The Steering Committee for the
African Civil Society Organization. (ACSO/SC)

1. Creation and Mandate

The civil society Forum on the Draft Constitution of the United States of Africa, held in Yaounde in Cameroon from 24 to 26 January 2000, has, among other things, set up a follow-up committee, which has been called The Steering Committee for the African Civil Society Organization (ACSO/SC). This committee is mandated to:

1. Transmit the Draft Constitution of the United States of Africa resulting from this Forum, to whomever it may concern, especially to the Secretary-General of the OAU and to African governments;
2. Popularize this Draft to all Africans and especially to as many organizations of the African civil society as possible;
3. Prepare the Constituent Assembly of ACSO by taking all the necessary measures so that it takes place in August 2000, during the first summit of the African civil society in Goree in Senegal. In this perspective, the Committee will have to prepare the draft statutes of ACSO, and disseminate it to all potential member organizations. It will equally reflect on minimal activities that can serve as a common program to member organizations of the future ACSO.

2. Composition of the Steering Committee of the ACSO.

ACSO, as outlined in the Draft Constitution of the United States of Africa resulting from the Yaounde Forum, is a confederation regrouping Panafrican federations of organizations of the African civil society. It is therefore an association of continental federations.

Leaders of these federations or their duly mandated representatives, present at the Yaounde forum were designated to constitute the first nucleus of the ACSO Steering Committee . Leaders of Panafrican organizations of a regional or sub-regional scale may also be part of this nucleus.

A minimal organizational structure of the committee was also put in place.

As a result, the representatives of the following organizations were elected members of the Bureau of the ACSO Steering Committee:

1. Panafrican Federation of OAU Associations and Clubs (President);
2. Panafrican Federation for the Fight against Tribalism (Secretary);
3. Africaphonie(Vice-Secretary)
4. Central African Federation of Associations for Handicapped Persons (Treasurer)
   The Steering Committee so constituted will expand to integrate leaders of an ever-increasing number of transnational organizations of the African civil society.

This committee will be dissolved at the opening of the constituent assembly of ACSO, at the first summit of the African civil society, to take place at the symbolic island of Goree in Senegal, from 25 to 31 august 2000.