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Kunda advises against using APRM to apportion blame

Kunda advises against using APRM to apportion blame
By Laura Mushaukwa
Saturday September 13, 2008 [04:01]

JUSTICE Minister George Kunda has said the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) should not be seen as an opportunity for apportioning blame among stakeholders. And Chief Justice Ernest Sakala congratulated late president Levy Mwanawasa for establishing the National Governing Council to locally oversee the implementation of the APRM.

Speaking at a workshop for judges, magistrates and judiciary officers on the APRM held at Pamodzi Hotel yesterday, Kunda, who was represented by Solicitor General Dominic Sichinga, said there was need to give equal participation to all the stakeholders in the process.

"THE APRM should not be seen as an opportunity to apportion blame amongst stakeholders but instead a real platform to chart our governance potential in order to provide lasting solutions to Zambia's governance challenges," he said.

Kunda explained that the purpose of the APRM was to foster the adoption of policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development, accelerated sub regional governance and continental economic integration.
"This purpose requires a participating state such as Zambia to undertake a self introspective examination of her own governance processes and be the judge of what needs to be done to improve governance," he explained.

Kunda added that Zambia had already fulfilled the APRM requirement of establishing the National Governing Council.

Kunda said the judiciary played an important role in the governance process hence the need to sensitise them on the APRM processes.

Officiating at the workshop, Chief Justice Sakala expressed optimism that the judiciary as an important stakeholder in the APRM process would play a critical role by interpreting and giving life to the standards contained in the different codes of governance.

Justice Sakala suggested the need for the NGC to critically look at the performances of other countries and avoid the mistakes, which they might have made in the APRM process.

Peer review refers to the systematic examination and assessment of the performance of a state by other states (Peers) by designated institutions or by combinations of states.
APRM is the brainchild of the African Union (AU), born at the 37th summit of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in July 2001 in Lusaka.

The APRM is aimed at helping African countries improve governance.

Labels: APRM, GEORGE KUNDA

posted by MrK @ 6:06 AM