President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has tasked the newly inaugurated third National Governing Council of the African Peer Review Mechanism, APRM, to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and accountability in carrying out its mandate.
Dr. Nandi-Ndaitwah commissioned the Council during a ceremony at State House.
The National Governing Council of the African Peer Review Mechanism is expected to undertake Namibia's Second Generation Country Review Report and develop its National Programme of Action.
The National Programme of Action addresses governance challenges identified in the review process and assigns responsibility for implementation to public and private institutions, including government, the private sector and civil society.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah views the National Governing Council as important in supporting the 8th Administration's seven key priority areas, including helping to identify critical governance reforms to accelerate national development.
"I encourage you to undertake your assignment with honesty and dedication. Your service is not only a duty to Namibia but also contributes to Africa's development agenda. Therefore, the inauguration of the Third National Governing Council of APRM reaffirms Namibia's commitment to strengthening the governance architecture as outlined in the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) and contributing to Africa's Agenda 2063."
President Nandi-Ndaitwah presented Namibia's first Progress Report on the implementation of the National Programme of Action of the Targeted Review Report on Youth Unemployment during the 35th African Peer Review Forum of Heads of State and Government in Ethiopia in February this year.
"Some of the achievements in this report include the establishment of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, the implementation of the National Youth Development Fund, the introduction of subsidised tertiary education, and the implementation of Youth Apprenticeship Programmes."
The Targeted Review Report on Youth Unemployment is one of the two key review reports Namibia has produced since joining the mechanism in 2017.
The other being the First Country Report, which was all peer-reviewed by the African Peer Review Forum of Heads of State and Government in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
The National Secretariat Focal Point and Chief Executive Officer, Lineekela Mboti, are calling for full multi-stakeholder involvement in implementing the recommendations contained in the reports.
"While the report was well received on the continent, especially by the youth, we hold the view that more remains to be done to ensure its full implementation by the government and all stakeholders. The inauguration of the NGC clearly demonstrates Namibia's continued commitment to improving effective governance in the country and on the continent."
The third APRM National Governing Council will serve for a period of four years, with Ambassador Wilfred Emvula and Dr Roseta !Nawases are serving as Chairperson and Vice Chairperson, respectively.