-
Reflect
on large issues
encountered
in the peaceful management of the transfer of power in
democratic political systems;
-
Identify
lessons learned and practices that enabled the
implementation of the principle of alternation;
-
Examine
and propose mechanisms to be put in place for a more
efficient international cooperation in the peaceful
management of alternation, particularly in Africa.
The
Institute of Human Rights (IDH) will incorporate in its
activities, an education on the "culture of democracy"
and will encourage other national and regional African
structures concern in human rights and
democracy to do the same.
Problematic
on the theme
of the
Conference
It
is generally accepted that democracy is a universal value that
results from the freely expressed will of people who define their
own political, economic, social and cultural development. Universal
value, democracy does not less express diversity and genius of the
peoples concerned, as pointed out in the Final Document of the 2005
World Summit held in New York under the auspices of the United
Nations: “While democracies share common features, there is no
single model of democracy and (...) democracy is not confined to one
country or region ... ".
Free
and periodic elections, respect for human rights and fundamental
freedoms, are elements often considered essential to a democratic
system.
As
for elections, it is commonly recognized that they must allow
citizens to vote without any coercion in the choice of those who
will be their representatives at various local, regional and
national levels. Change is a fundamental element
of democratic. The alternation through the ballot box is if the
people so decide, an essential characteristic of democracy.
The
democratization wave occurred in the 70s in Southern Europe, in the
80s in Latin America and in the 90s in Eastern Europe, in Africa and
Asia helps to analyze the terms of the democratic change.
With
particular regard to Africa, we have witnessed in the last twenty
years to a "Democratic Renewal" marked by the adoption of
liberal and pluralistic democracy based on human rights and
fundamental freedoms, respect of law and legal succession to power.
However,
many resistances to democratic change were noted. Those resistances
took many forms that are : manipulation of the constitution to
remain in power, protest demonstrations often marked by violent or
deadly as in the recent presidential elections in Kenya (December
2007) and Zimbabwe (March 2008 ).
It
therefore it seems useful, to put the light on experiences, and to
especially have a forward-look in order to identify measures and
mechanisms to ensure democratic alternation in power.
In
this perspective, the United Nations Fund for Democracy (UNDEF) has
decided to provide financial support to the project of the Institute
of Human Rights and the Promotion of Democracy: Daily Democracy (IDH
-- Cotonou, Republic of Benin) to organize an international
conference on "Challenges of the Democratic Succession in
Africa." This conference will especially focus on the African
experience in the domain of democratic change.
The
Cotonou meeting follows the one on strategies for the promotion of
democracy, organized by the United Nations Democracy Fund in New
York at the UN headquarters in July 2006, and the one on democratic
transitions, organized by the International Centre for Democratic
Transition (ICDT) in partnership with UNDEF in Budapest (Hungary) in
April 2007.
Participants:
The
International Conference on The challenges of democratic
succession in Africa.
Will
participate:
-
representatives
of African governments;
-
representatives
of non-governmental African organizations and African civil society
organizations dealing with issues on democracy and human rights;
-
African
resource persons and resource persons from other regions. They will
testify to the experiences of other regions (Eastern Europe- Latin
America- Asia) in terms of democratic alternations.
It
will be ensure that participants in the Cotonou Conference have, as
far as possible, a certain experience of the problematic of the
theme of the Conference.
Calendar
- Program of the Conference
| Sunday
February 22nd 2009
|
Arrival, reception and installation of participants
|
|
|
|
|
| Monday,
23 February 2009
|
|
|
|
|
Morning
|
|
|
|
|
|
08:00
AM –09:30 AM: Reception
and registration of participants at
the “Palais des Congrès”
09:30
AM-11:30 AM:
Official opening ceremony
•
Cultural animation
• Intervention of the President of IDH,
Project
Coordinator
• Intervention of the Representative of the O.I.F
• Intervention of the Representative of the UNDEF
• Cultural animation
• Speech of His Excellency Dr. Thomas Boni
YAYI, President of the Republic of
Benin
, Head of, State, Head of Government or his Representative
11:30 AM:
Cocktail
offered by the UNDEF and IDH
• Establishment of the Bureau and organization
of work
1:00 PM:
Lunch on site
|
|
Afternoon
|
:
|
|
|
3:00
PM– 5:00 PM:
• General introductory communication:
«Challenges
of democratic succession in Africa"
(Prof. Théodore HOLO)
• Testimonies:
"
Challenges of democratic succession in
Africa,
Great Lakes
experience" (Mr. Augustin GATERA)
"
Electoral experiences
and outgoing crisis in Central Africa, in
Democratic
Republic
of
Congo
and in
Cote d'Ivoire
" (Mrs. Bernadette Codjovi)
•
Debates
• Summary of discussions
• Coffee Break
5:30 PM-7:45 PM:
Panel 1: “The
Constitution, the guarantor of democratic
succession ”
(Prof. Théodore HOLO)
• "
Civil
society and democratic succession"
( Mr Alioune TINE)
• "Democratic
Renewal and African armed forces: current
state and prospects.(General
Dominique DJENDJERE, Army Chief of
Staff-Burkina Faso )
• Debates
•
Summary of discussions
8:00 PM: Free to Dine out
|
|
|
|
Tuesday
February 24th 2009
|
|
|
|
|
Morning
|
08:30
AM– 10:30 AM:
Panel
2:
"
The electoral process and democratic succession "
(Mrs
Thoko MPUMLWANA)
"
Media,
public opinion and democratic succession "
(Mr Pius Njawe)
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Coffee Break
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM :
• Debates
• Summary of discussions
1.00pm: Lunch on site
|
|
Afternoon
|
3:00
PM– 4:15 PM:
Panel
3:
"
The decision – making power at the end of mandate
"
(Mr
Mathias HOUNKPE)
"
Good
Governance: rendering accounts and accountability
"
(Pr. Augustine LOADA)
"
Constitutional
and legal obligations of governments and other national political
authorities
" ( Mr Stéphane BOLLE)
4:15 PM – 4:45 PM: Coffee break
4:45 PM – 6:30 PM:
• Debates
• Summary of discussions
8:00 PM: Free to Dine out
|
|
|
Wednesday,
25 February 2009
|
|
|
|
|
Morning
|
08:30 AM-10:00 AM:
Panel
4: ":
Political
actors faced with election results and democratic alternation
"
(Prof. Albert BOURGI)
"
Women’s
contribution to the entrenchment of democracy through education
"
(Mrs Colette HOUETO)
"Culture of Democracy"
(Pr Honorat AGUESSY)
10:00am – 10:30am: Coffee Break
10:30 AM-12:30 AM
• Debates
• Summary of discussions
1:00 PM:
Lunch on site
|
|
Afternoon
|
3:00
PM:
•
Report of each round table
•
General Report of proceedings of the Conference
•
Adoption of conclusions and recommendations of the Conference
5:30 PM: Closing Session of the Conference
6:30 PM: Cocktail offered by the UNDEF and IDH
Evening:
Departure of participants
|
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|
