ADDIS ABABA – Ahead of the 38th African Union General Assembly, members of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) have proposed the implementation of e-governance across all AU member states.
The APRM, a unique African initiative for promoting good governance, also commended efforts to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (ACFTA) and establish new continental financial institutions.
Addressing the APRM Forum of Heads of State and Government on behalf of President Taye Atsekeselassie, Planning and Development Minister Fitsum Assefa affirmed Ethiopia’s support for including e-governance as a new thematic area for performance evaluation. She also expressed Ethiopia’s strong support for the African Credit Rating Agency, viewing it as a crucial step towards providing objective assessments of African economies.
Fitsum emphasized the APRM’s vital role in improving governance across Africa, noting the participation of 44 countries and the ongoing reviews of 26 others. She stated that these peer reviews are essential for fostering peace, prosperity, and integration on the continent.
“Ethiopia recognizes the APRM’s expanding mandate, which now includes enhancing e-governance, strengthening democracy, monitoring Agenda 2063 and the SDGs, and serving as an early warning system for potential conflicts,” Fitsum noted. She commended the APRM’s harmonization efforts with AU organs, including its annual retreats with the Peace and Security Council, acknowledging the link between governance and peace.
Fitsum praised the APRM’s leadership transition and its development of a new strategic plan for 2025-2028, aligned with Africa’s continental goals. “As a founding member, Ethiopia is committed to realizing the APRM’s full potential,” she added.
The APRM CEO Ambassador Marie-Antoinette Rose Quatre, emphasized the platform’s strengthened capacity to deliver impactful and tangible results despite financial constraints. The APRM’s 2025 report focuses on mineral resource governance, aligning with the AU’s second thematic area of Agenda 2063. Ensuring e-governance in mineral resource management will become the sixth good governance thematic area of the APRM review process, she explained.
Highlighting the APRM’s successes, Ambassador Marie-Antoinette cited its support for the Republic of Gabon’s political transition to democracy and constitutional order, as well as its work in developing the necessary mechanisms for operationalizing the African Credit Rating Agency.
BY YESUF ENDRIS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 15 FEBRUARY 2025
