Civil society wants to monitor CHOGM
Mar 17, 2007
CIVIL society organisations are spearheading a campaign to monitor financial accountability of the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala (CHOGM) this November.
By Richard Komakech
CIVIL society organisations are spearheading a campaign to monitor financial accountability of the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala (CHOGM) this November.
The organisations under their umbrella Civil Society National Working Group also want to examine resource utilisation for the Commonwealth People’s Forum.
Warren Nyamugasira, the head of the body, said the campaign would be used to explain what benefits Commonwealth citizens and host countries get from the event and membership with the organisation.
“There is a public outcry about perceived abuse of public funds committed for CHOGM-related activities particularly security, infrastructure and vehicles. If civil organisations keep a blind eye to this outcry, they will be doing a disservice to themselves and to the country,†Nyamugasira said.
He noted that the organisations expect a report from the Commonwealth representatives on what governments have done since the 2005 CHOGM in Malta.
“This will make CHOGM more open and transparent and also help demand concrete commitments for citizen’s improved well-being, politically, socially and economically.â€
The group is organising the Commonwealth People’s Forum, a pre-CHOGM event for civil society and ordinary citizens to discuss issues to be forwarded to the main meeting.
“The experiences from the forum will provide a basis for holding these leaders accountable in the post-CHOGM period leading up to the next event in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009,†Nyamugasira noted.
He said the meeting would highlight socio-economic and political ills and request leaders economically advance their people.
CIVIL society organisations are spearheading a campaign to monitor financial accountability of the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala (CHOGM) this November.
The organisations under their umbrella Civil Society National Working Group also want to examine resource utilisation for the Commonwealth People’s Forum.
Warren Nyamugasira, the head of the body, said the campaign would be used to explain what benefits Commonwealth citizens and host countries get from the event and membership with the organisation.
“There is a public outcry about perceived abuse of public funds committed for CHOGM-related activities particularly security, infrastructure and vehicles. If civil organisations keep a blind eye to this outcry, they will be doing a disservice to themselves and to the country,†Nyamugasira said.
He noted that the organisations expect a report from the Commonwealth representatives on what governments have done since the 2005 CHOGM in Malta.
“This will make CHOGM more open and transparent and also help demand concrete commitments for citizen’s improved well-being, politically, socially and economically.â€
The group is organising the Commonwealth People’s Forum, a pre-CHOGM event for civil society and ordinary citizens to discuss issues to be forwarded to the main meeting.
“The experiences from the forum will provide a basis for holding these leaders accountable in the post-CHOGM period leading up to the next event in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009,†Nyamugasira noted.
He said the meeting would highlight socio-economic and political ills and request leaders economically advance their people.