Abuja declaration from the African SOTF dialogue - Side event

The workshop at the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference (9-10 May in Nairobi) will focus on the recently prepared Abuja Declaration and the wider report recommendations coming out of the 4-6 March 2024 Africa Summit of the Future Dialogue in Abuja.

The Abuja Declaration is intended to add the voices of African experts: academia, think tank policy researchers, diplomats, practitioners, civil society organizations, women, youth, traditional institutions, and faith-based organizations. A working document has been produced as outcome report on the theme, “the Africa We Want and the UN We Need,” in fulfillment of the aspirations from an African perspective for an inclusive and effective global multilateralism where the UN is pivotal. Arising from the UN@75 commitments to review the future of international cooperation in order to meet the diverse and difficult challenges faced by multilateral institutions, the Abuja Declaration draws inspiration from, among other key documents and policy briefs, the UN Secretary General’s Our Common Agenda in 2021 and his commissioned High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism (A Breakthrough for People and Planet) in 2023.

In addition, the workshop will afford an opportunity for participants to learn about and contribute to a new African Research Network on Regional and Global Governance Innovation, which is introduced to take forward the Abuja Declaration and its associated recommendations. The purpose of the Nairobi workshop, therefore, is to present the Abuja Declaration and associated Africa SOTF Dialogue recommendations for peer review and further input, while helping to lay the groundwork for standing-up the new African Research Network.

Please note, this is an invite-only event.

Speakers/Participants

• • Peace, Security and Defence: Speaker, Colonel (Rtd) Dr. Abdulwahab Ademola Lawal, Head of Research, Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, and Co-facilitator of the Nairobi workshop.
• • Sustainable Development and Democratic Governance: Speaker, Ms Florence Syevuo, Executive Director, SDG Kenya Forum, and Co-Chair, Coalition for the UN We Need, Nairobi.
• • Human Rights and Humanitarian Action: Speaker, Mr Cleophas Angwenyi, Head of Office & AU Representative, Oxfam AU Liaison Office.
• • Climate Governance: Speaker, Prof Alice Odingo, University of Nairobi, Vice President, Academic Council on the UN System, and Co-facilitator of the Nairobi workshop.
• • Rules-Based World Order and the Place of Africa in the Global Governance, Speaker, Dr. Mikatekiso Kubayi, Institute for Global Dialogue, South Africa.
• • Presentation of the Africa Research Network on Regional & Global Governance Innovation. Speaker, Ambassador Sani Bala, Executive Director, Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development.