South African APRM Popular Sensitisation (SAPS) Project Civil Society Training Workshop Via Zoom, 22 September 2020, 10h00-12h30

The workshop, hosted by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) on 22 September 2020, focused on the role of civil society and youth in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process. Participants discussed the importance of inclusive governance, the necessity of a youth-focused civil society submission for South Africa's 2021 review, and shared lessons from APRM processes in Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia. Key discussions highlighted the need for civil society to demand accountability and the establishment of the APRM Youth Network to mainstream young people into governance reviews.

• The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) is supporting the creation of a youth-focused civil society submission for South Africa's second APRM review, scheduled for 2021, to ensure the process is inclusive and consultative.
• The APRM National Governing Council (NGC) in South Africa intends to increase national coverage of the review process through thematic round tables and community engagements to ensure all societal views are expressed.
• Experiences from Namibia indicate that civil society may need to challenge the composition of the NGC if it is dominated by ruling party alignments, and that middle-income status can lead to donor funding cuts for CSOs.
• In Botswana, the APRM process was described as consultative and inclusive, with the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO) working to include CSOs from outside the capital city.
• The Zambian APRM process was notably lengthy, taking from 2006 to 2014 to complete, with challenges including maintaining momentum and conflicts between the national plan of action (NPoA) and the National Development Plan.
• The APRM Secretariat has established a Youth Network and conducted a Targeted Review on Youth Unemployment in Namibia to mainstream youth into governance processes and monitor AU initiatives on youth development.

APA

Zikalala, N. M. (2020). South African APRM Popular Sensitisation (SAPS) Project Civil Society Training Workshop Via Zoom, 22 September 2020, 10h00-12h30. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SAPS-22-September-2020-webinar-notes.pdf

Chicago

Zikalala, Nhlakanipho Macmillan. South African APRM Popular Sensitisation (SAPS) Project Civil Society Training Workshop Via Zoom, 22 September 2020, 10h00-12h30. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2020. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SAPS-22-September-2020-webinar-notes.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zikalala |first1=Nhlakanipho Macmillan |title=South African APRM Popular Sensitisation (SAPS) Project Civil Society Training Workshop Via Zoom, 22 September 2020, 10h00-12h30 |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=22 September 2020 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SAPS-22-September-2020-webinar-notes.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zikalala2020south, author = {Zikalala, Nhlakanipho Macmillan}, title = {{South African APRM Popular Sensitisation (SAPS) Project Civil Society Training Workshop Via Zoom, 22 September 2020, 10h00-12h30}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SAPS-22-September-2020-webinar-notes.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }