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AFRICAN CONFERENCE OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS: CONSOLIDATING THE REGIONAL AGENDA TOWARDS WSSD AND BEYOND
8th –12th January 2002
Nairobi Safari Club, Nairobi Kenya
REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS (DRAFT VERSION)
Organized by: Kenya NGO Earth Summit 2002 Forum, WSSD Civil Society Secretariat-Africa Desk (South Africa)
Rapporteurs:
Philip Osano, AbdulQadir Lorot & Jacob Muli
EcoNews Africa, P O Box 10332-00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: 254-2- 721076/99
Fax: 254-2-725171
Email: wssd2002kenya@econewsafrica.org
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Kenya NGO Earth Summit 2002 Forum and the WSSD Civil Society Secretariat (Africa Desk) in collaboration with the Sub-Regional Focal Points for Eastern Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa and the Small Island States of the Indian Ocean held the conference titled "African Conference Of Civil Society Organizations: Consolidating The Regional Agenda Towards WSSD And Beyond"
The conference, which was sponsored by the Heinrich Boll Foundation (HBF), was held at the Nairobi Safari Club from 8th –12th January 2002 and was attended by 107 participants from 28 countries. Representatives from UNEP, Danish 92 Group, Heinrich Boll Foundation, the Government of Kenya and the Libyan Embassy participated as observers. The Kenyan Minister for Environment & Natural Resources, Hon Joseph J. Kamotho, officially opened it.
The conference was a follow-up to the African NGO Caucus meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya from 12th –14th October 2001 prior to the African Regional PrepCom for WSSD. The objectives of the conference were to; strengthening of African civil society organizations, the development of a common African Civil society position in the context of WSSD and beyond and finally the development of a strategy for African civil society’s engagement and participation in the WSSD process.
The following are some of the key highlights of the issues of discussions during the conference:]
- Poverty eradication constitutes the greatest challenge for African states, being more than ever deeply entrenched and economic disparities widening by the day between and within the nations
- The need for Africans to be in charge of all the decisions affecting the continent and put to an end the numerous foreign concepts which are incompatible with the potential of Africa to realize sustainable development
- The need for African civil society organizations to have strategic inputs into the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) which has been adopted by African governments as the vehicle for achievement of long term sustainable development in Africa and a response to addressing the challenges of poverty eradication, debt burden and lack of democratic space.
- African civil society organizations support globalization of economic, social and cultural relations that promotes the identities and equality of all peoples and strongly oppose the so called "Washington Consensus" that breeds neo-liberal and imperialistic economic capitalism
- The need to bridge the widening gap between talk and action. Although considerable achievements have been realized in the implementation of the outcomes of the UNCED, sustainable development remains elusive due to emphasis on environmental issues at the expense of social and economic concerns, inadequate infrastructure and insufficient funding
- The need for integration of the principles of gender and inter-generational equity in the WSSD process
The conference recommended that African Civil society organizations should establish strong partnership and linkages with like-minded partners including African governments, intergovernmental organizations, UN and its agencies and other civil society organizations
- The conference emphasized that agenda 21 embodying the vision of sustainable development cannot be renegotiated and what remains is for the development countries to fulfill their obligations under the UNCED
- The conference elected a 14 person African Civil Society Steering Committee for WSSD charged with the noble task of coordinating and consolidating the African civil society position, agenda and participation in that regard towards and during the WSSD
- The conference discussed and adopted the terms of reference for the Sub-regional focal points and also for the African Civil society Steering Committee
- Reiterated the need for continued involvement of civil society in initiatives on poverty eradication, democratic governance, conflict resolution and prevention, civil rights, globalisation and environmental degradation among other problems afflicting the African continent
- The conference agreed that a follow up Pan African conference be held in April 2002 before the Global PrepCom IV to review CSO position and finalize the preparations for the WSSD Civil Society Forum
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