African Peer Review Mechanism: Orientation Workshop

JOINT CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE ON AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM
28 October 2005
ORIENTATION WORKSHOP ON AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM

Chairperson: Ms B Hogan (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Briefing on South Africa’s Peer Review Process
African Peer Review Mechanism, compiled by AISA [please email docs@pmg.org.za]
APRM - Orientation Workshop Report
Concept Paper - Consolidating Democracy: The Role of Parliament in South Africa's Peer Review Process
African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) - Media and Public Outreach Process
African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Questionnaire
Invitation to the public to make submissions on the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)
Press Statement - 10 October 2005 (see Appendix A)
Media Brief - Summary of the Parliamentary Peer Reviews and Self-Assessment Process in Terms of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) - 10 October 2005 (see Appendix B)

SUMMARY
The origins of the African Peer Review Mechanism were outlined and the planning regarding activities in this regard in South Africa. Presenters from the Africa Institute of South Africa, United Nations Development Program, and the Human Rights Commission reviewed aspects of the implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism.

MINUTES
Ms P Hollander (ANC), the Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, opened the meeting with a welcoming address. She provided a history of the African Peer Review Mechanism, which had been adopted at an African Union (AU) summit in Durban, and was a program of the AU. The goal of the APRM was to foster the adoption of policies, practices and standards to the benefit of African states. This was to be achieved by periodic reviews of policies and processes. Member states made themselves voluntarily subject to peer review.

She said that the South African approach was that government would lead the process, but that non-governmental organisations could also influence matters. The electorate was also to be included in the participation process. The Minister for Public Service Administration would be responsible for the implementation of the review and would chair a committee to lead it. The process would take nine months to complete, from October 2005 to July 2006.

Key areas to be explored were democracy, good governance, the economy, corporate government and social development. A national conference was held during September 2005, and provincial conferences were to be held to follow-up on this, in which local organisations would take part.

Topics discussed during the workshop were as follows:
Contextualising the APRM; presented by Dr Eddy Maloka of the Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA)
APRM Processes; presented by Dr John Tesha, AISA
Locating Parliament within the APRM process; presented by a panel comprising of Dr Maloka, Dr Tesha, Dr Biong Kuol Deng (AISA), Dr Scholastica Kimaryo (United Nations Development Program) and Adv Tseliso Thipanyane (Human Rights Commission)
Public Participation in the APRM; presented by Dr Biong Kuol Deng
Millennium Development Goals and the APRM; presented by Dr Kimaryo.


The meeting was adjourned.

Minister's Boardroom, Ministry of Public Service and Administration, 22nd Floor, Batho Pele House, Pretoria

A. Purpose

1. Brief Parliamentarians on South Africa's peer review process in terms of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

2. Discuss the role of Parliament in the process.

B. Outcomes

1 Approach

1.1. The overall objective of South Africa's APR process is to build consensus on the national programme of action.

1.2. The process will therefore be participatory and inclusive to facilitate open dialogue and cohesion.

1.3. The process will build on Governments ten-year review and focus on the four thematic areas in the APRM Questionnaire i.e. Democracy and Good Political Governance, Economic Governance and Management, Corporate Governance, Socioeconomic Development.

2. Structure

2.1. The APRM requires a Government Minister to be appointed as the Focal Point. In South Africa, the President has appointed the Minister of Public Service & Administration to this function.

2.1. Professor A. Adedeji, a member of the Panel of Eminent Persons, has been assigned to facilitate and oversee South Africa's APR process.

2.3. A Governing Council comprising representatives of Government, civil society and other stakeholders will oversee the process.

The following Ministers will be members of the Council:

• Minister of Public Service & Administration
• Minister in the Presidency
• Minister of Finance
• Minister of Trade & Industry
• Minister of Justice

2.4. Civil Society representatives will be drawn from the Economic Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) Chapter in South Africa and will be decided by the ECOSOCC Chapter.

2.5. The Governing Council will be inaugurated at the end of the 1st National Consultative Conference on Thursday, 29 September 2005.

2.6. To uphold the democratic principle of separation of powers, Parliament will be excluded from the Governing Council.

2.7. Parliament should embark on its own process for involvement in South Africa's APR process, including a public awareness/education campaign and public involvement.

2.8. Parliament will be invited to participate in the National and Provincial Consultative Forums being planned.

3. Process

3.1. An extensive awareness and information strategy will be implemented spanning September 2005 - June 2006.

3.2. President Mbeki will formally submit South Africa to the APRM peer review process at the opening of the 1st National Consultative Conference on 28-29 September 2005.

