Lusaka, Zambia – 20 December 2024 – The Republic of Zambia successfully hosted a workshop on finalizing the second-generation country review report and preparing the National Programme of Action (NPoA). The event took place from 16 to 20 December 2024 at the Holiday Inn/Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka.
The main objective of the workshop was to strengthen the capacity of Zambia’s APRM national structures and relevant stakeholders to draft, finalize, and harmonize the second APRM NPoA with Zambia’s 8th National Development Plan (NDP). The workshop also aimed to raise awareness of key issues emerging from the second-generation review report, deepen participants’ understanding of the challenges and strategic objectives of the NPoA, and discuss strategies for successfully integrating the NPoA into the NDP during the harmonization process.
The workshop was attended by a distinguished group of participants, including:
- Amb. Ashraf Rashed, Chairperson of the Continental Consultative APRM Committee of the National Governing Councils and Chairperson of the APRM National Commission of Egypt
- Amb. Isabelle Lemba, Permanent Secretary for Administration, representing Her Excellency Princess Kasune, MP, Minister of Justice and APRM Focal Point of Zambia
- Ms. Vivian Chikoti, Director of Human Resources and Administration, Ministry of Justice, Zambia
- Mr. Jean-Yves Adou, Acting Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, representing APRM Continental Secretariat CEO, Amb. Marie-Antoinette Rose-Quatre
- Members of the APRM National Governing Council of Zambia
- Representatives from APRM Member States: Namibia and Uganda
- Over 80 distinguished experts from government ministries, departments, agencies, and civil society organizations.
On behalf of the Zambian people, Amb. Isabelle Lemba extended a warm welcome to all participants and expressed sincere gratitude to the National Governing Council of Zambia and the National Secretariat for organizing the workshop, in collaboration with the APRM Continental Secretariat. Amb. Lemba emphasized that Zambia’s commitment to hosting this workshop reflects the nation’s determination to enhance governance standards, creating an environment conducive to sustainable economic growth and development. She added, “This is further reflected in the review report, which highlights Zambia’s focus on promoting sound macroeconomic policies for sustainable development.”
Amb. Ashraf Rashed, in his opening remarks, underscored that the finalization and harmonization of the NPoA is a pivotal step in ensuring that the APRM reviews and recommendations align with Zambia’s national priorities, contributing to the country’s broader vision of sustainable development and good governance. He commended Zambia for its long-standing commitment to accountability, inclusivity, and transparency in governance, noting the country’s dedication to self-assessment, peer review, and peer leadership.
On behalf of Amb. Marie-Antoinette Rose Quatre, Mr. Jean-Yves Adou stated that the outcome of the workshop would not just be a policy framework, but a collective effort to improve governance and foster socio-economic, corporate, and environmental progress in Zambia. The NPoA will serve as a guiding document for addressing the challenges and issues identified during the second-generation country review process.
During the workshop, Mr. Hugues Mabwanga Manzila, Country Coordinator for Zambia, highlighted the key and cross-cutting issues emerging from the second-generation country review report. The Ministry of Finance and National Planning presented a detailed overview of the 8th Zambia National Development Plan. Ms. Florence Nazare, Head of Knowledge Capitalisation and Management at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), shared insights on the Agenda 2063 Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan. The workshop’s technical coordinator, Dr Sampson Osei, assisted by Mr. Peter Katwesige, presented the methodology and tools for drafting and harmonizing the issues and recommendations from the review report with the NDP and other continental and global governance agendas.
Participants worked in groups based on five thematic areas, resulting in the first draft of Zambia’s APRM NPoA. They also gained valuable insights from the experiences of other APRM Member States — Egypt, Namibia, and Uganda — in producing and implementing their NPoAs.
In the closing session, Mr. Jean-Yves Adou, on behalf of Amb. Marie-Antoinette Rose-Quatre, thanked the Republic of Zambia, through Amb. Lemba, for hosting the workshop. He also expressed gratitude to the representatives from Egypt, Namibia, and Uganda for their contributions to enriching the process. Mr. Vanny Hampondela, the National Coordinator of APRM Zambia, on behalf of Amb. Lemba, thanked all participants and stakeholders, including those from the APRM Continental Secretariat, for their dedication in ensuring the workshop's success. Mr. Guess Nyirenda, representing the Chairperson of the APRM National Governing Council of Zambia, extended heartfelt gratitude to all stakeholders for their invaluable contributions. He emphasized that the NGC would take all necessary steps to finalize the report and present it for peer review in February 2025.
