in March 2005, where an Interim General Assembly was elected for a two-year term, to organize democratic elections of representatives of social and professional groups into the substantive ECOSOCC Assembly in 2007. In furtherance of this mandate, the Assembly delegated its Interim Standing Committee (ISC), headed by the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wangari Maathai, to execute the mandate and usher in the substantive ECOSOCC General Assembly by the end of March 2007 but later extended to the end of December 2007. The process, which entails popularization and sensitization of African people about the activities of ECOSOCC, as well as holding of elections at the national, regional and continental levels to elect representatives to the substantive ECOSOCC, has now commenced.

Composition of ECOSOCC General Assembly:

The ECOSOCC General Assembly to be elected shall compose of one hundred and fifty (150) CSOs made up as follows:

  • Two (2) CSOs from each Member State of the Union;
  • Ten (10) CSOs operating at regional level and eight (8) at continental level;
  • Twenty (20) CSOs from the African Diaspora (as defined by the Executive Council) covering the various continents of the world;
  • Six (6) CSOs, in ex-officio capacity, nominated by the African Union Commission (the Commission) based on special considerations, in consultation with Member States.

Definition of CSOs:

For the avoidance of doubt, Article 3(2) of the ECOSOCC Statute defines CSOs as including but not limited to the following:

  • Social groups such as those representing women, children, the youth, the elderly and people with disability and special needs;
  • Professional groups such as associations of artists, engineers, health practitioners, social workers, media, teachers, sport associations, legal practitioners, social scientists, academia, business organizations, national chamber of commerce, workers, employers, industry and agriculture, as well as other private sector interest groups;
  • Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and voluntary organizations;
  • Cultural organizations
Eligibility Criteria for Participation in Elections:

CSOs wishing to participate in the elections shall fulfill the following conditions:

  1. They must national, regional, continental and African Diaspora CSOs without restriction to undertake regional or international activities;
  1. Objectives and principles must be consistent with those of the Union as set out in Articles 3 & 4 of the Constitutive Act;
  1. Must be registered in a Member State of the Union or meet the general conditions of eligibility for granting of Observer Status to NGOs;
  1. Show a minimum of three (3) years proof of registration as either an African or an African Diaspora CSO prior to the date of submission of application, including proof of operations for those years;
  1. Provision of annual audit statements by an independent auditing company;
  1. Prove that the ownership and management of the CSO is made up of not less than fifty percent (50%) of Africans or of African Diaspora;
  1. At least fifty percent (50%) of the resources of the organization must be derived from the contributions of its members; where external voluntary contributions or support have been received, whether directly or indirectly, the amounts or support and donors shall be declared in the application for membership, as well as recorded truthfully in the financial records of the organization.
  1. Provide information on sources of funding for the preceding three (3) years;
  1. For regional and continental CSOs, proof of activities in at least three (3) Member States of the Union; and,
  1. Non-discrimination on the basis of religion, gender, tribe ethnic racial or political basis. 

Method of Application:

Application Forms are available at the African Union’s website (www.africa-union.org) and the ECOSOCC website (www.ecosocc.org). Forms may be completed and returned electronically or downloaded, filled and sent to the ECOSOCC Secretariat by post. They can also be obtained from AU regional and representational offices in the various regions and Foreign Ministries of Member States.

Completed application forms together with all relevant documents should be returned to the Secretariat or AU regional and representational offices, or Foreign Ministries of Member States on or before 30th April 2007. The envelopes should, depending on the elections to be contested, be clearly marked “National” or “Regional” or “Continental” and addressed to:
                             
The Credentials Committee,
ECOSOCC Secretariat,
C/o African Citizens Directorate (CIDO),
African Union Commission,
P.O. Box 3243,
Addis Ababa – Ethiopia.

Names of candidates short-listed for the elections shall be published online in the AU and ECOSOCC website in mid-May 2007, while appeals arising from the process would be determined by the Interim Standing Committee of ECOSOCC towards the end of May 2007.

Dr. Jinmi Adisa,
African Citizens Directorate (CIDO)
African Union Commission