Pretoria, South Africa – 27th May 2025 – The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), in collaboration with the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), the Thabo Mbeki Africa School of Public and International Affairs – University of South Africa (UNISA), and the African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM), officially opened the 9th Edition Research Seminar on State Resilience to Shocks and Disasters, held at the ZK Matthews Hall, UNISA Muckleneuk Campus.
This high-level seminar brought together policymakers, academics, civil society, and multilateral institutions from across the continent to explore innovative approaches to building resilient governance systems in the face of climate change, pandemics, economic volatility, and social instability.
Under the theme “The Role of Higher Education and Non-Governmental Organisations in Strengthening State Institutions”, the seminar underscored the importance of African-led solutions to Africa’s complex resilience challenges. Delegates engaged with case studies, early warning strategies, data science applications, and mechanisms for enhancing investment in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).
The Ministerial Address was delivered by Honourable Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, Minister for the Public Service and Administration of South Africa. In his address, Minister Buthelezi highlighted the imperative to enhance institutional capacity, uphold ethical leadership, and ensure that Africa’s public service systems are resilient, adaptive, and equipped to respond to the continent’s dynamic risk environment. He reaffirmed South Africa government’s commitment to working in closer partnership with academia and civil society to build a responsive and resilient state.
Solidarity remarks were shared by Dr. George Scott, President of the African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM), who called for coordinated efforts across sectors and borders to embed resilience into governance systems throughout the continent.
The keynote address was passionately delivered by Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman, Founder and Chairperson of Gift of the Givers, who made a compelling case for centring humanity in governance. He highlighted the transformative power of compassion, coordination, and trust in communities as pillars of effective public service and crisis response.
The programme also featured remarks from Prof. Deresh Ramjugernath, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University, who emphasised the role of higher education in advancing locally grounded, evidence-based solutions for governance and resilience.
Diplomatic solidarity was expressed by H.E. Mr. B. Fonseca Filho, Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil, and H.E. Mr. Chen Xiaodong, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, who both reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to South-South cooperation and shared learning in strengthening institutional preparedness and sustainable development across the Global South.
The APRM, as the premier governance institution of the African Union, contributed substantively through its participation in sessions on policy, legislative and institutional frameworks for resilient societies and measures for investing in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). The APRM focuses on developing and strengthening how institutions and systems are governed to enhance state resilience in the political economic and social spheres.
. Ms Nonkululeko Masoek, Lead Coordinator for State Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction at the APRM Continental Secretariat, underscored the necessity for African governments to develop clear prioritisation mechanisms that enable responsive governance at the local level, where shocks are most acutely felt and interventions must be immediate and contextually relevant. She also indicated that social cohesion is not only a societal good but a core pillar of resilience, enabling communities to organise, recover, and rebuild in the face of adversity.
Ms Masoek echoed the APRM’s commitment to advancing its fifth thematic area on State Resilience to Shocks and Disasters adopted in 2021, a critical addition to its continental governance framework. Through this intervention area, the Mechanism continues to support Member States in developing context-sensitive strategies, enhancing knowledge systems, and fostering inclusive, accountable governance.
These contributions highlighted the critical importance of strengthening legal and institutional preparedness while simultaneously mobilising financial, infrastructural, and human capital investments to build state and community resilience across the continent.
The Seminar ran from 27 to 29 May 2025 and concluded with a set of policy recommendations and collaborative frameworks aimed at fortifying Africa’s capacity to anticipate, absorb, and recover from future crises.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact the APRM Continental Secretariat at info@aprm-au.org.
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