Media must serve as watchdogs against corruption - AU ABC Executive Secretary

Media must serve as watchdogs against corruption - AU ABC Executive Secretary 

by Marian Ansah, 

Nairobi, Kenya

The Executive Secretary of the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption (AUABC), Charity Nchimunya, has emphasized the need for the media to join the Board's efforts in combating corruption. 

Speaking at a media engagement workshop held in Nairobi, Ms. Nchimunya said the media can serve as a watchdog by exposing acts of corruption.

The three-day workshop, which was organized by the AUABC in collaboration with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) office to the African Union (AU), kicked off with a presentation by  Dr. Scelo Zibagwe, Programme Planning Specialist at the AU who touched on governance, the rule of law, the AU's thirty-nine priority areas, 15 flagship projects, and seven aspirations. 

The first day of the workshop saw Senior Policy Officer at the AU, Martha Munthali highlighting the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC), a roadmap that aims to ensure accountability and transparency by member states. 

Ms. Munthali disclosed how the aspirations of the AUCPCC are closely linked to Agenda 2063, saying they both advocate for an Africa that places importance on rule of law, good governance, and democratic values. 

Over the years, Transparency International chapters in Cote D'ivoire, Tunisia, and other countries have called for the implementation of the AUCPCC in various areas: money-laundering, political party funding, and illicit enrichment. 

AUCPCC also tasks state parties to create an avenue for the media and civil society organizations to hold governments accountable without interference. 

By the end of the three-day workshop, journalists will be familiar with the AUABC and its activities. 

The workshop will also create a platform for networking and sharing ideas on combating corruption. 

 

You can follow more about these efforts following #AfricaAgainstCorruption across social media.

Follow Marian on www.twitter.com/EfeAnsah 

#COUNTDOWN TO SECOND AFRICAN FORUM ON MINING (#africanForumOnMining)

#COUNTDOWN TO SECOND AFRICAN FORUM ON MINING (#africanForumOnMining)

by E K Bensah Jr

Advocacy & Communications Unit, African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC)

With less than a week before the start of the second edition of the flagship African Forum on Mining, the Advocacy and Communications Unit at the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) has been blasting social media with important nuggets around the conference. Here are some excerpts from twitter feed on www.twitter.com/AfricanAMDC

While a provisional programme is available, more details, including a dedicated website, will be communicated when practicable to do so.

In the meantime, we invite you to follow our LinkedIn page (see below for latest post) and twitter pages for daily updates as we all count down to this important conference helping unpack Africa's Minerals governance:

See you soon!

BREAKING: The Second Edition of IOM & AU's Flagship Africa Migration Report is Under Development.

BREAKING: The Second Edition of IOM & AU's Flagship Africa Migration Report is Under Development.

A tweet from twitter today reads:

"What challenges will the 2nd Edition of Africa Migration Report #AMR address? What will it focus on? IOM, @AfricanUnion, & experts are meeting in #Addisababa to discuss this!

Report builds on the 1st Ed. (2020), which addressed a range of issues that have recently come to light."

APN-IOM Sensitization on Africa Migration Report

*ENGLISH*

MYTHS VERSUS REALITIES:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ekbensah_freemovementinafrica-africanmigrationreport-activity-6932876034442711040-UeW7?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=android_app

2. HOW AFCFTA CAN HELP BOOST INTRA-AFRICAN MIGRATION: https://twitter.com/ApnMigration/status/1531227338100416513?t=PVCntHtvg_yEE9Q0vJ-QiQ&s=19

3. #Securitization of #Migration that leads to restrictions for overall movement of Africans within Africa ultimately impacts expansion of Freedom of Movement Protocol (Fmp) Agenda:

https://twitter.com/ApnMigration/status/1536392914884079617?t=4Fe8r4xMcp4d0v6ldLfJbA&s=19https://twitter.com/ApnMigration/status/1536392914884079617?t=4Fe8r4xMcp4d0v6ldLfJbA&s=19

*FRENCH / BILINGUAL*

MYTHES ET REALITES

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ekbensah_africa-migration-report-fran%C3%A7ais-mythes-activity-6943576320152899585--JGL?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=android_app

