PRESS STATEMENT ON THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT

BOTSWANA DOES NOT JOIN AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM

DITSHWANELO - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights would like to express its concern over the reluctance by the Government of Botswana to participate in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).

NEPAD is a comprehensive plan to improve Africa's socio-economic status. Its goals are to promote accelerated growth and sustainable development, eradicate widespread and severe poverty, and halt the marginalisation of Africa in the globalisation process. NEPAD hopes to create an environment for sustainable development. It is different from past development plans, such as the Lagos Plan of Action of 1980, in that it boasts greater African ownership. Criticism has been levelled against NEPAD for being conceived and constructed from the top down by so few African leaders, without the consultation of civil society or a large contingent of African States.

NEPAD's five policy areas include:

Of particular importance to DITSHWANELO is the area on Democracy, Governance, and Peace and Security. We believe that Human Rights are an essential pre-requisite to a democratic society. DITSHWANELO also believes that a functioning democracy ensures equal access to resources and political power, and allows for political inclusion of minorities, indigenous peoples, women and the poor. It ensures the existence of a free and independent press, and participatory development - participation of all actors in Society in decision making processes: civil society, public sector, private sector, etc.

An essential aspect of NEPAD is the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). This section of NEPAD calls for African governments to hold each other accountable to agreed upon principles concerning economics, democratic rule and respect for the rule of law. In an article in the Daily News 5 November 2002, the Government of Botswana said that it has not joined the APRM because "the country feels it has already opened its economy to enough international scrutiny, while the political review process will be too difficult to implement because the issues are not quantitative."

While this mechanism continues to be debated, we are aware that other processes such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) are in place to ensure transparency Accountability. Nevertheless, DITSHWANELO believes that a Government truly committed to Democratic process would not be unwilling to open itself to scrutiny. Botswana's Vision 2016 envisages an Open Democratic and Accountable Nation with open and transparent Governance.

DITSHWANELO calls on the government to respect the mechanisms that are under discussion for peer reviews to be adopted. Transparency and accountability are essential in order for a free democratic society to operate effectively.

12 December 2002
Gaborone