Midrand, South Africa – 4 March 2025 – A high-level coordination meeting between the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the African Union Development Agency - New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) was held today in Midrand, South Africa. The meeting, which took place in a boardroom within the premises shared by both institutions, focused on exploring potential avenues for collaboration and coordination between the two African Union organs.
The meeting was officially opened by H.E. Nardos Bekele-Thom, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, who welcomed attendees and laid the foundation for what is expected to be an exemplary collaboration between the two organizations. She emphasized the importance of taking a moment to pause, reflect, and recognize that this meeting represents just the beginning of a deeper partnership.
H.E. Amb. Marie-Antoinette Rose Quatre, CEO of the APRM Continental Secretariat, followed with her remarks, thanking both sides for this maiden coordination meeting. She expressed her excitement about further collaboration, specifically in working towards a Memorandum of understanding which will institutionalize this relationship.
Institutional Presentations and Shared Vision
Both institutions shared presentations on their mandates, core activities, and key achievements:
- The APRM presentation highlighted the shared vision of both organizations, dating back to their inceptions in 2001 for AUDA-NEPAD and 2003 for APRM. It outlined APRM’s core and extended mandates to promote good governance across its 44 current Member States and provided an overview of recent achievements, including the 2023 and 2024 reviews. The presentation also discussed lessons learned from the APRM Impact Assessment and identified potential areas for future collaboration between APRM and AUDA-NEPAD.
- AUDA-NEPAD’s presentation covered its evolution from the 2001 Lusaka meeting marking its establishment as the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) to its transforma tion in 2018 into the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD. It detailed the agency’s mandate, which focuses on strengthening the capacity of African countries and coordinating flagship projects across national, regional, and continental levels. The presentation also highlighted AUDA-NEPAD’s efforts in resource mobilization and its role in providing technical support and strategic foresight to help implement Agenda 2063.
Exploring Opportunities for Collaboration
A key part of the meeting was dedicated to exploring opportunities for aligning and enhancing collaboration between APRM and AUDA-NEPAD. Both institutions agreed to establish a dedicated Task Force composed of officials from each organization to work together on key areas of collaboration. One of the first steps will be integrating APRM into AUDA-NEPAD’s ‘Africa Team’ and ensuring coordination in the development and execution of common initiatives. On its part APRM will share its review reports to support AUDA-NEPAD towards realising the triple nexus of governance, development and peace and security.
Both APRM and AUDA-NEPAD reaffirmed their commitment to working closely together, focusing on areas where their mandates intersect and supporting one another in achieving shared goals for Africa’s development.
This meeting marks an important step in establishing a collaborative framework between APRM and AUDA-NEPAD, as both organizations remain committed to fostering coordination and synergy in the pursuit of Africa’s governance and development goals.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact the APRM Continental Secretariat at info@aprm-au.org.
