Maseru, Lesotho 9 June 2011- The 2nd Africa Regional Media Dialogue organised by the Advocacy and Communication Cluster of the Regional Coordination Mechanism – Africa of the United Nation (ACC/RCM), has been urged to tell stories of development, while at the same time increasing the understanding among the regional media regarding how the African Union (AU), and its NEPAD programme, supports African development and integration.

This was said on 7 June in Maseru, Lesotho, by the country’s Minister of Communication, Science and Technology, Mr. Mothetjoa Metsing, when he addressed the 2nd Africa Regional Media Dialogue, organised by the Advocacy and Communication Cluster of the Regional Coordination Mechanism – Africa of the United Nation, from 7 to 9 June.

The Dialogue is being attended by senior African media personnel, including editors-in chief; media owners; executive producers; senior editors; chief executive officers; representatives of journalistic organisations and correspondents, drawn from east, central, north, west and southern Africa. Some African journalists serving Africa from Europe are also attending.

The media dialogue, set up to further the role of African media as development partners for the continent, is being held to engage in frank discussions between the media and members of the Advocacy and Communications Cluster (ACC); composed of representatives from the African Union Commission and its NEPAD programme, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and the United Nations System entities; with a specific focus on reporting on the NEPAD agency initiatives.

The African Union’s message to the meeting delivered by the Director of Information and Communication who is also co chair of the Advocacy and Communications Cluster, Mrs. Habiba Mejri Cheikh was that “this is a time for action. It is time to reframe Africa”. In this respect,

Mrs. Cheikh urged the meeting to produce a comprehensive and well-articulated programme of collaboration on the coverage of the activities of the Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), as a fully integrated programme of the AU Commission, complete with timelines and measurable indicators of achievement.

“The African Union is not here to tell you how to do your jobs. Rather, we are here to understand what we can do to provide you with the information that you need to do your jobs. Our commitment to this is total”, she told the senior media personnel.

The meeting’s opening session was also addressed by Ms Ahunna Eziakonwa Onochie, the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative to Lesotho; Ms. Mieko

Ikegame, the Chief of Coordination, Advocacy and Progamme Development Unit at the UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (UN OSAA), and also co chair of the Advocacy and Communications Cluster and Prof. Richard Mkandawire, Head of Directorate Partnerships, Resources Mobilisation and Communications, NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency.

At the end, the meeting adopted the Maseru Declaration, which commits the media to play their role in Africa’s development. The participants also agreed on recommendations to guide the engagement between the NEPAD agency and the media. The participants agreed to set up a continent-wide framework for the deepening of the involvement of the media in informing about AU and NEPAD related programmes. (Maseru Declaration on AU web site: www.au.int/www.Africa-union.org)

The Africa regional media dialogue is taking place within the context of the United Nations Ten Year Capacity Building Programme (TYCB) for the AU, which was signed in November 2006 by the UN Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, as an evolving framework that serves as the overall platform for UN cooperation with the AU.

The Regional Coordination Mechanism for Africa (RCM-Africa) was designated as the implementing organ of the capacity building programme. There are nine clusters within the

RCM; and the Advocacy and Communications Cluster (ACC) is one of them. The cluster is co chaired, since the beginning of this year, by the UN OSAA, and by the AUC Directorate of Information and Communication. The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) provides secretariat support to the cluster.