Statement on the Participation of NGOs on the Occasion of the 6th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly

Formal civil society forums have been held in parallel with each African Union Summit between 2003 and January 2005, enabling NGOs to fulfil their integral role in the working of key organs of the African Union. In contrast to previous Summits, no formal civil society forums were held at the last Summit in Libya and the present one in Sudan. This is a worrying development resulting in increasing marginalisation of NGOs contrary to the spirit of the AU Constitutive Act and its Protocols. It requires immediate attention by the African Union and its organs so as to ensure that NGOs will be able to fully participate at future Summits.

During the current Summit in Khartoum, the lack of a formal civil society forum went hand in hand with a lack of transparency in the process of granting visas. As a result, only a small number of NGOs were issued with visas just days before the Summit itself and many were unable to attend. The majority of international, regional and national NGOs present were not afforded accreditation, with the applications of some initially approved but passes not issued subsequently. In sum, the application process was not transparent and no reasons were given for the denial of accreditation.

In the absence of a formal channel within which to have their views heard, NGOs independently attempted to ensure civil society contribution to the development of the work of the AU by organising alternative events in Khartoum. However, NGOs have faced a series of obstacles. Obstructions culminated in the detention of 35 participants of the alternative civil society forum held on the 22th of January in Khartoum including local, regional and international NGOs, national and international journalists, as well as observers from the UN and the European Commission by the Government of Sudan’s national security forces. During the detention, the security forces assaulted and harassed a number of participants, and confiscated laptop computers, cameras and conference working documents.

As NGOs dedicated to ensuring that the objective of the AU Constitutive Act to “promote and protect human and peoples' rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights” becomes a reality, we call on the AU Assembly to:

• Facilitate and support the holding of a formal civil society forum;
• Ensure that NGOs are not subject to any form of harassment by authorities of the host state and respond appropriately to any incidents incompatible with the principles of the AU Constitutive Act and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, including by means of a thorough inquiry;
• Engage the AU Commission to develop clear procedures for the accreditation of NGOs at future summits;
• Ensure clarity and transparency in the process for review and issue of visas to future summits.