Friends of the African Union

We, the African Diaspora in the USA, can be a change Africa needs – now .

Juneteenth

Juneteenth 2022 Proclamation

Faumam2063

Juneteenth 2022 Proclamation

2022 DECLARATION OF FRIENDS OF THE AFRICAN UNION IN THE CREATION OF THE FRIENDS OF THE UNITED NATIONS PERMANENT FORUM ON PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT AND THE PROPOSED SECOND GLOBAL AFRICAN DIASPORA SUMMIT (TBD) AND THE FIRST USA AFRICA CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND CIVIL SOCIETY (AUGUST 25 THROUGH AUGUST 29TH 2022)

WE, the Heads of the signed Civil Society Organizations and individuals do this day, June 19th 2022, address the States and Government of the African Union (AU) and Organization of American States (OAS) along with those nations whose vote in the United Nations General Assembly on August 2nd 2021 created the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent;

KNOWLEDGEABLE that the Pan-Africanist philosophy of founders of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) drew inspiration from leaders in the Diaspora Pan-Africanist movement including Marcus Garvey, Sylvester Williams, John Padmore W.E.B. Dubois and the vast majority of people of African descent that stood behind them;

ACCOUNTING for the need to put African history in its proper perspective and harness this towards rebuilding the global African family.

RECOGNIZING the important of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent;

UNDERSTANDING that the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent became operational on 2 August 2021 through United Nations General Assembly resolution 75/314 and will serve as a platform for improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent, as well as an advisory body to the Human Rights Council.

FURTHER UNDERSTANDING that Resolution 75/314 called for the President of the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly to each appoint five of the Permanent Forum’s ten members and that the five members appointed by the General Assembly, on 16 December 2021, are: Epsy Campbell Barr (Costa Rica) Justin Hansford (USA), Martin Kimani (Kenya) Mona Omar (Egypt) and June Soomer (Saint Lucia) and that the President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Federico Villegas (Argentina), today announced the appointment of Gaynel Diana Curry (Bahamas), Huang Hongjiang (China), Pastor Elías Murillo Martínez (Colombia), Michael McEchrane (Sweden) and Alice Angèle Nkom (Cameroon) to serve as five experts on the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent;

TAKING COGNIZANCE of the dialogue carried out between Africans on the Continent and representatives of the African Diaspora in various regions of the world, including North America, South and Latin America, Europe and elsewhere on the creation of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent;

UNDERSTANDING that the African Union in 2022 defines the African Diaspora as “Consisting of people of African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union.”;

KNOWING that the struggle of the Founding Fathers and combatants for Pan-Africanism in Africa as well as in the Diaspora;

RECALLING the Constitutive Act of the African Union that is guided by a common vision of a united and strong Africa based on a partnership between governments and all segments of society in order to strengthen cohesion and solidarity among its peoples;

ALSO RECALLING the Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the African Union adopted by the First Extra-Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2003, and in particular Article 3(q) which invites the African Diaspora to participate as an important component in the building of the African Union;

ACKNOWLEDGING that 7 more members of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union must vote for and ratify Article 3(q) so that it goes into effect based on the 30 African Union members who have ratified as of June 2019;

FURTHER RECALLING relevant African Union Decisions including Decision EX.CL/Dec. 5 (III) on the Development of the Diaspora Initiative adopted by the Third Ordinary Session of the Executive Council in Maputo, Mozambique, in July 2003, Decision EX.CL/Dec. 221 (VII) on the Africa-Diaspora Process adopted by the Eighth Ordinary Session of the Executive Council in January 2006 and Decision EX.CL/Dec. 406 (XII) on the First African Union Diaspora Ministerial Conference adopted by the Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Executive Council in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January 2008 on the modalities for Diaspora participation in the organs and activities of the Union and Decision Ass/AU/Dec.205(XI) adopted by the Eleventh Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in July 2008 on the Africa Diaspora Summit, Decision, Ass/AU/Dec 354 (XVI) of the Sixteen Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2011 on the Roadmap for the Diaspora Summit, including the convening of a Technical Experts meeting in Pretoria, South Africa in February 2011 and Decision Ass/AU/Dec 367 (XVII) of the Seventeenth Ordinary Session of Assembly of the Union on the convening of a second Ministerial Conference on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2011 as well as Decision Assembly/AU/Dec. 393(XVIII) endorsing the outcome and conclusions of the Second Ministerial Conference held in New York in September 2011.

