ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – A workshop to discuss and improve on a Draft Communication and Advocacy Strategy of the African Union, jointly elaborated by the Division of Communication and Information (DCI) of the African Union and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representation to the African Union in Addis Ababa, opened today Wednesday 17 September 2008 at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

For two days, participants will brainstorm on a framework to improve communication and advocacy in the African Union.

Speaking while presiding at the opening ceremony, the Head of the DCI, Mrs. Habiba Mejri-Cheikh Habiba, said, the information, communications and advocacy strategy is intended to be a dynamic instrument, isolating key objectives, audiences and themes and associating them with appropriate channels. “It also ensures flexibility to respond to changing circumstances in a changing world”. She underscored the need to involve all the actors in the domain of communication from the African Union regional offices, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the AU organs, and the AU partners to share their experiences and good practices with a view to enriching the document that will project a balanced image of Africa worldwide.

The Director of the UNFPA Liaison Office, Ms. Etta Tadesse on her part lauded the Division of Communication and Information for organizing the workshop on communication, which she said is the key to development in Africa. She said, due to the many challenges Africa is facing, there is need to call on every African to contribute in his/her own way to the integration of the continent. “This has to be done by dissemination of information about the African Union by involving the media at all levels while monitoring feedback to be able to respond to the demands of the population including the stakeholders”, she said.

According to the Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union,

Mrs. Rhoda Peace TUMUSIIME, the workshop to validate a strategy for Communication and Information for the African Union is timely as the Union needs more visibility and advocacy to showcase its present and future activities given that the global community needs to know more about Africa. ” It is important for the different Departments of the AU to interact and galvanise their various communication activities to ensure fruitful management of the AU”, she explained.

Participants at the workshop listened to a presentation on the « Framework for Information, Communication and Advocacy » by Dr. George Ngwa, Communication Expert, UNFPA; the presentation of the the DCI Work Plan 2008-2011, outlining in a pragmatic and operational manner the implementation of the communication and sensitisation process adopted by the African Union for the next four years, was done by Mrs. Habiba MEJRI-CHEIKH, DCI Head; a presentation of the Current AU communication and Advocacy practices in the DCI by Mrs. Wynne MUSABAYANA, Communication Expert and a presentation of the AU website by Mrs. Christiane Yanrou, Senior Web-Administrator at the African Union Commission.

Representatives from the following AU Organs presented the state of communication in their respective structures. They are: the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Department of Peace and Security of the AU, the AU Mission in New York, USA, the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Nairobi branch, and the Semi-Arid Food Grain Research and Development the (SAFGRAD).

Other participants at the workshop include: Communication Officials from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), “Communauté économique des Etats de l’Afrique centrale” (CEEAC), East African Community (EAC), African Development Bank (ADB), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),

African Child Policy Forum, AU Mission in Geneva, AU Mission in Brussels, AU Office Lilongwe, and Departments of the African Union Commission.

The Workshop for the validation of the African Union Framework for Information, Communication and Advocacy ends tomorrow Thursday 18 September 2008.

SOURCE : African Union Commission (AUC)