Lead Consultant on Peer Review Mechanism to visit Ghana

Accra, March 3, GNA - Dr Kerfalla Yansane, Lead Consultant of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) at the NEPAD Secretariat in South Africa, is expected in Accra this week to hold a meeting with Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of Regional Cooperation and NEPAD.

Information made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Wednesday said the meeting had been scheduled for Friday, March 5 at the NEPAD Office at the Flagstaff House.

The meeting is in response to Ghana's intention to become the first country in Africa to be subjected to the Peer Review mechanism. At the first APRM Forum held in Kigali, Rwanda last month, Ghana and three other African countries indicated their preparedness to begin the implementation of the mechanism this year. The other countries were Rwanda, Kenya and Mauritius.

Dr Francis Appiah, Technical Adviser at the Ministry of Regional Co-operation and NEPAD, speaking to the GNA at the Forum said: "Ghana will likely be the first African country to be subjected to the Peer Review and a Country Review Team is expected in Ghana soon to effect the Review".

Dr Appiah said out of the four countries, Ghana was the only country that had reached an advanced stage for the Review in terms of preparation.

Ghana had set up a Ministry for NEPAD, and had undertaken extensive consultations with Parliament and Civil Society Organisations. The NEPAD Secretariat had already appointed a seven-member panel of eminent persons to supervise the implementation of the APRM process. The members appointed by the Heads of State of Sixteen African States who had indicated their preparedness to undertake the Review had

Ms Marie-Angelique Savane of Senegal as its Chairperson.

The rest are Professor Adebayo-Adedeji from Nigeria, Professor B. Kiplagat from Kenya, Dr Grace Machel from Mozambique, Mr. C. Stals from South Africa, Ms. Dorothy Njeuma from Cameroon and Mr M Medelci from Algeria.

The countries are Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Mauritius, Ethiopia, South Africa, Rwanda, Mozambique, Algeria, Senegal, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Mali and Burkina Faso.