Six years before the 2014 Burkina Faso
uprising, the country’s African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) report
identified “omnipresent weight and domination of the majority, which
seems to ‘block’ the democratic system and stifle multiparty politics”.
The assessment called on authorities to “provide appropriate responses and solutions to bring about the necessary change”.
In South Africa, the 2007 APRM report stated that
“xenophobia against other Africans is currently on the rise and should
be nipped in the bud.” Dozens of migrants have since lost their lives in
attacks.
African Union Member States established the APRM in 2003
as a voluntary tool to assess political, economic and corporate
governance, and socio-economic development in countries. It seeks to
ensure that the policies and practices of participating states conform
to African Union standards of transparency and accountability.
UNDP has provided financial and technical support to the
APRM since 2003 as a singular inclusive platform that convenes different
actors from government, civil society and other sectors to look
holistically at a country’s status across these governance and
development issues and agree on a way forward.
Once signed up, countries first grade themselves and then
allow a panel of independent experts to assess the findings, followed by
a government response. The combined report and resulting National Plan
of Action are then shared with fellow heads of state and government in
the APR Forum, where potential areas of support, shared experiences,
etc., are discussed.
To date 35 countries have acceded to the APRM, of which 17
have put themselves forward for peer review. The findings have
presented some common challenges across countries. These include
corruption, youth bulges and unemployment, poor infrastructure, and
inconsistent gender mainstreaming. The review also highlights good
practices, ask critical questions, set goals, and differentiate
responsibilities between government and non-governmental actors. The
APRM reports also recommend mitigation actions for the challenges
raised. The 2006 Kenya report, for instance, encouraged the government
and political parties to work on conflict resolution mechanisms to build
consensus on crucial national issues, defuse ethnic tension and promote
tolerance. A year later, the country experienced post-election violence
that saw thousands of people killed and hundreds of thousands
displaced.
Despite its utility, the APRM has suffered some
challenges. These include irregular payment of contributions by Member
States, delays in review and lack of post-review follow-up due to
changes in political leadership. Momentum is also slowed when countries
that have acceded to the APRM do not opt for review.
The current Chair of the APR Forum, Kenya’s President
Uhuru Kenyatta has called on heads of state to recommit to the ideals of
the mechanism. He is seeking to revitalize and refocus the APRM to
deliver on continental and global development agendas.
A new Chief Executive Officer has been appointed.
Member States are being urged to meet their financial
obligations to ensure a well-staffed and equipped secretariat to oversee
the efficient running of the mechanism. Non-participating countries
have also been called upon to join in order to ensure consistency in the
implementation and monitoring of the global 2030 Agenda and Africa’s
Agenda 2063.
More could be done to build on this progress. Regular
payment of all assessed contributions would ensure a well-staffed and
equipped continental secretariat to oversee the efficient running of the
mechanism.
The secretariat could review the APRM process taking into
account technological and legal developments since the mechanism was set
up 13 years ago.
Reviews should be timed to align with a country’s national
development planning process in order to integrate Action Plan outcomes
and ring-fence resources for implementation.
Efforts should be made to include all segments of society
in the review process to build ownership and sustainability of results.
The tenets of good governance, such as participation,
transparency and accountability are not voluntary. So why should their
monitoring be? It is time for the APRM to revisit its voluntary nature
as a means to entrench these values continent-wide.
Goal 16 of the universal Sustainable Development Goals
promotes peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development,
while Agenda 2063 envisions an integrated, prosperous and peaceful
continent.
Both provide a timely opportunity for the APRM to deliver
on its original vision – to foster conditions for economic integration,
political stability and sustainable development.
David Omozuafoh
• David Omozuafoh is programme advisor for APRM and Governance Assessment, UNDP Africa
