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Peer review: 12 nations agree
04/11/2002 08:29 - (SA)
Abuja, Nigeria - Twelve African nations agreed on Sunday to create an all-African peer review system monitoring their governments' conduct in a bid to attract lucrative trade and aid from Western governments wary of wars and human rights abuses on the continent.
Representatives of at least four of 18 African nations present
at a summit in the Nigerian capital of Abuja left without signing
the declaration of intent, organisers said. It was not immediately clear whether the two remaining nations signed.
Stressing that wars and civil unrest were hindering development on the world's most poverty-ridden continent, summit host President Olusegun Obasanjo said peer review was essential. Work must be done to "enthrone genuine democracy, the rule of law and good governance in all its ramifications", he added.
Little was known, however, about how the peer-review system
would operate. A copy of the document would only be made public on Monday, summit organisers said.
Peer-review has been cautiously supported by Western supporters of the New Partnership for African Development, or Nepad. Nepad was designed by the leaders of South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal and Algeria to energise the continent's economies through partnerships with industrialised nations.
Growth-friendly policies
But it's uncertain how tough leaders of politically fragile,
ethnically diverse African nations are prepared to be in policing
themselves, and whether the panel would cover misgovernment or
human rights abuses.
Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade, an outspoken figure who has
cajoled African counterparts for failing to speak out about abuses in Zimbabwe and other states, did not sign the document and left the summit hall less than an hour after the meeting began. The reason for his early departure was not known.
Botswana, Tunisia and Cameroon also did not sign, Obasanjo said.
South Africa, with Nigeria one of sub-Saharan Africa's two most influential nations, insisted in recent days that peer review should be limited to matters of economic good governance, like ensuring accountability for public funds and growth-friendly
policies. Political matters should be left off the job description.
Others had envisioned a more expansive policy, which would take to task African regimes that condone political corruption,
undemocratic policies and human rights abuses.
"There was never ever any suggestion that we have a Nepad peer review process that would conduct the work of the commission on human rights," Mbeki said in recent days.
In the end, South African President Thabo Mbeki signed the
document, Obasanjo said.
"The peer review mechanism must be African-owned, African-led,
and African-managed," Obasanjo said. "It must be voluntary,
technically competent, credible, non-discriminatory and free from
political manipulation from any quarters."
He did not specify whether it was the participants or judgments of the proposed panel that should be "voluntary".
"We recognise in Nepad that peace and security is a condition
precedent on poverty eradication and promotion of rapid economic
development," Obasanjo said.
Eloquent testimony
Obasanjo called on summit participants to support attempts to
end civil unrest and insurrections on the continent.
The phased withdrawal of some UN peacekeepers from Sierra
Leone after more than a decade of civil war, meanwhile, "bears
eloquent testimony to what is possible ... when all stockholders
demonstrate political will".
"Heartwarming developments" had also been made in efforts to end years-long conflicts in the Congo, Sudan, Angola and Somalia, he added.
"I urge all parties to the conflict in Ivory Coast to
demonstrate their genuine commitment to peace and national
reconciliation in the ongoing negotiations and peace talks,"
Obasanjo said. Conflicts in Central African Republic and Liberia
"must also be brought to a speedy end."
Along with Obasanjo, the presidents of South Africa, Rwanda,
Ethiopia, Botswana, Algeria, Senegal and Mozambique attended along with diplomatic representatives of Angola, Gabon, Ghana, Tunisia, Cameroon, Egypt, Mauritius, Uganda, Mali and Republic of Congo. - Sapa-AP
- SAPA
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