3.3. Nine Provincial/Sectoral consultative conferences will be convened during September and October 2005.

3.4. Community Development Workers will facilitate approximate 90 community-based workshops (10 per province) during September and October 2005.

3.5. Individuals and institutions will be able to make submissions by post, via the Internet and through a 1020 call centre number.

3.6. The Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 institutions will also play a role in South Africa's self assessment as independent sources of information and evaluation.

3.7. The Country Support Mission headed by Prof. Adedeji will be hosted on 20-21 October 2005. The process should be completed within nine months from this date. Parliament should be prepared to receive the Country Support Mission and facilitate consultations as requested.

3.8. The draft country assessment report and draft programme of action, including collation and analysis of all submissions and outcomes of the consultative conferences/workshops will be prepared during October and November 2005.

3.9. The 2nd National Consultative Conference to discuss the draft country assessment report and the draft programme of action is planned for November 2005.

3.10. The draft country assessment report and draft programme of action will be finalised in December 2005 and submitted to parliament for comment.

3.11. The final country assessment report and programme of action will be submitted to the APRM Secretariat in February 2006.

3.12. South Africa will have an opportunity to respond to the Issues Paper produced by the APRM Secretariat.

3.13. The APR Country Review Team will be hosted in April 2006.

3.14. The Country review Team report together with South Africa's response will be submitted to the Heads of State in May 2006.

3.15. The final report should be published publicly by June 2006.

3.16. Government Departments and civil society will be mobilised for implementation of the Programme of Action. Parliament should oversee the progress of implementation.

Parliament is embarking on a peer review process that aims to encourage public participation and broader involvement in the country’s peer review within the context of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

Suitable structures and mechanisms in Parliament are being identified to ensure the institution’s effective participation in South Africa’s peer review process.

The process of self - assessment and review will take 9 months to complete - commencing this month (October) - and ending in July 2006. The peer review and self – assessment mechanism will focus on five key areas which include Democracy and Good Political Governance; Economic Governance and Management; Corporate Governance and Socio – economic Development.

To kickstart this process, Parliament will be appointing the following 4 multiparty Joint Ad-hoc Committees which will comprise of 7 Members each and jointly chaired by the Presiding Officers:

• Joint Ad-hoc Committee on Democracy & Good Political Governance
• Joint Ad-hoc Committee on Economic Governance & Management
• Joint Ad-hoc Committee on Corporate Governance
• Joint Ad-hoc Committee on Socio-economic Development

In order to successfully ensure broader public participation in this process, Parliament will also be embarking on a robust public involvement campaign to encourage public debate, public involvement and also raise public awareness on the critical issues to be reviewed within the context of the APRM. Individuals and resource institutions will be encouraged to participate in this process.

Ms. Baleka Mbete

Speaker of the National Assembly

Parliament of RSA

Luzuko Jacobs

Manager: Public Affairs Section

Parliament of RSA

Cape Town

8000

+27 21 403 2242

+27 (0) 82 906 1438

The purpose of the peer – review and self - assessment is to propose suitable structures and mechanisms in Parliament to ensure Parliament’s effective participation in South Africa’s peer review process.

This will focus on the following key areas:

1. Democracy & Good Political Governance
2. Economic Governance and Management
3. Corporate Governance
4. Socio-economic Development

The process will take nine months to complete, from October 2005 to July 2006) and is divided into the following five stages:

This stage will entail a review of the country in terms of the above four key areas of the questionnaire. During this stage a draft self-assessment report and programme of action will be developed for submission to the APRM Secretariat. The draft report and programme of action will be sent to Parliament for comment in December 2005), before it is finalised by February 2006.

This relates to the visit by the APR Team for extensive consultations with all stakeholders. At this stage, the country will also be expected to consult widely to build consensus on how to respond to the APRM issue paper and these consultations will also include Parliamentarians. This process is expected to commence in February and be completed in April 2006.

The APR Team will at this stage develop its report based on the consultations conducted, country self-assessment report, and programme of action, issue paper and responses or comments. This is expected to take place between April and May 2006.

The APR Team will submit its report to the APRM Secretariat and the APR Panel. After deliberation by the Panel, the report is submitted to the APR Forum for consideration and formulation of actions and this is expected to happen between May and June 2006

The APR Report and recommended actions will be tabled and this will occur 6 months after consideration of the report by the APR Forum – from June to December 2006.

The following proposed parliamentary structures are expected to drive Parliament’s participation in the APRM process:

1. Joint Ad-hoc Committee on Democracy & Good Political Governance
2. Joint Ad-hoc Committee on Economic Governance & Management
3. Joint Ad-hoc Committee on Corporate Governance
4. Joint Ad-hoc Committee on Socio-economic Development