ECOSOCC holds Symposium for CSOs on Peace, Climate Change and Migration in Accra

The Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (AU ECOSOCC) has held a 2-day symposium for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other relevant stakeholders on the Nexus of Peace and Security, Climate Security and Migration in Accra, Ghana.

The event which was in collaboration with Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and other key stakeholders, seeks to enhance the participation of African Civil Society within the framework crucial for implementing a long-term development, peacebuilding, adaptation and disaster risk reduction policies in affected communities.

At the opening ceremony of the symposium, Head of the Peace Cluster Of ECOSOCC, Dr. Johnathan Sandy, stated that, ECOSOCC and the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), are celebrating two decades of existence within the African Union ecosystem. He underscored the need for an introspection on the Economic growth rate of the African continent since the establishment of the African Union.

Dr. Sandy noted that, as participants deliberates on peace and security on the continent, the foundation of peace should be the economic development of member states and individuals in the various regions, hence the need to tackle the rising cost of living on the continent.

“What the citizens are worried about right now apart from the Climate Change conversation we going to have, is the rising cost of living and economic hardship. Protest are all over the place,” he added.

Dr. Sandy admitted that, the growth rate of Africa as projected by the Africa Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank (WB) before the global health crises of Covid-19, was over 6% and therefore the resultant effect of COVID-19 has led to economic meltdown of many African economies bringing untoward hardship on their citizens. He admonished participants to deliberate on innovative ways of turning around the economies of these African countries to enforce growth and development.

He also encouraged participants to deliberate on comprehensive policy paper on the nexus of peace and security, Climate change and migration issue to enhance the cooperation and partnership among the AU member states with strategic and actionable recommendations to the Union and other organs with the African Union mechanism.

After the 2-day engagement, the participants made relevant recommendations consolidating perspectives and expertise from relevant participants on the challenges of Climate Change and Migration. They also developed recommendations and solutions to Climate-induced migration across the African continent.

Closing the program, Head of Secretariat of AU ECOSOCC, William Carew, expressed satisfaction with the active engagement of the participants in bringing insight, concerns and recommendations that are vital for a pragmatic approach to issues of Peace, Climate Change and Migration.

He encouraged the participants to continue to build synergies with other CSOs and ECOSOCC to comprehensively deal with issues raised on Climate-induced migration at the grassroot and national levels. Mr. Carew further revealed that the recommendations made by the participants will serve as a road map for curtailing Climate induced Migration and therefore assured of ECOSOCC’s commitment to making history together with all relevant stakeholders.

By Derrick Botsyoe and Jeorge Wilson Kingson