Assembly/AU/4(XII) Annex III Page 23 I. INTRODUCTION 1. The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) held a Retreat in Livingstone, Zambia, from 4 to 5 December 2008. The Retreat was held against the background of the conclusions of the Dakar PSC Retreat as well as the outcome of the AU-Civil Society Organizations Consultation held in Lusaka, Zambia, from 27 to 29 December 2008, within the framework of the operationalization of article 20 of the PSC Protocol. 2. The objective of the Retreat was to consider an appropriate mechanism for interaction between the Peace and Security Council and Civil Society Organizations(CSOs) in the promotion of peace, security and stability in Africa within the framework of article 20 of the PSC Protocol. In this regard, the Retreat adopted the conclusions below: II. CONCLUSIONS A) Title/Name of the Formula 3. The name of the formula for interaction between the PSC and CSOs in the promotion of peace, security and stability in Africa is called Livingstone Formula. B) Modalities of interaction Procedural aspects 4. The Retreat agreed that the PSC remains master of its procedures and decisions, and that the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), as the consultative organ responsible for coordinating the participation of civil society in the work of the African Union, particularly the Peace and Security Cluster, is the focal point and plays a consultative role in the interaction between the PSC and CSOs. To interact with the PSC, Civil Society Organizations must conform to the relevant provisions in the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the provisions in the PSC Protocol, especially article 8 (10c), as well as to the Rules of Procedure of the PSC (rules 21 and 22). They shall comply with the criteria for eligibility for membership as defined in article 6 of the Statutes of ECOSOCC, in particular: i) ii) iii) iv) v) it shall be registered in an AU member State in accordance with national legislation of the country; it shall uphold the objectives and principles of the African Union, as stated in articles 3 and 4 of the Constitutive Act of the AU; it shall be a member CSO of a national, regional and continental organization or the African Diaspora, in pursuit of activities at the national, regional or continental level; it shall be accredited, with the African Union or an African Regional Economic Community/Regional Mechanism; It shall solemnly declare to uphold the objectives and principles of the AU, as well as the provisions governing the CSOs in an observer