AWARE that the relationship between Africa and the African Diaspora has its roots in the Atlantic slave trade in America’s was from the 1500s to the 1800s and that it transported over 12 million of Africans across the Atlantic to the New World of Europe and the Americas;

UNDERSTANDING that the slaves struggled for survival and freedom to preserve their dignity and to assert their worth as human beings.

FURTHER UNDERSTANDING that over the centuries they adapted themselves to the ways of their new environment but were never completely assimilated because they also retained as much of the African cultures that they represented and the racism and institutional discrimination they faced;

ACKNOWLEDGING that there were millions of children born of African women in the Americas by Europeans, mostly by rape, whose children, for the most part, were enslaved by those who were their fathers and that today the Descendants of these number over 200m in the Americas earning over $2 Trillion dollars.

AWARE of the laws in the United States of America on parentage whereas if a child is born of a free mother the child is free and if born of slave mother then the child is enslaved.

COGNIZANT of the fact that culture and identity inform all facets of development;

FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGING that there is a bond of spiritual kinship that connected them to the African continent that was reflected in the lyrics and cultural resonance that floated around the plantations and households in which they lived and worked amidst suffering, humiliation and various forms of depravation. The Rastafarian culture in the Caribbean and other parts of the world and the musical roots of jazz, blues, reggae, folk songs, pop, etc. were products of this extended family;

ACKNOWLEDGING the need to celebrate and preserve the shared heritage between Africa and peoples of African descent in the Diaspora;

BEARING IN MIND that the African Diaspora represents a historical and evolving experience which calls for an approach that is sensitive to the specificities of the different regions;

AWARE of the history of the Sullivan Initiative and the Afro-American Summits when prominent Americans visited the continent and identified with Organization of African Unity (OAU) aims and objectives including decolonization and the fight against apartheid. The purpose of the then Sullivan Summits was to unite people of African heritage with Africa and to build a bridge from America and other parts of the world to the African continent;

UNDERSTOOD that in this period that some members of the Congressional Black Caucus in the US Congress canvassed Afro-centric policies. This relationship established the basis for the Sullivan Summits that was attended by representatives of the OAU;

EMBRACE the mission of the second initiative that engaged the Diaspora in a series of Civil Society Conferences that was held as part of the process of transformation and renewal in which two major OAU-Civil Society Conferences on June 11th through 14th 2001 and June  June 11th through 15th 2002 respectively. The objective of these Conferences was to forge partnership between the old OAU of through 2001 and new AU of 2002 and Civil Society Organizations in promoting peace, security, development, human rights and democracy on the Continent;

KNOWLEDGEABLE of the second Conference in 2002, which focused on the contribution of the Civil Society to the establishment of the African Union, included representatives of the Diaspora including John Jackson of the UNIA/ACL and the late Lee Cherry. During this the First African Union (AU) Western Hemisphere Diaspora Forum, held in Washington, DC from December 17 through 19, 2002 the Western Hemisphere African Diaspora Network (WHADN) was launched during the historical event which was convened by AU and coordinated by The Foundation for Democracy in Africa (FDA) under the leadership of its then and now President Fred Oladeinde;

