A presentation to the Africa Regional Workshop on Promoting Accountability and Integrity in Public Spending

BACKGROUND In February 1999 PAC representatives from various African Countries met in Kampala, Uganda. The purpose of the meeting was to strategise on making Parliaments effective in their oversight role particularly on financial mismanagement and abuse. The meeting agreed that PACs, being directly under the control of Parliamentary Authorities, had limited scope in fighting corruption.

BACKGROUND cont…… The meeting resolved to establish a voluntary body of Parliamentarians committed to the fight against corruption. Principle of non-partisanship. Hon Augustine Ruzindana of Uganda was elected as the founding president of APNAC. Secretariat is hosted by the Parliamentary Centre in Accra since October 2010.

APNAC’s OBJECTIVES The main objective of the APNAC is to develop, maintain and promote a network to build the capacity of Parliaments in Africa and African Parliamentarians to fight against, and effectively address, corruption in their respective countries.

Objectives cont…… The other objectives for which APNAC was established are to : build the commitment and capacity of African Parliaments to exercise accountability, with particular emphasis on financial matters; share information on lessons learned and best practices developed to control and fight corruption;

Objectives cont…… undertake projects to control corruption; cooperate with organizations in civil society with shared objectives relating to the fight against corruption; to sensitize, educate and make aware the population, at all levels of society, on the existence, threat and danger of corruption;

Objectives cont………….. to campaign for inclusion of programmes  on the control and fight against corruption in government priority programmes; to advocate for and encourage the improvement of the States’ capacity to timely address and handle matters related to corruption;

Objectives cont…. to liaise with national and international organisations and institutions on all matters relating to the control of, and fight against, corruption; and to mobilise internal and external resources to promote anti-corruption programs; to develop links with oversight committees of Parliament and Parliamentarians across Africa;

build the commitment among African Parliamentarians to exercise accountability, with particular emphasis on financial matters and generally on promote integrity in political leadership;

Executive Committee APNAC is governed by an elected Executive Council, composed of a President, Vice-President, and two representatives of each of four regions of Africa – East, West, South and Central.  North Africa is yet to be brought into the fold. The Current Executive Committee was elected at the AGM held in Lusaka in September 2010.

Country Chapters Benin Burkina Faso Cameroon Chad DRC Gambia Ghana Kenya Malawi 10. Mali 11. Niger 12. Rwanda 13. Senegal 14. Sierra Leone 15. Tanzania 16. Uganda 17. Zambia 1. Zimbabwe

Current Executive Committee President Hon Given Lubinda, MP (Zambia) Vice- President Hon Fulgence BONANET, MP (Burkina Faso) West Africa Hon Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, MP (Ghana) East Africa Hon Musikari Kombo, MP (Kenya) Hon Dr Zainab Amir Gama, MP (Tanzania) Central Africa Hon Ouchar Tourgoudi, MP (Tchad) Hon Dr Bouzabo Patchili, MP (Tchad) Southern Africa Hon Eduardo Namburete, MP (Mozambique) Hon Jubulani Mangena, MP  (Zimbabwe)

Networking APNAC collaborates with a number of organisations including the following: National Parliaments; Global Organisation for Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) and all its Regional Chapters; The UN - UNODC The Parliamentary Centre – Africa in Accra CIDA The World Bank Institute Dfid Tiri – an NGO working on integrity

Current Regional programmes African Parliament’s Strengthening Programme – with PC-A covering 7 countries: Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia For strengthening Parliaments’ Budget Oversight role. 2. Parliaments and the MDGs (pro-poor Integrity Project) – with TIRI to cover Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda.

Planned Activities under APSP: Regional ToT – April 2010 in Kampala In-country workshops for APNAC members and other MPs on reading and understanding the Budget. In country, Pilot Projects on a selected issues including Election financing, Codes of Conduct, Elections Corruption , EITI, Anti-Corruption Conventions, Procurement legislation and practices etc;

Planned Activities under Pro-poor Integrity Validation workshop on study conducted in the respective countries on the role of Parliaments in Monitoring MDGs; Pilot projects on engagement of Parliaments and Parliamentarians in the attainment of MDGs.

Overall Planned Activities Host AGM in June/July 2010; Adopt 2010 – 2015 Strategic Plan; Conduct in-country capacity building workshops on selected topics including Anti-corruption conventions, Codes of conduct etc. Adopt Codes of Conduct for APNAC members; 5. Revive all chapters;

6. Establish new chapters in all African Parliaments; 7. Establish Sub-Regional Chapter/Networks; 8. Host Workshop for Parliamentarians at the International Anti-Corruption Conference in Bangkok in November, 2010; 9. Co-host the Parliamentarians’ side meeting of the United Nations State Parties Conference on the UNCAC.

Contact details The Executive Director African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption Parliamentary Centre – Africa P.M.B. Ct 113 Cantonments, Accra, Ghana Email: secretariat@apnacafrica.org www.apnacafrica.org

Thank you