About the Committee on Governance and Popular Participation

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. As one of the operational guides of the Committee, CHDCS was providing guidance to the work of ECA by suggesting future directions of the Development Policy and Management Division (DPMD), through its regular meeting, once every two years.

In 2006, ECA undertook a reform exercise, which came into effect aiming at repositioning the Commission to strategically realign its program priorities with the priorities of the African Union (AU) as contained in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) framework.

As a result of the reform exercise, the Development Policy and Management Division (DPMD) was restructured and renamed as Governance and Public Administration Division (GPAD) to reflect the new priority areas of the Commission. In light of the new program orientation of the Commission, including that of the Division, the fourth session of the CHDCS that took place in Addis Ababa from 22 to 23 November 2007 approved the new name of the Committee as “Committee on Governance and Popular Participation,” proposed by Commission in May 2006. The Committee shall meet once every two years.

First Meeting of the Committee on Governance and Popular Participation, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 9-10 December 2009 under the theme “Overarching Tenets of Popular Participation in Development and Governance”.

Second Meeting of the Committee on Governance and Popular Participation, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 9 - 10 March 2011 under the theme “Assessing and Reviewing Governance trends and Commitments for Managed Development”.

Third Meeting of the Committee on Governance and Popular Participation, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 20 – 21 February 2013 under the theme “The Developmental State: What options for Africa?”.