6 September 2016 –“The APRM has a good story to tell”…… these sentiments resonated at the Technical Meeting for the Implementation of the 2016-2020 APRM Strategic Plan currently underway in Sandton, Johannesburg. The meeting which is scheduled from 6 – 7 September seeks to articulate a clear road map for the implementation of the Five-Year Strategic Plan for the APRM, including an implementation plan for Member States and regions, as well as a clear result-oriented roadmap.

“For the very time in its history the APRM has a Strategic Plan which will be used for the next five years as a blueprint for implementing the APRM Mandate. This ambitious plan was adopted by the 25th APRM Forum in Nairobi, Kenya on 26 August, and we are hitting the ground running in its implementation. We are therefore well aware that we cannot do this alone, we need critical mass to effectively operationalize it”, said APRM CEO Prof. Eddy Maloka.

Delivering his remarks at the meeting, UNDP Regional Cluster Director, Governance and Peacebuilding in Africa, Dr. Ozonnia Ojielo, underlined that this meeting further endeavours to facilitate coordination among stakeholders for the implementation of the APRM’s governance reform mandate. Dr. Ojielo added that Africa has to do things differently to achieve better results in improving the climate for democracy and governance in Africa.

The meeting also enjoyed a presentation on “Enhancing the role of civil society, including the media in the APRM process and Strategic Plan Implementation, from the Head of Governance and APRM at the South African Institute of International Affairs, Mr. Steven Gruzd.

“One of the great things about the APRM is that it created peer groups. I would caution however even that even though the new CEO has put a lot commitment in engaging the civil society. A lot of effort and energy is still needed to meaningfully engage the National Governing Council”, said Mr. Gruzd.

Technical Meeting for the Implementation of the 2016-2020 APRM Strategic Plan is held is collaborarion with the United Nations Development Programe was attended by representative from UNDP (RSCA & SA CO), IDEA International, South African Institute of International Affairs, UNECA. AUPG Secretariat, Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), APRM Youth Working Group Kenya, Open Society Foundation, AfroBarometer, Southern African Development Community Council of Non-Governmental Organizations, Pan African Parliament, NEPAD, Centre for Human Rights, based at the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, AU Advisory Board on Corruption, AfDB and Institute of Justice and Reconciliation.

The meeting continues tomorrow and expects presentations on effective Resource Mobilization Strategy, Using APRM for Tracking Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030 and Coordination and Collaboration among AU Governance Institutions.