It is now widely acknowledged that the civil society is an important feature in a democratic set-up. It makes democracy broad-based and participatory by connecting the citizens’ voice with the state’s decisional institutions and processes, thereby broadening the social power relations in a state and making the latter to be responsive in its policies to pressing issues of the day. For some long time, Africa has not had a comprehensively coordinated institution providing a platform for CSO participation in continental governance and development. With the advent of the AU in 2002, ECOSOCC was established as one of its statutory organs, with the aim of providing a stage for CSO participation in the workings of the AU. This paper argues that although ECOSOCC has a potential to contribute significantly in the democratisation process of the continent, the pervasive African political culture of shunning CSOs and excluding them from participation in the affairs of the AU and its respective member states will work to undermine its utility. The article argues that there must be a change in political culture on the continent to make ECOSOCC work.

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