WASHINGTON DC, October 30, 2007 — African civil society can make an important contribution to regional policy debates and to the selection and development of programs to aid the region.  This was the message put forth by World Bank Africa Region Vice President Obiageli Ezekwesili during an October 22 discussion on “The Interaction of African Civil Society with Regional Entities.” The session was part of the Civil Society Policy Forum held on the fringes of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings.
The session brought together representatives of African civil society organizations (CSOs), regional economic communities (RECs), the African Union (AU) and national governments. A panel led the discussion and included Kenyan Minister of Finance Hon. Amos Kimunya, Dr. Emmanuel Ekwetey, Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance in Ghana, Ambassador Amina Salum Ali, African Union Ambassador to the United States, and Soumaila Cisse, President of the West African Economic and Monetary Union. The purpose of the session, according to Ezekwesili, was to explore how to expand communication between African CSOs and RECs, and how the World Bank Group might support that. The Vice President noted that integration can offer significant "win-win" possibilities for the region's economies, particularly for land-locked nations. She added that CSOs have expanded their efforts beyond community development and are engaging in broader policy issues. "CSOs can help to bridge the information gap between the RECs and the citizens, and build political support for reforms,” she said.  Panelist Emmanuel Ekwetey spoke about existing opportunities for civil society groups to interact with regional entities, citing as examples forums which are convened by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the pre-summit civil society meetings organized by the African Union’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The challenge, Ekwetey said, was that CSOs are not involved in monitoring implementation of the decisions and programs devised by regional groups. He lamented that in Africa states have no budget to support the work of CSOs. Ambassador Ali saw the meeting as signaling a new chapter of partnership between the World Bank, African CSOs and governments. She called for CSOs to be more embedded in regional policy dialogue. “The CSOs have comparative advantage to help Africa integrate, and to popularize that agenda,” she said. She encouraged the World Bank Group to help with capacity building of African CSOs and called for an empowered ECOSOC. Giving examples of policy areas where CSOs could be most impactful, the ambassador cited the ratification of protocols and international conventions. She said CSOs were advocates in African parliaments, and could serve to follow up on project delays to ensure speedy implementation. Minister Amos Kimunya called for an end to competition between CSOs and government. “The interplay and success of CSOs can work if the relationship is based on shared values, mutual respect and mutual trust,” he said. Ezekwesili ended the meeting by noting that high on the World Bank’s governance strategy is the issue of how best to work with CSOs, who already are considered partners. Contributed by Beldina Auma, The World Bank Group |
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