APRM launches regional engagement activity

NKURENKURU, 22 JUN (NAMPA)- The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) on Friday launched its regional engagement to promote good governance in Namibia at Nkurenkuru in the Kavango West Region.
The engagement to marks a signification step towards deepening citizen participation and regional inclusion in national governance and development.
In her welcoming remarks, Kavango West Governor, Verna Sinimbo, said "We are here to talk about how we, as a region and a country, can work together to improve how government serves its people."
She proposed six key regional priorities to be considered in the APRM process such as the inclusion of regional realities in national reviews to ensure rural perspectives are heard, the establishment of regional governance dialogues for broad civic participation and youth civic education programs to raise awareness on governance and accountability.
She further proposed institutional capacity building support for regional and local authorities, pilot governance innovation projects in Kavango West, including digital feedback tools and enhanced regional data systems for evidence-based planning and service delivery.
On her part, APRM National Governing Council member, Naita Hishoono, highlighted the organisation’s critical mission of spreading the message of continental self-improvement and accountability.
"Africa must unite. Africa must develop," Hishoono emphasised, noting that since its establishment in 2003, the APRM has attracted 44 of Africa's 54 countries, focusing on six key governance pillars, including democratic processes, economic development, and state resilience.
She said for Namibia, which joined the mechanism in 2017, the engagement is particularly significant, as the country has already done its review report, a targeted review on youth unemployment, and is now working on the national governance report.
The engagement reinforces Namibia’s commitment to the APRM’s goals of self-assessment, peer learning, and accountable governance, key pillars of the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063, she said.
(NAMPA)
JLN/EK