2024 WACSOF PEOPLES FORUM
9th – 10th October 2024
Background
The West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) was created in 2003 with the support and approval of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Since then, it has served as the institutionalized umbrella body of Civil Society Organizations for all the 15 West African states. Over the years since its creation, WACSOF has developed different strategies, programs and institutional mechanisms, with the objective of effectively mobilizing CSOs across the region to compliment and support the efforts of ECOWAS to implement regional integration and development programs.
A very important tool used by WACSOF in mobilizing civil society to contribute to regional integration and development in the region has been the WACSOF Peoples Forum. The WACSOF Peoples Forum is a gathering of all the representatives of West African CSOs and partners under the auspices of WACSOF. In accordance with Article 6(3) (a) of the WACSOF Charter, the Peoples Forum stands as the supreme policy organ of the institution to provide sustained guidance to the Secretariat in implementing the organization’s mandate. The Peoples Forum meets every 2 years to convey a General Assembly. This Assembly provides a platform for review of the forums impact and institutional effectiveness along the following key lines:
- A review of the results and outcomes of WACSOF’s programs and activities towards increasing their relevance and impact;
- Review of the organization’s policies and strategies to identify and address critical operational issues that affect organizational effectiveness and efficiency;
- Renewing the mandate of its governance structures through the election of a new Executive Committee (Administrative Board); and,
- Identification of new priorities to inform its work over a period of 2 years through analytical discussions of the prevailing regional context of West Africa
It has been 8 years since the last WACSOF Peoples Forum was convened in 2016. This situation has created a gap in the organization’s normal institutional development process. In the face of such an anomaly, the institution has found itself struggling to assert its relevance, while also gradually descending into the abyss of ineffectiveness in the actualization of its goals and mandate. Such a fundamental institutional development challenge must be urgently addressed. It is within this context that the 2024 WACSOF Peoples Forum shall be convened on 9th -10th October 2024 under the theme, “Strengthening WACSOF for greater impact in an ECOWAS of Peoples.”
Justification and Relevance
As an umbrella body for civil society organizations in West Africa, WACSOF is expected to elaborate mechanisms and implement programs to ensure effective mobilization of civil society for meaningful impact in regional integration, stability and development across West Africa. While several of the organization’s programs and activities in years past are laudable, it has faced several institutional challenges over the years. This has in fact been highlighted by several institutional assessment reports and plans of WACSOF over time. These assessment results have highlighted several specific needs for institutional strengthening, including the following:
- Need for a review of the WACSOF institutional structures in order to clarify overlaps and conflict in their functions
- Need to strengthen the operational systems of WACSOF by updating, re-designing and implementing key internal policies and frameworks to improve institutional relevance;
- Need to attract skillful and dynamic staff at the Secretariat as well as other operatives of the organization including Executive Committee Members and National Coordinators/ Focal points in the different countries, and consultants;
- Need to design and implement effective mobilization and outreach strategies to ensure that the insights and efforts of the organization’s stakeholders (member civil society organizations and partners), at both the national and thematic levels; and,
- Identification of new priorities to inform its work over a period of 2 years through analytical discussions of the prevailing regional context of West Africa
It has been 8 years since the last WACSOF Peoples Forum was convened in 2016. This situation has created a gap in the organization’s normal institutional development process. In the face of such an anomaly, the institution has found itself struggling to assert its relevance, while also gradually descending into the abyss of ineffectiveness in the actualization of its goals and mandate. Such a fundamental institutional development challenge must be urgently addressed. It is within this context that the 2024 WACSOF Peoples Forum shall be convened on 9th -10th October 2024 under the theme, “Strengthening WACSOF for greater impact in an ECOWAS of Peoples.”
Justification and Relevance
As an umbrella body for civil society organizations in West Africa, WACSOF is expected to elaborate mechanisms and implement programs to ensure effective mobilization of civil society for meaningful impact in regional integration, stability and development across West Africa. While several of the organization’s programs and activities in years past are laudable, it has faced several institutional challenges over the years. This has in fact been highlighted by several institutional assessment reports and plans of WACSOF over time. These assessment results have highlighted several specific needs for institutional strengthening, including the following:
- Need for a review of the WACSOF institutional structures in order to clarify overlaps and conflict in their functions
- Need to strengthen the operational systems of WACSOF by updating, re-designing and implementing key internal policies and frameworks to improve institutional relevance;
- Need to attract skillful and dynamic staff at the Secretariat as well as other operatives of the organization including Executive Committee Members and National Coordinators/ Focal points in the different countries, and consultants;
- Need to design and implement effective mobilization and outreach strategies to ensure that the insights and efforts of the organization’s stakeholders (member civil society organizations and partners), at both the national and thematic levels; and,
The overall goal of the 2023 WACSOF Peoples Forum is to initiate a process of institutional renewal for WACSOF through a refresh of the organization’s leadership and the adoption of key priorities for deepening the organization’s impact into the future.
