Ghana call annual meeting
Arusha, 30th August 2017-A 3-day East and Southern Africa Regional consultative meeting was organised by the Africa Governance Architecture (AGA) under the theme “Enhancing Young People’s Meaningful Participation in Electoral Processes in Africa”. The meetings was held at the East African Community Headquarters (EAC) in Arusha from Monday, 28th August to Wednesday 30th August 2017.
The meeting was aimed at discussing electoral participation in Africa with emphasis on trends, challenges and prospects for improving youth participation in electoral process. The discussions were guided by three themes namely;
– Assessment of Youth Participation Landscape in Africa,
– Responsible Civic Participation in Electoral Process in Africa; and,
– Enhancing Youth Participation through efficient electoral management processes.
Legal instruments such as the Africa Youth Charter (2006); the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) (2007), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981); the African Charter on Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990); and the Constitutive Act of the AU (2002) were amongst the existing legal frameworks which were used to guide the discussions.
The meeting was opened by Amb. Salah Hammand, Head of AGA Secretariat who encouraged young people to increase their participation in African governance. He noted that the young generation is educated, privileged with unprecedented forms of communication and should therefore use their ‘’youth bulge’ in social, economic and political agency. He further asked the youth participants to get back to their communities and be ambassadors of the African Union (AU).
The APRM Secretariat was represented by Mr. Lennon Monyae. The meetings were attended by more than 100 representatives from Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs), Civil Society Organisations, AU Organs, Regional Economic Communities RECs) Government Ministries, Political Parties, and members of the media.