2. COMMENT LA LIBRE CIRCULATION INTRA-AFRICAINE PROFITERA-T-ELLE A L'AFRIQUE?

https://youtu.be/Vpeguh9s4Ng

3. COMMENT LE COMMERCE ET LE MOUVEMENT INTRA-AFRICAINS BENEFICIERONT-ILS A L'AFRIQUE?

https://youtu.be/SXd4ZXx7H4Q

*The APN-IOM Partnership seeks to do the following:*

👉🏼 promote AU's Freedom of Movement Protocol (2018). Trainings are on the cards beyond the education on @APNMigration on twitter

👉🏼 popularize *African Migration Report* launched by AUC and IOM in October 2020. 

At APN, we believe that AfCFTA is not just about intra-African trade but, as the UNECA averred in 2019 in their report, about *dispelling the crisis of implementation around AU programming  and validating Agenda 2063*.

Get more information about APN-IOM Partnership on @APNMigration on twitter

Contact *Project Lead & Deputy Executive Director E K Bensah Jr* for more details on how APN is supporting IOM to change the narrative on migration governance in the context of AfCFTA these ways:

twitter: @ekbensah | @afcftapolicyGH

IG: @ekbensah | @afcftapolicyghana

  

#SAVETHEDATE: NAIROBI HOSTS AU ANTICORRUPTION AGENCY MEDIA BRIEFING & TRAINING

NAIROBI HOSTS AU ANTICORRUPTION AGENCY MEDIA BRIEFING & TRAINING

MEDIA ADVISORY.

The progress on fighting corruption in Africa.

What: African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption will brief the media on the progress that has been made in addressing issues of corruption on the continent.

When: Tuesday, 27th September 2022. 10.30AM

Where: Golden Tulip Hotel, Muthithi Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya.

Who: The briefing will be addressed by:

• Samuel Mbithi Kimeu, Board Member - African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption; and

• Charity Hanene Nchimunya, Executive Secretary - African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption

*Background*

The African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption provides a framework which State Parties can follow to combat corruption. Article 12 of the Convention has called upon State Parties to fully engage the Civil Society and Media in the fight against corruption. Recognizing the role that Media has in educating, informing, and acting as watch dogs and being whistleblowers, it is paramount that Media is equipped with right information on how they can engage State Parties to the Convention.

Media has been deemed to be a practical and effective tool to foster awareness on corruption, as well as voices that demand accountability and transparency from the public and private sectors. 

Through investigative journalism, media outlets have been key whistleblowers as well as holding government accountable in the management of public affairs.

Though the Convention, *in Article 12, has called upon State Parties to ensure that the Media is given access to information in cases of corruption and related offences* on condition that the dissemination of such information does not adversely affect the investigation process and the right to a fair trial, reports have shown that this has been hard to come by.

As a way of facilitating  experience and knowledge sharing on the lessons and challenges that Journalists face and discuss practical solutions on effective reporting on corruption as a means to strengthen the fight against corruption, *the AUABC is convening a three-day capacity building training with media outlets in Nairobi, Kenya from the 27th to the 29th September 2022*.

Access the African Union Treaties, Conventions, Protocols and Charters related to Governance here.

For more information about the work and mandate of the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption, visit https://anticorruption.au.int/en

 

AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM (APRM) DEPLOYS WORLD-FIRST SERIES OF REPORTS ON UNCONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES OF GOVERNMENT (UCG)

AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM (APRM) DEPLOYS WORLD-FIRST SERIES OF REPORTS ON UNCONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES OF GOVERNMENT (UCG)

#APRM #APRMUCG #APRMPEACE #UCG 

This is one of the highlights of my work with African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) as a communicator supporting outreach: the access to new, maybe novel, information that I would heretofore not have access to.

As someone who published a small book in 2019 entitled "How ECOWAS & AU Managed conflicts from 2011-2017" (see profile with link to downloadable report on academia.edu), I am always on the look out for AU's responses to peace and security over the years.

To say I am excited about this new APRM advocacy is understating how this privilege continues to remind one of the sense of responsibility for making an impact on the continent. 

APRM's new targeted reviews, and this is something my fellow champions -- Caroline Aluoch Adam Alqali Suzan Mwape Gabriel Baglo  -- have all covered since we all started the APRM Communication Network Champion work, are important and specifically-focused reviews that are requested by AU Member States after a general review. 

