Republic of Mauritius- African Peer Review Mechanism focus of a validation workshop

Stakeholders from the public and private sectors and the civil society are participating in the validation workshop with a view to endorse the APRM progress report which has been prepared and submitted by the APRM National Governance Committee. The National Governance Committee (NGC) was led by its Chairperson, Mr Paramasiva Chengan, and four volunteer-driven APRM working groups based at the University of Mauritius (UOM).

In his opening remarks, Minister Bodha stated that the APRM is an excellent innovation tool that will enable Mauritius and other African countries to uphold the highest standards of good governance as well as consolidate the rule of law and democracy. On this score, he spoke of the introduction of the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council Bill in the National Assembly yesterday, which has as objective to promote high quality research and foster innovation in the national interest.

Elaborating on the mechanism, the Minister pointed out that it will foster peer learning and sharing through constructive dialogue leading to political stability, high and inclusive economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration in Africa. He appealed to the public and private stakeholders, as well as the civil society, to bring collective support for the endorsement of the APRM progress report for Mauritius.

Also present at the event, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Ambassador Mrs Usha Dwarka Canabady, commended the collaborative work of the UOM and the Mauritius Council of Social Service for their engagement in the progress report of the APRM. She highlighted that Mauritius acceded to the APRM at the 8^th Summit of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee in Maputo, Mozambique in 2003 adding that it was among the first group of countries that joined the mechanism.

As at November 2018, the APRM comprised 37 Member States who have voluntarily acceded to the mechanism. The four thematic areas of the APRM are namely: Democracy and Political Governance, Economic Governance and Management, Corporate Governance, and Broad-based Sustainable Socio-economic Development.