Challenge: to join AU, NGOs must prove that do not get more than 50% of income from sources outside of Africa and diaspora

Hello all!

We are currently hosting a dialogue on the New Tactics site on 'Using Shadow Reports for Advocacy.' One participant of the organization Fahamu recently wrote a comment on this dialogue about the challenges that NGOs face when working with the African Union on monitoring projects. I wonder if any of you can comment on this enormous challenge, and talk about how NGOs in Africa are facing this challenge? Thanks for your help! Kristin

Thank for the your information. After reading the requirements for NGOs to be given an observer status at the UN, I felt I should share a little about observer status at the African Union (AU). There is one big contrast between the two: to be a member of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) of the AU, an ONG or civil society organisation (CSO) has to show proofs, among other things, of getting not less than 50 per cent of its income from contributions of NGO/CSO members (whether they are in Africa or diaspora).

This condition is a big challenge for many NGOs who get funds from international donors. This means that an organisation like Fahamu( though started in 1997 and has a headquarters) cannot get AU observer status! Fahamu and other partners asked some ambassodors at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and most of the answers were: "The reason why there is that condition of having at least 50 per cent of income from within the country was to counter the influence of the West that funds most of the CSOs and NGOs working in Africa". It is somehow ironical, because some countries like Burundi get more than 50 per cent of their budget from the West!!

The only organisations that have so far managed to have obsever statuses at the AU are some farmers unions, trade unions because all their funds come from members contributions.

African CSO and NGO that work around the AU have therefore come up with other initiatives of trying to engage with it such as the creation of the Centre for Citizens' Participation at the AU (http://www.ccpau.org).Though the CCP-AU is not officiallly recognised by theAU, it is becoming more active than the ECOSOCC (http://www.africa-union.org/ECOSOC/home.htm)

Best regards,

Yves