More than 100 civil society organisations from across Africa gathered in Nairobi for the Social Innovation Pavilion Summit on Sunday, with the discussions on democracy, governance, human rights, regional security and artificial intelligence dominating the agenda ahead of the Africa Forward Summit.
During the discussions, the groups revealed that they had identified 60 areas of focus, which were documented in a white paper prepared for submission to the heads of state at the summit.
The recommendations include championing good governance, using African minerals for community autonomy and security, inclusive governance, maternal and childhood health, reforming institutions, building endogenous democratic models and digital technologies, ensuring material security and the rule of law, and addressing gender, democracy and the transformation of power relations, among other issues.
According to the civil rights groups, African countries will head in the right direction in terms of development if the leaders address the issues handed over to them.
More than 30 heads of state are expected to attend the two-day event, which will be opened by President William Ruto and President Emmanuel Macron of France.
Addressing the media at Strathmore University, where the event was held, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’Oei said that the country is committed to championing stronger constitutional systems that protect democratic values and human rights across Africa.
“Participation of the people is extremely central in Kenyan governance and every decision of the government is checked by other independence institutions including Parliament and the courts and the court of public opinion. Good governance is a central motive of development, without which you cannot archive sustainable development,” PS Sing’Oei said.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) – Kenya Executive Director Demas Kiprono said that the African continent is rich, yet most of its countries were struggling to sustain the lives of its people as well as the inclusion of the youth.
“In most African countries, there is a lot of disquiet among the youth about how they are governed. How do we ensure that governance translates into being able to have better livelihoods. All the computers, laptops, all phones have minerals that come from Africa yet the Africans themselves are not reaping the benefits of it. How does technology ensure that the lives are transformed in Africa?” Mr Kiprono posed.
They also stated that part of the agenda is to push for inter-Africa trade, and the transaction within the region, which will create more employment opportunities for the locals.
Director General of the Innovation Foundation for Democracy Achille Mbembe, who convened the event said that Africa faces emerging governance challenges that threaten the state of democracy.
He stated the White Paper is expected to lay down a roadmap for addressing the key governance and democracy challenges facing the continent, while also setting clear timelines for implementation and accountability.
“We are looking at the ways where our continent, Africa, can remain autonomous and use its natural resources, technology, for the service of its people and do it in an inclusive manner on the basis of models engineers by ourselves,” Mr Mbembe said.
The director general said that the 60 proposals have been canvased, studied and formulated by the experts and discussed by various organisations and communities, ready for submission.
“It begins with our resources, which we own a lot. We will present to the heads of states and hope that they will take them into account in formulating public policies. We would also take them to our organisations.”
The Africa Forward Summit, which is Africa–France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth, aims to demonstrate the African continent’s innovation capacity and affirm a shared commitment to developing common, mutually beneficial solutions based on effective multilateralism and a spirit of transformative partnership.
This is the first time that the summit is being held in Kenya and hosted by a non-francophone country.
Kenya has partnered with France for decades and is home to over 150 French companies that have employed hundreds of locals and improved innovation in various sectors.
