A mechanism for youth and civil society participation in the AU-EU Partnership

What is the Africa-EU Partnership?

The Africa-EU Partnership is a multi-actor partnership guided by the EU and African Union
(AU) Member States. It is a space to engage in political and policy dialogues, and define the
cooperative relationship between the EU and Africa.
What is this proposal about?
This proposal aims to establish a mechanism for civil society and youth engagement with
the Africa-EU Partnership, based on principles of transparency, equal participation,
accessibility and inclusion.
Who will be involved?
The Civil Society Mechanism will be open to all African, European and Diaspora CSOs, youth
organizations and peasant organisations, prioritising those directly representing the
marginalized and most affected sectors.
What will it do?
The Civil Society Mechanism will facilitate CSOs’ participation in co-setting the Partnership’s
agenda, decisions and initiatives and preparing and following AU-EU Summits, ministerial
meetings and Commission-to-Commission meetings. It will also host timely and strategic
open dialogues, panels and forums for civil society and youth actors to develop their
positions and strategies. Finally, it will be an accountability tool to ensure that AU-EU
agreed-upon actions are implemented and close the feedback loop.
How will it be organised?
The Civil Society Mechanism will have a Coordination Committee composed of focal points
selected by each constituency of the most affected sectors, with criteria for eligibility
including being a leader within a civil society or youth organization, with a commitment to
the organizing principles, good communication and network skills, and ability to facilitate
the participation of members of their constituency or sub-region.
The Civil Society Mechanism develops its positions through working groups that it
establishes on issues relevant to the AU-EU Partnership. The working groups are open to
participation by all interested African, European and Diaspora CSOs at all levels.
The Civil Society Mechanism is supported by a secretariat of two to five persons (African and
European). These are the only salaried positions in the Mechanism. Funding will be required
to support the work of the focal points and working groups.