Dar es Salaam:  African nations have been urged to reassess their current status of governance if attainment of sustainable development through good and democratic governance is to become a reality.   The call was made yesterday by Mr Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tanzania at a two-day training workshop to enhance capacity and participation of parliamentarians in the implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process.
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"National development strategies and the Millennium Development Goals cannot be realized in the absence of effective democratic governance," Mr Taranco said.
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APRM is part of the African Union's New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), an initiative developed to address governance challenges facing Africa.
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About 70 parliamentarians and their staff from 15 English speaking APRM participating countries have gathered in the historic Bagamoyo town for the workshop.  Its outcome would include a set of proposals to enhance involvement of parliamentarians in APRM implementation, from national assessments to implementation of national programs of action.
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"Attainment of good and democratic governance remains elusive for many African nations. There is therefore a great need for African nations to take stock of their current status in governance and chart a way forward," Mr Taranco underlined.
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Assessment as to which country adheres to good governance principles and strengthening the legal and institutional framework for the maintenance and promotion of these principles was paramount, he stated.
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Parliament's role of promoting good and democratic governance was indisputable for its key role in developing the legal framework for leadership and management of development at the national level, the UN coordinator noted.  APRM guidelines require that Parliaments play a key role in the APRM as stakeholders in governance and development, and to form partnership with civil societies, he said.
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Foreign Minister Bernard Membe said in his opening speech delivered by Ambassador Seif Iddi, the deputy minister, that APRM has become a standard-setter for other initiatives on governance.  As Tanzania implements the APRM process, sensitization workshops have been held for key stakeholders including civil society organizations, the media and the National Assembly.