Strengthening Governance for the Sustainable Development

Goals

The African Peer Review Mechanism

Africa Change Dynamics Program

May 12, 2015

● Presenting the APRM: What it is and how the process works

● Discuss the APRM’s potential to monitor and support progress under SDG 16, on governance and peace and security

Objectives

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● The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is a self-monitoring instrument voluntarily acceded to by member states of the African Union.

● It is designed to to help African States create an enabling environment for sustainable development by analyzing: (1) Democratic and Political Governance; (2) Economic Governance and Management; (3) Corporate Governance, and; (4) Socio-Economic Development

● Two primary objectives:

1) 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 sharing of experiences; and

2) To reinforce successful and best practices, including identifying deficiencies in bid to address them”

What is the APRM?

As of 2014, 34 countries have joined the Mechanism and 17 of them have successfully completed their self-assessment exercise and they have been peer-reviewed.

Countries Participating in the APRM

Stage 1•National APRM structures established. An inclusive National Self-Assessment. Development of draft National Programme of Action

Stage 2•A Country review team, composed of experts, visits the country and undertakes wide, independent consultations with stakeholders

Stage 3•APRM Panel and Country Review Team drafts the Country Review Report

Stage 4•Heads of State and Government participating the APRM o (APRM Forum) peer review the country assessments

Stage 5•Publication of the Country Review Report six months after the APR Forum has examined it

Stage 6•Monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the NPOA

Stages of the APRM Process

● To ensure the SDGs universal agenda there needs to be a clear differentiation of responsibilities at the national and international levels

● This is particularly important for Goal 16. Achieving governance targets will be fundamental to the success of the SDGs. Governance, however, is fundamentally political. Accordingly, countries will need to set targets that are in line with national priorities. This can be accomplished with the help of a qualitative review mechanism capable of providing rigorous and country-specific political analysis

● The APRM can provide this type of nuanced political assessments and in a manner that guarantees countries their policy space.

● In particular, the APRM can help translate the SDGs and their associated targets into national action plans and assign responsibilities in a way that respects country priorities, while encouraging international cooperation

The APRM and Operationalizing SDG Governance Targets

SDG & APRM Complimentarities

● APRM Country Self-Assessments typically provide an in-depth analysis of country-specific governance challenges, as well as of local approaches to problem-solving. This is accomplished by adapting its extensive questionnaire to fit with country priorities, fielding national surveys, and organizing focus groups

● The findings of APRM assessments can be used to determine meaningful governance targets under the SDGs as well as identify opportunities for reform. Self Assessments allow countries to identify issues that go “unseen” by other indicators and expert assessments. This has in turn made the APRM an important predictive tool.

● E.g: Warned of the potential for electoral violence in Kenya (2007) and xenophobic attacks in South Africa (2008)

Setting Targets Under the SDGs

● Some Core Principles of the APRM: National ownership and leadership by participating countries Open participation of all governance and development

stakeholders Technical Relevance, Credibility and freedom from

manipulation

● Once the draft self-assessment is complete, there is a national consultation, where civil society and government officials have the opportunity to validate its findings and proffer solutions.

● This has empowered non-state actors to draw government

attention to problems that are often overlooked (e.g. in Uganda to minority land rights) and to monitor government commitments. The APRM can bring a variety of stakeholders together in support of measures to achieve governance targets for the SDGs

Fostering National Ownership of Governance Targets under the SDGs

● APRM National Plans of Action (NPoAs) translate key findings of country assessments into recommendations that are harmonized with country plans and policies for action by government, non-governmental, and regional actors

● The NPOAs can therefore be

Translating Governance Targets into Policies and Actions

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