Cairo, 03 July 2024 – The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) led by Ambassador Marie- Antoniette Rose Quatre, Chief Executive Officer of the APRM Continental Secretariat, participated in the fourth edition of Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development (Forum) which was hosted by the Government of the Arab Republic Egypt, Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peace-Building in Africa (CCCPA) with the support of different Strategic Partners including the African Union. The Forum was organized under the theme “Africa in a Changing World: Re-envisioning Global Governance for Peace and Development “in Cairo from 2-3 July 2024.
The APRM actively engaged in different sessions of the Forum including a thematic roundtable on “Re-envisioning Peacebuilding at the Summit of the Future and Beyond.” In this session Amb. Rose Quatre reflected on the role of APRM mandate in promoting good governance on the continent. She emphasized the need to look for innovative solutions for sustainable finance for development. She also alluded to the necessity to guarantee ownership by Member States in terms of implementation of APRM recommendations emanating from APRM Country Reviews to enhance governance conditions at national level. Amb Rose Quatre also questioned the reshaping of the continental governance architecture to make it truly African – owned with the impact of global governance on our continent taking into account the global dynamics which are affecting African Union Member States.
The APRM jointly organized another roundtable discussion with the CCCPA to engage stakeholders and experts on the implementation of the African Union’s Structural Conflict Prevention Agenda. This session aimed to highlight the significance of conflict prevention as a key priority in efforts to advance sustainable peace and development in Africa and globally. The session was also organized within the context of the preparations for the United Nations Summit of the Future scheduled to take place in September 2024 especially given the fact that AU Agenda 2063 - Africa’s blueprint for socioeconomic and political integration- has equally emphasised the necessity of supporting Member States against fragilities and vulnerabilities.
Amb. Rose Quatre emphasized that conflict prevention starts with strengthening good governance, rule of law and setting standards and codes for good governance. The APRM through different types of diagnostic governance reviews and assessments on socio-economic, political, corporate and disaster management contribute to strength early conflict prevention on the continent in alignment with AU Agenda 2063 Aspirations. The decisive factor of success for APRM role and invention in member states is guided by the political will of countries to put the recommendations into actions.
She also referred to the APRM Flagship report, African Governance Report – 2023 (AGR) which addressed the issue of unconstitutional changes of government on the continent. The AGR made a call for partners to assist in implementing its recommendations especially in countries which are going through political transition. Further, Amb Rose Quatre pointed that the AGR 2025 of this report will be focusing on national resources governance as an important anchor of social equality and strengthening the continent’s voice towards natural resources management as well as enhancing Africa’s industrial capacities in a rapid transformation digital world.
On the margins of Aswan Forum, Amb. Rose Quatre paid a courtesy visit to the Secretary General of the League of Arab States (Arab League), H.E Ahmed – Abou El-Gheit. The meeting discussed potential collaboration and support for promoting stability and peace in Africa, especially the African countries which are Members States of the Arab League. Likewise, Amb. Rose Quatre paid a visit to the Central Agency for Organization and Administration (CAOA) led by Dr. Saleh El-Sheikh, President of the CAOA. The meeting discussed the possibility of collaboration between CAOA and the APRM to enhance knowledge and experience sharing with other APRM Member States on promotion good governance practices especially in relation to civil or public service reforms. It is worth noting that the CAOA has been identified by the APRM country review report as one of the best practices for promoting good governance at national level.
