Meeting summary Notes for ANCSO General Assembly (September/05/2024) - African Network of Civil Society Organizations (ANCSO)

 AFRICAN NETWORK OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS (ANCSO)

 

Meeting summary for ANCSO General Assembly (September/05/2024)

 

QUICK RECAP

Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje led discussions on the progress made since the last gathering, the adoption of a draft agenda, and the proposal of creating national advisory committees in Africa. The team also deliberated on establishing leadership committees in each country, voting procedures, and the formation of a triennial convention for the network. Lastly, the necessity of African organizations being registered in host countries before holding meetings, the establishment of Country Advisory Committees, and the need for members to focus on one technical working group each were discussed.

DECISIONS/NEXT STEPS FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HELD VIRTUALLY ON 5 SEPTEMBER 2024

• ANCSO President to head-hunt and appoint a representative from North Africa for the steering group.

• The steering group secretary will finalize and share the terms of reference for the steering group.

• Steering Group Secretary to coordinate the preparation of draft terms of reference for hosting ANCSO's biennial conventions by respective countries.

• All members to choose and belong to only one Technical Working Group, within 7 days, i.e. before close of business on 11 September 2024.

• Country Advisory Committees to be set up for each country based on the criteria approved by this general assembly session.

• Country Advisory Committees to submit bids for hosting the biennial convention.

• All members to suggest organizations that ANCSO should reach out to and introduce itself for support and collaboration.

• Steering group to implement the decision of biennial conventions with virtual Annual General Meetings in between.

• All members to use the self-introduction template in the chat box to introduce themselves if they haven't already.

• Steering group to follow up on setting up Country Advisory Committees and introducing them to their respective country leaderships.

SELF-INTRODUCTION AND MEETING AGENDA

Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje welcomed attendees like Augustine, Emmanuel, and Fred to the meeting. Fred initially introduced himself verbally but was reminded by Dr. Adirieje to use the self-introduction template in the chat instead. The meeting agenda and self-introduction template were shared, and attendees like Balkhisa and Fred introduced themselves using the template. The meeting was set to start shortly after the introductions.

‘ANCSO’ PROGRESS AND ACTION POINTS UPDATE

Dr.-Uzodinma-Adirieje-ANCSO-AHOA led a meeting that focused on the progress made since the last gathering and the adoption of a draft agenda. The team discussed various action points from the last assembly, including the development of terms of reference and the creation of WhatsApp groups for all members and committees. The appointment of a representative from North Africa for the steering group was also discussed, with Dr. Uzodinma still working on this task. The conversation ended with the adoption of the meeting notes and an emphasis on the importance of members staying updated through the ANCSO WhatsApp platform.

NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES FOR AFRICA

Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje proposed the creation of national advisory committees in Africa to serve as a bridge between the steering group and respective countries. The committees would liaise with the governance systems in their countries and report back on any issues or needs. The proposal was supported by several members, including Modupe from Nigeria, Julia from Kenya, and Ekaette from Nigeria. The structure of the committees was clarified, emphasizing their focus on individual countries rather than regions. The motion to establish these committees was approved, with the next step being to determine the appropriate number of members for each committee.

LEADERSHIP COMMITTEES COUNTRY-WIDE DISCUSSION

Dr. Uzodinma led a discussion on establishing leadership committees in each country, with a minimum of three members. The team debated the appropriate number of committee members, with suggestions ranging from three to seven, and considered factors such as country size and regional differences for representation. The decision on the number of committee members was not reached, but a range of values for a certain parameter was agreed upon, with a minimum of three and a maximum of seven, to be odd for better economic implications. Voting on this matter had closed.

COUNTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE ELECTION AND VOTING PROCEDURES

Dr.-Uzodinma-Adirieje-ANCSO-AHOA led a discussion on voting procedures and the formation of a country advisory committee. The team counted the number of votes and identified that seven members were elected to the committee. However, there were some issues with double voting and voting after the polls had closed. The team also discussed the importance of maintaining a clear voting process to ensure fair and accurate results.

TRIENNIAL CONVENTION PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULING

Dr. Uzodinma proposed the establishment of a triennial convention for the network, with virtual annual general meetings in the two years leading up to the convention. This proposal was supported by the majority of the members present. The convention would serve as a gathering for all members to take stock of the leadership's stewardship and to strategize for moving ahead. Dr. Uzodinma presented two options for the organization's convention and general meeting schedule, leaving the decision to a vote, with considerations for costs, affordability, and participation. It was also mentioned that in the third year, the convention would be physical.

ORGANIZATION'S BIENNIAL CONVENTION HOST SELECTION PROCESS

Dr. Uzodinma led a voting process to decide between options A and B for the organization's biennial convention, with option B winning by a 14-vote margin. The team also discussed the establishment of country advisory committees before selecting a host country for the convention. Aniedi proposed that the host country should be the chairperson's country, but Dr. Uzodinma clarified that no country has a contract advisory committee yet. Polycarp suggested discussing minimum security and financial thresholds for potential host countries, while Emmanuel raised questions about the legal status of the organization and the transparency of the selection process. Muawia supported the idea of having country advisory committees and suggested that the General Assembly could be used to decide the host country for the convention.

AFRICAN ORGANIZATIONS' REGISTRATION AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES

Dr.-Uzodinma-Adirieje-ANCSO-AHOA-AHOA led a discussion on the necessity of African organizations being registered in host countries before holding meetings. He suggested that a Country Advisory Committee should be established to submit bids for each country, which would then form the bulk of the local organizing committee. This proposal was agreed upon by Aniedi and Ekaette. The discussion also touched on the need for background checks by host countries before allowing African organizations to hold meetings.

COUNTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE'S BID PROCESS DISCUSSED

The Country Advisory Committee was tasked with submitting the bid to the General Assembly through the steering group. A proposal was put forward by Bonsile from Eswatini suggesting that if a country bid to host the convention and won, they should host for three consecutive years, with another country from a different region then able to bid. This proposal was well-received and considered for implementation. The decision-making process for hosting the upcoming event was discussed, with a focus on fairness and giving every region a chance to host. The first host country was decided to be Gambia from West Africa, with another host country to be announced in June.

FORMATION OF COUNTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEES AND ‘TWG’ FOCUS

Dr.-Uzodinma-Adirieje-ANCSO-AHOA led a discussion on the formation of country advisory committees and the need for members to focus on one technical working group (TWG) each to increase efficiency. The attendees introduced their organizations and countries, and a voting process was conducted to decide that each member should belong to only one TWG. Muawia raised two main issues: the need for members to introduce themselves before making any statements and the structure of the network. Shalom, who joined the meeting late, introduced himself and expressed his support for the network. Dr.-Uzodinma-Adirieje-ANCSO-AHOA reiterated the importance of self-introduction for attendance recording and thanked all attendees for their participation. 

Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje

President, ANCSO/Steering Group