PHOTO: One of the sessions in the Liberian capital
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
A technical country support mission of the African Peer Review Mechanism Continental Secretariat has been visiting Liberia holding discussions with officials.
The Country Support Mission was in Liberia from March 10-13, 2021.
The CSM is led by Professor Eddy Maloka, Chief Executive Officer of the APRM Continental Secretariat in South Africa.
While in the country, the APRM Technical Delegation met with President George Manneh Weah, Minister Samuel Tweah, the APRM Focal National Point to give a briefing on the protocols and processes at the APRM Forum, and will also meet with technicians at the MFDP, members of the National Governing Council, as well as the APRM National Secretariat.
Professor Eddy Maloka, Chief Executive Officer of the APRM Continental Secretariat is leading a technical support mission to Liberia in the context of updating Liberia’s Country Review Report, ahead of the up-coming APRM Forum scheduled for March 25, 2021.
The Country Support Mission is to also gauge Liberia’s preparedness for its country review report and National Program of Action at the up-coming APRM Forum.
Over 40 of Africa’s 55 countries have voluntarily acceded to the APRM framework. Liberia is expected to be peer-reviewed at the up-coming APRM Forum in South Africa.
The Liberian Government has set up a National Secretariat and put together a National Governing Council which is representative of all sectors in the country to drive the APRM process .
In 2010, at the 12th Summit of the APR Forum held in Addis Ababa, the Chair of the Governance Commission and former Interim President of Liberia Dr. Amos C. Sawyer was appointed to the highest decision-making body, the APR Panel of Eminent Persons.
A year later, Liberia formally joined the APRM by depositing the signed MOU of March 2003 at the NEPAD Secretariat.
Liberia acceded to the 14th Forum of Heads of States and Governments of the APRM in January 2011 and has made meaningful contributions in terms of representation and participation.
The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) which was established in 2003 is an African Union initiative for promoting good governance within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
The objectives of the APRM are primarily to foster the adoption of policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration through experience sharing and reinforcement of successful and best practices, including identifying deficiencies and assessment of requirements for capacity building.
The foundation of the APRM is built around four thematic pillars: Democracy and Political Governance, Economic Governance and Management, Corporate Governance and Socio-economic Development.
The APRM is a commonly approved framework voluntarily consented to by member states. Since its establishment in 2003, 37 countries more than half of Africa’s countries with three-quarter of its population have acceded to the APRM framework.