Academia, CSOs to discuss free movement of labour

EAST AFRICAN AFFAIRS

Officials from East African Community (EAC) partner states, private sector, Civil Society Organisations, academia and others will on Thursday meet in Bujumbura, Burundi to discuss  implementation of the free movement of labour and services, among other issues.

During the two-day meeting, the officials will also discuss sustainable development in relation to improving food security and agricultural value chains, localising the climate change agenda and increasing gender equality.

Also on the agenda is the promotion of local production through public procurement, especially in relation to infrastructural projects within the EAC, and the impacts of ICT in enhancing the free movement of goods and services and impact of media as enablers of stronger citizen participation in the process.

This will be during the 5th Annual Secretary General's Forum for private sector, civil society and other interest groups.

The forum aims at providing opportunity for the private sector, civil society and other interest groups to share experiences and good practices of the integration process experienced in the last 15 years and work out a coordinated strategy towards a common future of a political integration and a borderless community.

Each year, the Secretary General's Forum deals with a wide range of topics that are at the heart of the integration process in East Africa.

This year's forum will see the launching of Incubator for Integration and Development in East Africa (IIDEA) as one of the key event.

IIDEA was developed as a joint initiative between the EAC Secretariat, Regional Dialogue Committee (RDC) and GIZ in order to demonstrate the tangible benefits of integration to citizens. Through IIDEA, regional integration projects are proposed and implemented by civil society, private sector and interest groups.

The inclusion of private sector, civil society and interest group stakeholders through the consultative framework of the Secretary General's Forum is key to realising the goals envisaged in the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.

Through the Annual Secretary General's Forum, East Africa takes another step towards the vision of one people, one destiny.

The forum is being organized by the EAC Secretariat with support from GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH).