Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Jan 30 – President Uhuru Kenyatta today declared the 26th APRM forum a success for having a historic number of countries reviewed.
In a report to the 28th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, President Kenyatta said the African Peer Review Mechanism was picking up momentum as well as acceptance.
Three countries — Djibouti, Chad and Senegal — were reviewed for the first time while Kenya was reviewed for the second time at the Forum on Saturday.
The Forum also peer reviewed the first Progress Report on the implementation of the National Programme of the Republic of Zambia.
Namibia also enrolled in the process with President Hage Geingob pledging commitment to the APRM values.
President Kenyatta, who is the Chair of the APRM, called on more countries to join the mechanism to make progress in governance.
“The APRM was established to improve the conditions of our citizens and as a proclamation of our self-determination,” said the President.
President Kenyatta took over the leadership of the APRM in 2015 and since that time the mechanism has made notable achievements.
Some of the achievements include a review of the APRM governance assessment methodology to make the forum relevant and cost efficient.
A second notable achievement was the development of an APRM Statute for integration to the AU which the APR Forum shall submit for consideration at the June 2017 AU Assembly.
Under President Kenyatta, the APRM has seen an increase in financial contribution from more 10 of the member states.
President Kenyatta said a number of changes have been undertaken to strengthen the APRM, including replacement of retiring members of the Panel of Eminent Persons.
Prof Mahamoud Khayal was appointed as the Chairperson of the APR Panel and Hon. Brigitte Silvia Mabandla as the Vice Chairperson of the APR Panel.
The Chairperson of the APR Forum approved the appointment of new panel members including Ms. Fatima Zohra Kharaja (Algeria), Prof Ibrahim Agboda Gambari (Nigeria), and Amb. Mona Omar Attia (Egypt), Amb. Ombeni Yohana Sefue (Tanzania) and Bishop Don Dinis Salomao Sengulane (Mozambique) and Prof. Augustin Loada (Burkina Faso).
The APRM also signed agreements with African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in order to improve its capacity to deliver on its mandate.
