Botswana APRM Popular Sensitisation (BAPS) Civil Society Training Workshop Via Zoom, 20 May 2020, 10h00-12h30 Report

The report details a Zoom workshop held on 20 May 2020, organized by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO). The session aimed to build the capacity of Botswana's civil society organisations (CSOs) to participate in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) by providing an overview of the mechanism and sharing lessons from Namibia and Zambia. Key discussions focused on the importance of inclusive National Governing Councils (NGC), the role of umbrella bodies like BOCONGO in coordinating CSOs, and the challenges of maintaining momentum and independence from government. The workshop also addressed the impact of COVID-19 on the process and outlined a plan for CSOs to develop evidence-based written submissions on up to 12 key governance issues in Botswana.

• The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), established in 2003, is a voluntary governance self-assessment tool for African countries focusing on four themes: Democracy and Political Governance, Economic Governance and Management, Corporate Governance, and Socio-Economic Development.
• The APRM process involves a country review by a Multi-Stakeholder Initiative (MSI) comprising government, civil society, and the private sector, leading to a National Programme of Action (NPoA) to address governance challenges.
• Experience from Namibia suggests that CSOs may face tensions with the Office of the Presidency and may need to challenge the composition of the National Governing Council (NGC) if it is dominated by ruling party affiliates.
• Zambia's APRM process was notably lengthy, spanning from accession in 2006 to completion in 2014, highlighting the risk of losing momentum and the difficulty of monitoring the NPoA against National Development Plans.
• The presence of an umbrella body, such as BOCONGO in Botswana, is identified as a significant advantage for coordinating CSOs and enhancing communication during the formulation of the NGC.
• There are no effective punitive measures for governments that fail to comply with their National Programme of Action (NPoA), although the African Union has suspended states for other reasons, such as coups d'état.

APA

Zikalala, N. M. (2020). Botswana APRM Popular Sensitisation (BAPS) Civil Society Training Workshop Via Zoom, 20 May 2020, 10h00-12h30 Report. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BAPS-Zoom-Workshop-Report-20-May-2020-002.pdf

Chicago

Zikalala, Nhlakanipho Macmillan. Botswana APRM Popular Sensitisation (BAPS) Civil Society Training Workshop Via Zoom, 20 May 2020, 10h00-12h30 Report. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2020. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BAPS-Zoom-Workshop-Report-20-May-2020-002.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zikalala |first1=Nhlakanipho Macmillan |title=Botswana APRM Popular Sensitisation (BAPS) Civil Society Training Workshop Via Zoom, 20 May 2020, 10h00-12h30 Report |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=20 May 2020 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BAPS-Zoom-Workshop-Report-20-May-2020-002.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zikalala2020botswana, author = {Zikalala, Nhlakanipho Macmillan}, title = {{Botswana APRM Popular Sensitisation (BAPS) Civil Society Training Workshop Via Zoom, 20 May 2020, 10h00-12h30 Report}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BAPS-Zoom-Workshop-Report-20-May-2020-002.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }