The 15th AU Summit
The theme of the 15th African Union Summit in Kampala, Uganda (19-27 July 2010) is “Maternal, Infant and Child Health and Development in Africa”, but Africa’s ongoing conflicts and challenges will also be discussed. The 13th African Peer Review Mechanism Forum meets on 24 July – observers expect some indication of the future direction of Africa’s main governance monitoring process.
SAIIA, in partnership with AfriMAP, the Electoral Institute for the Sustainability of Democracy in Africa (EISA), the African Governance Institute (IAG-AGI) and Kituo Cha Katiba, will co-host a workshop exploring civil society engagement with the process entitled “APRM: Taking Peer Learning to the Next Level” from 20-21 July at Kampala’s Golf Course Hotel. Click here for the draft programme.
The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM): Taking Peer Review to the Next Level by Bishop Dr D Zac Niringiye, a keynote paper, presented at the International Workshop for African Civil Society on APRM, 20-21 July 2010
SAIIA has also undertaken substantial work on the APRM.
Our APRM Toolkit is a comprehensive repository of APRM information.
Recent publications:
- Ten Reasons to Keep Faith with Africa's Peer Review Process by Steven Gruzd
- SAIIA Roundtable: Lessons from Lesotho's APRM Process
- SAIIA Roundtable: The African Peer Review Mechanism – Progress and Prospects
- PAP and Peer Review: Enhancing Involvement, Adding Value by Steven Gruzd
- Off Track? Findings from South Africa’s First APRM Implementation Report by Yarik Turianskyi
Diplomatic Pouch
Does Not Awarding African Governance Prize Signal Downward Spiral?
Amid the excitement of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, an announcement by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation in June 2010 that it has again decided not to award its lucrative annual governance prize this year went almost unnoticed, at least in
The DRC at 50 - Confronting the challenges of peace and territorial consolidation
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) celebrates 50 years of independence from colonial rule today. At fifty, the country is torn between competing and contradictory internal forces as it tries to negotiate a path towards self-understanding, internal cohesion and responsible behaviour. At this landmark event in its post-colonial history, the DRC has to confront old wounds that create new policy challenges in a complex political-economic environment.
more>The Philippines General Elections Observed
On 8 June the Speaker of the Philippines House of Representatives announced the result of the presidential election on 10 May. The front-runner in provisional poll results, Benigno “NoyNoy” Aquino III, was declared the winner and was formally proclaimed President-elect by the House on 9 June and will assume office on 30 June. He obtained over 15 million votes as compared to the nearest of his seven opponents, Joseph Estrada, who received nearly 9,5 million.
more>Zuma is proving to be more than just a ‘domestic president’
At the end of President Zuma’s first year in the Union Buildings, one could well ask what are the emerging trends defining his presidency. Although there have been numerous attempts to do so with respect to his domestic priorities, analysis of an emerging “Zuma Foreign Policy” continues to be limited to the hypothetical.
more>What's New
Governance and the War of Words at the End of the Resource Rainbow
As published in The Thinker, Volume 17, 2010
In order to come up with imaginative solutions to the myriad systemic, institutional, economic, social and political challenges that plague the extractive industries in Africa, it is necessary to compare experiences between African countries. Through such comparisons lessons can be learnt on how to reach the goal of making the future a slightly better place for Africa’s inhabitants.
Zimbabwe: Is Nation Ready for New Elections?
As originally published in AllAfrica.com, 8 July 2010
www.allafrica.com
As Zimbabwe approaches the two-year anniversary of the signing of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), the document which underpins its three-party unity government, a number of calls have been made for speedy elections.
The End of the Road for Third Way
Press Release: Will Oil Build or Break the Back of Ghana’s Democracy?
As Ghanaians prepare in excitement for the breaking ground of their first oilfield, the Jubilee oilfield, concerns are raised over how well poised it is to harness the development that will accrue from oil revenues. The Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading vessel, dubbed the “Kwame Nkrumah” in honour of the renowned Ghanaian politician and thinker, began its six week voyage from Singapore last week.
The BRIC Pitfalls and South Africa’s Place in the World
After many efforts of lobbying, South Africa was finally admitted to the exclusive BRIC Forum at its second Summit held in Brazil on the 16 April 2010. This grouping is made up countries considered economically significant - Brazil, Russia, India and China – and who view themselves as an emerging centre of gravity in the global economy.