UNDERSTANDING that the mission of Western Hemisphere African Diaspora Network (WHADN), then and now,, is to encourage and facilitate the utilization of the collective talents and resources of the African Diaspora in the Americas, the Caribbean and Latin America to support economic development and sustainable growth on the continent. To this end, WHADN was established to function as the official coordinating network, linking the Diaspora and the African Union. That Conference also elected a Provisional Working Group, with a two-year tenure, to work with the African Union Commission on a continuous basis in between larger assemblies, which are to be held on bi-annual basis. The Diaspora was given two representatives on this working Group – one for Europe and one for the Western Hemisphere including the US and other parts of the Americas;

AGREEING with the then Interim Chairperson of the Commission who explained that the general purpose was to establish a framework through which the African Diaspora would be mainstreamed in the activities of the new African Union. The objective is to empower the Diaspora to become more associated with AU objectives, growth and development so that they can contribute effectively to the realization of its goals. He further observed that such collaboration would not be a one-way street as it is designed to be” sustained and reciprocal”;

FURTHER UNDERSTANDING that the Western Hemisphere African Diaspora Network’s activities and Forum served as an important outreach event for the Commission to explain and showcase the objectives and orientation of the new African Union and its transition processes. It provided a unique platform for disseminating information about the programmes of the Union such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa (CSSDCA) and for clarifying the interrelationship between them and the African Union. It was also a framework for sensitizing and mobilizing the support of governments and people of the Western Hemisphere for the African agenda. Most significantly, the Forum began the process of institutional linkage between the African Diaspora and Continental Africans in an effort to establish the Union project as a truly global African effort;

AFFIRMING the need to promote people to people cooperation as a framework for enhancing mutual development as well as Pan-African Solidarity;

AWARE of The Universal Periodic Review as a mechanism of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) that emerged from the 2005 UN reform process that was established by General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 3 April 2006 and that through it examines the human rights performance of all UN Member States. It is intended to complement, not duplicate, the work of other human rights mechanisms, including the UN human rights treaty bodies;

FURTHER AWARE that this Universal Periodic Review is the first international human rights mechanism to address all countries and all human rights that is use country reviews that are based on three documents: A 20-page national report prepared by the State under review, A ten-page compilation of UN information (including Special Procedures reports, human rights treaty body reports, and other relevant UN documentation) prepared by OHCHR, and a ten-page summary of information received from stakeholders (including NHRIs, NGOs, and other civil society actors) also prepared by the OHCHR;

RECOGNIZING the need to build sustainable partnerships between the African continent and the African Diaspora through sustainable dialogue and effective collaboration with governments and peoples of different regions of the World in which the Diaspora populations are located;

REAFFIRMING the importance of women and youth as important pillars of our society that should be mainstreamed in all Diaspora discourses and actions;

LAUDING the efforts undertaken thus far to support Africa and African Diaspora process including organizational efforts, measures and strategies pursued by the African Union;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the First and Second Conferences of Intellectuals of Africa and the Diaspora (CIAD I&II) held in Dakar, Senegal and Salvador de Bahia, Brazil in 2004 and 2006 respectively, the outcomes of the First AU-South Africa-Caribbean Conference held in Kingston, Jamaica in 2005 and the various Regional Consultative Conferences held in different regions of the world in 2007 to consolidate the results;

NOTING with appreciation the work of the Ministerial meeting which took place in Midrand, South Africa from 16-18 November 2007 and the Technical Experts meeting held in Pretoria in February 2011 and the second Ministerial Conference held in New York, USA on 24 September 2011as well as the Third Ministerial Conference held in Pretoria, South Africa on 23 May 2012;

RECALLING the commemoration in 2007 of the bicentennial of the trafficking in Africans, an obligation to remember the legacy of history, particularly the era of slavery and colonialism and the enforced separation of African people as a result of that experience, as well as the Declaration of the United Nations of 2011 as the year of the people of African descent;

CELEBRATE the call of the United Nations on the issue of the year f the people of African descent in which proclaimed by UN General Assembly resolution 68/237 created The International Decade for People of African Descent to be observed from 2015 to 2024 which is meant to provide a solid framework for the United Nations, Member States, civil society and all other relevant actors to join together with people of African descent and take effective measures for the implementation of the programme of activities in the spirit of recognition, justice and development; 

