The African Union’s Economic Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) Secretariat, has committed to actively engage Africa’s Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for a sustainable and waste free continent.

Delivering a keynote presentation yesterday at the ‘Let’s Do It World Conference,’ ECOSOCC’s Head of Secretariat, William Carew, highlighted the key aspirations of the continent as anchored under the AU’s Agenda 2063 and the Union’s commitments for improving sanitation on the continent.

‘Let's Do It World’ (LDIW) is a global civic organization that started from Estonia, mobilizing millions of people worldwide in joining local, national and regional clean-up events. LDIW is the founder of World Clean Up Day, which enjoys a huge network comprising 180 countries and millions of active supporters.

Mr. Carew further highlighted ECOSOCC’s role in environmental matters; recalling that the first interim Presiding Officer of ECOSOCC was none other than the Nobel Laureate and great environmentalist, Prof Wangari Maathai.

Amongst the other points, Mr Carew shared with the global audience included: (a)the progress made at continental and global level, with the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN), Libreville, Gabon, 2017, (b) the Durban Declaration
Frameworks for a Continental Transition to a Circular Economy, (c) Communique adopted by the African First Ladies at the High Level side event on Banning Plastics Towards a Pollution-free Africa Campaign held at the margins of the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union and (d) the High-level side event for the African First Ladies on the theme: “Plastic Pollution Solutions for Development in Africa” at TICAD, Yokohama, Japan 2019.

ECOSOCC further committed to set-up a Working Group for a Sustainable and Waste Free Africa to provide empirical insights and for solid waste management on the continent and to further coordinate the World Cleanup Day 2021 across the African continent on 18^th September.

About ECOSOCC

The Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) was established in July 2004 as an Advisory Organ composed of different social and professional groups of AU Member States. The mandate of ECOSOCC is to contribute, through advice, to the effective translation of the objectives, principles and policies of the African Union into concrete programmes, as well as the evaluation of these programmes.

Learn more at: https://www.auecosocc.org;

Facebook: African Union ECOSOCC; Twitter: @AU_ECOSOCC

For media inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Carol Jilombo | Senior Communications Officer | AU ECOSOCC Secretariat, Lusaka, Zambia

E-mail: Jilomboc@africa-union.org