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Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in East and Southern Africa have formed a network in a bid to minimise the likely negative social and environmental risks of oil.
The network seeks to ensure that oil contributes to sustainable development in the region. It comprises of oil rich countries such as Uganda and neighbouring DR Congo, South Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania. Others include Mozambique that has discovered huge quantities of gas with huge prospects for oil.
At a three-day meeting convened by World Wide Fund for nature (WWF), civil society representatives were concerned that CSOs in the region were uncoordinated.
Other objectives for coming together include strengthening their capacity (technical and financial) to effectively engage in the sector. The representatives also pointed out that their agenda includes supporting good governance and safeguarding the freedom of expression.
They also want to promote access to information, awareness and sharing of lessons through an appropriate regional communication strategy as well as support fact-based advocacy through improved research and knowledge.
They said governance space for them to operate and mobilise citizens was getting eroded.
Source: New Vision
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