Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, says the government will take necessary action to gain the needed legal backing for the conduct of the activities of the National African Peer Review Mechanism’s Governing Council (NAPRM-GC).
This was after she admitted the difficulty in the APRM’s Governing Council performing its mandates without any legal backing.
She applauded the efficiency and effectiveness displayed by the Governing Council in carrying out its mandates irrespective of the shortage in membership as well as logistics.
Ms Botchwey indicated that the government had already taken steps to increase the Council’s membership to seven, and provide the needed accoutrements to enhance the performance of its work.
She emphasized that the government is determined not to overstretch the current three Council members in view of the country’s targeted review, expressing hope that the Council would have its full complement before the start of the review process.
The Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister made these known when the acting Chairman of NAPRM-GC, Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, lead a delegation from the NAPRM-GC to pay a courtesy call on her on Monday.
She acknowledged the expanded mandate of the APRM at the 28th African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government, in January 2017, to include reporting on the implementation of the Agendas 2063 as well as Agenda 2030.
Ms Botchwey noted that it would act as an early warning tool for conflict prevention in Africa within the context of harmony and synergy between the APRM, African Peace and Security Architecture and the African Governance Architecture.
Capacity boost
The Minister said the government is determined to boost the capacity of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in the performance of the needed analytical work that underpins targeted review processes.
According to her, she is aware of the selected targeted review themes, which are trade, education, natural resource governance, safeguarding the environment as well as public health. She said Foreign and Regional Integration Ministry intends to charge relevant stakeholders to identify the specific areas under the selected themes that need to be reviewed for the attention of the President.
Ms Botchwey further expressed her preparedness to work closely with the Governing Council in tracking and monitoring the implementation of the Agendas 2063 and 2030, as well as overseeing the continent’s other key governance initiatives.
She also expressed the desire to witness more dynamic engagements with the NAPRM’s Council members, and took the opportunity to wish the Council members success in the performance of their various mandates.
About APRM
APRM is a voluntary arrangement among African states to systematically assess and review governance at the Head of State peer level to promote political stability, accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration, economic growth and sustainable development.
Issues discussed at the meeting centred around the expanded mandate of the APRM, with its attendant need for increased resources, to review the situation of shortage in the Council’s membership vis-à-vis the country’s plan for a targeted review; to seek the Minister’s opinion on the way forward with regard to the themes for the targeted review; to request the Ministry’s support in obtaining legal backing for the work of the APRM; and also request the Ministry’s assistance in acquiring a befitting office space and logistics to enhance the work of the Council.
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