It just so happens in the six countries where the targeted reviews will take place, three are in my home region of West Africa. These are Burkina Faso; Sierra Leone; Guinea Conakry. The others are Chad; Lesotho; Comoros.

The targeted reviews will be conducted in fulfillment of Member States request to ensure that Unconstitutional Changes in Government (UCG) become part of the reporting for African Governance Report (AGR) 2023, which focus will be on UCG for the year.

Most important about this advocacy is how APRM will work with the Africa Governance Architecture platform members to launch a series of targeted reviews from 22 September to 30 October, 2022.

Arguably, this is the first of its kind not just on the continent, but in the world, which makes it especially more exciting and noteworthy.

As far as methodology goes, the methodology is unique, adopting an evidence-based case study on the topic for the purpose of gathering primary data from country experiences and best practices on UCG, through the use of a questionnaire known as a Governance Gap Analysis Tool.

APRM believes this methodology will ensure the full assessment of the causes, triggers and efficacy of AU and REC's frameworks in addressing UCG in Africa.

We will be updating followers on this as and when information is made available from APRM Continental Secretariat. 

Follow hashtags across social media using #AGR2023, and #APRMMedia. APRM Champions are on twitter at @APRMChampions.

#APRM Continues to Call for an African Continental Credit Rating Agency #ACRA

APRM Continues to Call for an African Continental Credit Rating Agency

by E K Bensah Jr, 

Coordinator of APRM Champions (@ekbensah)

For the past couple of weeks, APRM Champions (www.twitter.com/APRMChampions) have been championing the advocacy around the need for the establishment of an African Credit Rating Agency (#ACRA) alongside APRM's official account on www.twitter.com/APRMorg.

Almost every other day, APRM Secretariat has released an infographic that simply and clearly speaks to key issues around ACRA, and the necessity of AU Member States to rally support round it. 

So far, Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya are countries playing roles in advancing the agenda at the domestic level. 

While there is no dedicated hashtag now, you can follow the Champions as they call for #SetUpACRANow.

#West Africa Connect: #Hybrid matchmaking: #mango, #cassava and ICT suppliers meet buyers

Hybrid matchmaking: mango, cassava and ICT suppliers meet buyers

Sep 9, 2022

On September 20 and 21, 2022, West Africa Connect brings industry representatives from the mango, cassava, and ICT service sectors together in a hybrid format from Accra, Ghana. With financial support from the European Union (EU), the event will connect more than 160 suppliers from 16 West African countries with more than 20 buyers from West Africa and other regions.

West Africa Connect 2022 will be held as a hybrid event on the 20th and 21st of September in Accra, Ghana and online. The event is open to many international visitors. During the event, West African suppliers will showcase their products and attendees can also learn more about the valuable solutions the West African ICT services sector offers. The event's opening ceremony will welcome high-level representatives from the ECOWAS Commission, the UEMOA Commission, and the ECOWAS Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Network.

Many participants expressed their interest in the matchmaking platform. All attendees can identify "best matches" and meet physically or virtually with new business contacts. 299 B2B matches already have been identified and this number will increase as the event date is getting closer. The event will also include live and interactive seminars for participants and industry experts will cover topics about, among other things:

Exporting West African mango and cassava products: opportunities and challengesApplying digital technologies to modernize agribusiness in West AfricaQuality standards and requirements for mango and cassava products to connect with regional and international value chainsThe rewards of social and Fairtrade certifications to access ECOWAS and international markets

About West Africa Connect

It is expected that West Africa Connect will facilitate linkages between mango, cassava and ICT value chains actors, establish new and durable business partnerships and increase commercial transactions, therefore ensuring the sustainability of the regional value chains in West Africa.

West Africa Connect is implemented as part of the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP). The WACOMP is funded by the European Union and aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the West Africa region and enhance the integration of ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania into the regional and international trading system. The WACOMP is led by the ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with the UEMOA Commission and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), which are the implementing agencies of the regional component of the WACOMP.

source: https://westafricaconnect.com/hybrid-matchmaking-mango-cassava-and-ict-suppliers-meet-buyers/