What's China's Aim?
Financial Mail
China’s global emergence is overwhelmingly good for the world. But after the global economic crisis that has hobbled the West, it is pertinent to ask what leadership China intends to provide to consolidate and extend the liberal international economic order.
PAP and Peer Review: Enhancing Involvement, Adding Value
The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is arguably the strongest tool for Members of Parliament to promote and monitor governance in Africa, but interaction with the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) so far has been peripheral. Although these institutions are housed within a few kilometres in Midrand, they appear miles apart.
The following practical recommendations demonstrate how, through more regular, sustained and meaningful engagement with the APRM – at minimal extra cost – the PAP could add value by exercising oversight and championing accountability within and across states.
Soccer World Cup South Africa 2010 – Playing the Security Game
As published on Polity.co.za
The terror attack on the Togolese soccer team by the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) prior to the African Cup of Nations that took place in Angola in January 2010, has ensured that the focus has shifted to the security of the FIFA World Cup to be held in South Africa in mid-2010.
Internship/Fellowship Opportunity: Scholarly Exchange Programme
Under its Great Powers and South African Foreign Policy and African Drivers (SAFPAD) programmes, the South African Institute of International Affairs has a scholarly exchange initiative, whereby it seeks to host scholars, from the region and globally, that are focused on issues that are aligned with the research agendas of the two hosting research programmes.
Peer Review Under Scrutiny
As published in City Press www.citypress.co.za, Sunday 7 February 2010
Sparks flew in dusty Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last weekend, as representatives of the 29 member states of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) – the continent’s home-grown governance promotion instrument – gathered for their biannual meeting on the fringes of the African Union (AU) Summit. Many APRM Focal Points – ministers and other senior officials – raised grave concerns about the transparency, integrity and governance of this innovative experiment. A particular concern emerged over the criteria and process for selecting the four new members of the APRM’s Panel of Eminent Persons, the key body steering the process. Ghana’s representatives even went to the media to decry “dictatorial” tendencies in APRM leadership. Who are these eminent persons? What is the health of the system that they will steer? And what do Africa’s citizens expect of them?
Security and Development in sub-Saharan Africa: Looking to the Future
By Moeletsi Mbeki
Download - Speech [.pdf]
Presentation to the Commander’s Speaker Programme at the US Africa Command, US Military Headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany on Tuesday 19th January 2010
SAIIA Ranked Top Think Tank in Sub-Saharan Africa
The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) has been ranked the best think tank for 2009 in southern and sub-Saharan Africa in the annual international survey conducted by the
Latest Publications
Social Accountability in Africa: Practitioners’ Experiences and Lessons
Edited by Victoria Ayer, Mario Claasen and Carmen Alpín-Lardíes (Idasa & ANSA-Africa, 2010), Social Accountability in Africa: Practitioners’ Experiences and Lessons is a collection of case studies from Africa on social accountability. This collection attempts to build a consolidated body of knowledge on social accountability efforts across the continent. The case studies are diverse and present unique approaches to how social accountability strategies and interventions are implemented within different countries. SAIIA was commissioned to undertake the initial research, editing and management of this book.
Africa’s Peacemaker? Lessons from South African Conflict Mediation
South Africa has done much in the 15 years since the fall of apartheid to establish its leadership on the continent. It has been a constant architect of Africa’s new peace and security architecture and an advocate of new diplomatic norms. Whether South Africa has succeeded in meeting its goals as Africa’s mediator and the ambitious aspirations shared by African heads of state and intellectuals following its transition to democracy is debatable.
more>
Occasional Papers
What Does the Future Hold for SACU? From Own Goal to Laduma! Scenarios for the Future of the Southern African Customs Union
by Tanja Hichert, Peter Draper and Talitha Bertelsmann-Scott
SAIIA Occasional Paper, No 63, July 2010
Download - English [.pdf]
Policy Briefings
Policy effectiveness and China’s investment in the Zambian mining sector
by Dan Haglund
SAIIA Policy Briefing, No 19, July 2010
Download - English [.pdf]
Research Reports
Securing a Social Licence to Operate? From Stone Age to New Age Mining in Tanzania
by Alison Goldstuck and Tim Hughes
SAIIA Research Report, No 7, February 2010
Download - English [.pdf]
