Parliamentarians of the English speaking African countries met in Tanzania to enhance their involvement in the APRM process

12 - 14 November 2008, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

A training workshop on Enhancing the role and effective participation of Parliamentarians in the APRM process was held at Oceanic Bay Hotel, in Bagamoyo, Tanzania from 12 to 14 November 2008. Governance and Public Administration Division of the Economic Commission for Africa organized the workshop in collaboration with the United Nations Development programme of Tanzania and the Pan-African Parliament of South Africa.

A total of 80 participants: parliamentarians from English speaking APRM acceded countries namely, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, focal points of pioneer countries, members of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and their Parliamentary Forums, APRM National Commissions, and Civil Societies such as South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Africa Governance & Monitoring Project (AfriMAP), and Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) have attended the workshop.

The main objective of the training workshop was to provide a valuable learning opportunity for exchange of views, sharing country specific experiences and peer learning among Parliamentarians from both pioneer and newly acceded countries.

Among the topics discussed were the objectives and core principles of NEPAD/APRM, APRM as an alternative accountability mechanism in the national governance system, continental oversight structures of the APRM, the use of media and ICT in enhancing parliamentary oversight of the APRM, challenges and opportunities for engaging the legislature in the APRM and building strategic partnerships between parliamentarians and civil society organizations for effective engagement in the APRM. The workshop gave a great opportunity for parliamentarians to exchange their views and share country specific experiences. They also resolved to enhance their role and participation in the APRM process.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Tanzania, H.E. Amb. Seif Idd in his keynote address underscored the importance of involving Parliamentarians in the APR process right from the beginning and expressed at length on the extent to which the Tanzania Government is committed to APRM and the mechanisms. Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Systems and Representative of UNDP in Tanzania, Mr. Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, made a statement by explaining the commitment of the UN in supporting both NEPAD and the APRM process; and also noted the need for African nations to take stock of their current status in governance with the aim of strengthening the legal and institutional frameworks for good governance. Mr. Kojo Busia, on behalf of the UN Under-Secretary General and ECA Executive Secretary, Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, made an opening remark first by appreciating ECA’s collaboration with PAP and UNDP-Tanzania in organizing the workshop and assured to participants the continued support of ECA and active involvement in the APRM process, to the preparation of background reports, country self-assessment reports and the formulation of the country programme of action.

Participants in general expressed their profound gratitude to ECA for organizing this timely workshop. They emphasized the need for capacity development to empower MPs role in the APRM, and the involvement of political parties in the APRM process. Among the many recommendations made by participants included: efforts to ensure a conducive environment that would motivate participation of MPs in the APRM process before commencement of the assessment; the enhanced oversight role of parliament in the implementation of the National Plan of Action (NPoA; the establishment of a partnership between Parliament, CSO and media – to regularly monitor the progress of APRM programs both in the form of budgetary allocations and concrete programs and its outcome; institutionalizing the APRM process through an Act of Parliament to shield it from political biases; and the establishment of permanent committee to parliaments to which the APRM NGC must report periodically on implementation progress. ECA committed to follow-up on these recommendations by putting into concrete action these recommendations through a Plan of Action to be adopted by the Pan-African Parliament.

The same kind of joint-workshop for French speaking African countries will be organized by ECA shortly.