President Akufo-Addo has called on the members of the Governing Council of the National African Peer Review Mechanism to ensure the country is represented on the African Peer Review Panel (APRP).

According to him, despite the challenges of insufficient budgetary allocation and office accommodation, there is the need to laud the efforts of the Council for the work it has done so far. He assured them that the deficiencies will be soon addressed.

“I have been informed of the process currently ongoing for the enactment of an enabling Act of Parliament for the Council, which I hope would be expedited. Ghana, despite her enviable position within the APRM, has never been represented on the African Peer Review Panel (APRP). This is a charge I am putting before you, distinguished Members of the Council. Demonstrate to the continent, once again, Ghana’s worth and capability by getting her onto the APRP.”
President Akufo-Addo

Speaking at the swearing in ceremony of the Governing Council, President Akufo-Addo charged the Council to oversee Ghana’s second review under the Peer Review Mechanism.

Describing the Members of the Governing Council as “eminently qualified to serve on the Council”, President Akufo-Addo expressed confidence that the seven-member committee can discharge the mandate of their new appointment satisfactorily.

Relevance of APRM in Ghana

The President revealed that Ghana’s role in the APRM has been pivotal since its inception. He highlighted that “following Ghana’s accession to the APRM, a National African Peer Review Mechanism Council was established and inaugurated in 2004” to provide the needed oversight for the implementation of the APRM process in the country.

“We fulfilled our primary mandate through the conduct of the first-ever country self-assessment. Under the leadership of the 2nd President of Ghana’s 4th Republic, His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor, Ghana became the first country to offer to be peer-reviewed in 2006 at the AU Summit in Khartoum, and continues to contribute to the APRM process on the continent”.
President Akufo-Addo

President Akufo-Addo iterated Ghana’s commitment to the African Peer Review Mechanism and her determination to submit herself to a second review. He emphasized that the realisation of this will mean that Ghana is able to join others on the continent who have undertaken their second reviews.

Subsequently, the President assured the Governing Council of Government’s determination to ensure the second review is done, “so our country can continue to maintain and strengthen its status as a trailblazer of good governance in West Africa”.

The members of the Council are Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, Mr. Richard Quayson, Mr. Samuel Akuamoah Asare, Mr. Laud Mansfield Baddoo, Mrs. Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie, Hon. Kathleen Quartey Ayensu and Mr. David Asante-Apeatu.

It will be recalled that the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) was adopted by Member States of the African Union (AU), within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), as a self-monitoring tool.

The APRM is a vehicle for sharing experiences, reinforcing best practices, identifying deficiencies and assessing capacity-building needs to foster polices, standards, and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated regional and continental integration.