The European Council ad hoc working group met on the 5 September. Several CSO representatives were invited to discuss peace and security issues as well as cross-cutting issues, such as the implementation and monitoring of the Strategy and the new institutional architecture.
The CSOs present were headed by EPLO, the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office, and included several of its Member Organisations: International Alert, the Quaker Council for European Affairs, Saferworld, International Centre for Transitional Justice and Search for Common Ground. The different CSOs made presentations covering 6 different aspects: cross-cutting issues; EU-AU crisis management capacity; conflict sensitivity; impunity; implementation and the role of civil society. Their presentations were followed by discussions with the representatives of the Presidency, the Commission, the Council and the member states.
Overall the format of the ad hoc working group meeting was perceived as a good start in building up more systematic interaction among the Council, Commission, member states and civil society.
The ad hoc working group was created in May in order for all Member States to closely follow the preparation of the EU-Africa Summit and of the new joint EU-Africa Strategy. It is scheduled to meet before each meeting of the drafting committee / experts negotiating the Strategy.
Download the ECDPM report of the meeting – doc ; pdf
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