Africa Governance Inventory (AGI) and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Focal Points Workshop: The AGI as a governance information tool supporting

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1 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Africa Governance Inventory (AGI) and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Focal Points Workshop: The AGI as a governance information tool supporting the APRM Novotel Umubano, Kigali, Rwanda 8 May 2006

2 Introduction AIDE-MEMOIRE The Division for Public Administration and Development Management of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations (DPADM/UNDESA) is organizing an Africa Governance Inventory (AGI) and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Focal Points Workshop back-to-back with the Sixth Africa Governance Forum (AGF VI). The AGI and APRM Focal Points Workshop, focusing on the theme The AGI as a governance information tool supporting the APRM, will be held at the Novotel Kigali Umubano, Boulevard de l Umuganda, Rwanda on 8 May Workshop participants will be invited to attend the AGF VI, which will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel, also in Kigali, from 9 to 11 May In line with the focus of the AGF VI on Implementing the African Peer Review Mechanism: Challenges and Opportunities, this Workshop aims at gathering the views of governance Focal Points in charge of the AGI and of the APRM on concrete ways in which the AGI can support the APRM. It is our hope that the Workshop recommendations will enrich discussions during the AGF VI and will be adopted as part of the Forum deliberations. Context The Outcome document of the 2005 World Summit, held at the United Nations in New York, reaffirms the commitment of the international community to governance equity and transparency in the financial and trading systems. It also mentions that good governance at the international level is fundamental for achieving sustainable development 1. In the context of Africa, the New Partnership for Africa s Development (NEPAD) programme, which the United Nations pledged to support, emphasizes the interconnection between development and good governance. NEPAD, in fact, emerged out of the realization that the African continent s quest for economic growth and political stability hinged on the Africans holding themselves to the highest standards of political, economic and corporate governance. As to the APRM, it came into being following the adoption of the NEPAD Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance 2. The APRM is aimed at promoting adherence to and the fulfilment of the objectives of the above Declaration. According to the APRM 3, the primary purpose of the review, which was launched by the Heads of State Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) in May 2003, is: 1 GA resolution A/Res/60/1, 24 October AHG/235 (XXXVIII) adopted by the inaugural Summit of the African Union in Durban, South Africa in July AHG/235 (XXXVIII). 2

3 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 reinforcement of successful and best practices, including identifying deficiencies and assessing the needs of capacity building. Rationale for a closer APRM-AGI linkage The AGI is a self-service portal, available through the World Wide Web ( developed by UNDESA/DPADM in 2003 and placed at the service of African states to support ongoing governance efforts in the region. This flexible management tool is funded from resources provided by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Italy. It assists African Governments and their development partners to improve programming, coordination, monitoring, evaluation and mobilization of resources in governance. To date, 31 countries in Africa have provided data on governance through the AGI Portal (20 of which have acceded to the APRM): Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Since its inception, and particularly in recent months, the AGI has demonstrated a remarkable capacity to respond to the governance challenges so clearly identified by NEPAD. It has been highly effective in promoting dialogue with donors on the adoption of reliable tools for assessing governance performance. Recognizing the vital role of the AGI Portal, UNDESA has consistently urged African countries participating in the NEPAD/APRM to put the portal to optimum use. As a growing number of countries avail themselves of this vital service, the collection, storage and analysis of data on governance initiatives would be facilitated to the benefit of the evolving continental review process. The AGI promises, at the minimum, to contribute to the advancement of the APRM process by: Providing quantitative and qualitative data (lessons learned from project implementation) on governance initiatives implemented by governments, development partners, the private sector and civil society. Providing a platform for enhancing exchanges of experiences and best practices and the identification of needs for capacity-building activities in specific sub-sectors of governance. Supplying objective information assisting governments in promoting donor coordination and in monitoring project activities, 3

4 including the use of resources deployed to achieve their goals and their alignment to national/regional priorities. Moreover, throughout the years, the AGI initiative has established solid communication channels with government Focal Points within the African continent. The latter have expressed their strong recommendation for the support the AGI needs to provide to the APRM. This support was deemed essential by the government Focal Points participating in the 2004 AGI Workshop, where representatives of 22 African countries agreed that: Focal points should lobby governments to recommend that the Africa Governance Forum (AGF) bring the AGI to the attention of the African Union. Focal Point meetings should take place periodically to ensure that 1) evaluation of initiatives, and 2) lessons learned recorded in the AGI are utilized during regional review processes, such as NEPAD/APRM reviews. In light of the above, UNDESA initiated in 2004 an exchange of correspondence with the Chairperson of the Panel of Eminent Persons of the NEPAD/APRM. Meetings were also held between the NEPAD/APR Secretariat and UNDESA officials in These meetings were critical, as they allowed discussing the possible linkages between the APRM and the AGI. They also helped to share information and review possibilities for concrete cooperation between the APR Secretariat and UNDESA through the AGI initiative. Subsequently, the aide-mémoire on Background and Guidelines for National Consultations, forwarded last year by UNDP Africa to countries participating in the AGF VI to assist them preparing for the Forum, encouraged UNDP Country Offices to link up with AGI Focal Points. This is in view of their participation in the national consultation process as part of APRM activities. In March 2006, the APR Secretariat and UNDP (the organizers of the AGF VI) formally endorsed the proposal of UNDESA to hold an AGI and APRM Focal Points workshop back-to-back with the AGF VI. Objectives The main objective of the Workshop is to raise the awareness of government officials tasked with coordinating governance review processes in Africa on the AGI Portal as a management and analytical tool to improve programming, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of governance initiatives. Countries participating in the APRM will also have an opportunity for sharing their experiences in the use of the AGI, to review the typology of aggregate governance information recorded in the Portal and to discuss the use of this tool to assist the review process. The Workshop will provide a platform for dialogue and exchange of information among APRM and AGI Focal Points. Based on the thorough understanding of the advantages of using this tool in the context of the APRM, participants views will be elicited with a view to identifying 4

