Launching of the African Centre for Civil Society

CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION IN DEVELOPMENT & GOVERNANCE

The Centre was officially launched on 24 October 1997 in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Dawit Yohannes, Speaker of the House of the Peoples Representative of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Mr. K.Y. Amoako the Executive Secretary of ECA.

The African centre for Civil Society will address the critical issue of how NGOs and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) would play a more active and effective role as intermediaries promoting the interest and priorities of their grassroots constituencies. Moreover, it will develop and offer core programmes to train African civil society leaders and on-going technical advisory services.

Purpose

The Civil Society Participation in Development & Governance assists ECA member countries in carrying out activities related to the promotion of involvement of peoples organizations and NGOs in national economic and social life;

• monitor the process being made in the implementation of the African charter for Popular Participation in Development.;
• facilitates ECA's work with people's organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations in formulating and articulating development programmes and initiatives that are people-centred and self-reliant: and
• promote policies and institutional arrangements that foster wide spread participatory action