4. Communique of the 1st Conference of African Traditional leaders
Held on 2 - 4 August 2003 at the Prempeh Assembly Hall
Kumasi, Ghana
We the Traditional Leaders of Ghana, Togo, South Africa and Nigeria assembled in Kumasi, Ghana from the 2nd to the 4th August 2003 do hereby resolve as follows:
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Inform our respective governments on the aims and objectives of the forum as enshrined this communiquР№
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Evolve a strategy aimed at committing our respective government to devise a system of governance to devise a system of governance that involves and enhances the role of traditional leadership, and all spheres of development.
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Sensitize our respective peoples and governments to work towards a continental association of traditional leadership willing and able to be part of the processes of conflict resolution and achieving good governance in Africa as well as economic development within the institutional framework of the African Union (AU) and possibly the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
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Begin a process of self-assessment as a first step towards cleaning our houses and enhancing the image of Traditional governance.
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Take back home a commitment to lobby our respective governments to put in place laws that give back to our brothers and sisters in the diaspora the right to citizenship in the land from which their forebears were forcibly removed.
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Encourage the formation of regional groupings of African conference of Traditional Leaders under the guidance of the participants present at this conference.
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Initiate within the shortest possible time, action towards the formation of a Continental Union of African Traditional Leaders with the objectives of:
- Create a common platform for the leaders to interact and express their views on socio-political matters affecting continent of Africa
- Giving wise counsel and assisting our political leaders to promote good governance in the member states to enhance peace, unity, stability and equitable development.
- Serving as a ready stand-by team to mediate in internal conflicts that flare up in member's states of the African Union.
- Initiating action to seek the over-all development of Africa within the framework of NEPAD and joining the fight against HIV Aids menace.
- Promoting human rights, rule of law, good governance and internal African democracy of the respective member states of the African Union.
- Promoting the cause of women towards genders equity.
- Strengthening traditional governance institutions and giving it the capacity to undertake internal reforms, customary law review and codifying the customary laws of Africa
- Initiating, collective action to preserve, protect and promote the histories, culture, tangible an intangible heritage of our societies
- Initiating action to protect the environment and to advise on the inequitable exploitation of the natural resources to the detriment of Africa
- Adopting and periodically reviewing strategies that will promote the realization of the goals of the Union of African Traditional Leaders, the African Union and other regional groups of Africa
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To give our total commitment to the realization of these goals and ideals, we seek to mobilize resources internally, from member states and governments of African and from the African Union and other regional and internal bodies.
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We hereby authorize formation of a technical committee to develop a strategy of action and to promote the ideals, objectives and decisions of the conference contained in this communiquР№.
In witness of our adoption of this communiquР№. We, the Leaders of the delegation set our hands this 4th Day of August 2003.
INKOSI MB MZIMELA
LEADER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN DELEGATION AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE NATIONAL HOUSE OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS, SOUTH AFRICA.
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