ENDORSING the initiative led by Member States of the African Union, the Caribbean community and other States in the International community for the establishment of a permanent memorial at the United Nations to honor the victims of the transatlantic slave trade in fulfilment of paragraph 101 of the 2001 Durban Declaration;

UNDERSTANDING the symbiology of the permanent memorial at the United Nations to honor the victims of the transatlantic slave trade project’s name, ‘Ark of Return,’ was inspired by maps of the triangular slave trade and by the story of a slave castle on Gorée Island in Senegal that slaves were held in captivity before being shipped away. A door at the castle was known as the ‘door of no return,’and that we the living today are also victims of this historical business;

CONVINCED of the need to build on these efforts and outcomes as the basis for establishing a solid foundation for the rejuvenation of the global African family as an instrument of wider renaissance;

ENDORSING the African Union’s Agenda 2063 launched in 2013 as a 50 year plan in 5 ten year periods of implementation by African heads of state and government as an ambitious vision and action plan intended to drive Africa’s change, development, and transformation as the people of the African continent emerges, rises, and begins to forge a more positive outlook ahead for the 21st century;

APPRECIATING the invitation by the African Union in 2013 to the first consultation by the African Diaspora at the African Union’s mission offices at the United Nations based on our understanding of the background note issued August 2013 entitled, “AGENDA 2063, A Shared Strategic Framework for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development”;

FURTHER APPECIATING that Agenda 2063 as a shared strategic framework for inclusive growth and sustainable development was developed through a people-driven process and was adopted, in January of 2015, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia by the 24th African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government, following 18 months of extensive consultations with all formations of African society.

HONORED to have known the late Lee Cherry, who organized Dignity Institute of Technology in 1967, which was later renamed the African Scientific Institute (ASI) in 1975 and its Fellowship (2006) which is a network of over 2,700 scientists and technologists who participate in their communities and support people of African Descent in STEM, who brought Friends of the African Union to the 2013 African Union Consultation on Agenda 2063. There we sat as roundtable chair on Economics but participated on the roundtables on STEM and Reparations where we introduced the ideal of a global reparations funding mechanism as part of our then domestic $1.25T plan of action that later evolved into the $5 Trillion Dollar Black Folks Plan request of the Obama Administration during the second round of the Universal Periodic Review of the United States of America;

UNDERSTANDING that Agenda 2063 is anchored on the AU vision and is based on the seven aspirations derived from the consultations, namely: 1. A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development; 2. An integrated continent, politically united, based on the ideals of Pan Africanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance; 3. An Africa of good governance, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law; 4. A peaceful and secure Africa; 5. An Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, values and ethics; 6. An Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children; and 7. Africa as a strong, united, resilient and influential global player and partner.

REVIEWED the First Ten Year Plan of Agenda 2063 for consideration and adoption by the June 2015 meetings of the AU Policy Organs. The document presents the First Ten-Year Implementation Plan for Agenda 2063. It builds upon the Agenda 2063 Framework Document adopted in January 2015, and seeks to accelerate Africa’s political, social, economic and technological transformation while continuing the Pan African drive for self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity. Covering the period 2014-2023, it is the first of a series of five ten year implementation plans to be developed to realize the vision of the “Africa We Want By 2063”;

ATTENED the United States State Department U.S.-Africa Business Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 21-22 2012 which was hosted in collaboration with several U.S. Government agencies including Transportation, Energy, and Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Export-Import Bank of the United States, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Commercial Service – Cincinnati, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The 2012 U.S.-Africa Business Conference included structured networking opportunities for African government officials and business leaders that focused on infrastructure development, including energy, transportation, and water and sanitation. At that meeting was born the ideal of a Black Folks Plan for Africa which only in 2022 has been conceptualized in the Global Compact to Build Back Better the World with Democracy in a New World Order Version 5.0 with a #JustEconomy which was released on African Liberation Day May 25th 2022 to the members of the World Conference of Mayors Inc. as part of a report of the WCM Committee on the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent;

KNOWING that the African Union Commission (AUC) as the AU’s secretariat undertakes the day to day activities and that it participated in the Global Diaspora Summit 2022 organized by the International Organization for Migration in Dublin, Ireland, on 4 and 5 April 2022.

