CSOs pledges to enhance partaking in EAC integration process

Arusha. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have taken a bold stance, vowing to spearhead their peers’ participation in the East African Community (EAC) integration process.

The local civil societies had convened a forum during the just ended CSOs Week in Arusha to deliberate on their broad involvement in the EAC integration drive.

The meeting, which focused on the enabling national and regional policy and legislative frameworks for Tanzanian CSO engagement in EAC integration, saw significant attendance, reflecting the growing interest from ordinary citizens in integration matters and the EAC at large.

Executive Director of TANGO, Mr Adams Nsimba said: “We at TANGO, recognizing Tanzania as the host country for the EAC headquarters, aim to ensure that the voices within Tanzania Civil are heard and incorporated, setting an example for other civil society within the region”.

He explained that as country chapter leadership, TANGO believes legitimacy comes with transparency, consultation, and respect for people's views.

“We are determined to make our local chapter a model for regional integration. TANGO would work with the Ministry and submit issues raised by the CSO team to the relevant ministry” Mr Nsimba stressed.

Principal Gender and Community Development and Stakeholder Engagement Officer (EACS), Ms Generose Minani, highlighted the importance of national dialogues and praised Tanzanian CSOs for initiating the first regional meetings. 

“This will define our roles as citizens for the EAC integrations and make it genuinely people-centered integration, she stated.

Ms Minami urged CSOs to channel people's issues to the EACS, emphasizing the many available channels to facilitate this, including the forthcoming Secretary General’s forum, which is a people’s forum.

Executive Director of the East Africa Law Society, Mr David Sigano, emphasized the multiple avenues through which citizens can engage with the EAC Secretariat, from the summit level to the grassroots.

He called for the formalization of this engagement through the consultative dialogue framework for the private sector, civil society, and other interest groups in the EAC integration process.

Mr Sigano underscored the importance of having a model law by the CSOs and gauging the level of engagement to ensure progress towards people-centered integration as provided for in the treaties.

Executive Director for East African Civil Society Organization Forum (EACSOF), Ms. Lilian Alex, expressed optimism about working with CSOs to enhance awareness of the EAC integration process at the regional level.

Executive Director of the East Africa Health Platform (EHP), Ms Jonnia Mollel called for the mutual recognition of professionals within the EAC as a key stepping-stone to accelerate integration.

The Component Lead for Organization Development and Outreach, Mr Marius Weist, noted that GIZ has been supporting EAC integration on multiple fronts, including CSO engagement, with a special focus on enhancing legislative and policy frameworks to widen the space for CSOs and increase the participation of women and youth in decision-making processes within the region.

“Through the Leveraging Integration Frameworks for Trade in Services and Civil Society Organizations in the East African Community (LIFTED) project, GIZ has availed resources for CSO-led innovations with a call for applications currently ongoing,” he said.