Taking Hold of Our Future Through The African Peer Review Mechanism

The obvious purpose of this Working Paper is to assist all stakeholders (e.g., government, civil society, and private sector) in Zambia to own an informed and effective place in the APRM process that will mean an improved life for all our citizens. That is why we have titled the Working Paper “Taking Hold of Our Future.” That is something all Zambians want and together in this APRM process we can make a difference! One of the many advantages of the APRM process is that it offers opportunities to bring about more robust public debate on policy issues. Peer review has the potential to extend and deepen the dialogue at the national level, where the debates on reform are most important. While formal structures of accountability like parliaments, courts, investigation commissions, etc., are important, they are often associated with the political administration in power. Thus a negative perception of their effectiveness and impartiality can often undermine the credibility of policies adopted and implemented.