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Statement by His Excellency, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Chairperson of the APR Forum of Heads of State and Government at the 36th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 18-19 February 2023.
Your Excellency, Azali Assoumani, President of the Union of The Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union,
Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government,
Your Excellency, Moussa Mahamat Faki, Chairperson of the African Union Commission,
Your Excellencies, Heads of AU Organs and Institutions Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
1. Let me, from the outset, on behalf of the APR Forum, thank all Heads of State and Government who took part in several APRM activities and to further express sincere gratitude for their commitment, collaboration, and their invaluable support to the Mechanism. I am also grateful for the engagements with our esteemed partners. With a spirit of shared ownership, mutual trust and cooperation, we have collectively advanced the work of the APRM over the last two decades.
2. In terms of Article 11 (1) of the APRM Statute and Rule 11 of the Rules of Procedure of the African Peer Review Forum of Heads of State and Government, I have the honour to present to the Assembly three reports: the Report of the Second Special Session of the APR Forum held virtually on 28th July 2022; the Report of the 32nd Ordinary Session of the APR Forum held virtually on 9 February 2023; and, the Africa Governance Report 2023.
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The Africa Governance Report 2023 3. It will be recalled that Article 6 (1) (c) of the APRM Statute and Assembly Decision 720 (XXXII) adopted at its 32nd Ordinary Session held in February 2020, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, mandated the APRM, in collaboration with the African Governance Architecture (AGA), to develop the Africa Governance Report and present it to the ordinary sessions of the Assembly every two (2) years for consideration.
4. It will also be recalled that at our last Summit in February 2022 through Decision 818(XXXV) we had instructed the APRM and AGA to develop the Third Africa Governance Report with a focus on the nexus between Governance and the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR).
5. However, the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government necessitated a change of focus for the Third Africa Governance Report. In terms of Article 4 (p) of the Constitutive Act, zero tolerance to unconstitutional changes of government is a sacrosanct and cardinal principle of our Union.
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6. You will also recall that during our last Ordinary Session in February 2022 through Decision 815(XXXV), we expressed serious concern over the resurgence of military coups d’états on the Continent. We also called for a comprehensive and objective analysis of the structural root causes and impact of unconstitutional changes of government in the Continent as well as the review of the AU normative framework on unconstitutional changes of government in Africa.
7. At our 16th Extraordinary Session on terrorism and unconstitutional changes of government held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in May, 2022, we also requested the APRM and AGA to refocus the Africa Government Report – 2023 on unconstitutional changes of government.
8. Pursuant to these Decisions, the APRM and AGA developed the Africa Governance Report 2023 focusing on unconstitutional changes of government. The Report was developed by utilising the APRM methodologies of targeted reviews, high-level consultations and validations as well as expert thematic analysis.
9. The following Member States undertook targeted reviews on unconstitutional changes of government as part of the AGR-2023: the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Republic of Chad, the Union of Comoros and the Republic of Guinea. The Republic of Sudan agreed to utilize the APRM Governance Gap Analysis Report on the country as a review for purposes of the development of the AGR-2023.
10. Allow me to thank the Heads of State and Government of these Member States that undertook targeted reviews on unconstitutional changes of government. The targeted reviews formed the foundational case studies for the Africa Governance Report 2023.
11. I also wish to thank all Heads of State and Government that took part in the virtual High-Level Validation of the AGR-2023 on 7 February 2023 and the 32nd APR Forum of Heads of State and Government that approved the report on 9 February 2023. Additionally, I also wish to sincerely thank all AU structures that contributed to the development of the Report.
12. Therefore, I have the honour to share with you the key Highlights of the Africa Governance Report-2023 for your kind consideration, invaluable contribution and possible adoption. It is our sincere conviction that the report will deepen our respect for democratic principles, human rights, the rule of law, constitutionalism, and good governance. We have absolute faith that the report will entrench our total rejection of unconstitutional changes of government.
