Kagame, First Lady in Addis for AU summit

President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame are in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where they are attending the 26th African Union Summit. Yesterday, President Kagame attended a session on African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), chaired by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. The Mechanism, established in 2002, aims to ensure mutual accountability and assessment among African leaders. President Kagame on arrival in Addis Ababa yesterday where he was received by the Minister for Culture and Tourism, Aisha Mohammed Mussa. (Village Urugwiro) Speaking on the philosophy that led to the establishment of APRM, President Kagame spoke of the values that defined its founding. “Almost 15 years ago, we spelt out our vision, for the renewal and development of Africa, and set up NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development).” “Two years later, acknowledging the critical role governance should play in the development of the continent, we established the African Peer Review Mechanism, to translate that vision into reality,” he recalled. “Both the vision and commitments were informed by the same aspirations and ideals: promotion of democracy and good governance, socio-economic development, and corporate governance,” Kagame added, according to a statement from the President’s Office. Pointing to changes that have occurred since the mechanism was founded including Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals, Kagame urged members to renew their commitment to the Mechanism with an emphasis on dynamic governance and home-grown solutions, it added. Kagame outlined key actions that could be taken towards improving the Mechanism, including focusing on APRM as “an innovation and advocacy platform, for sharing lessons in governance and development across the African continent and globally” as well as “more active participation in the organisation’s forums, and strive to meet statutory obligations, such as financial contribution.” The President defined APRM as an essential step towards ensuring Africa owned its transformation. “Africa can learn from other places and other people provided we adjust and adapt those lessons to our own circumstances”. “Ultimately, responsibility for democracy, good governance, integration and socio-economic transformation cannot be contracted to others. That was and remains the purpose of the APRM.” The 26th African Union Summit runs through January 31 and is expected to discuss governance, peace and security across the continent, financing of the African Union, among others. APRM is a voluntary self-assessment tool designed to promote more effective governance across four thematic areas: Democracy and Political Governance, Corporate Governance, Economic Governance and Management, and Socio-economic Development. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Kagame, First Lady in Addis for AU summit