African Charter of partnership between inhabitants and local collectivities

The African Charter articulates a series of principals necessary to allow a thorough partnership between inhabitants and local authorities. These principals result from the comparison of various real experiences in Africa. This experiences’ confrontation led to the idea that the conditions for a thorough partnership are everywhere identical.

The charter has been elaborated during the inter-African forum (12 -16 of May, 2000), that welcomed a group of 40 persons representing 15 grassroots organisations from 15 countries of West, Eastern and Southern Africa. 8 of these countries were French-speaking countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo), and the other 7 were English-speaking countries (South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe).

This charter spells out guiding principals rather than modalities of action. In fact, these modalities have to be invented, specified on each specific context. By signing (adhérant) the African Charter for Partnership, local authorities commits themselves to work with the population and the grass-roots communities for defining the specific modalities of implementation of the charter. It is through a collective working process that the rules of the local partnership have to be elaborated. These rules could further be included on the local charter of partnership.

You can download the Charter below.