ACKNOWLEDGING that a statement before the opening Session of the Global Diaspora Summit 2022 by Ambassador Amr Aljowaily, Strategic Advisor to the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission shared the priorities of the African Union Commision’s Citizen and Diaspora organizations (CIDO) Directorate for the current year of 2022, highlighting the significance of the  presence of more than 200 million people of African descent in the Americas, as well as nearly 19.5 million African migrants, who contribute socially, culturally and economically to sustainable development at the national, regional and global levels.

REALIZING the imperative of a sustained and coordinated approach and ownership of the African Diaspora related programmes and projects so as to promote their effective implementation and impact;

LISTENED to United States President Biden’s 2021 Message to the 34th African Union Summit Participants where  he said, via video because of COVID,“ I’m honored to send the best wishes of the people of the United States in advance of the 34th African Union summit. This past year has shown us how interconnected our world is and how our fates are bound up together. That’s why my administration is committed to rebuilding our partnership around the world and re-engaging with international institutions like the African Union. We must all work together to advance our shared vision of a better future a future of growing trade and investment that advances prosperity for all our nations a future that advances lives of peace and security for all our citizens a future committed to investing in our democratic institutions and promoting the human rights of all people women and girls lgbtq individuals people with disabilities and people of every ethnic background religion and heritage to reach this future. We also must confront the serious challenges we face that includes investing more in global health defeating COVID 19 and working to prevent detect and respond to future health crises and partnering with the African cdc and other institutions to advance health security raising our climate ambitions and ensuring developing nations can mitigate and adapt to climate impacts that are already causing pain and engaging in sustained diplomacy in connection with the African Union to address conflicts that are costing lives all across the African continent. None of this is going to be easy but the United States stands ready now to be your partner in solidarity support and mutual respect.  We believe in the nations of Africa in the continent-wide spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation and through the challenges ahead.  Although they’re great there is no doubt that our nations our People the African Union were up to this task. I hope I can be with you next time in person I want to thank you though. Thank you may god bless you all.”;

EXPRESSING our appreciation to His Excellency, President Joseph Biden in his Administration’s commitment to revitalizing global partnerships and alliances with leaders from across the African continent for the second U.S. – Africa Leaders Summit this coming September 2022;

AGREE with President Biden that Equal opportunity is the stated bedrock of American democracy, and that in the future diversity could be one of the country’s greatest strengths.

RECOGNIZE like President Biden that for too many, the American Dream remains out of reach but that can change.

ACKNOWLEDGE that entrenched disparities in American laws and public policies, and in our public and private institutions, have often denied that equal opportunity to individuals and communities of People of African Descent.

RECOGNIZE the United States of America faces converging economic, health, climate and social crises that have exposed and exacerbated inequities, while a historic movement for justice has highlighted the unbearable human costs of systemic racism.

EXPRESSING appreciation for the work President Biden directed through Executive Order 13985 officially titled Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government which was the first executive order signed by U.S. President Joe Biden on January 20, 2022 to meet the needs of the United States of America through the policy of his Administration in that the Federal Government should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color. Starting with People of African Descent and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality as an ambitious whole-of-government equity agenda that matches the scale of the opportunities and challenges that the nation face.

UNDERSTANDING that advancing equity requires a systematic approach to embedding fairness in decision-making processes through executive departments and agencies who must recognize and work to redress inequities in their policies and programs that serve as barriers to equal opportunity.

