On June 14, the representations of the European Union and several Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Togo had a meeting for a structured dialogue. These include women's organizations, umbrella organizations, organizations of people living with disabilities, to name a few. A meeting in which embassies and the French Development Agency also took part.
The Ambassador of the European Union to Togo, Joaquín Tasso Vilallonga, immediately explained what the institution he represents expected from this dialogue in a more explicit way, stating:
“We want this event to be the start of a new relationship between what we call Team Europe and civil society. This time, we would like to do it a little differently. In accordance with the principle of the Island Treaty, the EU assigns increasingly important roles to civil society organisations. A strategic engagement because CSOs are an essential pillar of these approaches and of the EU's commitments through enhanced dialogue. The concept of structured dialogue means, in other words, ad-hoc or occasional consultation where a specific contribution is requested. The dialogue is structured and stakeholders are invited to set the agenda together, provide input in a well-planned setup and receive feedback on the results of the consultations as well as information on the overall process”.
There is no doubt that in its relations with its partners, the European Union places great value on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). It was also the place to remember it. In the sense that civil society participates through its dynamism in the liveliness of socio-political life and in equitable and sustainable development.
The meeting which was held on June 14, 2023 follows a previous one which had taken place in 2021. And it was an opportunity to come back to what had not worked well since in order to rectify the errors. Indeed, many projects implemented in 2021 did not have a successful outcome as one would expect due to a lack of dialogue or coordination of actions to make them more convergent. A situation that CSOs deplored before wishing for a completely different operation in the future. Also, the promotion of meetings through more structured dialogues will make it possible to promote exchanges in order to resolve or overcome the difficulties that may arise in the future.
The participants in this meeting laid the groundwork for a periodic dialogue mechanism with a certain level of representativeness. To this, it should be added that the structured dialogue also includes training for CSOs on cooperation between the European Union with its Member States and Togo, on access to different opportunities. Without forgetting the follow-up of the state of the implementation of the roadmap with regard to the 2021 agenda and the commitment of the European Union together with civil society.
The ultimate objective of the European Union is to ensure that CSOs are better trained and supported in order to properly contribute to their role as the cornerstone of society in terms of strengthening democracy and the rue of law and development.
By Daniel Yaoni