13. We humbly request the Assembly to adopt the Africa Governance Report-2023 including the recommendations contained therein. Member States and all stakeholders mentioned in the report should be encouraged to implement the recommendations emanating from the report.
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Universal Accession of AU Member States 14. In line with numerous pronouncements of the Assembly and the 10-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063 on Universal Accession of AU Member States to APRM, I have the honour and pleasure to report to this 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly that the Union of Comoros acceded to the APRM as its 43rd participating state at the 32nd APR Forum held on 9 February 2023.
15. On behalf of the APR Forum, I sincerely wish to thank the Chair of our Union, H.E President Azali Assoumani, for this perspicuous decision.
I welcome him to the APRM’s good governance community.
16. We recommend to the Assembly to reiterate its call to all AU Member States that have not yet acceded to the APRM to do so, especially during this year 2023, which is APRM’s 20th Anniversary, the end of the 10-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, and the 60th Anniversary of our continental organization.
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Targeted Review Reports 17. At the Second APR Forum Special Summit held virtually in July, 2022, the Forum peer-reviewed the Targeted Review Report on the Republic of Kenya’s Presidential Big 4 Agenda covering manufacturing, food security, affordable housing, and universal health coverage, as well as salient issues including youth unemployment, corruption, gender inequalities, and diversity.
18. We thank the Republic of Kenya for undertaking this initiative of a targeted review on the above-mentioned areas of governance. We recommend to the Assembly to encourage the Republic of Kenya to implement, and to take into account observations of Members States and the recommendations contained in their report.
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19. During the 32nd Summit of the APR Forum held on 9 February 2023, the First Country Review Report of the Republic of Niger and the Targeted Review Report of the Republic of Djibouti on fiscal decentralisation were presented and peer-reviewed. We commend H.E Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Republic of Niger and H.E Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti for their outstanding leadership in promoting good governance for national development.
20. We would also like to congratulate the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire for launching its first peer review report on 12th December 2022. 21. We recommend to the Assembly to encourage the Republic of Niger and the Republic of Djibouti to implement the observations of Members States and the recommendations contained in their report.
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National Governance Report – Kenya 22. Additionally, at the 32nd Summit of the APR Forum, we received the inaugural National Governance Report of the Republic of Kenya. The report was developed pursuant to Assembly Decision 720(XXXII) which requested Member States to develop national governance reports as a self-assessment tool for promoting good governance. The APR Forum commended H.E William Ruto, the Government of the Republic of Kenya for being the first to develop the national governance report.
23. We recommend to the Assembly to commend H.E William Ruto, the Government of the Republic of Kenya and reiterate its call to encourage all AU Member States to develop national governance reports as a self- assessment tool, for promoting good governance.
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Third APRM Annual Youth Symposium and the Second Africa-High Level Forum on South-South and Triangular Cooperation for Sustainable Development
24. Pursuant to its mandate to promote democracy and good governance and sharing best practices at national, regional and continental levels, the APRM, under the auspices of H.E Yoweri Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda held the Third APRM Annual Youth Symposium in Kampala, Uganda in July 2022 and the Second Africa-High Level Forum on South-South and Triangular Cooperation for Sustainable Development in Kampala, Uganda in January 2023.
25. Also, let me use this opportunity to express our appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Uganda, for accepting to host the forthcoming Africa Migration Governance Conference on the second semester of this year.
26. The APR Forum supported the continuation of Annual Youth Symposiums and instructed the APRM Continental Secretariat to work closely with the African Union Commission and the Host Member States in organizing the Annual Youth Symposium as a platform for youth mainstreaming in the promotion of democracy and good governance o tne continent.
27. The Second Africa-High Level Forum on South-South and Triangular Cooperation stressed the need for the promotion of African integration as encapsulated in Agenda 2063 with all its aspirations by sharing development solutions, transferring knowledge, and providing mutual support and technical assistance. We recommend to the Assembly to adopt the outcomes of these important meetings.
