FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Representatives of civil society organisations from 13 African countries committed themselves to effective collaboration across the continent to ensure that the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance comes into force by the end of December 2010, with the aim of achieving full ratification and implementation by 2015.

They will actively engage parliament, political parties, relevant state institutions, the media and others to expedite the ratification process.

Delegates from 36 civil society organisations from Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone and South Africa made this declaration (see attachment) after a two-day meeting in Pretoria, South Africa, where they discussed strategies for mobilising broad-based support among civil society organisations, state institutions, African political parties, regional economic communities and others, for the popularisation, ratification and implementation of the Charter, which was adopted by the 8th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly in January 2007.

For more information, contact Stefan Gilbert of Idasa’s Political Governance Programme on 27 12 3920535.

Visit our website at www.idasa.org