COMMIT to advancing equity for People of African Descent across the United States Federal Government, its state and local governments and in the American private sector that we in unity can create opportunities for the improvement for our communities that have been historically underserved, which benefits the whole of the United States of America;

NOW, THEREFORE for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as following:

CREATE by July 28th The Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent with the mission to call on all States and their people to pursue well-being for all with adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, within these ends, it will work to build, for people of African Descent:

  1. Vehicles for dialogue and mutual trust, strengthen mutual understanding between people of African Descent
  2. Champion universal human rights, justice, good governance, sustainable development, equality, democracy, freedom, and the rule of law
  3. Respect and support the rights of peoples to independently determine the development paths of their countries and their sovereignty
  4. Respect and support the security and development interests of States in creating peace and security in the lives of people of African descent
  5. Seek genuine multipolarity with the United Nations and its Security Council playing a central and coordinating role, promote more democratic international relations, and ensure peace, stability and sustainable development across the world
  6. Support a prosperous Africa continent based on inclusive growth and sustainable development that has through The Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Business Bureau
  7. An integrated continent, politically united and based on updated for the 21st century the ideals of Pan Africanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance as contained in the African Union’s Agenda 2063
  8. To harmonize development that is people-driven, unleashing the potential of its women, youth and people with disabilities in a strong cultural identity, agreed common heritage and history, values and ethics.
  9. Protect and support the United Nations-driven international architecture and a new international law-based world order, what we call version 5.0 that contains a #JustEconomy in a new round of UN Financing for Development that embeds the Universal Periodic Review human rights mechanism with people of African Descent as a strong, united and influential global player and partner using a public private partnership model that is based on a superset of ISO26000:2010 and the UN Principles for Responsible Investment
  10. create the model framework for a 4th round of financing for development based on a Global Call to Build Back Better the World with Democracy in a New World Order Version 5.0 with a #Justeconomy based on the American #BlackFolksPlan as updated at the USA Africa Conference on Business and Civil Society.

CREATE the structure of The Friends of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent as follows:

  1. A Friends of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent General Assembly with three operational chambers: a People’s Congress elected from around the world by 2024, a Civil Society Organizational Congress established in 2022 and an Assembly of Villages, Towns and Cities overseen by the World Conference of Mayors Inc Committee on the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent;
  2. a Friends of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Secretariat established, fully, by August 25th, 2022, and shall consist of operations councils, committees and task forces as such be approved by the Board of Directors in the initial first year Strategic Plan (2022-2023). It shall be established as a global coalition of civil society organizations, academics, governments and interested stakeholders in the subject matter covered. We have started the Summit Council of the Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent on June 19th 2022 and Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Agriculture Council who would take on the work for Black Farmers in America based on the 35 page submission to the UN Food Systems Summit on September 2021 as a task force who work is based on Friends of the African Union’s Black Folks Plan for Black Farmers as updated on the February 17th 2022 presentation to US Senator Warnock  and African Diaspora Directorate’s work as AfDiDi Agricultural & Food Council since March 16th, 2021
  3. a Friends of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Global Royal Society (The Global African Royal Society) which is to be governed by the Global African Royal Council. The Society is to be a membership of those of African Tribal Royalty in the members of the African Union, the global African Diaspora, the tribe(s) in members of the African Union created for those in the global African Diaspora without a tribe, African Tribal Royalty that welcome members of the African Diaspora in them and or tribes recognized by them for the members of the African Diaspora;
  4. a Friends of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Civil Society Bureau will (The Civil Society Bureau) work with the African Union’s (AU) Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (AU/CIDO) to implement the AU’s engagement process with non-state actors through the involvement of the African Diaspora’s Civil Society through AU/CIDO and other intergovernmental organizations in a like manner;
  5. a Friends of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Diaspora Bureau (The Diaspora Bureau) will organize at a national, regional and/ or state geographic and Tribal level the people of African Descent in the global African Diaspora who are African nationals. We are currently focused on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in line with AU’s Economic, Social and Cultural Council upcoming 4th General Assembly, the United Nations, the European Union, Organization of American States along with other international and or multinational organizations;
  6. a Friends of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Trade Bureau (The Trade Bureau) shall create business support infrastructure to advocate, connect, inform, and fight for businesses owned by People of African Descent in their growth and success in global trade. The Trade Bureau goal is to connect Chabers of Commerce who serve people of African Descent so that together we can create the world’s largest business organization for black business owners. The Trade Bureau will advocate for policies that help people of African Decent in businesses create jobs and grow our collective 2021 $6 Trillion dollar economy. To do so, we must change the rules of the game and mobilizes the people of African Descent in business towards collective action to address society’s critical challenges. We do this work based on the belief that the ability of businesses to improve lives, solve problems, and strengthen society can be achieved in the 21st Century, and;
  7. a Friends of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Business Bureau (The Business Bureau) is in the business of creating and or supporting corporations organized for profit majority owned by people of African Descent. We will work with companies from small one person startup to global multibillion conglomerates to strengthen the global partnership for ongoing multigenerational sustainable development for people of African Descent Through the Friends of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Business Bureau we are building a movement to change the global economic system that creates the infrastructure to gives everyone the opportunity to build a better future for themselves through a superset of ISO 26000:2010 in Social Responsibility.