5 concrete steps to be undertaken at national and regional levels to strengthen the linkages between the APRM and the AGI. It is hoped that this will lay the foundations for institutionalizing the support to be provided by the AGI to the latter review process. In this perspective, the specific objectives of the Workshop are to: Showcase successful examples of the use of the AGI Portal as reliable governance information and an analytical tool in governance. Discuss the relevance of the AGI in the various stages of the APRM - as mentioned in the document entitled Linkages between the AGI and the APRM - including: Country self assessment and governance overview; Visit by the Country Review Team (CRT); Drafting of the report by the CRT; Drafting of national programmes of action; Follow Up: monitoring the implementation of governance initiatives to ensure an alignment with the recommendations made during the review process. Discuss ways to institutionalize information-sharing among Government Focal Points in charge of the APRM and the AGI, and agree on an agenda for concrete support to be provided by the AGI to the APRM process. Make specific recommendations that can benefit AGF VI discussions and can be retained in its deliberations. Participants Participants in the Workshop will include: Senior Government officials tasked with AGI and APRM Focal Point functions AGI Focal Points from UNDP Country Offices Representatives from the APR Secretariat Representatives from UNDP Africa (New York) Representatives from the Government of Italy UNDESA/DPADM staff responsible for the AGI coordination Outcome The outcome of the AGI and APRM Focal Points Workshop will be an increased awareness by Senior African Government Officials of the AGI 5

6 Portal as a governance tool supporting the APRM. The Workshop will also expand the potential for regional and national cooperation in establishing, at national and regional levels, knowledge networks supporting the implementation of the NEPAD/APRM. It is hoped that the better understanding of the linkages between the AGI and the APRM will generate a set of recommendations, which will enrich discussions during the AGF VI and will be adopted as part of the Forum deliberations, with regard to: Ways to institutionalize information-sharing among Government Focal Points in charge of the APRM and of the AGI. Drafting an agenda for concrete support to be provided by the AGI to the APRM process. Contact details For further information please contact: UNDESA 1: Mr. John-Mary Kauzya Chief, Governance and Public Administration Branch Division for Public Administration and Development Management United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2 UN Plaza, Room DC New York, NY 10017, USA Phone: Fax: kauzya@un.org 2: Ms. Valentina Resta AGI Project Manager Governance and Public Administration Branch Division for Public Administration and Development Management United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2 UN Plaza, Room DC New York, NY 10017, USA Phone: Fax: restav@un.org 3: Mr. Alphonse Mekolo Inter-regional Adviser Governance and Public Administration Branch Division for Public Administration and Development Management United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2 UN Plaza, Room DC New York, NY 10017, USA Phone: Fax: mekolo@un.org 4: Ms. Cynthia Conti Technical Cooperation Assistant 6

7 Governance and Public Administration Branch Division for Public Administration and Development Management United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2 UN Plaza, Room DC New York, NY 10017, USA Phone: Fax: conti1@un.org NEPAD/APR Secretariat To be indicated 7

8 AGI and APRM Focal Points Workshop: The AGI as a governance tool supporting the APRM Draft agenda Monday, 8 May :00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. AGI and APRM Focal Points Workshop Registration 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Opening Remarks Representative of the host country United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Government of Italy United Nations Development Programme NEPAD/APR Secretariat Introduction on the APRM and its progress Speaker to be announced Coffee break 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Introductory presentation on the AGI and its relevance to the APRM United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Q&A on introductory presentations 10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. 11:15 a.m. 11:45 a.m. 11:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Presentation on the AGI-Rwanda and how it relates to the APRM Mr. Fred Mufulukye, AGI Government Focal Point Presentation on the AGI-Senegal: Lessons from the country s experience Mr. Abdoulaye Racine Kane, AGI Government Focal Point Q&A on country presentations 12:00 p.m. 12:30 p.m. Presentation on the AGI-Uganda: Lessons from the country s experience Ms. Norah Katumba, AGI Government Focal Point 8

9 12:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:15 p.m. Presentation on the AGI-Zambia: Lessons from the country s experience Mr. Enock Shawa, AGI Government Focal Point Q&A on country presentations 1:15 p.m. 2:15 p.m. Lunch break 2:15 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Open discussion on concrete ways in which the AGI can support the APRM Coffee break 4:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. Recommendations to be presented at the AGF VI 5:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m. Closing remarks United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs NEPAD/APR Secretariat Representative of the host country Tuesday, 9 May to Thursday, 11 May Sixth Africa Governance Forum (AGF VI) on: Implementing the African Peer Review Mechanism: Challenges and Opportunities 9