Governance Perspectives is a monthly update published by the Governance and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Programme at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). Governance Perspectives aims to contribute to a robust and informed debate on the nature of Africa's governance challenges and successes. We hope to keep civil society groups, researchers, governments and development partners informed about issues relating to governance, accountability and democracy. Each month, Governance Perspectives will feature SAIIA Occasional Papers as well as opinion articles, and links to interesting, relevant new material.
This month, we present the report from SAIIA’s workshop earlier this year entitled South Africa’s Foreign Engagement: Whither Human Rights? The report, compiled by SAIIA researcher and seminar facilitator Terence Corrigan, explores the debate around how questions of human rights have been dealt with recently in South Africa’s relations with the international community.
We also feature material from SAIIA’s China in Africa's Project. A majority of the growing literature on Sino–African relations focuses on China's relations with resource-rich/economically robust countries or unsavoury regimes. Limited attention has been paid to the rest of Africa’s states, but it is in these 'less significant' countries, such as Ethiopia, that China has the potential to have the most impact. Building on Progress? Chinese Engagement in Ethiopia by Monika Thakur examines this issue.
We hope that you will visit our website to subscribe in order to continue receiving this newsletter, and look forward to hearing your views. Steven Gruzd, programme head, APRM Programme, steven.gruzd@wits.ac.za
APRM in the News
In mid-August, the Economic Commission of West African States (Ecowas) held a regional meeting on the APRM in Accra, Ghana, to encourge accession to the APRM. The meeting issued a communiqué that said participants seeking to extend their terms in office 'constricted space for democratic participation in the sub-region' and urged governments to prioritise implementation of their APRM Programmes of Action. It also said that member states should develop parliamentary standing committees on the APRM.
Read More and additionally here.
Dr Graca Machel, the lead Panelist for Sierra Leone, undertook a support mission to the West African country in August, as the process gathers momentum.
Read More.
In Zambia, reports emerged that 17 members of the APRM Governing Council had been removed from the body, including the chairman and spokesman, ostensibly to make the body more effective.
Read More/
The communiqué from the 11th meeting of the APRM Forum in Sirte, Libya held on 30 June 2009 is now available.
Read More.
SAIIA Occasional Paper, August 2009
Whither Human Rights in African International Relations?
by Dr Mireille Affa’a Mindzie
In a constantly evolving global context, have African countries been able to initiate a continental human rights foreign policy? Have such developments contributed to enhancing rather than discrediting further the consideration given to respect for human rights in international relations?
Please check our website in the next few days for this paper.
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The South African Journal of International Affairs seeks article submissions focused on Africa's (and South Africa's) international relations, and key governance and developmental challenges. African scholars are especially encouraged to make submissions. Articles should be 5000 to 8000 words long, employing endnotes for referencing. All submissions will be subject to a blind peer review, and articles must not be simultaneously under consideration for publication elsewhere. Please forward an abstract of the article to the Editor, Martha Bridgman, at sajia.editor@saiia.org.za or on CD in MS Word format via post to:
SAJIA,
PO Box 31596,
Braamfontein,
2017, South Africa.
Authors of successful abstracts will be notified with regard to submission of a full article.
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SAIIA’s online APRM Toolkit has been redesigned and updated with the latest information on the APRM, including several SAIIA Occasional Papers, relevant research reports, several academic papers on the APRM as well as the APR Country Review Reports of Algeria and Benin. We plan to update the APRM Toolkit on a monthly basis so please check back regularly. If you have written a paper on the APRM or governance matters in Africa and would like to share it, please email yarik.turianskyi@wits.ac.za with the subject line "APRM Toolkit'.
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If you would like to submit an original, unpublished, governance-related manuscript for possible inclusion in the SAIIA Occasional Paper series, please email steven.gruzd@wits.ac.za
Opinions expressed in papers and articles are those of their authors, and not SAIIA.
SAIIA gratefully acknowledges the Royal Netherlands Embassy in South Africa, which has generously supported the Governance & APRM Programme and this series.
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