Specific objectives of the Forum include the following:
- To adopt a practical and indicative roadmap for increasing the overall institutional effectiveness of WACSOF including the strengthening of its institutional set-up and deepening the relevance of its engagement
- To select new Executive Committee Members for effective policy-level guidance and oversight in the implementation of the organization’s activities and programs
Description of Activities
In relation to the theme of institutional strengthening, the forthcoming WACSOF Peoples Forum will not just be an event that takes place during the officially designated meeting days. It would build-up from the national level and come together at the regional level during the official two meeting days of the Peoples Forum. Hence, the process shall begin with a set of pre-forum national consultations.
Below is a description of the sequence of activities to be carried out as part of the 2024 WACSOF Peoples Forum activities:
- Pre-Forum National Consultations
- Main Sessions of the WACSOF Peoples Forum
Pre-Forum National Consultations
In the build up to the 2024 WACSOF Peoples Forum, the WACSOF Secretariat in collaboration with the Members of the Planning and Organizing Committee from each country shall carry out a series of Pre-Forum National Consultative Meetings to lay a solid path towards the conduct of an inclusive 2024 WACSOF Peoples Forum. These national Consultations shall serve the purpose of effectively examining the national conditions of each country as well as isolate the key priorities of civil society in the different countries. The national consultations, which will take place between 10th September 2024 and 8th October 2024 for all the countries and shall have the following objectives:
- To examine different aspects of the national contexts in the different countries and identify key emerging issues and entry points for civil society engagement.
- To review the thoughts and perspectives of civil society concerning the various challenges that WACSOF is currently facing.
- To select delegates that shall represent each country during the main sessions of the WACSOF Peoples Forum
- To elect Members that shall represent the different countries on the executive Committee (this objective is mainly for countries that are eligible to take up seats in the WACSOF Executive Committee, including Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau).
Insights from these national level meetings will be synthesized into a summary report that shall be presented during the main sessions of the WACSOF Peoples Forum on 9th & 10th October 2024.
Main Sessions of the 2024 WACSOF Peoples Forum
The WACSOF Peoples Forum would hold in accordance with the following configuration:
Day 1: 9th October 2024 [11:00 GMT – 15:00 GMT]
- Session 1[15 Minutes]: Opening Session
- Session 2 [45 Minutes]: Discussion on the theme: WACSOF – Past, Present and Future (It will underscore the history, evolution and current challenges of WACSOF and provide suggestions for the Way Forward) – by General Secretary
- Session 3 [60 Minutes]: Discussion of issues in the National context of each country (Summary reports of national level consultations, including announcement of nominations of New Executive Committee Members) – by Members of the Planning and organizing committee from each country;
- Health Break [15 Minutes]
- Session 4 [45 Minutes]: Review of contextual developments in West Africa with relevance to civil society engagement;
- Session 5 [20 Minutes]: General Commentary;
- Session 6 [10 Minutes]: Closing Session
Day 2: 10th October 2024 [11:00 GMT – 13:00 GMT]
- To examine different aspects of the national contexts in the different countries and identify key emerging issues and entry points for civil society engagement.
- To review the thoughts and perspectives of civil society concerning the various challenges that WACSOF is currently facing.
- To select delegates that shall represent each country during the main sessions of the WACSOF Peoples Forum
- To elect Members that shall represent the different countries on the executive Committee (this objective is mainly for countries that are eligible to take up seats in the WACSOF Executive Committee, including Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau).
Insights from these national level meetings will be synthesized into a summary report that shall be presented during the main sessions of the WACSOF Peoples Forum on 9th & 10th October 2024.
Main Sessions of the 2024 WACSOF Peoples Forum
The WACSOF Peoples Forum would hold in accordance with the following configuration:
Day 1: 9th October 2024 [11:00 GMT – 15:00 GMT]
- Session 1[15 Minutes]: Opening Session
- Session 2 [45 Minutes]: Discussion on the theme: WACSOF – Past, Present and Future (It will underscore the history, evolution and current challenges of WACSOF and provide suggestions for the Way Forward) – by General Secretary
- Session 3 [60 Minutes]: Discussion of issues in the National context of each country (Summary reports of national level consultations, including announcement of nominations of New Executive Committee Members) – by Members of the Planning and organizing committee from each country;
- Health Break [15 Minutes]
- Session 4 [45 Minutes]: Review of contextual developments in West Africa with relevance to civil society engagement;
- Session 5 [20 Minutes]: General Commentary;
- Session 6 [10 Minutes]: Closing Session
Day 2: 10th October 2024 [11:00 GMT – 13:00 GMT]
- Members of the Planning Committee representing each country
- Currently serving Executive Committee Members across the region
- Civil society representatives, including of all kinds from the different countries of West Africa
- key civil society regional networks in West Africa (including WACSI, WANEP, MFWA, WADEMOS, WAWA, WILDAF, etc.)
- Veteran civil society leaders, opinion molders, supporters and enthusiasts across West Africa to also serve as Delegates during the event.
Observers: Aside the speakers, WACSOF’s partners shall also be invited to participate in the meeting as observers. Technical and financial partners, being also stakeholders of the organization shall be encouraged to participate in the meeting as Observers. They shall have the right to share thoughts and opinions. This group shall also include media representatives and members of the WACSOF Secretariat, who shall participate in administering the meeting and ensuring that it runs smoothly
Working LANGUAGES
The working language of the forum shall be English, French and Portuguese. Simultaneous interpretation services will be provided.
