Inaugural International Organizations Open Day held in Arusha, Tanzania

Posted in Press Statement

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, November 27^th, 2017:

The inaugural Arusha-based International Organizations Open Day was held in at the premises of the UN-Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) premises at Lakilaki in Arusha, Tanzania over the weekend.

The event which was attended by hundreds of Arusha residents was officially opened Hon. Dr. Susan Alphonce Kolimba, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the United Republic of Tanzania.

Dr. Kolimba underscored the importance of the event noting that though international organizations based in Arusha have different mandates in their operations, they had a common desire to reinforce their networks and contacts with the local community in creating and increasing awareness and understanding of their work.

Dr. Kolimba urged Arusha residents to use the day learn how to continuously engage with these international organizations, to collaborate with them and benefit in different economic and social activities.

“I am informed by the Mechanism (MICT) that job opportunities, business opportunities for goods and services, educational benefits, where for instance the public can utilize the Mechanism’s Legal Library and Archive for research to obtain knowledge on international criminal justice are just but a few examples of opportunities available at these different institutions,” said Dr. Kolimba.

“So it is up to the people of Arusha to find ways to benefit from the existence of these institutions in your region. The institutions cannot come out to look for you but it is up to the community to look out for what it can benefit from the institutions,” she added.

The Deputy Minister said the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania fully supports the idea of having the International Organizations Day on an annual basis to be hosted in different locations, adding that this move would be beneficial in creating awareness and accessibility to the general public on the activities of international institutions based in Arusha.

In his remarks, the East African Community Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote, who represented the Secretary General, said that the EAC was a public entity and urged Arusha residents and other East Africans to feel free to visit the EAC offices in Arusha and elsewhere to learn more about the integration in addition to giving the Community new ideas on how to move the process forward.

Eng. Mlote described the Open Day as historic and urged that it be made annual event hosted in various international organizations based in Arusha.

The DSG said that the EAC had since its establishment in 1999, made a lot of achievements in the four pillars of integration, namely the Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union and Political Federation, adding that the Open Day was a good opportunity for outreach and sensitization to members of the public.

“However, the irony is that many East Africans cannot associate these benefits with the Community. Charity begins at home, and this Open Day provides an opportunity for the EAC Organs based in Arusha to execute the Heads of States ‘ directives on sensitization by interacting directly with local government authorities and Arusha residents and informing them about the integration process, in addition to answering their queries on the same,” said Eng. Mlote.

Among the international organizations based in Arusha that participated in the event were the: MICT/Mechanism; Pan-African Postal Union; EAC; African Court for Human and People Rights (ACHPR); African Institute of International Law; East, Central and Southern African Health Community(ECSA), and; the African Union Board on Corruption.

Other dignitaries who attended the meeting were: Hon. Judge Theodor Meron, MICT President and Mrs Charity Hanene Nchimunya, Executive Secretary, African Union Board on Corruption.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 2008:9001 Certified