The Gambia has expressed interest to accede to the APRM. President of the Gambia, H.E Adama Barrow made the announcement that his country is ready to join the Mechanism during a meeting with the APRM Delegation to that country. The APRM will work out modalities and make necessary arrangements to ensure that the country accedes in the July 2017 APRM Summit.

Meanwhile, in line with APRM Base Document Provisions, Article 25, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) held a meeting with the members of African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) in Banjul, Gambia on 24th February 2017.

The APRM delegation was led by the Vice-Chairperson of the APR Panel, Hon. Brigitte Silvia Mabandla, accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of the APRM Secretariat, Prof. Eddy Maloka and Mr. Ferdinand Katendeko of the APRM Secretariat.

During the meeting, the APRM delegation briefed the members of the Commission about the APRM processes, including its membership and activities. The two Organs also discussed areas of cooperation and working relations between them.

The meeting further discussed finalisation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the APRM and ACPHR, which will be a basis of cooperation between the two AU Organs. The two Organs agreed to finalize the MOU and be signed in Niger, May 2017, when the Commission will be holding its next Session.

The APRM will also begin to table its Country Review Reports before the Commission, starting with the latest four Reports of Kenya, Djibouti, Chad and Senegal during the Niger Meeting session of the Commission. The two Organs will work out modalities of presentation of the Reports.

The two Organs will keep exchanging information in the areas of Human Rights for their promotion and implementation in their member countries.

The APRM and ACHPR also underscored the need to engage their experts in operations and Missions of either Organ to ensure closer cooperation and coordination of their work.

The two organs also agreed to liaise with other AU Organs with a Human Rights mandate such as the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) for the promotion of Human rights in Africa.

The APRM Delegation also attended the Human Rights and Transitional Justice Cluster of the African Governance Platform, also held in Banjul, Gambia from 20th to 22nd February 2017.