Conference on “The APRM: Taking Peer Learning to the Next Level” Kampala, Uganda, 20-21 July 2010 Communiqué

This communiqué summarizes the outcomes of a conference held in Kampala, Uganda, on July 20-21, 2010, focused on strengthening the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Participants, including civil society and government representatives, identified critical areas for improvement to ensure the mechanism's relevance and effectiveness in promoting democracy and good governance across Africa.

• The APRM has achieved positive results by opening political space for citizen input on governance, profiling best practices, and diagnosing national problems to develop solutions. Country self-assessment reports (CSAR) and country review reports (CRR) have contributed to establishing national development priorities.
• There is concern regarding the slow pace of APRM reviews. While twelve countries had completed their reviews by July 2010, the participants urged states that have acceded to the mechanism to urgently establish the necessary national structures, with the ultimate goal of including all 53 African states.
• National Programmes of Action (NPOA) have not received sufficient sustained attention. The communiqué recommends that NPOAs be prioritized during the self-assessment and review processes, integrated into national planning and budgeting, and include clear indicators and action points for all issues identified in the country review report.
• The continental APRM Secretariat requires strengthening, specifically noting that the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has been vacant since July 2007. The document calls for the speedy appointment of a full-time CEO and the resolution of resource constraints to better support national processes and civil society.
• Improvements are needed in access to information and transparency. This includes producing more accessible versions of the main APRM questionnaire in English, French, Portuguese, and national languages, as well as establishing guidelines for the publication of national CSARs, which are currently lacking in most countries.
• The National Governing Councils (NGCs) should maintain institutional independence and a majority of members from outside the executive branch. These councils should be selected through transparent processes, possess clear expertise, and remain in place after the initial review to assist with progress reports.
• The document emphasizes the need for broader civil society engagement beyond registered NGOs in capital cities, including traditional and religious institutions, organized labour, and community-based groups. It also notes that the APRM questionnaire should be updated to include a focus on the media.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2010). Conference on “The APRM: Taking Peer Learning to the Next Level” Kampala, Uganda, 20-21 July 2010 Communiqué. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/aprm_communique_kampala_20100729.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Conference on “The APRM: Taking Peer Learning to the Next Level” Kampala, Uganda, 20-21 July 2010 Communiqué. 2010. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/aprm_communique_kampala_20100729.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Conference on “The APRM: Taking Peer Learning to the Next Level” Kampala, Uganda, 20-21 July 2010 Communiqué |date=21 July 2010 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/aprm_communique_kampala_20100729.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2010conference, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Conference on “The APRM: Taking Peer Learning to the Next Level” Kampala, Uganda, 20-21 July 2010 Communiqué}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2010}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/aprm_communique_kampala_20100729.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }