Accra, Feb. 1, GNA - Ghana on Tuesday launched a national action week for the sensitisation of the public on the objectives of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

The week, on the theme: "Towards Africa's Growth and Prosperity Through Good Governance," aims at creating national ownership, facilitating stakeholders dialogue, establishing trust in the pursuit of national development goals and to ensure that every Ghanaian is enlightened on the principles of the APRM.

Activities for the week include: Regional Radio Talk Shows; Television Panel Discussion on the APRM; Adult Education in Local Languages on Ghana Television and Forums for identifiable groups such as the Youth, Students, Religious and the Civil Society Organizations. The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) is organising the programmes in collaboration with the National Africa Peer Review Mechanism Governance Council (GC).

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency shortly after the launch, Dr Bernard Kouassi, Executive Director of the APRM Secretariat based in South Africa, said APRM was a mutually agreed instrument voluntarily acceded to by the Member States of the African Union.

He said it is an African self-monitoring mechanism to encourage participating states to ensure that policies and practices conformed to the agreed political, economic and corporate governance values, codes and standards.

Dr Kouassi said the core guiding principles of the APRM were that every review should be technically competent, transparent, credible and free of political manipulation.

He explained that it would ensure that member states adhered to the standards and mutually agreed objectives in the social and economic development as contained in the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

The APRM Executive Director said the goal of APRM was to ensure that all participating countries accelerated their progress towards adopting and implementing the NEPAD priorities and programmes. It also seeks to foster the adoption of policies; standards and practices that lead to political stability; high economic growth; sustainable development and accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration through sharing of experiences and reinforcement of successful best practices.

The APR would also identify deficiencies and assess the needs for capacity building by exercising constructive peer dialogue and persuasion thereby making the process effective, credible and acceptable.

Ghana was the first nation to volunteer itself to be assessed by all stakeholders in the country based on the principles of the APRM, 23 other countries have so far acceded for the review. Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya and Mauritius are at the final phase of the review process.

Mr Laary Bimi, Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education, chaired the launch, which was attended by NAPRM GC members, students, Journalists and a cross-section of the public. 01 Feb. 05