Citizens Directorate (CIDO)

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Citizens Directorate (CIDO)
CIDO-AU Commission
P O Box 3243
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel: +251 115 51 3822
Email: cido@africa-union.org

Contact: Dr. Jinmi Adisa

Description

The Citizens Directorate began as the Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa (CSSDCA), established through a declaration of the OAU Summit in Lome, Togo in 2000. Hence, one of the CSSDCA’s primary functions of the CSSDCA was to facilitate the implementation of the Protocol establishing the Peace and Security Council (2000), especially Article 20 which called for the inclusion of civil society and its participation. CSSDCA soon became the focal point for civil society at the AU Commission. It organized conferences and meetings that sought to include civil society in the affairs of the AU. The first Civil Society-OAU conferences took place under the auspices of the CSSDCA. With the new configuration at the AU level, and the establishment of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), CSSDCA was transformed into a new full directorate within the Commission.

CIDO runs three programs: Civil Society, Diaspora and ECOSOCC Secretariat. Under the Civil Society Program, CIDO has facilitated and hosted pre-Summit meetings. The last of these was in Accra, July 2007. Further CIDO has held meetings on the AU-EU Joint Strategy meetings for Africa’s Development. CIDO has also facilitated civil society-AU relations, although civil society organizations can still maintain direct relations with other departments. CIDO is also involved in the development of policies to ensure a plan of action for effective and sustainable relations between citizens and their governments as well as between CSOs and the peace, security and democracy and good governance agenda of the AU.