WINDHOEK: The African Union’s African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) has found that Namibia’s ‘world class’ road infrastructure, standards in national statistics, codes of ethics in public offices, and the BBB women empowerment programme in agriculture, are some of the most commendable practices that other African countries should emulate.

This was said by Abdoulie Janneh, the lead panellist for Namibia during the handing over of the country review report to President Nangolo Mbumba here on Thursday. The country review mission for Namibia took place between October and November 2021. Since accession in 2017, Namibia has been peer reviewed twice, in February 2020 for the Targeted Review on youth unemployment, and in February 2022.

Janneh however said that Namibia faces challenges in the implementation of policies and the need to accelerate the policy on devolution as part of the transfer of delegated responsibilities to the regions and local authorities, and land reform, amongst others.

‘Namibia is commended
by the Panel for demonstrating the highest political will and determination in implementing the APRM programme,’ he said.

Namibia has also participated fully in continental APRM processes and has undergone peer exchanges with Uganda and Rwanda while providing peer learning opportunities to other countries including its neighbour Botswana.

‘Namibia is to be commended for completing its review processes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the ravages of the pandemic, Namibia trained its national structures, finalised the research phase for the Country Self-Assessment Report, hosted the review mission and integrated recommendations from the National Plan of Action accompanying the country review report in Namibia’s sixth National Development Plan,’ Janneh added.

On his part, President Mbumba said Namibia has since 2017 established national structures which include a diverse 13-member National Governing Council to serve for a period of three years.

‘Government will consider the possibility of estab
lishing a permanent National Secretariat to continue coordinating APRM activities and programmes in the country, thereby ensuring the full implementation of the National Plan of Action,’ Mbumba added.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency