Président de la Commission de l’Union Africaine (depuis le 1er. février 2008)
Président du Ghana,
Président de l’Union Africaine (depuis janvier 2007)
25 November, Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, Kampala, Uganda.
NEPAD/AMCOST
22-28 October, First training workshop on science, technology and innovation indicators, Pretoria, South Africa.
12-16 November, Third conference of the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya.
APRM
7-9 November, APRM experience-sharing workshop for countries, Algiers, Algeria.
February 2008, Country Review Mission for Nigeria (date to be finalised).
February 2008, APRM Country Review Mission for Uganda (date to be finalised). Source : NEPAD, 19 0ctobre 2007
A workshop to carry forward the recommendations of the 6th Africa Governance Forum (AGF) is being organised by the Africa Peer Review Secretariat and will be held in Algiers on 8-9 November 2007.
The 6th AGF, was hosted by the APR Panel in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kigali Rwanda in May 2006 with the theme “The Challenges and Opportunities of the Implementation of the APR".
It brought together participants from all the countries which have acceded to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) as well as key regional and international partners in the process to share experience and make proposals on areas in which the APRM can be improved.
As a follow-up the APR Panel is now embarking on a multi-faceted project to implement the Kigali recommendations.
Specifically, the Panel is partnering with the Algerian Government supported by the National Economic and Social Council of Algeria to bring together Focal Points and technical experts from countries that have already undertaken the self-assessment process to begin carrying forward the recommendations.
In preparation for the Algiers workshop, the APRM Secretariat organised a preparatory working session in Pretoria, South Africa, on 8-9 October 2007. Participants included, the Executive Director, Dr. Bernard Kouassi, and officials of the APRM Secretariat, six experts from the National Economic and Social Council of Algeria, and experts from Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia.
The APRM strategic partners — African Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa — were also represented together with a representative of the NEPAD Gender Task Force.
The objectives of this pre-workshop meeting were :
To deliberate on the methodology of the APRM from inception to completion and make proposals on how the process can be shortened and standardised while maintaining country specific requirements.
Using the lessons learnt by the experts in implementation of the APRM, to identify key priority process issues for consideration in Algiers.
To make suggestions on how best to carry forward the implementation of the AGF VI recommendations.
The Pretoria meeting provided input to focus the Algiers workshop, including revision of the APRM questionnaire and development of a prototype research design for assessment.
The meeting also noted the need to standardise reporting on the implementation of the national Programmes of Action and to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework.
APRM Mission visits Zambia A three-member mission of the APRM visited Zambia on 10-12 September 2007, including Graca Machel, lead Panel member for Zambia, Evelynne Change, coordinator for corporate governance and Eunice Kamwendo-Chintedza, research analyst for economic governance and management.
The main purpose was to increase awareness of the APRM process and the expectations in the Zambian context.
The APRM delegation held sessions with key stakeholders to deliberate on the national structures that need to be put in place before the process can be launched.
The mission also met the Vice-President of Zambia, Rupiah Banda, who reiterated Zambia’s commitment and support for the APRM process. It was agreed that Zambia would take steps to put the National Governing Council and other structures in place to pave the way for launching the review process.
Dr. Chris Stals visits Lesotho The lead Panel member for Lesotho Dr. Chris Stals visited Maseru on 12-13 September 2007 for interactions on the road map for the country review process.
During his visit Dr. Stals held sessions with key government officials and representatives of the National Governing Council, the body charged with the management of the APRM process in Lesotho. He also paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister, Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili.
Lesotho is keen to reactivate the national process and it is hoped that it will finalise its country self assessment by February 2008, facilitating the visit of a review mission in late March or April 2008.
Nigeria to receive Country Review Mission Amb. Tunji Olagunju, Special Advisor on NEPAD to the Nigerian President and national coordinator on the APRM accompanied by Dr. Gabriel Gundu of the Nigerian APRM Secretariat visited Midrand, South Africa, on 29 September 2007 for a session with Amb. Bethuel Kiplagat the lead Panel member for Nigeria. The purpose of the meeting was to agree on the roadmap for the review of Nigeria, scheduled for February 2008.
In the meantime, Nigeria is forging ahead with the validation of the national self assessment so as to deepen ownership of the process in the country.
South Africa Country Review Report The Country Review Report for South Africa has been published and will be available online at www.nepad.org/aprm. Hard copies of the report may be requested from the APRM Secretariat from 1 November 2007. Source : NEPAD, 19 0ctobre 2007