The East African Civil Society Forum held the first-ever civil society summit labeled the East Africa Civil Society Summit 2023 under the theme “Harnessing Potential in regional integration processes.”
The event which was held between the 3rd – 5th of May 2023 in Arusha Tanzania attracted close to 200 delegates from the seven East Africa Community partner states. The summit was geared toward enhancing citizens’ participation in meaningful regional integration processes.
The summit’s overall objective was to strengthen the role and visibility of civil society in policy dialogue related to regional and continental development agendas. Speaking during the opening ceremony of the summit, the United Republic of Tanzania’s Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dr. Dorothy Gwajima, congratulated the leadership of the East African Civil Society Organization (EACSOF) for convening the summit urging the participants to come up with resolutions on various thematic areas that touch the lives of a common citizen such as health, governance and democracy.
The Minister acknowledged EACSOF chapters’ efforts to participate in research, convening national dialogues and holding public meetings on important issues affecting citizens within the EAC region.
During the three-day summit, the delegates (state and non-state actors) across the seven EAC partner states agreed to continue engaging in citizen-led campaigns and sustained engagement with duty bearers at the national, regional and continental levels, with a view to ensuring adherence to the tenets of democracy in the protection of civic space for engagement and management of public affairs.
Further, they also agreed to advocate for the empowerment of women and youth to able trade under the auspices of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and push for the enactment of progressive policy and legislation to support a conducive operating environment for the realization of a thriving agricultural sector, that incorporates climate-resilient, adaptive approaches to food security and livelihoods.
EACSOF Kenya chapter with support from CCGD coordinated the participation of civil society actors from Kenya who constituted the second largest delegation after the host- Tanzania.
By Purity Jebor and Diana Mwanzia
