Kigali, Rwanda, September 15, 2017 – (ECA) – An expert group meeting to validate an African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Study on ‘Major Bottlenecks Facing Africa’ is currently underway in Kigali, Rwanda.
The two-day expert group meeting was jointly organized by the APRM Continental Secretariat and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
The APR Forum of Heads of State and Government, during their August 2016 Summit asked the APRM Continental Secretariat to conduct a study on the major bottlenecks holding Africa’s progress, a project that was initiated following a presentation to the forum by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
The study covers thirteen major bottlenecks facing the continent, namely (i) Ideological disorientation; (ii) Interference with the private sector; (iii) Under-developed infrastructure; (iv) Weak states, especially weak institutions such as the Army, Police, etc.; (v) Fragmented markets, market access and expansion; (vi) Lack of industrialization and low value addition; (vii) Under-development of human resources; (viii) Under-development of agriculture; (ix) Under-development of the services sector; (x) Attacks on democracy and governance; (xi) A Non-responsive civil service. (xii) Lack of Domestic Resource Mobilization, with a focus on the Fiscal Revenue generated from the Continent’s Natural Resources; and (xiii) Structural inequalities in access to opportunities.
“The objective of this expert group meeting is to consider the final draft of that report objectively and rigorously, propose ways of improving it further and agree on the best way forward so as to make sure the findings of the study benefit the work of the APRM in the immediate future,” says Hodane Youssouf of the ECA’s Capacity Development Division (CDD).
The expert group meeting is bringing together leading experts and representatives of relevant institutions, including independent experts, APR Panel, APR Committee of Focal Points, ECA, PRM Continental Secretariat, African Union Commission (AUC) and NEPAD.
The experts are in the field of governance and one or more of the 13 bottlenecks covered in the study. They will consider the draft report in terms of approach, structure, content and recommendations on the way forward and advise the APRM Secretariat on how best to improve the quality of the document and enhance the practicability of its recommendations and action points.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: ecainfo@uneca.org