Create by July 28th 20222 in a secretariat of The Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent with a proposed structure to consist of:

  1. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Executive Council Staff Committee
  2. Summit Council of the Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
  3. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent General Assembly Staff Committee
  4. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Royal Council Staff Committee
  5. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Justice Council Staff Committee
  6. Friends of the United States of America Congressional Membership Organization on the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
  7. Foundation for the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
  8. Foundation for the African Union
  9. Foundation for Caricom
  10. Friends of the African Union Institute
  11. Foundation for the Security of People of African Descent
  12. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Census Council
  13. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Diversity and Inclusion Council
  14. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Family Council
  15. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent History Council
  16. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Agriculture Council
  17. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent STEM Council
  18. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Medical Council
  19. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent ICT Council
  20. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Meta Council
  21. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Media Council
  22. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent FAME Council
  23. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Energy Council
  24. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Health Council
  25. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Labor Council
  26. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Housing Council
  27. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Primary Education Council
  28. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Higher Education Council
  29. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Development Council
  30. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Environmental Council
  31. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Transportation Council
  32. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Human Services Council
  33. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Peoples with Disabilities Council
  34. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Space Council
  35. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Treasury Council
  36. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Commerce Council
  37. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Minerals Council
  38. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Energy Council
  39. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Military Council
  40. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent at the African Union
  41. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent at the United Nations
  42. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent at the UN Climate Change Conference
  43. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent at CoNGO
  44. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent at the European Union
  45. Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent at the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
  46. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Intergovernmental Working Group
  47. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent United States of America Summit Working Group
  48. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent North American Working Group
  49. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Organization of American States (OAS) Summit Working Group
  50. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent South America Summit Working Group
  51. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent CARICOM Summit Working Group
  52. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent European Summit Working Group
  53. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Indo Pacific Summit Working Group
  54. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Summit Working Group
  55. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit Working Group
  56. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent East African Community (EAC) Summit Working Group
  57. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) Summit Working Group
  58. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Summit Working Group
  59. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent The Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) Summit Working Group
  60. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Summit Working Group
  61. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) Summit Working Group

COMMITTED in the creation of the Friends of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent to hold the first USA Africa Conference on Business and Civil Society around August 25th 2022 as our collective efforts to strengthen ties with African partners based on principles of mutual respect and shared interests and values as expressed in the Juneteenth 2022 Proclamation of the Heads of the signed Civil Society Organizations and individuals on  June 19th 2022.

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