The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)’s Africa Governance Report 2021: [African Futures Towards Agenda 2063] is ready to be presented to the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU).
President Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity as the outgoing Chairperson of the APRM delivered his opening remarks at the 31st APR Forum of Heads of State and Government in a virtual meeting on Friday, February 4, 2022.
“Our collective thanks go to the APRM Continental Secretariat and the other institutions of the African Governance Architecture Platform for developing and submitting this important report. I also wish to thank all who have played such an important role in steering the APRM processes during this time.
“Our thanks go to the Minister for the Public Service and Administration of the Republic of South Africa, to the APR Panel of Eminent Persons led by Ambassador Ombeni Sefue; to the Chief Executive Officer of the APRM Continental Secretariat Prof. Eddy Maloka and his team; as well as to our strategic partners,” he said.
President Ramaphosa assumed the Chair of the APR Forum in February 2020 and at the end of the current APR Forum, he will relinquish the chair.
Despite the disruptions caused by the outbreak of COVID-19, President Ramaphosa said the work of the APR Forum has continued throughout the pandemic. According to the President, this is testament to the resilience and endurance of this mechanism, as well as to the broad support it continues to receive from participating States.
“We know that the APRM is integral to our efforts to meet the aspirations of Agenda 2063, of a continent that is integrated, prosperous and peaceful. This Summit will be considering a number of items and recommendations emanating from the 34th meeting of the APRM Committee of Focal Points that took place last month.
“We will be peer reviewing a number of countries that have undergone extensive APRM review processes, namely the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of Namibia, the Republic of Niger and the Republic of South Africa.
“It is a source of pride to us as South Africa that we were able to complete our country review during our tenure as Chair of the APR Forum. This Summit will also be considering the Targeted Review of the Republic of Kenya as well as the progress report of the Republic of Uganda,” he said.
President Ramaphosa also announced that President of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh will be afforded an opportunity to present his statement on the Targeted Review of his country, following on the 29th APR Forum Summit in February 2020. He further said that the APRM review processes continue to be characterised by integrity, independence, professionalism and credibility.
Promotion of Democracy
President Ramaphosa said the promotion of democracy, human rights and good governance on the continent has become a particularly critical endeavour at this time.
“The resurgence of unconstitutional change of governments in parts of Africa is of concern, and we must continue to support the efforts of the ECOWAS and the AU Peace and Security Council in this regard.
“Next year, the APRM will be marking its 20th anniversary. We look forward to this, and it is an anniversary of which we can all be proud,” he said. The Summit is expected to adopt the conduct of peer review of Nigeria, Namibia, Niger and South Africa and discuss reports on the targeted review of Kenya.
On Sunday, President Ramaphosa is also expected to deliver a report on the outcomes of the 30th and 31st APR Forum Meetings at the AU Assembly.
The APRM was established in 2003 as a specialised agency of the AU that serves as a platform for sharing experiences and reinforcing best practices towards political stability, accelerated economic growth, and regional and continental integration as well as sustainable development.
It further seeks to foster change in underlying deficiencies in governance and socio-economic development processes among member states.
