This document discusses the Network of Central African NGOs National Platforms (REPONGAC), which was founded in March 2008 in Brazzaville, Congo to coordinate efforts of national NGO platforms in Central Africa. REPONGAC currently represents over 1200 national NGOs from 10 countries in the region through their respective national platforms. The objectives of REPONGAC include promoting regional cooperation, influencing public policy, strengthening civil society capacity, and advocating for an enabling environment for NGOs in the region.

1. NETWORK OF CENTRAL AFRICAN NGOS NATIONAL
PLATFORMS
REPONGAC
March 2014
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2. A NETWORK OF NATIONAL PLATFORMS
A structuring effort at National level
• National Platforms are coalitions of NGOs whose structure has accelerated in the 1990s
Principles of national platforms
• Respect the diversity of NGOs, accompanying their search for common
perspectives and ambition to build a national NGO movement ,
• Representative of NGOs by the number and diversity of thematic solidarity
movement within the country ,
• Open and inclusive space which aims to expand and accommodate all NGOs
in the country that meet the membership criteria.
• For example, in the DRC, CNONGD (National Council of NGOs for Development )
• Founded in 1990 as part of the release of political association
• Strong representation ( 600 members in 2013)
• Territorial anchoring via CRONGD (provincial level )
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3. A NETWORK OF NATIONAL PLATFORMS
National Platforms operations
• Membership clear process,
• Democratic Governance,
• Transparency,
• Acountability,
• Involvement of members,
• Independence,
• Financial autonomy.
National Platforms Objectives and mandates nationales
• Establish a space for dialogue, ongoing dialogue between members and with
the various developement partners
• Participate in the design, development, implementation and monotoring of
development policies and programs,
• Capacities building of CSO,
• Defend and protect the interests of members.
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4. REGIONAL CONTEXT
• Observation of CSO marginalization in regional and international debates,
• Les efforts de lutte contre la pauvreté et d’intégration régionale sont loin de
donner les résultats escomptés,
• Effort to fight poverty and regional integration are far from the expected results
• Need for CSOs to participate in issues of regionalization in defending the vision of
a united and sustaible worl by virtue of their experience in the field and their
proximity to the base
• Need to raise awareness and popularize the role and the decision of regional
institutions : Africa Union, ECCAS , CEMAC, ICGLR, …
 Following these findings, national platforms were willing to set up a coalition for
common action at the regional
 → Foundation of Network of Platforms in central africa region (REPONGAC) in
march 2008 (Brazzaville)
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5. REPONGAC
 in 2014, 10 Countries represented:
• Angola : FONGA
• Burundi : ADIR
• Congo Brazzaville: CCOD
• Tchad: CILONG
• Cameroun: CONGAC
• RDC: CNONGD
• Gabon: CNOP
• RCA: CIONGCA
• Rwanda: CCOAIB
• Sao Tomé e Principe: FONG STP
 More than 1200 national NGOs
 1 identification ongoing mission
d’identification to National platform
of équatorial Guinea
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6. REPONGAC OPERATION
1. Promote a process of regional organizations to influence public policy by taking common
positions,
2. Initiate strategic discussions on regional issues,
3. Initiate discussions and exchanges with regional institutions, continental and international
organizations to facilitate the participation of Central Africa Central Africa CSOs in the
Design of policy development,
4. Promote regional cooperation on regional integration of the peoples of the cental Africa;
5. improving the enabling environment for CSOs; prevention and resolution of conflicts ,
climate change policy and food security,
6. Strengthen the capacity of national platforms and local actors,
Advocacy institutions and communication to the general public.
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Support CSOs
in partnership with governments and regional institutions
to design and implement
Development Policy

7. OUTSTANDING DYNAMIC
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• Capacity and visibility of our members ( creating websites , directories, needs analysis and training
platforms ...)
• Strengthening the expertise of the network : the establishment of five thematic committees
• Regional integration and free movement of goods and people in Central Africa
• Management and conflict prevention
• Capacity building of local actors
• Financing local NGOs
• Professionalization of farmers and agricultural market access
Dialogue with regional and international institutions :
Establishment of two permanent representations of ECCAS and CEMAC,
Handshake and study synergies with the AU
Study synergies with the ICGLR
Representative of francophone Africa Policy Forum for Development
Structuring of the Civil Society in Central Africa
Enabling environment for CSOs : implementation of a regional study on the enabling environment for
CSOs and establishment of an advocacy plan in partnership with CIVICUS and ICNL

8. ORGANISATION ET COORDINATION
• A Board of Directors composed of the presidents of National
platforms (currently chaired by the Platform of CAR).
• Regional Coordination based in Kinshasa, Headquarters of the
Network
6 employees at headquarters, over a dozen thematic experts
in National Platforms and representatives within the
International institution Partners
• Current funding: European Union, AFD
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9. TOGETHER
FOR ACT BETTER
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www.repongac.org