West Africa: Civil society electoral alliance for West Africa
An important meeting was held at the Goree Institute on August 3-5, 2004, where 12 regional institutions participated in discussions regarding the setting up of a Civil Society Organisations Alliance to support and engage constructively in elections within the region. The three day meeting resolved that the initiative had come at the right time as many elections are planned for the next couple of years, and civil society advocacy for free, fair, transparent and credible electoral proces ses have also been intensified.
An important meeting was held at the Goree Institute on August 3-5, 2004, where 12 regional institutions participated in discussions regarding the setting up of a Civil Society Organisations Alliance to support and engage constructively in elections within the region. The three day meeting resolved that the initiative had come at the right time as many elections are planned for the next couple of years, and civil society advocacy for free, fair, transparent and credible electoral proces ses have also been intensified. The participants agreed to support the objectives and programmes outlined below.
Mission Statement
Contribute to Consolidating Democracy through free, fair, transparent and credible electoral processes in West Africa.
Strategic Objective
To create an Alliance of civil society organisations; whose core business is elections; to strengthen and support democratic electoral processes in West Africa, through the promotion of electoral Norms and Standards that reflect the conditions in the sub region, and to develop a strategic relationship with the Electoral Management Bodies (EMB).
Immediate Objectives
* To establish a Secretariat at the Goree Institute to oversee the process of establishing the Alliance.
* To establish an Alliance Of Civil Society Organisations involved in electoral issues in all countries in West Africa by establishing National Focal Points in each country.
* To establish a Joint Forum of the Alliance and EMBs in the sub-region Activities The Secretariat will carry out the following activities:
(a) Undertake research to identify CSOs working in the electoral arena in West Africa (b) Draft Criteria for Membership of the Alliance together with Terms of Reference, Rules and Regulations, and Code of Conduct (c) Commission research and draft Electoral Norms and Standards for further consultation (d) Deploy election observer missions to countries holding elections to build capacity/test draft Norms and Standards (e) Build capacity of CSOs to undertake observer missions (f) Support the establishment of an EMB Forum in collaboration with ECOWAS, UNOWA, and other partners (g) Formally launch the Alliance