DELEGATES from East Africa will meet in Kigali next week to brainstorm on The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance which is yet to be ratified by the African Union member states. The two day conference scheduled to begin on May 29 is organised by the department of political affairs of the African Union commission. The meeting will be held at Serena Hotel in Kigali. According to Joan Dolly Joiner, the African Union commissioner for political affairs, the main objective of this meeting is to make the charter known to member states as the ratification process goes on. Among other things, the meeting will be used to highlight the importance of the charter and the role it can play in enhancing good governance in Africa. Speaking to Sunday Times from Nairobi this week, Dr. Abdul Raheem Tajudeen, the Deputy Director of the Millenuim campaign at the United Nations Development Program, and one of the people who will chair the debate, said that the Kigali meeting will be used as a platform to speed up the ratification process and also ensure that the message of good governance is disseminated. During this meeting, Ambassador Emile Ognimba, political affairs director at the African Union, will deliver a keynote address giving an overview of the charter process and give a historical background of the charter. The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance was adopted in January 2007 during the 8th Summit of Heads of States and Governments of the African Union held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ends
