Midrand, 9 December 2024 - The first joint retreat between the African Union (AU) F15 Committee of Finance Experts and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Continental Secretariat took place in Sandton, Johannesburg, from 6 to 8 December 2024. This landmark event provided a platform for both parties to deepen their collaboration and discuss ways to streamline the APRM’s budgeting process, ensuring stable, adequate, and predictable funding for both its programmes and operational activities.
The retreat brought together over ten members of the F15 Committee, including its Chair, H.E. Pahimi Lipelba of Chad; H.E. Amara Kallon, Minister of Public Administration and Political Affairs and APRM Focal Point of Sierra Leone; H.E. Ammar Hadjar, Representative of the Chair of the APR Committee of Focal Points, H.E. Selma Bakhta Mansouri of Algeria; Ambassador Ashraf Rashed, Chairperson of the APRM Continental Consultative Committee of National Governing Councils; and senior officials from the African Union Commission, including H.E. Fathallah Sijilmassi, Director General of the AU Commission, and Ambassador Woinshet Tadesse, Finance Advisor to the Deputy Chairperson, H.E. Monique Nsanzabaganwa. Also present was Ambassador Marie-Antoinette Rose Quatre, CEO of the APRM Continental Secretariat, alongside the leadership of the Mechanism.
Shortly after assuming the role of CEO of the APRM in June 2024, Ambassador Rose Quatre expressed her commitment to strengthening the APRM’s collaboration with AU policy organs, facilitating regular, candid dialogue between them. Her initial engagement with the F15 helped pave the way for this successful retreat.
During the three-day retreat, F15 members were impressed by the APRM’s extensive work in promoting good governance across Africa. Key programmes highlighted included supporting AU Member States in improving credit ratings, conducting country reviews, and providing capacity-building training on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063. The APRM’s critical role in advancing governance reform across the continent was acknowledged, and the F15 underscored its responsibility as the custodian of financial resources, ensuring proper allocation to AU organs, including the APRM, with a focus on transparency and timely information-sharing.
A key discussion centred on the APRM's request to receive its 2025 supplementary budget early in the year, which would allow for more effective planning and resource management. The importance of developing a recruitment strategy based on available resources was also emphasized, along with the need to proceed to the final stage of the first phase of recruitment, initiated in 2023, while ensuring that staff assessments and placements are merit-based. Additionally, the retreat highlighted the urgent need for Member States to honour their voluntary contributions and clear any outstanding arrears, as this is essential for the financial sustainability and smooth operation of the APRM.
Looking forward, Ambassador Rose Quatre proposed institutionalizing the retreat as a regular mechanism for assessing progress on the implementation of F15 recommendations, ensuring ongoing dialogue and accountability. She emphasized her full commitment to working closely with the F15 Committee and strengthening the APRM’s financial management and governance. She also expressed confidence that the partnership between the F15 and the APRM would continue to grow and lead to tangible outcomes that benefit the people of Africa. The retreat also laid the groundwork for future cooperation to address challenges related to funding, staffing, and programmatic priorities.