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Good Governance 28. In line with Article 6 (1) (h) of the APRM Statute and Assembly Decision 686 (XXX), the APRM has now been firmly positioned to contribute to early warning for conflict prevention within the continent in harmony and synergy with AGA and APSA. The First Retreat between the APR Panel of Eminent Persons and the AU Panel of the Wise as well as the Second Retreat between the APRM and the African Union Peace and Security Council were both held in eThekwini, Republic of South Africa in November 2022.
29. Both Retreats adopted conclusions aimed at contributing to early warning for conflict prevention within the continent. We recommend to the Assembly to also endorse these Conclusions and instruct all the relevant stakeholders to ensure their speedy implementation.
30. In pursuance of its mandate to promote democracy and good governance, the APRM developed a comprehensive framework, APRM Governance Index, for tracking governance performance on the continent. The APRM Governance Index is aimed at standardising reporting on national governance in APRM Member States. In 2022, the APRM Governance Index Framework was piloted in Kenya, Cote D’Ivoire and Egypt, in order to assess the feasibility and availability of data for the computation of the Indices.
31. The APR Forum commends the Member States that have piloted this tool of APRM Governance Index, which has yielded positive results. We encourage Member States to utilize APRM Governance Index Framework.
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APRM Appointments and Recommendations
32. In accordance with Article 12 (j), Article 13 (6) (7) of the APRM Statute and Rules of Procedure of the Forum and those of the APR Panel of Eminent Persons, the APR Forum recommends to the Assembly the appointment of Dr Abdoulie Janneh, representing West Africa, as the Chairperson of the APR Panel of Eminent Persons and Ambassador Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika, representing Southern Africa as the Vice Chairperson.
33. The Forum thanked Dr. Ali Abdel-Rhamane Haggar, the outgoing Chairperson of the APR Panel of Eminent Persons, for his leadership and achievements during his tenure as the Chairperson of the Panel.
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34. The Forum took note with great appreciation and satisfaction the exceptional leadership, competence, and sustained efforts made by the CEO of the APRM Continental Secretariat, Prof Eddy Maloka, in the revitalisation, restoration, reinvigoration and integration of the APRM into the AU system. However, his tenure of office is ending in February 2023.
35. In this regard, the Forum unanimously agreed in line with the provisions of the APRM legal instruments, to both initiate the recruitment process of the new CEO of the APRM and extend, on exceptional circumstances, the contract of the APRM Continental Secretariat CEO, Prof Eddy Maloka, until the completion of the recruitment process, the appointment of the new CEO by the Assembly, assumption of duty, and smooth handover to the new CEO by May 2024. This is to ensure stability and the continuous and smooth operations of the APRM Continental Secretariat, as well as safeguarding and consolidating all gains achieved so far.
36. Accordingly, we recommend to the Assembly to adopt this decision of the APR Forum.
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Twentieth Anniversary Celebrations of the APRM 37. You will recall that the APRM was established on 9 March 2003. the Assembly through Decision 765 (XXXIII) declared this day as the founding day of the APRM which should be celebrated by the continent and the AU family,
38. On 9 March 2023, the APRM will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary. The APR Forum calls upon all AU Member States and the entire AU system to join the APRM in the celebration of its 20th Anniversary with year-long activities and events. We also request that the AU Policy Organs expeditiously avail sufficient financial and human resources necessary for the excellent 20th Anniversary celebration of the APRM.
39. We recommend to the Assembly to endorse this decision of the APR Forum.
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40. In conclusion, on behalf of the APR Forum, I wish to express the gratitude of the APR Forum to the AU Policy Organs, Focal Points Committee, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, the Panel of Eminent Persons and the Chief Executive Officer of the APRM Secretariat for their tireless efforts in ensuring that the APRM realises its mandate.
41. Allow me to also thank the Assembly for your continued support to the Mechanism and once more encourage those Member States that have not joined the mechanism to work towards their accession.
42. In order for APRM to continuously execute its mandate, the APR Forum appeals to Assembly to avail the necessary financial and human resources to the Mechanism.
I thank you for your kind attention.
