Accra, May 20, GNA-Director and Founder of a Senegal-based Lumiere Synergie Development (LSD), Aly Marie Sagne has called for the African Development Bank (AfDB) to work with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to efficiently serve the people of the continent.
The leader of the research, lobby and advocacy organisation said that the partnership was crucial to help reduce poverty, improve living conditions for Africans and also mobilize resources for the continent’s economic and social development.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, Mr Marie Sagne said that the partnership between Civil Society Organisations and African Development Bank was not visible as there were somewhat different nature, approaches and perspectives existing between them.
“Civil Society and the African Development Bank Group are partners and should work together, hand to hand to serve the African people. But in reality, things are a little bit different. And I think that it’s just about corporate culture and also because of a misunderstanding from each side of our different nature, approach, and perspectives. So, we came a long way, and I am confident we are on the right path. This partnership is continuous work and needs to be built for years. But, we have a long way to go,” he said.
He stressed that his organization, being one of the most African CSO focus and work-oriented on the AfDB Group over the last 10 years, it was trying to mobilize and coordinate the civil society community efforts, not only in Africa but globally, to effectively engage with the continental Development Finance Institution.
To make the coordination a reality, Mr Sagne said his organization Lumiere Synergie Development (LSD-Senegal) had partnered with Bank Information Centre (BIC) and Accountability Counsel (AC) to host a three-day capacity building and strategy workshop from 23rd to 25th of May alongside the African Development Bank Annual Meeting.
The aim of this workshop, he said, was to advance discussions among CSOs about the key issues related to the African Development Bank Group policies, such as the Integrated Safeguards System, the Disclosure and Access to Information policy, the new Independent Recourse Mechanism, its climate policy, and strategies to advance a just, inclusive, green, and sustainable energy transition for Africa.
He indicated that all these policies were meant to facilitate civil society engagement with the bank in a view to effectively participate in the life of the bank, make their voices heard and help strengthen and sustain the bank’s achievements, and finally hold the AfDB accountable.
“We would like to support AfDB to keep its mission: “to help reduce poverty, improve living conditions for Africans and mobilize resources for the continent’s economic and social development.”
“So, at the policy level, the Bank has a Civil Society Engagement Framework, which is supported at the institutional level by the Bank – Civil Society Committee, which comprises of Bank Management and Civil Society Organization members”, he mentioned.
The group plans to make strong recommendations to the AfDB
Source: Ghana News Agency
