The Executive committee of CSPPS mandated its Chairperson to attend the g7+ Technical Meeting from 24th to 25th July 2017 in Lisbon.This meeting has historic importance to the g7+ family because it has come to an age where members need to consolidate it.
The g7+ is a voluntary association of countries that are or have been affected by conflict and are now in transition for the next stage of development. All these countries have been signed the New Deal. In West Africa, we have six (6) countries members of g7+ (Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo.
This meeting is a good opportunity to find pathways to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to celebrate the new g7+ European Hub based in Lisbon (Portugal).
The following countries were presents. Afghanistan, Timor-Leste, Sierra-Leone, CAR, Burundi, Chad, Guinea (Conakry), Liberia, Sao Tome-Principe, Solomon Islands and Comoros.Four (4) Ministers were presents too : Minister of justice of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Minister of state Coordinator of State Administration Affairs and Justice of Timor-Leste, Minister of Justice of Sao Tome and Principe and the Minister of finance of Timor-Leste.
We noted the participation of UNDP, The Secretariat of the Dialogue, LILAC and CSPPS/IDPS-CSO.
* PURPOSES OF THE MEETING
The meeting is about the perspective of the g7+ on Goal 16, the agenda 2030 which includes Justice for all. Specifically the Technical meeting is to exchange on :
– Working together at the country level involving Gov/Private Sectors/CSOs/Academia/ILAC to ensure the effective implementation
– Conducting systematic research and lessons learned / identified in terms of SDGs implementation and shared regularly among g7+ member states
– Sharing progress of implementation of SDGs
– Preparing for the HLSE in New York in September 2017.
– Sharing fragile to fragile (F2F) in thematic areas (Peace and reconciliation, Elections, Managing UN Transitions in g7+ Countries).III. SESSIONS AND WOKING GROUPSParticipants at meeting had a two sessions. The first is about the access to justice in conflict-affected countries, opportunities for state legitimacy and dilemmas. The second session is about what has worked in attaining Justice for all in g7+ countries ?
If justice is to be close to the citizens, reforms are needed because justice is essential for democracy. Inequalities in the rights of women and children.
The outcomes of the working suggested that to:
– Define strategies for access to justice (strategic plan)
– Access to law and justice
– Create the means to make magistrates independent
– Build capacity and harmonize traditional systems and ensure that justice meets the needs of citizens
– Fight against impunity
– Vulgarize justice texts
* CIVIL SOCIETY VIEWS
The national judicial system in almost all ECOWAS countries is considerably weakened and no longer enjoys public confidence.
Our complement of national justice, many citizens accept the court of justice of the ECOWAS which is the principal judicial organ of the community. Most of citizens were rehabilitated in their rights by the court of ECOWAS.
Civil society insists on the availability of adequate resources to continue the work of informing and sensitizing the methods of court procedures.
g7 + should develop a partnership with ECOWAS on learning and good practice.
At the national level, we believe that countries that have not yet done their fragility assessment should be able to do so and should be encouraged to determine their needs.
* NEXT STEPS
In October 2017, the participants discovers such actions for the upcoming days :
• Strategy for strengthening the g7+ through mobilizing funds from members country, UNDP facility and others donors.
• Mapping of country experiences across peacebuilding and statebuilding for the sake of fragile to fragile cooperation.
• Establish a roster of experience within the g7+ family in the areas : justice- UN transitions
• Convening Justice Ministers during UNGA
• Establishing a network of g7+ members for sharing experiences
• Giving greater visibility at the UNGA Side Event and beyond
The next g7+ Technical meeting will be held in December in Lisbon 2017 but the Ministerial Meeting will be discussed.
Done in Lisbon 25th July 2017 by Mr Guy Aho TETE BENISSAN
