Experts kickstart meeting on the need to respect diversity in Africa’s elections

ECA Press Release No. 91/2010

Addis Ababa, 29 November 2010 (ECA) – African governance experts from over 25 independent National Research Institutions have arrived in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa for a two-day meeting to discuss the preparation of the third edition of the African Governance Report (AGR III) and related national reports on the theme: “Elections and the Management of Diversity in Africa.” At the opening ceremony, Abdallah Hamdok, Director of the Governance and Public Administration Division of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) said, “the African Governance Report is probably the most comprehensive report on African governance that provides credible assessment on all areas of governance, including political, economic, administrative and institutional.” He however, pointed out that the reports are not an end to themselves, and said, “We expect to embark on effective follow-up through dissemination of the report, and policy engagement at the national level.” He added, “We want to identify governance deficits on the continent and provide policy recommendations to address them.”
Developed in partnership between the Economic Commission for Africa and the UNDP, the AGR III report as well as the national reports are according to Hamdok, “expected to guide and inform dialogue on governance at the country level.” For his part, Khabele Matlosa, of the UNDP/ECA joint initiatives programme speaking on behalf of the UNDP Country Represnetative, Mr. Eugene Owusu said that Africa requires democratic governance in order to achieve its development goals and attain sustainable peace and security.
He expressed UNDPs commitment to the AGRII project and said: “This unique partnership between UNDP and ECA also extends to other governance initiatives, such as the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the African Governance Forum (AGF), which combine well in support of advancing Africa’s governance agenda.”
AGRIII’s core edge will be policy recommendations on electoral processes that effectively manage diversity, prevent conflicts, promote peace and stability and bring people together.
As with previous AGR productions, the process will entail expert panel surveys, desk research and focus group discussions with women, youth, political party members, community-based organizations working in the field of governance; as well as individuals from the private sector. The experts engaged in this process are expected capture citizen voices defining their own destinies.
For information on past African Governance Reports: www.uneca.org/agr
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