Civil Society Organizations Advocacy
Framework - A Tool For Engaging With the
APSA
By
Dr Sabelo Gumedze, Independent Consultant
Email: sgumedze@gmail.com
Scope
• Introduction
• Normative Frameworks
• Existing AU Institutions
• The Role of CSOs and the Purpose, Goal and Objective
of the Advocacy Framework
• Conclusion and Recommendations
Introduction
• Terms of Reference
• Structure of the Tool
• Methodology
• Scope of Tool
Normative Frameworks
• Constitutive Act of the African Union
• The African Charter of Human and Peoples’
Right
• The African Children’s Charter
Existing AU Institutions
• The African Union
• The Peace and Security Council
•
• The African Commission of Human and Peoples Rights
• The Pan-African Parliament
• The Sub-Regional Organizations
• The Economic, Social and Cultural Council
• The African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
The Role of CSOs and the Purpose,
Goal and Objective of the Advocacy
Framework
• Hypothesis:
– CSOs play a pivotal role in so far as the promotion and
protection of child rights and welfare in Africa is concerned.
• Purpose:
– strengthen CSOs better use of the APSA
– engage with the PSC to promote and protect child rights
and welfare in Africa.
• Goal:
– Well-informed and strategic CSOs to successfully engage
with the APSA in general and the PSC in particular in
ensuring the promotion of children’s rights and welfare in
Africa.
Objectives
Objective 1:
– Building and strengthening the capacity of CSOs and the
PSC in promoting children rights and welfare in Africa
Engagement
Issue/Problem
Target
Audience(s)
Lack of adequate
knowledge of the APSA
CSOs working in
the field of child
rights
Activities
· Engage a APSA Consultant who will develop a
CSO Guide on the African Peace and Security
Architecture
Tools
Call for Consultancy
/ Terms of
Reference for the
development of
the CSO Guide
Lack of adequate
knowledge of the
African Human Rights
System (including the
Children’s Rights)
CSOs
working in the field of
child’s rights in Africa
Lack of adequate
Representatives of CSOs
working in the field of
child’s rights in Africa
knowledge of the
APSA
Lack of adequate
Representatives
knowledge of the
CSOs working in the
African Human
Rights System
(including the
field of child’s rights
in Africa
· Engage a Human Rights Consultant
who will develop a CSO Guide on the
African Human Rights System (focusing
on Children’s Rights)
Call for Consultancy
/ Terms of
Reference for the
development of the
CSO Guide
Training Module
· D eliver 1 week training on the African Peace
and Security Architecture
of
Training Module
· Delivery of 1 week training on the
African Human Rights System
Children’s Rights)
Lack of adequate
knowledge on the
rights and welfare
of the child in Africa
PSC, POW, PAP,
RECs & ASF
· Undertake research and
publication on the rights and
welfare of the African child
Call for Papers
Objectives
Objective 2:
– Implement the Livingstone Formula for interaction
between the PSC and CSOs
Engagement
Issue/Problem
Target
Audience(s)
Non-effectiveness of the
Livingstone formula for
interaction between PSC
and CSOs in the promotion
of peace, security and
stability in Africa
CSOs
Non-participation of CSO
in the PSC
CSOs
Activities
Registration for membership
Compilation of Database of CSOs
working in the area of peace, security
and stability in Africa – specifying the
area of expertise of each CSO
Tools
Article 6 of Statutes
of the ECOSOCC
Article 20 of the PSC
Protocol
Livingstone Formula
Maseru Conclusions
Article 20 of the PSC
Protocol
Absence of coordination
of roles of the PSC and
the ECOSOCC aimed at
facilitating the interaction
PSC & Peace & Security
Cluster of ECOSOCC
Annual Meeting
Livingstone Formula
between the PSC and
CSOs
Rigidity of the
application of some
requirements for
CSOs participation
Maseru Conclusions
CSOs
Participation of CSOs in PSC
sessions (at the discretion of the
PSC) to do the following: a)
b)
to provide information
to PSC field missions &
AU fact finding missions,
and
to form part of field
missions as observers –
at their own cost
Article 20 of the PSC
Protocol
Livingstone Formula
Maseru Conclusions
Rigidity of the
application of some
CSOs
requirements for
CSOs participation
Article 20 of the PSC
Protocol
Requesting of submissions from
CSOs (based on the approved
database)
Livingstone Formula
Maseru Conclusions
Absence of interaction
between the CSOs and
the PSC
CSOs
Annual Consultative Meeting
(before last quarter of each year)
Article 20 of the PSC
Protocol
Maseru Conclusions
Undertaking a review of potential
Absence of prioritizing
focus on conflict
prevention
PSC
risks of conflict and violence in AU
Member States
Maseru Conclusions
Identification of areas of
intervention
Advising the PSC
Absence of
information on the
trends and dynamics of
peace, security and
stability in Africa
CSOs
Holding quarterly sessions to
undertake a thorough assessment
of the trends and dynamics of
peace, security and stability in
Africa
Maseru Conclusions
Policy gaps relating to
Invitation extended to CSOs
CSO s
working on the promotion of
peace, security and stability to brief
the PSC during open sessions
peace, security and
stability in Africa
Absence of CSOs
Maseru Conclusions
Invitation extended to relevant
CSO s
CSOs to assist and provide advice
on and support for peacemaking
and mediation processes
contribution towards
peacemaking and
mediation
Lack of training of
PSC
newly
newly elected
members
elected
Conducting an induction training of
newly elected members of the PSC
Maseru Conclusions
Maseru Conclusions
members of the PSC
Minimal
advocacy/publicity of
the work of the PSC
CSO s
Attending CSOs public forums
specifically designed for publicizing
the work of the PSC in the
discharge of its mandate
Maseru Conclusions
Conclusion and
Recommendations
• With the involvement of CSOs, therefore, building a conflictfree Africa is possible
• The Advocacy Framework must be treated as a living
document that is not cast in stone
• Advocacy Framework requires constant revisions depending
on the dynamism at play within a given time.
• Without the involvement of CSOs, the work of the PSC in
promoting peace, security and stability in Africa will remain a
pipe dream