The Conference of African Ministers Responsible for Economic and Social development and planning in keeping its mandate adopted Resolution no. 826 (XXXII) of 8 May 1996 where by the Committee on Human Development and Civil Society (CHDCS) was created. The main objective of the CHDCS was to provide a forum for deepening policy dialogue and interface among the government, private sector and civil society and also to enable ECA to draw on opinion of experts from these three sectors in its operations.